What is the medium light has to travel in? I think that there are four or five separate media light is known to travel through in Glorantha.
The first is Aether. This is the natural medium for light. The sky dome is made up from it, and I think that ideal travel of light (whether circular or straight) is possible only in this medium. It may also have a strong attraction for stray light, causing light beams in mundane Glorantha to curve up.
The most commonly used medium light has to move through on Glorantha, however, is Air (at least where humans are concerned). The Air of the middle world is the bent air, the bent element, according to the Entekosiad. The Dara Happan concept of Right Air might include an air which offers no distortions or intensity loss to light...
The next important medium is Water. We know from the Oceans descriptions (e.g. in Tales 10) that Water absorbs light, similar to our world. The absorbent quality of Water may be related to its closeness to Darkness? Its distortive qualities are somewhat known in Glorantha: the rainbow is the result of water (and air) interacting with light. Rainbow Girl is an air spirit in Nomad Gods, though, so the main blame could still be on the air in between the droplets. Mist is known to diffuse light, but again this is air paired with water. But then, non-air related phenomena are obscure subjects of study to mankind, so neither the Yuthuppan nor the Jrusteli opticians are likely to have researched this. Are there any sun-worshipping mermen?
Earth in whatever form rarely figures as a medium for light, more often as it's source of reflection. The explanation might be that Earth formed the regular border to the Light Realm in the ideal creation of the world. Still, there are certain forms of Earth which can transmit light: glass, crystals, thin parchment, etc. I have no offhand explanation for most of these, though for glass I can say that this is fire-treated earth, and therefore transparent. Light in glass may even move in straight lines...
Darkness is not really a medium for light, but simply an absorbent. Light may pierce the Darkness (as the stars prove, which shine at night). However, the seeing rays get swallowed by the ever-hungry darkness, which is why nobody can see well in the dark. Spells like Catseye (or whatever the renamed Yelmalio version is called) reduce the absorbtion. Because Darkness absorbs so strongly, we have no reliable reports about the curvature or otherwise behaviour of light.
Looking at these media, I find that air (which has been bent by Umath/Rebellus Terminus) bends light. Air does affect archery as well, as I can tell from personal experience. Still, air is the most common medium for light, and archery.
Hmm. A Farsee spell might do little else than reduce the bending and diffusing influence of air on light, or alternatively eye-rays.
Oh, I forgot one medium: the spirit world. Here the properly attuned eye-rays perceive life-force (magic) instead of mundane light, but the overall effects are very similar (note all the rules on how hard substance is penetrated).
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