Summary
This article will approximately break down the moons and their important cycles, but will not exhaustively cover their potential.
The Moons
Irrespective of their distinct names, the Crimson, Pale, and Verdant Moons each engender certain effects in the times they appear in the skies. While this is largely during the night, their different orbits mean a moon can rise and fall during broad daylight as well. The observance of the moons, their times of appearance, and their 'intensities' (waxing and waning, as well as full and empty peaks) becomes important for many different reasons. These varying states all influence Veltrona not only in the physical tidal sense, but in the ambient mana and other supernatural forces as well.
It could be said that during daytime, the power of the sun mitigates or lessens the influence of the various moons. This, too, creates an interesting dynamic for those seeking to harness the heavens.
The Crimson Moon
Despite its sometimes bloody appearance, the Crimson Moon also has bright hues of pink and streaks of bronze upon it. Some cultures regard it as an icon of war, but the moon itself spurs on life in a vivid sense. Feelings of passion and their associated intensities become stronger, and normally docile people or animals can become very animated. It is from this powerful sense that passion is normally the largest association with the Crimson Moon. Whether toward violence or not, it rather doesn't matter. Some of the worst atrocities, greatest acts of celebration, and otherwise, have occurred under the gaze of the Crimson Moon.
Monsterkind are the most sensitive to the Crimson Moon's effects, although humanity is still affected to some degree. As a result many of the monsterkind cultures tend to place the Crimson Moon high in their celestial hierarchies, or other positions of importance. Good luck, fortune, and auspicious encounters are among the many divine boons thought to occur during its time.
The Pale Moon
Also called the Silver or Veiled Moon, it is the one closest associated with death, graveyards, dying, and the afterlife. During the Pale Moon, a supernatural stillness can fill the air, as if the comfortable veil life lives under has suddenly vanished. Spirits and restless dead, as often found in the Forsaken, emerge easier and linger longer within the realms of the living. Those who are especially sensitive to the flow of mana find that sense intensifying greatly. Magic, as a result, becomes vastly easier to do where fine control is concerned (but not necessarily raw power).
Being closely associated with magic and death, the Pale Moon is often perceived as a gateway to the supernatural. Those seeking closure may do spiritual rites for the dead, while others are busy making sure the dead stay dead. Mages and cultivators seeking breakthroughs or advancements in their power may perform arcane and mystical work during it. The air is often somber or solemn, so many seek refuge and protection during its time.
The Verdant Moon
An ominous moon no matter when it emerges, the Verdant Moon is the herald of life. It is often considered the moon of the Relentless Herds and Packs, who go berserk (even by their standards) during its rise. Wild life surge with energy, flora grows that more aggressively, and all of nature itself becomes vividly animate. It is a time of bounty and harvest, but also extreme danger and death. Of the three moons, its orbit makes its rise and fall more infrequent, but lasts longer whenever it does show.
If the Crimson Moon is passion, the Verdant Moon is survivalism. Person against claw; beast against beast; hunger against starvation, all are spurred on to survive. Prosper, as some are willing to believe, in spite of all of Veltrona's harshness and whatever trials life has given. For many, it carries paradoxical notions of hope and endurance against an unending struggle.
Intersections
When two moons come to share the same sky, it usually referred to as an intersection, but any other similar conjoining terminology is appropriate.
Crimson-Pale
The hues of the two moons cast the world in a glow of warm pink tinged in silver, sparking long-forgotten familiarity and desires of kinship. Of the intersections, this one is by far the gentlest and evocative of a period of peace and quiet across Veltrona. Love, in both a romantic and familial context, arises greatly as one looks toward the past and to the future. The Forsaken notably are quieter or absent during this period. Thanks to the warm and gentle atmosphere, it is often considered the best time for magic beyond just the Pale Moon itself.
Verdant-Crimson
The worst of the intersections, it is often considered a period of calamity and extraordinary disaster. The Relentless being the problems they are, the rest of nature itself is left in a teeth-chattering state of anxiety. Even normally docile creatures can become violent, in either attacking or fleeing for their lives. Outside of the Trinarium itself, it is these periods that put guards on alert for long hours (if not days) at a time. Those needing vitality or a surge livelihood can receive great boons during this time, however. Many medicinal fields consider it a time perfect for surgeries and other extreme procedures. The world is often cast in a duller green light with a fiery red tinge accompanying it.
Pale-Verdant
An opposing intersection, where the two fundamental forces of the moons come into conflict. The uneasy dead and nature come to battle each other. Magical powers become unstable when stressed, and the conflicting energies present make elaborate work dangerous. It can be seen as a time of wild uncertainty as a result. Those who are especially audacious or daring may try their gambits for better or worse. It's also seen as a period of calamitous natural disasters, given the weather often becomes markedly worse. The silvery glow of the pale moon is contorted to something of a sickly green color.
The Trinarium
When all three moons are present in the sky, the intersection is referred to as the Trinarium from draconic tongue. Because of their varying orbits, the Trinarium is a random event that can be difficult to predict. All sorts have made it their life's goal to figure it out, as the convergence of all three moons is a powerful event. Their natural talents radiate even greater, and put Veltrona into a period of genuine uncertainty and potential. How every Trinarium resolves differs, but all are certain to bring something about as grand forces conspire to exploit the time to its fullest. Ioxchen Soulripper's audacious stand against the Forsaken in Kubuadac is one such time.
Conclusion
The observance of the moons and their orbits is a time-honored tradition across Veltrona. Not unlike weather watching, it is an important way of forecasting the coming days and what to expect. Their reliability in this itself also comes to help shape the context of different seasons across the planet. However, they tend to operate on a decadel pattern before 'repeating'. For baarham, dragons, jiuweihu, and other immortals, the observance of the completed pattern is a way of notating the passage of time in a meaningful way.
Despite the abbreviated summary of each moon, the exact effects they have upon any given part of the world can produce unexpected results. Strange and unusual animals or flora make their presences known, and people can behave in unexpected ways due to the changing presences. It is hard to say precisely how some people, or places, will fare exactly as the world is ever changing, save the moons that silently waft through the sky.
As for the rare times in which no moon is present, their respective influences are also absent (or at least, as minimal as can be). The moonless nights are particularly curious for those inclined to studying the Heavens, as it allows a rare, unfiltered glimpse to the vastness beyond. Stranger and unusual powers can lend their influences during this time, but they are so weak as to be ignored by most. Only those truly chasing after exotic or strange ideas would bother with such things.
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