Re: the sun's path

From: Sandy Petersen <sandyp_at_idgecko.idsoftware.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 95 12:53:45 -0500

Lewis Jardine
>I was wondering how does summer work in Glorantha? Does Yelm alter
>his path? On a similar vien do the length of the days vary
>throughout the year in Glorantha... and what is the mechanism AND
>the mythological justification?

1. the last time I discussed with Greg, we agreed that Yelm did alter his path during the seasons. At the height of summer, Yelm is nigh-exactly overhead. During the winter, he is further south of the Pole Star.
2. I believe that it is _essential_ that the length of days vary throughout the year. Otherwise, Glorantha starts being too different from Earth, and lots of little things start going wrong. I think that the days are longer in summer, _plus_ Yelm sheds more heat and light.

>I assume that Yelm does not alter his path.
P.M.
>Elder Secrets says no, it moves northward in the summer.

        Well, it _does, but it moves north in summer "up to the middle of the sky". It doesn't actually go much north of the Pole Star, but it dips quite a bit South of it in winter.

        It is, of course, following the wobble of the Sky Dome, which mimics the original moment when it was tilted up from the North, sending all the fire pouring off the south to wipe out the Artmali Empire, and leaving a big gap in the North for the army of chaos to sneak under.

Me
>I'm sure that the Kralori took care to store certain types
>of knowledge on Truestone,

Peter "snidely" Metcalfe
>umm, adamantine 1" chisels?

        Spare me. I meant _inside_ the Truestone -- you know, like you store magic in the stuff? It wouldn't be visible from the outside, and it would be impossible to destroy the Truestone. But if you knew how, you could extract the wisdom within.

>Of course what really throws me about the Elder Secrets astronomy
is >the Blue Moon's Tidal Cycles. Imagine what it does for the sailors >on the ships!

        Now now. As has been stated more than once, the Blue Moon cycles are _not_ random, but can be predicted as far in advance as anyone cares to figger.

---