Astronomy
01
Overview
The skies of Hvalla are unique to the world, with stars and a pair of moons that do not align with those of our world. These dual moons are called Sorg and Dafna, and the constellations that surround them have their names drawn from creatures that walk Hvalla. Just as the skies are tied with the creatures of Hvalla, so too are they tied with Fenrir and Jord themselves.
02
Constellations
Skalds say that if one were to look to the stars, a warg might find a story for every shining light. The constellations are broken into two orders. Majors and minors.
Major constellations are well-defined, distinctive groups of ancient stars that have long shone in the sky and are known by most wargs throughout Hvalla, while minor constellations are groups of smaller star patterns that have yet to earn widespread recognition.
Major constellations include: The Dragons Midgardsormr, Fafnir & Nidhogg; and Skoll and Hati.
Minor constellations include: The Raven, The Pardminna and The Eldrbruin.
Constellations in Everyday Life
Throughout Hvalla, major constellations are used to track the calendar and the changing seasons. Farmers interpret the patterns of the sky to determine the best times to plant and harvest their crops, while travelers use a combination of Major and Minor constellations for navigational purposes, finding their way throughout the lands by the lights of the sky.
The arrival of Midgardsormr in the northern hemisphere indicates the coming of Winter while Nidhogg appearing in the western hemisphere brings with it the first day of Summer. The Raven points true North while the Pardminna only appears on the darkest of nights.
03
The Moons: Sorg and Dafna
Hvalla is ruled by dual moons: Sorg and Dafna. Dafna, the smaller of the two is always the first to appear and the last to fade while Sorg, larger, looms behind it for most of the night before passing it just as morning strikes.
Sorg and Dafna follow similar phasing as we do in our world, with matching waning, waxing, full, and new moons. These dual moons also similarly affect the tides, controlling their ebb and flow. Hvalla is prone to unpredictably high tides, interspersed to longer-lasting low tides that appear suddenly and return with very little warning. Several of the races organize festivals and events throughout the year that revolve around the moons and their phases.