Two Moons = Bad Idea?

[BWFoster78]

I'm not a huge world builder. I've plopped my story, for the most part, into a generic world (scenery wise anyway. The political situation and society are more well developed).

There are some big differences, however. These aren't humans on a medievel version of earth but with magic.

For example, people in my world survive because life energy flows into them faster than it flows out. I think of them like huge drinking glasses. If there's a hole (an injury), life flows out of it. If that flow out exceeds the amount flowing in, they can die.

It came to me at the end of my 4th draft that there should be two moons over the world. No idea why, but I like that it differentiates my world from earth, at least, making the differences more believable.

However, I worry that the two moons idea may be a) lame and b) creating issues. I'm coming up with words like "moonslight." (Really!)

What say you?

Thanks.

Brian

 

[TWErvin2]

Nothing wrong with two moons. If you have one of them in a very distant orbit and/or small, it's influence on the planet would be minimal (tides, light at night, etc.)

 

[OGone]

This is nostalgic because my first ever thread on the forum was asking about moons It's not all relevant but you might find a few other posts there to be useful concerning the technicalities.

My world's changed a lot since then, and the moon idea has took a back seat. I like the idea of anything to differentiate the world from earth, it's fantasy after all. If you feel like you want two moons, go for it. I'd try and make it have some kind of implication on the story though or at least there to be some kind of lore surrounding the moons. Have them represent yin and yang or two rival Gods or something.

As long as they're not just there to be there, I don't see why not...

 

[PaulineMRoss]

As long as they're not just there to be there, I don't see why not...

I would disagree. I think it's fine for them to be there just to be there. I love it when authors toss out these little differences as throwaway lines as a reminder that, folks, this is fantasy. So the characters are just burbling through the (pseudo-medieval) scenery and one of them says: "Oh look, both moons are up." Even when the moons have no plot significance whatsoever, it lifts the story out of the ordinary rut.

So go for it

 

[BWFoster78]

I think, overall, I like Pauline's approach best.

The scenery is the scenery, and the character accept it. There shouldn't be a big deal made about it. The important thing is to keep the world consistent and make sure the influence of the moons makes sense.

Still don't know about "moonslight" though.

 

[Steerpike]

I think it is fine to have them. It's not that uncommon to have multiple moons is it? The world in which I am writing a series of short stories has two of them as well.

If it were science fiction, I'd want to be a lot more rigorous about the effects of the moons on the world. With fantasy, I think most readers will be satisfied so long as you give a nod to those effects, even without spending much time on them.

 

[OGone]

I would disagree. I think it's fine for them to be there just to be there. I love it when authors toss out these little differences as throwaway lines as a reminder that, folks, this is fantasy. So the characters are just burbling through the (pseudo-medieval) scenery and one of them says: "Oh look, both moons are up." Even when the moons have no plot significance whatsoever, it lifts the story out of the ordinary rut.

So go for it

When you put it like that I'd agree.

 

[Svrtnsse]

I guess a big issue would be if you had werewolves which are forcibly changed into wolves whenever there is a full moon. If that were the case you'd have to figure out some kind of system for it. If not, and if the two moons don't have any significant impact on the story (messing with tides), then having more of them won't be all that similar from having trees with blue leafs or glowing mushrooms or crickets who play really small saxophones instead of just chirping.
It'll just be a bit of flavor.

 

[The Construct]

As long as the sizes/distances balance out there's no reason having two moons would cause any different climactic, tidal or light conditions than on Earth, or whatever type you want. And you don't have to give them a specific or significant place in mythology. Many mythologies do have beliefs about the moon, but that doesn't mean they have to be mentioned at all in the story. The fact there are two moons need not be important at all, for your characters having two moons is just as natural as earth having one.

Also, "Moonslight" is certainly not necessary, you can have dozens of candles lit next to each other but no one ever uses the word "Candleslight", it's just Candlelight, so there's no reason it shouldn't be Moonlight.

 

[ThinkerX]

Is this for your 'Power of the Mages' ?

Given the situation you describe:

For example, people in my world survive because life energy flows into them faster than it flows out. I think of them like huge drinking glasses. If there's a hole (an injury), life flows out of it. If that flow out exceeds the amount flowing in, they can die.

