Celestial Bodies

[Porklet]

What happens if a comet is eclipsed?  What happens if Memnona and Myrgla are ecplised?  Has one ever been eclipsed without the other (like a partial that never reaches the other moon)?  What happenned then?  What happens when Kalil is eclipsed?  It is an omen?  What sort?  Is Lushar ever eclipsed and if so, what does that mean?  Do the stars hold any powers (i.e. Lovecraft or perhaps less evil)?  Is there a zodiac?  What does it mean?  How is the day divided up?  Do certain times of day/night have special significance or effect on magic?  What magical holidays are there, if any?  Are they fixed or do they follow some complicated pattern?  What sort of calendar is used?  Do lunar calendars and solar ones match up or is there a difference (like in the real world)?

If you really want 101 questions, I dare you to mention the Spanish Inqusition.  ;)

I hate to admit that the idea of an eclipse taking place had never occurred to me.  I am uncertain how eclipses work.  I have an idea, but I honestly don't even know the difference between a lunar or solar eclipse.  I would assume one would be when the moon passes in front of the sun, and one would be when the earth passes between the sun and the moon?  All of that being said I will attempt to answer all of the questions to the best of my ability or as much as the standing information of my setting will allow.

How Arsk came to be should be noted here so that the relationships between these celestial bodies can be better understood (by you and me).

NOTE:  Some of these facts have been long established, and some were just created.  For purposes of this exercise, the names and relationships of the Elder Gods, their relative magic systems and celestial bodies, and the establishment of a Lusharite Empire based on demonic worship and ritual are the only established material.  Most everything else has been work on the fly, and is subject to deletion or modification at any time.  Have fun'¦  

Arsk consists of four major powers that were responsible for its creation and proliferation.  These are the Elder Gods.  Although, their true identities are lost to humanity they are hinted at in and amongst the religious texts and teachings of the Younger.  Those powers are Etheb, Orum, Feda, and Asta Luria.  NOTE:  I am not real fond of the passage below, and I will rewrite it many times before I am done.  However, the general idea is represented.
   
'Etheb and Orum were great friends, and Etheb was married to Orum's sister Asta Luria.  Orum was married to the beautiful Feda, and Etheb wanted her for himself.  Etheb begged Orum to create for him the greatest cut gem ever conceived.  Orum, thinking it was a gift for Asta Luria used all of his skill and part of his essence to craft it.   Orum gave it to Etheb, and Etheb gave it to Feda.  Feda acquiesced, and Etheb and Feda lay together.  Etheb and Feda were discovered by Asta Luria, and Asta Luria swore vengeance upon both Etheb and Feda.  Asta Luria stole the gem.  The gem was called Arsk, and it is where our histories take place.  Dreamt of by Etheb, crafted by Orum, given to Feda, and coveted by Asta Luria Arsk was and will be.', Arkyn the Illuminator, from the Tome Perpetual

   While each power represents a conscious entity that is aware and availed of Arsk, in varying proportion, they also manifest themselves as forces of nature.  Sometimes this takes the form of celestial bodies and features of the landscape.  At all times, they are the source of godly power and magical essences.  The deities and religious symbols of this time are mere facets and shadows of the primary gods.  

The relationships of these Elder Gods:
Asta Luria is opposed to Etheb and Feda
Etheb is opposed to Orum and Asta Luria
Orum and Feda are not opposed to any other divine source

The Elder Gods and their manifestation of energy on this world:
Etheb:  Divine Power (known to those who worship any number of deities)
Orum:  Arcane Magic (known only to Orumites or those of Orumite Blood)
Feda:  Faerie Magic (known only to elves and their ilk)
Asta Luria:  Lusharite/Argulite Magic (Demonic)  (known to those who dare)

The Elder Gods and there corresponding celestial body are listed below:
Etheb:  Kalil, the Sun
Orum:  Caraptos, Herma, & Eidren Ern (representing the Three Houses of the Tetron)
Feda:  Memnona & Myrgla
Asta Luria:  Lushar (was created by Asta Luria during the First Age)
Garion & His Sisters and the Arkailian Record:  These are the interpretations of man.

I am making most of this up as I go along:

What happens if a comet is eclipsed?  Etheb v. Orum, should a comet pass before the sun some religious hierarchies would see that as a bad sign or even a cataclysmic omen.  Should the sun somehow block sight of a comet these same cults would see that as a good sign.  Practitioners of Orumitic Magic are not given to superstition; it is a science.  They would understand the physical nature of this phenomena.  The presence of Kalil would not interfere with the effects of any of the three comets.


