Astronomy 101

[Fnord]

This is inspired by the are there comets and/or aliens thead. Do we have a basic idea of what is up above us on Zalanthas, and if not, why?

Things I'd like to know, so I felt more in the world:

1) Is the sun and two moons the only celestial bodies we ever see? In otherwords, do we see stars?

2) Are there ever shooting stars, comets, or other celestial happenings, and if so, how are they generally interpreted? I'm inclined to believe there are, because of some things IC that I won't elaborate on, but if there are they seem major enough to be public knowledge, i.e. in the docs.

3) Is the sky ever cloudy, or is it clear? What color is the sky, and does it ever change?

Feel free to add your own to this list.  I'm not buying "find out IC" for any of these. They're fundamental things any person in the world would grow up seeing just by looking up.

Thoughts?

Edit: Added a link to the space thread that inspired this one.

[Maybe42or54]

To the If not, and why part:

We are to oppressed as a people to think about what may or may not be above us. It doesn't help us in anyway, except make some people point the finger and say magicker in your direction. Your friends may laugh at you because you never have enough food/water/sex/spice/alcohol and there you are, wondering about things you can't find out because you can't jump high enough.

The stars are Tek's pimples, because he is just going through puberty.
Maybe they are the Dragon's scales gleaming in the light while he flies past.

[Fnord]

The stars are Tek's pimples, because he is just going through puberty.
Maybe they are the Dragon's scales gleaming in the light while he flies past.

I agree with your point as to how opinions on what these things are may very based on race, culture, etc.

My question is not what they are, but if they exist. Does it answer anywhere in the documentation the existance of these things or not? If not, can an imm let us know?

It helps to know in any fantasy setting how it differs from the real world, so we can feel more a part of it, and roleplay the differences effectively without a clash of imaginations.

"See those up there? Suk-Krath once gave Drov a pearl necklace..."
"See what, the sky is empty save for the moons."

[Bestatte]

1) There are stars.
2) So far in the few years I've been playing I haven't heard of any shooting stars or comets seen by anyone within the general populace of either city, or the elven or kuraci outposts. So if there is such folklore, it would definitely be one of those "find out IC" and not something your character would know.
3) The sky is often clouded with dust and sand but is otherwise clear. In the daytime the sky is red, and shifts its hue between the daylight hours from dawn through dusk. At night, it is varying shades of "there's no way to tell because it's too damned dark out here." The variance is dependent on the weather and how many of the two moons are out.

[Yokunama]

3) Is the sky ever cloudy, or is it clear?

With the "weather" command, you should be able to determine this.

[Fnord]

Bestatte, you are like an irrig lamp illuminating the darkness.

If it's not already somewhere in the vast documentation, that the sky is red and there are stars in the sky would be good things to mention. I guess that "clouds" on Zalanthas come in the form of dust and sand as opposed to suspended puffy water things is common sense, but it wouldn't hurt to mention in a comparison either. Just as "storm" means sand and never rain on our favorite desert planet.

This is a n00b doc in the making.

[halfhuman]

If there were shooting stars, I think it'd be cool if they're fabled to be the Dragon, meaning bad luck in Tuluk because he's probably back to blow up the other half! It could be something of a superstition.

And here's one thing that I'm not sure is valid or not. When there's a visible imm on, and you use the "who" command it'll say something like "The Nessalin constalition shines brightly in the sky." I'm not sure if that applies for all imms as I rarely see visible ones on, and as it's used in the Who command, I'm not sure if it should be used to any in game affect, but constalations in the sky would be a cool thing you could use for a little bit more superstition which I don't think I see enough, if any, of in Armageddon.

The Egyptians believed the sun was  ship that sailed through the sky by day and fought it's way through the underworld by night. The Greeks thought it was a guy in a Charriot. Why haven't Zalanthans tried to justify it?

[Larrath]

The Egyptians believed the sun was  ship that sailed through the sky by day and fought it's way through the underworld by night. The Greeks thought it was a guy in a Charriot. Why haven't Zalanthans tried to justify it?

Several reasons.
1. Zalanthans are hungry.
2. Zalanthans can't write so any real stories would probably fade quickly enough.
3. There are Sun Magickers that might both be insulted by the creation of such stories and might bring the whole subject too close to forbidden magickal theory that you don't want the Templars to know you're considering.
4. As a whole, philosophy (for commoners at least) just isn't all that encouraged in Zalanthas.

[Cale_Knight]

2. Zalanthans can't write so any real stories would probably fade quickly enough.

It was only relatively recently that even a small majority of people in the real world could read or write. The oral tradition on Zalanthas is rather strong, and the fact that illiteracy abounds probably doesn't matter much.

[j0ram]

2) Are there ever shooting stars, comets, or other celestial happenings, and if so, how are they generally interpreted? I'm inclined to believe there are, because of some things IC that I won't elaborate on, but if there are they seem major enough to be public knowledge, i.e. in the docs.

There was an "event" that happened "somewhere south of Luirs" that some or no people may or may not believe to inlude or be possibly realted to one or none of the above mentioned events that others may or may not believe to fall under common or uncommon knowledge. But I'll leave it up to the staff to, or not to, go into detail, or lack there of.

[Anonymous]

There was an "event" that happened "somewhere south of Luirs" that some or no people may or may not believe to inlude or be possibly realted to one or none of the above mentioned events that others may or may not believe to fall under common or uncommon knowledge. But I'll leave it up to the staff to, or not to, go into detail, or lack there of.

You are the Donald Rumsfeld of Zalanthas, my friend. I commend you for writing the most obfuscated I can remember reading on these boards. Bravo, conversely, in a manner of speaking.

[Anonymous]

i seem to recall a "ask the staff" post where it was said there are no stars in the night sky, most likely because of constant dust storms, even if the sky is "clear."

Though, there are some tribes with lore concerning stars.

So basically the answer is, "Who the fuck knows."

I say there are stars, but you only see them if you live in the place where those tribes that have lore live.