[ ART CREDIT ]
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A S T R O N O M Y
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The study and observation of the vast night sky, of the celestial bodies within, and of the mystical unknowns beyond the world of Altera.
-=[ TECHNOLOGY ]=-
There are a variety of tools that can be found in use by those who spend their time studying the stars. Some of these tools find use elsewhere, as well.
Astrolabe
This astronomical instrument is typically fashioned from brass disks, and can be used to measure the relative distance in the sky between two stars, or to use the position of the sun or major stars to tell time. It is used in a counter-intuitive orientation, and is only really useful for a specific location.
Dioptra
A simpler form of the astrolabe, this instrument is afixed atop a geared column, and is used to measure the angles between two stars.
Volvelle
More a record of long periods of observation than an instrument of astronomical measurement, volvelles can be found for subjects far afield of astronomy. They are very narrow in scope, often only applicable to a particular location and star, or other celestial body, such as the moon.
Armillary Sphere
This tool is a carefully crafted model of celestial objects, using various rings around a globe to represent Altera. Some are made where the sun is the centre piece.
Nocturnal
An instrument related to both the astrolabe and the sundial, it helps to determine time based on the locations of two or more stars in the sky. An outer disc marks the months of the year, with an inner disc marks hours of the day, with variations depicting constellations on an outer brim.
Quadrant
An instrument used to calculate various readings of altitude and latitude, a way of measuring angles up to 90°. It is often used as a tool in navigation at sea, as well.
Sundial
A device that tells the time of the day by the sun shining upon it and casting a shadow relative to the location of the sun in the sky, the dial or disc marked with hours of the day that the shadow falls upon.
Spyglass
A carefully crafted tool that helps in observation purposes, giving a better and more close up view of distant objects.
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-=[ THE NIGHT SKY ]=-
When one observes the night sky under clear conditions, be this through the assistance of a spyglass or a keen eye, they are exposed to a vast horizon of stars illuminating against and endless darkness. Sometimes these stars can be recognised as constellations, sometimes they may see falling stars leaving brief trails of light behind them. The moon is a constant, but with the right predictions they can see the arrivals and departures of comets on various cycles.
Stars
The stars are vast, almost endless. But some stars are more recognisable if one is familiar with the constellations [ here ]. With the use of assisted vision, some stars seem to flicker with light, and some can appear as faint hues of gold or red. Some stars are strange, not fitting into constellations but appearing sporadically or simply seem notable from the rest.
[Northern Star] - One of the brightest stars in the skies, it has been seen as a guiding light through eons.
[The Rose Star] - A pink hued star that only seems to appear in the sky above the 'Dancers' constellation during the month of Floodlock (February).
[Star of Dranoden] - A twinkling teal star opposite the Northern Star that is said to be connected to the Arch Fiend Dranoden, though it has seemingly vanished from the skies. It leaves behind a tinted blue hue where it once was.
[Seeing Eye] - A star that seems slightly more oval in shape, vaguely in the shape of an eye. The strange thing about this star is that it moves, never really in the same place for too long, and no one is quite sure when it began doing this.
[Wildfire Star] - A shimmering yellow star that irregularly releases flares of incandescent golds and crimson reds which are observable by use of a spyglass. This star has only recently started to exude this phenomenon and it is now rumoured to have a connection to some primordial magical force.
The Moon
The moon is a fractured and broken thing, but held together by forces unknown. To the naked eye this shape and its features are clearly visible, even with some shapes around it. With better vision, usually by tools, these shapes can be seen to be fragments of the moon itself, lingering in the skies around it.
Comets
Not much has been written and recorded on these, but very occasionally a great star seems to arc across the night sky, leaving a ghostly, ethereal trail behind it. These have been considered omens of times to come, be them good or bad ones, but very little is understood on their nature. There are only a few, sparse named comets, though the names of them vary and some cultures may call them something else entirely. This could explain why so little is recorded.
