>>How do creatures and things fly in (above) Glorantha ?
>
>>- -the Red Moon (it is in Middle Air, how does it stay there ?)
>
>It's levitating.
>>Related question : Why do things fall if you drop them ?
>>It can't be only Earth related since it works also above bottomless
>>ocean and maybe on other Planes.
>
>Gravity pulls all things, not things directly beneath them.
>Thus even if one is suspended above Magasta's Pool, one
>still feels the downward pull of Genertela, Pamaltela,
>Luathaela and Vithela.
The whole notion of gravity is an extremely scientific one, which doesn't really fit the feel of Glorantha. I think it would be better to seek an explanation in Ancient or Medieval Science, which comes much closer to the world mechanics for Glorantha.
Aristotle's solution to this question might be particularly helpful for Gloranthan science. According to his theories, it is an inherent property of earth and water to fall and of air and fire to rise. Since most objects, including all living things, are made of earth and water, they naturally fall when released, but smoke and other airy things inherently rise. This works well, since most things in Glorantha have elemental associations and therefore have their inherent tendencies to rise or fall.
For Glorantha, darkness, being an element, probably also tends to fall, since it started out in the Underworld and naturally seeks to return there. Perhaps what makes the Red Moon levitate/hover is that it combines these forces, thus reconciling them. Clearly the Red Moon has earth in it, since it's physical body was torn from the earth, but it would be difficult to say that it has either air or fire in it, especially since the Red Moon is in combat with the Air. Perhaps it is a natural tendency of spiritual things to rise, and thus by spiritualizing the earth, the Moon hovers rather than rising or falling.
Andrew E. Larsen
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