Tell me about your calendar

[Tetsubo]

I'm currently using the Fr default calendar. But I have an idea for my next campaign that will have 13 lunar months, each 28 days long. There will be one extra Feast day for a total of 365 days. There will be four seven-day weeks in each month. Days will have names, but I don't know what yet.

 

[Tormenet]

Saying to your players, "It's Gurbzef in the second mark of Balorcim," is just nonsense babbling, whereas, "It's Tuesday in the second week of July," tells them exactly what time it is.

Too true. I've never met a fantasy calendar I could keep up with.

I use the Gregorian calendar, but change the month names. My months get really simple labels, based on the season: Winter's Onset, Winter's Heart, Winter's Decline. Then the same cycle for Spring and so on. I feel it gives the players an immediate orientation to the season.

Tormenet

 

[maggot]

In my world there are no named months. A week is a period 8 days long, and a month is a period four weeks long. The year is just less than 368 days long, so every few years the year is treated as having only 367 days. The moons cycle together every 37-38 days. Like in the real world, nothing is clean and simple.

The year is measured by the world's most prevalent religion, counted from the founding event of that religion. Other than that, the system in place is to talk about "early summer" or "twelve days after summer solstice". Out of game, we end up saying "Like about July 3rd in our world".

The eight days of the week are named, cycling from the first day of the year (spring equinox), but no player has ever used them. My fault probably.

 

[SableWyvern]

In my current RM campaign, calendars vary from culture to culture. They work as follows:

Taurice – Archalen Calendar

The Archalen Calender was formed at the behest of Prince Archalles of Amerth some thousand years ago. Until that point, the Taurim still used the somewhat abstract system of the Tentarmdoul, but as the sciences were advanced amongst the cities, the people sought a more codified, consistent system. In the end, most astrologers were not happy with the result, because it acknowledged the stars and moons only in a token fashion, tying itself instead purely to the solar year. Despite their objections, however, the easily understandable method that was employed gained the support of the greater part of the academic community. Year 1 was set as the year after the calendar’s inception.

The Archalen Calendar is essential a modern Julian/Gregorian Calendar, with altered names. It has been used as the benchmark for determining dates and times under other Kalharun calendars. For the purposes of the exercise, it has been assumed that a 365 day year, with an extra day every fourth year, requires only an adjustment of one or two days every thousand years or so. The current Archalen year (1116) is identical to AD 1999 (including moon phases, solstices and equinoxes for that year IRL).

Archalen dates are generally annotated as AC (Archalen Calendar) or TC (Taurim Calendar). Dates before Year 1 are generally written as PAC (Prior Archalen Calander).

The Taurim Week
Sunday
Marcday
Tasarday
Levelday
Kalday
Narday
Dumarday

The Archalen Year

1. Deptary (31)
2. Kalurary (28/29)
3. Geilen (31)
4. Ansulary (30)
5. Dey (31)
6. Almoon (30)
7. Karmoon (31)
8. Archalles (31)
9. Odythus (30)
10. Mystias (31)
11. Kolomare (30)
12. Kasember (31)




Irnima and Osara – Adjusted Karlen Calendar

The people of the ancient, forgotten empire that once lay in the deserts of Irnima had a calendar that followed an eight year cycle, with months of varying length from year to year. This calendar remained in use long after the collapse of that empire, up until the new one began to form along the coast. Over time, the priests of Karlen decided that the old form was too bulky and confusing, and reformed the Old Irnimath Calendar into the Karlen Calendar, with a far more consistent system, with 10 set months each year. This system proved to be losing far too many days each year, however, and after numerous one-off months had been added from time to time to replace the missing days, the system was finally reformed to include a series of standard adjustments following a 5, 24 and 120 year cycle.

The Irmimite and Osaren Eight-day Week
Elahlim (First Sand-day)
Arahlim (Sundday)
Sarahlim (Wind-day)
Tathenahlim (Moon-day)
Fahradahlim (Spring-day [water spring, not vernal spring])
Adahlim (Stone-day)
Tadahlim (Earth-day)
Alahlim (Last Sand-day)

The Adjusted Karlen Year
1. Keth Adahrd (First Heat) (32)
2. Mouthe Adahrd (Second Heat) (32)
3. Reahm Adahrd (Third Heat) (32)
4. Keth Uncwell (First Dry) (40)
5. Mouthe Uncwell (Second Dry) (40)
6. Keth Afaerd (First Cool) 32
7. Mouthe Afaerd (Second Cool) 32
8. Reahm Afaerd (Third Cool) 32
9. Keth Manahrd (First Warm) 40
10. Mouthe Manahrd (Second Warm (40)
Adaris (8) or Men-adaris (16)

The Adjusted Karlen Cycles
A five year period on the Adjusted Karlen Calendar is known as a Penaraal. The first and third years in each Penaraal end with an extra week, known as Adaris. The second, fourth and fifth years in a Penaraal end with two extra weeks, known as Men-adaris.

