Re: Lunar Calendar

From: TTrotsky_at_...
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 09:46:43 EST


Charles Corrigan:

<< 1 - how far out do the dividing lines/boundaries/borders extend - to the
ends of the earth? >>

     I'm not Wesley, but the following is my understanding, and I'm sure he'll correct me if I've misunderstood his map:

     Received wisdom is that a black shadow falls over half the moon, and rotates across its surface over the course of a week. If you're facing the side of the moon opposite the shadow, its full, if you're facing the shadow side-on, the moon is half, and so on. If you were in Pamaltela, you would still be facing the same side of the moon as you would in Dragon Pass (you'd just be further away). So, yes, the boundaries extend to the edges of the lozenge, if not further.  

<< 2 - how wide are the dividing lines? razor fine/infinitely small (i.e.
from one step to another you can see the moon change phase) or fuzzy/finite (not quite sure how to explain this).>>

      They're going to be fuzzy. If you're standing on the dividing line between, say, full and half, the moon will appear gibbous. OTOH, in terms of the magic you can cast, the zone is probably fairly narrow.  

<< 3 - Are there any cool magics that can be cast better on the dividing
line?>>

      I would expect that the dividing line will zip past you too fast for you to take advantage of it in this way. I would guess the maps show the situation at midnight on the days in question (although it could be dawn, or whatever), since the shadow across the moon, is cast by a rotating object that presumably moves smoothly rather than teleporting from one place to another at midday (or whenever).  

Trotsky

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