Hi all,
My posting about meteorogical phenomena seems to have gone down
moderately well, let me emphasize that I present them for use as shells
for each person to expand or change as they see fit for MGF. Of
course, you could just present them without explanation and chuckle
evilly as the the players desperately try to find the significance of
these events.
Here's some more, and some responses to the responses.
Moonbows
These are silver because the human eye is not sensitive enough to
detect colours at this low light level. However don't let this stop a
good idea, if you think moonbows are red or silver then they are! In
the same way that rainbows are a sign of the compromise, moonbows are a
sign of The Goddess's reforging of the compromise. Do trolls see then at all?
St Elmo's Fire
Joerg asks which spirits are bouncing around the ship. My answer:
whatever ones you want - ships are still rare enough and the oceans
still wild enough that there can be virtually anything you want (IMHO).
Obvious ones are storm spirits or sea spirits. These may need
placating or may just be curious and/or playful (and need placating).
Obvious ways include sacrificing players and/or important (to the plot)
NPCs, or just a little blood letting. I don't think that knowlege of
the seas is complete or widespread enough for characters to know much about them.
I hadn't heard of Rainbow Girl or of tin compassses before.
New effects
The Horizon Effect
When the Sun sets (or rises) it seems much bigger than during the day.
RW: This is purely an optical illusion - photographs with long exposure
times show that the diameter of the Sun doesn't change, so it's nothing
to do with the atmosphere bending the Sun's light in odd ways. It's
not well understood but it seems that as the is on the horizon we can
then compare it's size to trees or buildings etc that we know the size
of, the apparent size of the Sun is much larger than these (usually)
and so we interperet this to mean that the Sun *is* much larger. At
midday there is (usually) nothing for us to compare the Sun with
directly so it seems smaller.
RQ: It seems odd for Yelm to get bigger when he's supposed to be
getting weaker - perhaps He's gathering His stregth for the Underworld journey.
Earthquake Flashes
In the first few moments of an earthquake, or just before one there can
be a slash of sheet lightning.
RW: The electric potentials of the ground are changing as the
earthquake begins, a lightning flash along the fault line
re-establishes equilibrium. Since the potentials are quite sensitive
this sometimes happens before the earthquake proper and in some
instances can be used to predict 'quakes.
RQ: A good excuse for some SFX when Maran Gor preistesses are around.
Earthshine
When the Monn is in cresent phase you can sometimes see the dark part of the Moon.
RW: This is caused by Sunlight reflecting off the Earth onto the Moon
and then back to the Earth. This light is barely enough to make out the
normally dark areas of the Moon.
RQ: Presumably a sign that The Goddess is particularly strong that week.
Mirages
Traditionally these are seen as pools of water in deserts or visions of
cities many miles away.
RW: There are two effects involved here both based on refraction of
light in air of different temperatures. The first effect - that of
pools of water - can be seen most frequently nowadays if one looks
along straight roads on a hot day. The air just above the road is
hotter and has a different refractive index than the air around it.
Light hitting this patch of air at certain angles is reflected instead
of being transmitted. This reflected light looks silvery and can
easily be mistaken for the surface of a pool. The second effect - that
of whole cities - is much much rarer and happens when the entire
atmosphere has layers of air at different temperatures act as one and
can send images for several tens of kilometers depending on the
temperature difference, making large areas (such as cities) seem to be
in completely different positions.
RQ: These are obviously Trickster playing about.