The Moons and the Night Sky

Worldstree has two Moons, Eaglemoon and the Handmaiden. Eagle is the largest, and so named for the pattern on his surface. He follows a simple path:  he cross the disk once per night. His apparent origin circles behind the Ringwall Mountains, completing the circles every four years. Beginning in the south and setting in the north on Day 1 Year 1, he rises due east and sets due west on Day 1 Year 2, north to south on Day 1 Year 3, etc. He does not cycle but displays a variety of other effects, including haloes of differnt colors, varying number of rings, and a shifting pattern on the surface.

Eaglemoon is the father of the Elathe and their patron, in addition to being Emperor Hsi Lung, father of all Lung Dragons. He keeps his Aerie in the heights of Worldstree, but is ever vigilant in watching over his peoples. The Eagle actual passes through the Worldstree. The scattering of moonlight through the spiralling branches is an everynight Miracle.

The Handmaiden is so named for her position and size. She orbits opposite the Sun and is much smaller, barely a third the size of the Eagle.  She rises in the west and sets in the east. When the Sun is at his farthest north, she rises south-southwest and ascends to the zenith at midnight. She cycles from new to full every thirty days. She, like Eaglemoon and the Sun, is a Dragon.

There are two other types of celestial bodies:  Lanterns and Wanderers. Lanterns occupy fixed points in the Dome, but their brightness varies semi-predictably over time. Wanderers move in complicated loops through the sky, but are consistently colored and visible. The study of these bodies is called Astrology and is the province of the Celenes.