A Dudomas is a 24 year period. The final year in a Dudomas contains an extra week, known as Dudom-adaris, which comes before Adaris or Men-adaris.

A Mehal-domas is a 120 year period. The final year of a Mehal-domas contains yet another extra week, Mehal-adaris, which falls immediately before Dudom-adaris.

All these additional weeks are times of religious observance and general celebration. The end of a Mehal-domas is a wild time, where there is a 24 to 32 day period during which almost no work is done, and instead there is wild feasting, celebration and general madness. This has a tendency to wreak havoc with an economy, and requires careful planning by government in advance of such a time.

While these long holidays each year are a boon for the common man, the downside is that Elahlim and Faradahlim mornings are the only official times of rest during the week.

Irnima and Osaren
Osaren uses Old Karlen Reckoning (OKR), under which the current year is 2116 (Year 1 was the inception of the Karlen Calender). Irnima uses the Sultan’s Reckoning (SR), which began with Kawahal Ersia’s rise to the throne. Under Sultan’s Reckoning, the year is 121, and the New Year is 22 Mouthe Uncwell. In Irnima, dates before SR1 use the Old Karlen Reckoning. Dates before OKR1 are generally annotated LE (Lost Empire).

 

[SableWyvern]

Dorias Mandar (Mandarites) – Kyarite Calendar

The Mandarite Druids maintained the old Tentarmdoul calendar for several centuries after establishing themselves in Dorias Mandar. However, their religion required them to more precisely identify and predict various lunar and solar events, and the resultant knowledge led to the Kyarite Calendar. Under this system, no attempt was made to unite lunar and solar cycles into a single entity. Each year begins with the Winter Solstice. The thirteen lunar cycles do not fit neatly into a year, however, and the last month of the year will almost always extend into the next year, in the same fashion as our final week IRL will continue into the New Year. Weeks are tied into the lunar phases, and vary from 6 to 9 days in length. Individual days are not numbered. Instead, a precise date can be determined by listing the Year, Moon, Phase and Day. This makes it very difficult for those without access to a Kyarite calendar to equate a Kyarite date with one from another system, but it can be done.

The Cycle of Moons

Mistletoe
Rowan
Ash
Alder
Willow
Hawthorn
Oak
Hazel
Apple
Vine
Ivy
Yew
Birch


Each moon is divided into four weeks: New (or Dark), Rising, Old (or Full), Falling. Hence, the Mistletoe Moon consists of New Mistletoe, Mistletoe Rising, Old Mistletoe and Mistletoe Falling.

The Days
1. Firstday
2. Kyarday
3. Stonday
4. Midday
5. Lichday
6. Shormonday
7. Firsenday
8. Enday
9. Lonmonday

The number of days in any week is dependant on the moon cycles. As stated, some weeks will end as early as Shormonday (Short Moon Day), while others as late as Lonmonday (Long Moon Day). Most weeks, however, will finish on either Firsenday or Enday.

A full date using the Kyarite Calendar would read like: Firstday of Old Mistletoe – which would be the day of the Full Moon.

Because each year begins with the Winter Solstice, and the months are true lunar cycles, the Kyarite Calendar does not require leap years or any similar system of adjustment.

The current Kyarite year is 1483, with Year 1 being selected on the basis of a particularly important astral conjunction that occurred on the Winter Solstice that year (the Kyarite Calendar was actually developed in the year 126). The Mandarites do not give their years any annotation, but other scholars generally add MC (Mandarite Calendar), DR (Druidic Reckoning) or KC (Kyarite Reckoning) when referring to a Kyarite date.


Varin, Thrain and Mandar (Mandarim Kingdoms) – Argendalim Reckoning

When the Tentarmdoul first settled in the east, they adopted the calendar of the Old Men. Eventually, though, King Argendalus II of Gendolyn decreed that his great kingdom should have its own reckoning of the days. This was in part mere pride, but also a logical decision given the Old Calendar’s basis in the long winters and short summers of the distant north.