What happens if Memnona and Myrgla are ecplised?  Etheb and Feda, these two are lovers.  It would be an important event in most human religions that revered the sun or the Twin Moons.  The elves and the Fey are the children of Feda, and it would mark holidays and festivals of great magnitude for both.


Has one ever been eclipsed without the other (like a partial that never reaches the other moon)?  There would be occurrences where one or the other was involved in an eclipse or both partially involved in an eclipse.  The exact interpretation of such an event would be different than a full eclipse.  It would depend on the temple or religion in question.


What happenned then?  Before the time when the Sulustines settled in elven held Ri-Katha or the elven prince Relin founded Relford in the north the elves and the Fey were viewed with suspicion.  Until the nature of elves and their relationship with the Twin Moons was widely understood it was a time of great trepidation.


What happens when Kalil is eclipsed? It is an omen? What sort?  Etheb vs. Asta Luria, If Kalil were to be eclipsed by Lushar, as it has been in the past, it would greatly strengthen demonic magic.  When this occurs demons are manifest on the earth, and related rituals and ceremonies increase in power and scope.  It was during one of these eclipses that Mulmeth appeared to the ancient Nedarians and taught them of Asta Luria and the demons of Argul.  The Named were also summoned to this plane during an eclipse at the height of the Lusharite Empire.  It was also during one of the periods, when Mulmeth was fully formed on Arsk, that he was slain by Eradon wielding Etheb's Resolve.  This signaled the end of the empire.


Is Lushar ever eclipsed and if so, what does that mean?  Lushar is luminescent, and nothing lies between it and the earth below.  Lushar is never eclipsed.


Do the stars hold any powers (i.e. Lovecraft or perhaps less evil)? Beyond minor cults and religions they hold no power save for the effects of Garion & His Sisters on literature, architecture, and various other art forms.


Is there a zodiac? What does it mean? No.


How is the day divided up? Days are 24 hours (for simplicity's sake).  In most societies it is broken into 6 four hour periods named something similar to Morntime, Noontime, Afternoon, Evetime, Nighttime, and Afternight beginning at dawn.  Some other societies have the ability to measure hours and it is broken up into 24 hours (also beginning at dawn).


Do certain times of day/night have special significance or effect on magic?  The presence of Kalil in the sky diminishes any magic associated with Asta Luria.  Although, Lushar often appears during the day as well.  Most demonic rituals are better suited to being performed at night.  All other factors are governed by the celestial bodies and their current relationship to each other.  There is no distinction between night and day.


What magical holidays are there, if any? Are they fixed or do they follow some complicated pattern?  There are no magical holidays, per se.  The Orumites do not celebrate holidays and the like.  The elves do (with magic), but it's not a magical holiday.  The arrival and presence of Lushar is celebrated by practitioners and devotees of Asta Luria, but there is no formal festival of magic.


What sort of calendar is used?   The Lusharite Empire established a calendar over several centuries and required its conquered holdings and tribute states to adopt it.  It was called the Mulmethian Calendar, but that name has been removed since the fall of the empire.  It is now called the Evidian Account (named after the city where the Counsel of the Free Peoples was held) or the New Dawn Calendar (starting anew after the fall of the Lusharite Empire).  As a result, most of the known world follows the same calendar with few exceptions.  The Volmatic calendar (used in Kyth and Kotala), the Orumitic Counting of the Days, the elven account of the past (which has no title and each year has it's own name), the Acrilotian Calendar (which has been lost to time following the eruption of Kes Kes), Ruaric Account (used by most aquatic races), and the dwarven calendar called the Humetek (Darktime), the Aurtek (Hardtime), and the current calendar named the Aumgrim (Time of the Citadels).


Do lunar calendars and solar ones match up or is there a difference (like in the real world)?
Most calendars are based on a recognizable passage of four seasons (I suppose that would be based on the sun) and starts when Spring starts.  Any lunar calendars would be based on the phases of Memnona & Myrgla (since Lushar is unpredictable to any but the most accomplished Demonologists or Nedarian Priests).  The Evidian Account is broken up into a 360 day year with 12 months of 30 days.  Other calendars vary.  For instance, the Volmatic Calendar is 10 months of varying length to allow for certain annual phases of Kythian society such as the sowing of crops, settling of clan disputes, the harvest, and the elongated and dangerous winter time.