Friday, November 03, 2006

Proposal: Strange Aeons

Self-killed
Failed by Hix

Adminned at 03 Nov 2006 11:56:58 UTC

Create a rule titled ‘Stars and Planets’:

Some Stars in the heavens have peculiar significance unguessed by science, but hinted at darkly by forgotten tales and myths. All such Stars are listed in this rule:

  • Arcturus
  • Betelgeuse
  • Spica
  • Formalhaut

Further, some Planets have occult significance, and are listed below:

  • Mercury
  • Venus
  • Mars
  • Jupiter
  • Saturn
  • Neptune
  • Pluto

Create another rule called ‘Through the Telescope’:

If it has not yet been done within twenty-four hours, any Student may declare an Astronomical Event. An Astronomical Event lasts until a new Event is declared.


Astronomical Events:

  • Any two Planets may be in Conjunction, when they appear to occupy the same position in the sky.
  • Any two Planets may be in Opposition, when they appear to be on the opposite side of the sky as viewed from Earth.
  • Any Planet and Star may be in Alignment, when they appear to occupy the same position in the sky.

Finally, create one last rule called ‘When the Stars are Right’:

The laws of the cosmos are strange and unintelligible to most mortals. Sometimes certain alignments and conjunctions of celestial bodies trigger nightmarish effects and can have dire repercussions for humankind. During these awful periods, the Stars are Right.

  • The Stars are Right whenever Neptune and Betelgeuse are in Alignment. The incidence of nightmares and hysteria increase, and geological events like earthquakes and volcanos happen with astonishing frequency. All Students permanently lose one point of Sanity.

It would be better put in more conditions on declaring Events, but that can go into another proposal.

Comments

Bucky:

03-11-2006 02:07:19 UTC

against  against  against  against

Clucky: he/him

03-11-2006 02:30:46 UTC

Either include all the dwarf planets or none of them. No special treatment to pluto

Angry Grasshopper:

03-11-2006 02:34:00 UTC

Heh. We can amend the list later to suit—I originally picked only three four bodies to match, but included all of them later.

All of Lovecraft’s stories take place in the 1920-30’s, so Pluto was discovered during the time his stories take place.

I believe he based his ‘Fungi from Yuggoth’ on the discovery of Pluto—any other Old Ones want to weigh in on this? =)

Ornithopter:

03-11-2006 05:53:41 UTC

against
They’re just old light.

ChronosPhaenon:

03-11-2006 12:57:16 UTC

against I like the Idea. But what’s the difference between a Conjunction and an Aligment?

Angry Grasshopper:

03-11-2006 14:45:47 UTC

Chronos: Nothing, in reality they should both be Conjunctions.

I wanted to distinguish between putting two Planets together and a Star and a Planet for purposes of clarity.

Hix:

03-11-2006 15:40:07 UTC

against

TrumanCapote:

03-11-2006 16:34:01 UTC

imperial

ChronosPhaenon:

03-11-2006 17:15:54 UTC

This can be integrated with my “Music of the Spheres” proposal, if wyou want. These are the Signs of those stars:

Arcturus - Libra
Spica - Libra (Though it’s Alpha Virginis, most of the Virgo constelation is nowadays at the sign of Libra)
Betelgeuse - Taurus
Fomalhaut - Pisces

Angry Grasshopper:

03-11-2006 19:41:55 UTC

against

Sell-killed to speed things up. Chronos seems to have taken the idea and ran with it.

I just picked a few bright stars at random, really. ;)