After several years, the king’s Daykeepers arrived at system that met with his approval, based heavily on the Taurim’s Archalen Calendar. This Argendalim Reckoning was later adopted by the city-states of Varin and the southern nations of Thrain and Sarathel, and was taken further south into Mandar by the Thrainish settlers who continued to migrate across the sea.

The Argendalim year consists of 12 months, each of thirty days. Two midyear days, New Years Day, New Years Eve and the Day of the Dead make up five additional days that do not fall into any month. Every third year, an extra four days are added to Midyear; in each twelfth year there are only three extra instead of four.

Gendolynim Week
Sunday (Lordsday in Thrain)
Monday
Lusday
Craefday
Destday
Warday
Seaday




The Argendalim Year

Yule Day
1. Gendlys (30)
2. Kaluary (30)
3. Geilan (30)
4. Deptary (30)
5. Mae (30)
6. Almoon (30)
Midyear (2)
7. Jullen (30)
8. Argendal (30)
9. Archalles (30)
10. Odothus (30)
Rath (Day of the Dead)
11. Kolomare (30)
12. Kasember (30)
Evyule Day


The original Argendalim Calendar was back-dated to the birthyear of the first King Gendolyn, some 216 years earlier. This system of dating is retained in Varin and Mandar, where the current year is 1166, annotated as AG, the Age of Great Genedolyn. The Thrainim conformed to these measurements until several years after the Cult of Justice was named the official religion of Thrain. Soon after the rise of the High Justicar to the Emperor’s favour, counting was reset. In Thrain, the current year is 312 AJ (Age of the Just). Thrainim law states dates prior to 1AJ use the signifier, Age of Heresy (AH).

 

[SableWyvern]

The Makauzak

Most of the Makauzak spend the bulk of their time below ground. Furthermore, they live in a land where the sun may rise and set within a period of as little as half an hour, or may not rise or set at all for up to 90 human days. As such, they have little use for a day measured by the rise and fall of the sun.

Instead, the Makauzak equivalent to the human day is the duty. Each duty is divided into three watches, and each watch into seven stands. As a general rule, each dwarf spends one duty working, one duty at leisure and one duty asleep. For the purposes of easy assimilation, a watch is considered to be exactly 9 hours long. Thus, a duty is 27 hours and a stand approximately 77 minutes. The Makauzak year consists of 325 duties, although the last duty of the year is usually only two watches long.

The year is also divided into 27 weeks, each 12 duties long.

The Makauzak Day (Duty)
1st Watch
2nd Watch
3rd Watch

The Makauzak Week
Kereaz
Mathurz
Mkarim
Anmak
Erechat
Aulekhar
Tharin
Zerek Mkarim
Eklar
Zarakeh
Zerek Anmak
Makuakuz

The year is also divided into 6 distinct parts, which could be considered as either months or seasons. For the purposes of this discussion, they will be called months. Given the alien nature of the Makauzak system, I will also endeavour to minimise confusion by giving modern date-equivalents, rather than comparing the Makauzak to the Archalen Calendar.

Twilight
Twilight is an important concept to the Makauzak. At certain periods of the year, twilight is longer than either true day or night. What the Makauzak consider twilight is what is termed Nautical Twilight IRL. Throughout twilight periods, there is enough illumination for the Makauzak’s dwarf vision to function out to at least 100’. The period of twilight where human vision can function (Civil Twilight) is considerably shorter.

The Months
Menkazaur: Menkazaur is the long day, a period where the sun is in the sky constantly for around 93 human days (82 duties). If three consecutive watches pass with no sunset, Menkauzar officially starts at the beginning of the next watch. The first watch of the year is also the beginning of a new day (duty); as such the last duty of the year may only contain one or two watches (two is the norm). Menkauzaur runs from approx 6 May through to approx 06 August.

Arkenaz: Arkenaz begins officially on the first duty following the sunset. It is a period of alternating daylight and twilight, during which there is no true night. It runs from approx 7 August through to approx 9 September – about 34 human days (27 duties).

Mikarahk: Mikarahk starts on the first duty following true night. It is a period of day and night, with relatively short twilights between each – in other words, the pattern is much the same as that which is normal in southern lands, although twilight still tends to be longer than the norm. Mikarahk runs from approx 10 September through to approx 14 November – about 65 human days (60 duties).

Ekormauk: Ekormauk is the cold night, when the sun does not rise above the horizon for around 74 human days (65 duties). It is a time of alternating night and twilight, with no true day, running from approximately 15 November to approx 28 January. Ekormauk begins officially when a twilight follows a night, but is gone again without a sunrise.