[Arc of Melian] - A comet that was recorded as being an omen to great bloodspill, for the comet's 'veil' was of a red hue. This was documented by a scholar named of Melian, though no records of him have survived beyond this.
Cycle | 450 years
[The Spectre] - A small comet that appears on a regular basis, though is said to have only originated after Skraag's own influence in the skies. It appears at the beginning of Ghostmoon, and crests the horizon slowly over the span of the month until it fades away on the last day, the 31st. It is a pale hue, but it glows and shimmers in such a way it has been described as spectral, with purple undertones leading some to believe it is the influence of the Grey Lady.
Cycle | Every year
[Arc of Hellfire] - First noticed during the Demonic Incursion on the night the Ivory King tore a rift over Storm's Landing, it was rumoured to have just been a falling star. But the familiar trail behind it and slower movement suggest otherwise, and experienced astronomers may be able to estimate a possible return within the next century. It is said to have been of golds and reds with a trail that resembled flames and ember, casting these same firey embers across the land that spells disaster for crops.
Cycle | 50-60 years
Falling Stars
Rarely, watching the night skies might grant an opportunity to see a falling star. A brief flare of light as it streaks downward, though it is very rare to find any traces of them where they may have landed, if they ever did. Whilst the majority seem to burn away before reaching anywhere, some leave impacts that can be uncovered. It is rumoured this is the origin for 'starblood'. Even more rarely however is when a falling star is large enough it leaves a significant impact and a mass of molten rock and strange metals is left behind.
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-=[ ANOMALIES ]=-
Occasionally, the night sky does not remain as it should, and strange occurrences have been known to happen sporadically. Whilst some speculate to reasons why these things happen, there is often little way to prove or disprove it, and it is simply left to recording the events and seeing if there is any pattern to it.
Blinking Stars
A strange and rare phenomenon, upon gazing into the stars sometimes one of them simply seems to blink out of being. It may return days, weeks, or years later if it was ever possible to log where it was exactly. They may also flicker, briefly vanishing only to appear moments after, often disregarded as a trick of the eye.
Grief Constellation
The area beyond the constellation of Grief is devoid of any stars, and always seems to be a void of darkness that instils a vague sense of unease when gazing at it for too long.
Star Showers
Sometimes, falling stars appear in great clusters, making for a vivid and strangely beautiful sight. These are called 'showers' for how many there can be, though they do not follow any real sort of pattern in how often the occur.
Blood Moon/Red Star
Considered an ill omen, a scarlet star sometimes appears on the moon, slowly overtaking its face until the moonlight filters down entirely crimson, stoking the primeval urges of vyres and other chosen of Skraag. Very rare, and the effects are not wholly known or understood.
The Splinter
A veil of deep blue and indigo splashed across a small section of sky like transparent gossamer. It is thought to be a scar after the divine conflict of the ascension of the figment 'Magic'.
The False Moon
It is incredibly distant and very hard to locate, but it has been documented that with careful scouring and applicable tools to advance sight, a large rocky mass can be seen beyond the space of the moon itself. It has been titled the 'Second Moon', or the 'False Moon', but the faint outlines of what could be described as ribs makes it hard to believe it is a moon at all.
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-=[ THE BEYOND ]=-
Beyond Altera: The Universe. A modern mind might think of it as 'space', were they not Alteran. Where the cycles began. Where they will end. This is where the Immortal Kings came into being, where they sprinkled their creations. Stars, suns, moons, asteroids, galaxies: anything the mind might conceive of to exist, moving within its own sphere. And this is also where the Immortal Kings died. A great emptiness left as a graveyard of their immense power. The extent of creation can never be fully grasped by mortal mens.
Those with the tools and the inclination may take to long periods of research and study to discover that the world they live on is spherical, and not flat. Be this measuring distances in the skies from different locations, observations of the lunar and solar cycles, or various other methods, it is possible to uncover this information.
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