Elanthian Moons

Elanthian Moons is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

See also: Constellations

Note: This article is missing images of the moons. To see these images, click here.

At this point in the history of Elanthia, there are four moons: Lornon, Liabo, Tilaok and Makiri.

Lornon

Common names: The Dark Moon, The Shadow, The Faceless.

Above: Lornon.(OOC Note. Lornon, represented in the image here, is a dark moon which once a year becomes washed in a sickly blood-red hue. Thousands of years from now the moon will be permanently stained crimson, while Liabo will take its place as the dark ruler of the heavens.)

Lornon, despite its size, remains quite a mystery to most scholars, mostly due to its distance from our home. It appears to be quite a distance away compared to Liabo, and it takes around a full month for it to achieve full orbit. The most intricate telescopes of elven and gnomish make available to us convey that Lornon is a very dead world, as cold and ruthless as the Arkati which once inhabited it. Not much can truly be determined from observation through telescopes, as Lornon seems to literally shift and swirl, leading most scholars to conclude that its true landscape is hidden underneath a collection of grey gasses. Tales passed down from the Time of Rebuilding say that underneath the dark surface of this moon are icy caverns where the Dark Arkati once dwelt, filled with strange forms of magic. This cannot be proven or unproven, as all we have are fragments of a past, and very historically cluttered era.

Verifiable facts about Lornon, however, is that it appears to influence our world in strange ways, the most noticeable of these beginning on the 20 - 30th of Eorgaen, culminating in what can only be described as a cataclysmic event, Eorgaen the 31st - Lornon's Eve. Over the course of these days, Lornon's surface begins to swirl with streaks of crimson until the entire moon is washed with the bloody hue, then glows brightly with the sickly color as the night of the 31st begins. All cultures throughout Elanthia find this a terrible time to endure, for many disastrous workings become apparent once this process begins. Scholars have agreed that it can be no mere coincidence that this event coincides with the increased activity of the Dark Arkati and numerous risings of undead throughout the continent. There is proof that this lunar event does have a tangible effect on our world beyond this, but theories abound as to how it occurs - the mana foci around the world become more chaotic and unpredictable as Lornon swirls and comes ever closer to its bloody zenith. Whether the minions of the Dark Arkati become strengthened by this, no one can truly say. For this reason, every civilized culture associates Lornon with dark times and ill portent, and rightfully so.

Legends speak of numerous undead uprisings and dark magical powers waxing as Lornon's Eve passes, so it is not a surprise that most minions of the Dark Arkati await this night to do their most nefarious deeds. Myths abound of invasions of towns, even whole cities destroyed on this most terrible of evenings. It is truly a time to fear. Tales have also spoken of Lornon being seen in reflections of water before a particularly disastrous event, yet these stories are set from the dead of night to the brightest of noons, and neither have anything truly in common save for the impending doom. These legends seem to be a common occurance across all cultures, and there are many theories as to its significance to Lornon's power. It remains a mystery even to this day.

An interesting fact about Lornon's name is that it has always been the same throughout every major civilization upon Elanith. Vague records from the elven people at the Time of Rebuilding point in this same direction, which brings most scholars to a fascinating conclusion - Lornon is one of the only words that we know of that is a true word in the language of the Arkati. Whether this could conceivably affect its power in any fashion is indeterminable, but it is a historical curiosity worthy of noting.

Liabo

Common names: The Great Moon, The Second Sun, The Ivory.

Liabo and Tilaok. (OOC Note. Liabo, as represented in the image here, is as it will be viewed thousands of years into the future by adventurers on a continent far away. Its surface has since been burned and scarred by the terrible cataclysm leading to the fall of Makiri.)

Most commonly recognized by even those not versed in the lore of the night skies, Liabo is the largest of all the moons and also the lunar body which has the strongest influence upon Elanthia's tides. Thus, most sailors often are more than familiar with Liabo and keep track of its position in the sky regularly. Liabo is very close to our world, and it takes about a week for it to fully achieve orbit. In color, Liabo's surface is a brilliant silvery white, its shining surface a beacon of light in the night sky. Unhidden by any veils of gas, Liabo's face is dotted with many craters and deep valleys. Seemingly made from the purest ivory, Liabo is beautiful to behold against the darkness of night. Even more transfixing is the moon's visage when one is fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of it in the day - for it is ensconced in a pale golden glow, like a sister to the sun within the sky. It is a regal and elegant sight, and surely anyone can see why the Arkati chose it as their domain. As with Lornon, Liabo's name has been universally recognized through all cultures, thus it is thought that Liabo is one of the true words in the Arkati's language.

Like Lornon, Liabo seems to have an affect on the world around us, though exactly how still remains a mystery. As it influences the tides of the ocean, Liabo also appears to influence the mana foci on our world. When Liabo waxes, powers involving healing are also purported to become mildly stronger. Folklore and legends portray a far different picture of Liabo, crediting it with numerous good deeds over the centuries. The tales range from the tapping of intense magical power apparently emanating from Liabo to children's stories, but neither are verifiable by any means a respectable scholar would employ.

Still, Liabo is generally considered a good omen to most every culture. Charms and other trinkets bearing the likeness of the moon are often sold among most races as signs of good fortune and other positive aspects. If nothing else, the Liabo moon is a symbol of hope and an inspiration to all the races dwelling upon Elanith.

Tilaok

Common names: The Red, The Flamedancer, The Spark

Most often associated with fire due to its reddish-orange surface, Tilaok spins in a frenzied dance around Liabo, earning the common name "The Flamedancer" among many in Elanith. Though quite small and thus harder to study through telescopes and magic, we can determine that there is a layer of gas hiding Tilaok's true surface, and this is what imparts the fiery color. Tilaok does not directly orbit our world, rather, it circles around Liabo in a frenzied dance.

First named by stargazing sylvans years ago, Tilaok has a small influence on Elanthia's tides but not nearly strong as Liabo or Lornon, more working in conjunction with the other two. Often gazed upon by artists and other seekers of beauty, Tilaok is regarded as one of the most beautiful sights in the night sky, never staying in one place but always breathtaking to behold.

Makiri

Common names: None.

Barely known to those not fixated upon night sky, Makiri is the tiniest of all the moons we know of. Like Tilaok, this celestial body also orbits Liabo. Shaped irregularly from what the most sensitive of telescopes are able to tell, the surface is dark and featureless, and strangely smooth. Another curiosity is that Makiri was once cited to be much smaller centuries back by astrologers at the time, perhaps this is due to Makiri's orbit shifting slightly over the millennia so that it is closer than it was before. Tales among the more superstitious of mages that it is somehow growing are easily dismissed by this plausible theory.

While it also orbits Liabo, it is too small to have any effect on the tides of Elanthia. Little is known about this moon as it is quite hard to study due to its small size.