Signup
Welcome to... Canonfire! World of GreyhawK
Features
Postcards from the Flanaess
Adventures
in Greyhawk
Cities of
Oerth
Deadly
Denizens
Jason Zavoda Presents
The Gord Novels
Greyhawk Wiki
#greytalk
JOIN THE CHAT
ON DISCORD
    Canonfire :: View topic - Twelve Constellations Mentioned by Gygax
    Canonfire Forum Index -> World of Greyhawk Discussion
    Twelve Constellations Mentioned by Gygax
    Author Message
    Adept Greytalker

    Joined: Oct 07, 2008
    Posts: 409


    Send private message
    Thu Oct 31, 2019 12:45 pm  
    Twelve Constellations Mentioned by Gygax

    I was thinking about Mentzer's placement of Oerth as Tau Ceti 4. Gygax referenced at some point that there are twelve constellations in the Oerth sky but he didn't say what those twelve are. If Oerth started as a version of Earth like Gygax started with, it seems reasonable to assume the sky was the same on Oerth as Earth (before he changed things for publication when Greyhawk was in North America). If we use Mentzer's version of Oerth, then it should be really similar to the Earth sky as Tau Ceti should be close to Earth (assuming Tau Ceti is the same as Ceti Tau). I was thinking that with the distances being so "astronomical" that one might, from the Google Earth Pro app, on the View menu, click Explore > Sky and then assume Sol/the Sun is opposite of the Ceti Tau designation.

    Then I stumbled on this:

    https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/barnards-star-closest-stars-famous-stars

    and this (though I don't have my 3-D glasses with me):

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nearest_stars_and_brown_dwarfs

    Yes, this would be ignoring SpellJammer stuff. But some of you probably are OK with that.

    Assuming all those things, would we have enough information to name the twelve constellations?
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 30, 2017
    Posts: 145


    Send private message
    Thu Oct 31, 2019 2:01 pm  

    I think White Dwarf published a GH horoscope.
    EDIT
    No, it was Imagine Magzine.

    # 2.

    The months have pictures alongside them which must presumably be the constellations for the horoscope.

    I think it's okay to describe them here if I don't reproduce the text of the article.

    FIRESEEK a dragon/firedrake
    READYING a shark
    COLDEVEN looks like an owl or eagle with a ram's head?
    PLANTING a tree with what look like coins in place of fruit
    FLOCKTIME two-headed Bunnicula! Or two-headed dire hare?
    WEALSUN soleil/sun-face
    REAPING falchion crossed with shortsword
    GOODMONTH two serpents knotted--like an infinity symbol but with one head lifted from the crux and one head descending
    HARVETESTER hooded reaper skeleton (Nerull?)
    PATCHWALL burning torch carried aloft by a man's hand
    READY'REAT a round fruit of some sort
    SUNSEBB thin crescent moon to the left of a five pointed, smaller, star

    The article does not refer to Oerth, but the calendar is from GH materials and Imagine was published by TSR UK.

    Apocrypha?
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 30, 2017
    Posts: 145


    Send private message
    Thu Oct 31, 2019 5:05 pm  

    The Players Guide to Greyhawk (AD&D2E) doesn't describe constellations but it does give Baklunish taboos, exactly twelve, based on birth months. The Baklunish are specified as casting horoscopes.
    GreySage

    Joined: Aug 03, 2001
    Posts: 3310
    From: Michigan

    Send private message
    Thu Oct 31, 2019 7:50 pm  

    In Oerth Journal #22, Andy Miller simply used the "Nomads" names for months (A Guide to the World of Greyhawk, page 5) as Oerth's zodiac, which makes a lot of sense.

    To recap, Gygax gave different names of the months in the Common, Olven, and Nomad tongues.

    Fireseek = Tiger
    Readying = Bear
    Coldeven = Lion
    Planting = Frog
    Flocktime = Turtle
    Wealsun = Fox
    Reaping = Snake
    Goodmonth = Boar
    Harvester = Squirrel
    Patchwall = Hare
    Ready'reat = Hawk
    Sunsebb = Wolf

    Granted other cultures might have different names for these, but it makes a lot of sense to me that the Nomad names for the months are the same as the constellations the sun passes through during those months.

    Andy Miller also invented stars between the constellations that the sun passes through during the four festival weeks, which keeps the months and constellations aligned.

    Also note that this makes for 16 different divisions in the sky that the sun passes through each year, the same as the number of Outer Planes around Concordant Opposition. Also the number of inner planes, not counting the Positive and Negative energy planes. Coincidence? I had the idea that the different planes might become easier to access, or gates linked to them might open, depending on which constellation or festival star the sun was in.
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 30, 2017
    Posts: 145


    Send private message
    Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:42 pm  

    I like that planar idea.

    THE STARS ARE RIGHT!
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Jan 05, 2002
    Posts: 1049
    From: Sky Island, So Cal

    Send private message
    Fri Nov 01, 2019 10:41 am  

    rasgon wrote:
    In Oerth Journal #22, Andy Miller simply used the "Nomads" names for months (A Guide to the World of Greyhawk, page 5) as Oerth's zodiac, which makes a lot of sense.

