Consequences of Floating Continents and the Hollow World Sun
by RobinThat's a very interesting analysis, Robin! It's definitely one that I never thought about, but you are right that it would have had some pretty major impacts to life within the HW as we currently know it. Considering that the Immortals cast the Spell of Preservation specifically for the purpose of "freezing" cultures as much as possible to preserve them from outside change, it definitely seems short-sighted that any of them would be party to moving Alphatia into a place where its very geographical proximity would inevitably result in direct and long-term changes to every culture within the Hollow World in so many ways: changes to their sleeping/waking schedules; changes to their farming cycles; changes to the climate (even considering the regions are noted to have "micro-climates" the loss of direct sunlight would absolutely have to impact this area).
In fact it is even more intense and flawed
The Hollow world sun is Red light giving a reddish glow. as most colors seem further displayed normal, this gives proof that there are other colors of light imbedded within
https://gpnmag.com/article/red-light-and-plant-growth/
However a Red Sun will give a lower light intensity and actually different light spectrum which will have a fully different effect on Flora and Fauna...exterminating them, over or undergrowth, cancerous effects, alteration/adaptation (yet with clear differences), defertilizing them, are just some effects.
Red light has a way different temperature emission and thus will also effect nature, creatures and plants especially if these did exist under a white light sun like on Mystara.
If the immortals Really intended to safe these plants, creatures or cultures it should have been easier to place them on another Planet under equal light than creating an atificial environment with totally different effects expecting no changes to happen while in effect changes are actually enforced, so the Spell of Preservation is actually a Dud designated to falter soon not later.
Everything originally in the Hollow World would survive the diffferent environment, yet anything added from another environment would either adjust or perish.
And then there is the emotional/psychological effect red light will have on creatures; They would feel warm, optimistic and full with energy, with an enhanced metabolism, increased respiration rate, heightened bloodpressure, and could incite violent behavior
https://www.infoplease.com/color-psychology
https://www.wired.com/2009/02/coloreffects/
And to all of this otherwise extinct plants, animals and creatures are placed close to eachother without affecting them? ok its magic, its the Spell of preservation, yet I can't believe any culture would not adapt when suddenly placed in a world of dinosaurs an plants unknown under a light unacostted, with other culture sometimes predating their own ...this all together would create a hotbed for inciting conflict no matter any Spell of Preservation. any creature bound to see strange creatures eating its food, threatening its life, endangering its offspring or even culture would resist or at least try too
If the sun in the Hollow World would however have the same light as on the outer World most of the detrimental effects could be braced somewhat at least, leaving the historic and environmental(creature/ecology/plants)differences to the spell of preservation
And then I don't even take into account that the Planet itself is a biological organism with its natural processes, suddenly infested with a mass of biological entities(plants/animals/etc) not indiginous to its system., nor I am taking into account the Burrowers and other worms living IN the Megalith. And I wonder if Light thus affects Emotions and Psychology, would it being red not be the source of the spell limitations on the Hollow World?
And lastly the Alphatians a culture based on magic, suddenly placed in an environment with a red sun, where learning magic has become greatly hindered, where most spells commonly used by the culture to enliven that culture; (transportation, summoning, etc)suddenly no longer work or are unknown to the world they live in...Such a overload of (1000 36th level mages not counting the lower levels) using so much unknown magic would thus infect ANY culture, and this would happen before the offspring will be affecting the nation/culture with less mages and less spells.
I think Thanatos laughs in his fist, for nothing the Immortals would do will delay the inevitable...no conservation is possible, everything must change and adapt, or perish. and this will happen soon.
A great series of adventures this will give when the Hollow World loses The spell of Preservation, changes to White light , (or no light at all as suggested in the HWA1-3 adventures), and Thanatos/Death doing actually nothing but waiting, while cultures clash in their bid for survival, in a world filled with different creatures in every different region