As I understand it, half the moon is red, the other half is black. As the moon rotates, an arc of red moonlight sweeps outwards across Genertela. Outside the glowline, the red moon is seen to wax and wane over a 7 day cycle from full, to black, to full again.
The situation in Glamour is quite different. Looking up from underneath the moon, you see a circle that is half red and half black. The dividing line goes right down the middle, so Glamour always gets the same amount of moonlight.
My friend said that he believed that inside the glowline, the moon is always full. This makes little sense. The moon rune is clearly divided into two parts, presumably showing the moon as it appears from Glamour. The moon is inherently cyclical, surely this should be apparent throughout the empire?
My sugestion was that the glowline bounds that area under the moon from which at least some of the light side of the moon is always visible. Near the glowline it would only be a narrow sliver of light at the bottom of the lunar sphere during the darkest phase, but enough that the flow of moonlight would be continuous. It is this continuity that provides the benefits gained by lunar magicians inside the glowline. Lunar magic outside the glowline is weaker because of the periodic disruption in the flow of lunar light. As the moon ascends higher into the sky, the glowline would expand as the under side of the moon would be visible from further away.
Sorry if this is old hat, but the idea that the moon inside the glowline is always full seems a bit odd. I don't mean that from a physical points of view, I'm quite happy to accept it if there is a good mythical/magical reason for it, it just seems unnecessery and bizare given that the lunars clearly depict the moon as having a visible dark side.
BTW on the shape of the moon rune (Two rounded halves with a line down the middle). Have I got a dirty mind, or does anyone else think this is remeniscent of the meaning of the term 'to moon'.
I don't subscribe to the digest, but I read the archives about once a week, so don't expect replies to posts on the digest very quickly.
Simon Hibbs
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