Then the moons could affect some things. Healing spells best attempted at this point in the lunar cycle. This spell can be cast only when the moons are in such and such a position, which happens only once or twice a year, and so on.

On my world (well, rather 'solar system') there is a vaguely comet like 'object' on a highly erratic orbit which occasionally brings it within a few million miles of my world (something on the order of once a century, though its been double that time since its last appearance). When this object, called the 'Demon Star' appears, weird things start happening in spades: mutations, entire cities falling asleep or acting in a demented way, weird creatures appearing, new peoples coming into the world, all sorts of stuff.

In the meantime, there's the Nights of Power, Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, the former being 'God Night' when 'good vibes' rule and healer children (Godborn) are born, the later being 'Hell Day' or 'Demon Day' when ghosts escape from the pits, bad things happen, and some of those born inherit gifts of dark, corrupting magic.

 

[Roc]

If you want an astronomical approach, Saturn has like 30 moons or some ungodly number.

It becomes a question of how big your moons are. Are they like Earth's (the biggest of all the moons) or like Saturn's? 2 moons wouldn't phase me at all, like Pauline said, it is actually refreshing to add things like that in a "generic" medieval setting.

 

[Nobby]

I was thinking that Moonslight (slight meaning insult) was more a sort of eclipse of one moon by the other, but admittedly my orbital mechanics is about on the par of my understanding of quantum physics.

Then again, look to home and you see the moon being incredibly important to cultures globally, and whether one, two or twenty, I would imagine that science and mythology would latch on to the movements of such obvious parts of the sky with a vengeance.

 

[SKAndal]

If I recall correctly, the world Midkemia has 3 moons. (Created by R.E. Feist)
There is not a single mention in his books of these moons influencing his world. Only when the scenes he writes are at night, the moons play a role. There is one, two or three moons up? Are the all full or are they at different stages? If like world building, you could generate a moon cycle for your world with 2 moons.

In my unexperienced opinion, you can make it as complicated and as you like. You can make the moon cycle common knowledge, or for instance something that doesn't really matter at all because one of the moons would be too small or distant to make a difference.

Cheers
SKAndal

 

[The Construct]

My world has 22(!) moons in the sky. But that's mainly because my world IS a moon also, orbiting a gas-supergiant planet (Like Jupiter but more dense). Climatically and tidally these moons have little effect, mainly because I made it that way, with size and distances between these moons and from the World-Moon meaning there's almost no notable deviation from an Earthlike environment. The same goes for illumination at night -when the world is on the other side of the planet (although at certain points there's increased light emanating from a nearby galaxy visible in the night-sky).

Culturally these moons are used for navigation like stars (which probably wouldn't work quite as well with only two). With their number there are somewhat erratic orbital graphs used in order to navigate safely, but some are in the same place due to matching orbits. Religiously, these moons are part of a few religions with varying degrees of importance, some worship the moons as gods, others as Divine Palaces and Castles, while others view them as rocks floating in the sky. Celebrations are often held at important points in the orbits.

Sorry if this is just off on a tangent about my own world, but I hope it helps some.

 

[rbidatta]

I say do it. Most fantasy readers will suspend belief for just about anything...I don't think anyone would bat an eye at two moons.

 

[GeekDavid]

Just to add my own $0.02 in here, the world of L. E. Modesitt's Imager novels also has two moons.

The Dragonlance world has three, if memory serves.

Multiple moons are no problem in fantasy.

 

[Writeking]

is there life on any of your moons

 

[Writeking]

final fantasy 4 has a race called the lunarians who lived on a second but smaller moon

 

[shangrila]

I definitely agree with Pauline. One of the biggest points of feedback I got early in my writing came from non-fantasy people that wanted more stuff like that to differentiate it from Ancient Rome (my novel starts with a gladiatorial fight, so that's mainly where that vibe came from).

As far as stuff like tides go, I wouldn't worry about it. It's not something the average reader would care much about, the characters wouldn't notice it since it's all they've ever known and unless it specifically plays a part in your story, it would just be excess baggage anyway.

 

[wordwalker]

The thing is, having multiple moons is a tradition in otherworld fantasy; it's a recognized way to stamp your world as Different and Cool. Every third writer does it, some do more with it than others, and really nobody will give you grief for it.