Ekenarahk: Ekenarahk is another period that follows the human southern norm of day, night and twilight. It begins with the sunrise, on approximately 28 January, and lasts until around 04 April – about 67 human days (60 duties).

Mezkenaz: Another month during which there is day and twilight, but no true night, Mezkenaz begins after twilight has followed day, but is gone without a true night. It runs from about 05 April through to about 05 May – approximately 33 human days (27 duties).

The Makauzak Year Summary
Menkauzar: Day (93)
Arkenaz: Day/Twilight (27)
Mikarahk: Day/Twilight/Night/Twilight (65)
Ekormauk: Night/Twilight (74)
Ekenarahk: Day/Twilight/Night/Twilight (67)
Mekenaz: Day/Twilight (33)

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Lunar calender. It's set up around 364 days, being 13 months of 28 days each. One moon completes its cycle every 28 days (each "phase" is a week). One moon completes its cycle every 91 days (3 months + 1 week, forming a season). One moon completes its cycle every 364 days (it's phases also corrospond to a season, with full rotation being a year).

There are, at the moment, 17 different "takes" on this calender, as each culture views the months and seasons differently ("April showers bring May Flowers" sounds nice in The Northern March, but those same showers bring flash-flooding and rampant disease in the Duroomba Jungles).

 

[Raven Crowking]

copyright (c) Daniel J. Bishop 2004

Notes on the Common Calendar

The Common Year is measured from the Treaty of Brentkirk, which ended generations of violent warfare between the cities of the Western Lakelands. The Priest-King of the Cloven Isles, guided by dreams and oracles, having founded the High Holy Church of the Seven Good Gods 37 years before the treaty, strove to see the forces of civilization spread throughout the Lakelands. To this end, the Treaty of Brentkirk proscribes the legal jurisdiction of towns, villages, and cities in the western parts of the region. It acknowledges Virulan as the chief city of the Lakelands, so that all owe fealty and tribute to the King of Virulan, and sets the Cloven Isles as the religious center of the region, with the Priest-King acting as the ecclesiastical counterpart of the secular King. The treaty also describes the tributes, tithes, and obligations of each community to the whole.

The Treaty of Brentkirk has not been signed by most of the Eastern Lakelands, though even there the might of the unified Western Lakelands is being felt. Likewise, a few people in the Western Lakelands skirt the treaty by living in small communities, and often dwelling in less desirable areas of the country. The Fenlanders of the Hooth Marshes are an example of such a people: hardy, independent, and deeply intertwined in the natural processes of their homeland.

Smaller churches still exist throughout the Lakelands, of course, but the Accord of Clerics in 125 CY defined the legal limitations (and rights) of faiths, as well as outlawing the worship of many evil gods.

Neither the Treaty of Brentkirk or the Accord of Clerics is generally acknowledged by the humanoid tribes of the Lakelands areas, although there are lizard man villages that have incorporated themselves into the Treaty. Likewise, many elves, some gnomes, and members of the Druidic faith have expressed concern that the Treaty of Brentkirk will end with the destruction of the wilderness, and Weirwood the Great no more than tilled fields overseen by human hands.

The Common Calendar


The calendar commonly used in the Lakelands is known as the Brithonian Calendar, named after the Archpriestess of Brigit who devised it. The Brithonian Calendar is divided into four seasons, and each season into three months: two with 30 days and one with 31. Each season is set up so that the 31-day month falls between the 30-day months. The “extra day” therefore falls on the equinoxes and solstices. The seasons are Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

The months of the year are as follows:

Spring

Snowswane
Burgeoning
Showermont​

Summer

Verdmont
Highsummer
Belanmont​

Autumn

Greenleaf
Harvesting
Hallowmont​

Winter

Snowswax
Deepwinter
Hearthmont​

Each month is further divided into roughly four seven-day weeks. The days of the week are each dedicated to one of the Seven Good Gods, and are: Marday (Mardan), Hearthday (Brigit), Landsday (Amaethon), Smithsday (Aedor), Melladay (Mellador), Restday (Uarthos), and Sunday (Belanus). A fortnight is fourteen days, or a period of two weeks.

Every four years, in order to keep the calendar properly in tune with the seasons, an extra day is added between Winter and Spring. This is called the Dark Day, and the veils between the worlds of the living and dead are believed to be especially thin at that time.

Farmers, peasants, and those who carry old lore will sometimes speak of “tendays”. This is a holdover from a previous calendar system, which used thirteen months (or moonths) of 28 days each with a Festival Day to complete the year. This calendar divided its months into three ten-day weeks.