    To recap, Gygax gave different names of the months in the Common, Olven, and Nomad tongues.

    Fireseek = Tiger
    Readying = Bear
    Coldeven = Lion
    Planting = Frog
    Flocktime = Turtle
    Wealsun = Fox
    Reaping = Snake
    Goodmonth = Boar
    Harvester = Squirrel
    Patchwall = Hare
    Ready'reat = Hawk
    Sunsebb = Wolf


    In the 90's, Gary Holian and I collaborated on an astrology of Oerth. I described what the different eclipses would look like and from where on Oerth they would be visible (Sol by Celene, Sol by Luna, Luna by Celene). I came up with astrological meanings for the various planets and constellations, modifications for ability scores depending on when a PC was born and their zodiacal sign, and what it meant when the planets were in the different constellations. I then used the chronology of the Greyhawk Wars time period to demonstrate how the different astrological influences affected the events of the wars, and made some predictions about the future.
    _________________
    My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
    Adept Greytalker

    Joined: Oct 07, 2008
    Posts: 409


    Send private message
    Fri Nov 01, 2019 2:18 pm  
    Imagine Magazine # 2, May 1983

    I did a search and found a copy of it. That was very interesting to see the bottom of the first page mention "star signs" which I interpret to be zodiac signs. I wasn't aware of this UK publication.
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 30, 2017
    Posts: 145


    Send private message
    Fri Nov 01, 2019 2:41 pm  

    Kirt--

    That astrological material sounds pretty sweet! Have you guys published it anyplace? Fanzine? DMsGuild product?

    THE STARS DISPOSE...


    Raymond--

    I barely knew Imagine existed until a couple of years back. It was out of print before my time and not distributed in America. I started gaming in the early 90s.
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Jan 05, 2002
    Posts: 1049
    From: Sky Island, So Cal

    Send private message
    Sat Nov 02, 2019 11:28 am  

    NorkerMedic wrote:
    That astrological material sounds pretty sweet! Have you guys published it anyplace? Fanzine? DMsGuild product?

    I think the idea was that we were preparing it for Oerth Journal. I'm not sure why we never finished it. I have it on paper somewhere, and maybe on 3.5" floppies that I currently can't read.
    _________________
    My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
    Adept Greytalker

    Joined: Sep 20, 2001
    Posts: 355


    Send private message
    Mon Nov 04, 2019 7:31 am  

    I’m curious—what other Greyhawk material appeared in Imagine magazine?
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 30, 2017
    Posts: 145


    Send private message
    Mon Nov 04, 2019 7:35 am  

    edmundscott wrote:
    I’m curious—what other Greyhawk material appeared in Imagine magazine?


    Very little, I think. .

    The magazine developed its own campaign setting, Pellinore. That's a flat world with a weird world axis at the center. The material largely concentrates on the City-League, a very large city with a lot of guilds , gods, and interesting customs, and characters. It's worth a look. If you like the illustrative map style used in Warhammer Fantasy and the art from the UK AD&D modules, you will like Imagine. Some of it must be the same guys.

    The City-League could be adapted to the World of Greyhawk easily enough, though.
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Nov 01, 2007
    Posts: 699
    From: On a Cape on the East Coast

    Send private message
    Tue Nov 05, 2019 3:30 pm  

    rasgon wrote:
    In Oerth Journal #22, Andy Miller simply used the "Nomads" names for months (A Guide to the World of Greyhawk, page 5) as Oerth's zodiac, which makes a lot of sense. […]

    Granted other cultures might have different names for these, but it makes a lot of sense to me that the Nomad names for the months are the same as the constellations the sun passes through during those months.

    Andy Miller also invented stars between the constellations that the sun passes through during the four festival weeks, which keeps the months and constellations aligned.

    As sort of an aside, Andy Miller has recently started a series with GreyhawkOnline/Oerth Journal, continuing to add more details to his constellations articles.
    The first of the series was about Vecna and Kas (the "mage" and "warrior" constellations), in Oerth Journal #30, and there's more scheduled as articles online.
    _________________
    Owner and Lead Admin: https://greyhawkonline.com<div>Editor-in-Chief of the Oerth Journal: https://greyhawkonline.com/oerthjournal</div><div>Visit my professional art gallery: https://wkristophnolen.daportfolio.com</div>
    Display posts from previous:   
       Canonfire Forum Index -> World of Greyhawk Discussion All times are GMT - 8 Hours
    Page 1 of 1

    Jump to:  

    You cannot post new topics in this forum
    You cannot reply to topics in this forum
    You cannot edit your posts in this forum
    You cannot delete your posts in this forum
    You cannot vote in polls in this forum




    Canonfire! is a production of the Thursday Group in assocation with GREYtalk and Canonfire! Enterprises

    Contact the Webmaster.  Long Live Spidasa!


    Greyhawk Gothic Font by Darlene Pekul is used under the Creative Commons License.

    PHP-Nuke Copyright © 2005 by Francisco Burzi. This is free software, and you may redistribute it under the GPL. PHP-Nuke comes with absolutely no warranty, for details, see the license.
    Page Generation: 0.33 Seconds