Calendar and Seasons

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Year Terminology: UY vs. DR:

The current year is 1279. Cornelius Dreven was named Emperor of the newly-formed Silver Moon Empire in the year 1200 UY. UY is short for "Unified Year," referring to pre-Empran society, and remains the accepted term in the modern Empire.

In those early days of the new unity, however, there was a small but determined movement among the new regime's greatest supporters that felt the change in government warranted a change in chronological terminology -- namely, that the year 1200 UY should be thereafter known as the year 1 DR (Dreven Rule) to commemorate the new era.

While the majority of the Empire continues to mark the passage of years in the traditonal Unified Year, there is still a firm belief among scattered folk and families that the year-number "reset" when Dreven ascended. Dreven Rule is easily calculated as the current Unified Year date minus 1201 (as 1200 UY was 1 DR).

There are 365 days in a year.
There are 13 cycles to a year. (LyTalian term for a month)
There are 3 tendays to a cycle. (LyTalian term for a week)

Names of the days are:

01 - Day of the Hawk
02 - Day of the Fox
03 - Day of the Bear
04 - Day of the Wolf
05 - Day of the Owl
06 - Day of the Dolphin
07 - Day of the Snake
08 - Day of the Eagle
09 - Day of the Boar
10 - Day of the Drake

The first 12 cycles consist of 30 days, or three tendays.
The last cycle, the 13th cycle -- otherwise known as Earthfreeze -- consists only of 5 days. It is during this half-tenday cycle in which the coldest days of the winter usually occur.

The first of the New Year in Lyran Tal will always correlate with the first of New Year in our real time.

Bitewind 1 = January 1st. Bitewind 1 is always Day of the Hawk.

Cycles (months):

Originally, the names of the cycles consisted of a description of the time of year. They correlate to our months as follows:

*Meridian is so named because it's exactly halfway through the year.
Much thanks to the player of Edail Archiras!

Seasons:

Lyran Tal seasons closely follow our own real-time seasons:

Winter: December - February = Chillset, Earthfreeze, Bitewind, and Fadefrost
Spring: March - May = Blossombud, Gentrain, Sunshare
Summer: June - August = Warmgrow, Meridian, Fadewarm
Fall: September - November = Soothcool, Moonshare, Goldfall
Earthfreeze: This five-day period is named for the coldest days of the imperial year, located at year's end, between the months of Chillset and Bitewind. In lands such as Arboria, Balthazor, and nothern Luminii, it gets bitterly cold, while the southern coast of the Empire feels a lesser effect. Oceanuusians often refer to Earthfreeze as "Grayspan," as the winter affects them far less than continental Emprans. Earthfreeze doesn't use weekday names like the rest of the year, instead being referred to by number (e.g. the Third of Earthfreeze).

Holidays:

Yearpass
Bitewind 1 [Jan 1]

The beginning of each new year in the Empire is marked with the celebration of Yearpass, a day for reflection and celebration. The holiday has been observed for centuries, its origins lost over the ages.

Yearpass traditions include:

• The exchanging of gifts between friends and family. Most of the time, only a single gift is given, but some Emprans prefer to give several smaller gifts instead, while the wealthy are notorious for their extravagant Yearpass fetes.
• Businesses are closed, including groceries and herbalists', and many innkeepers refuse to take in new tenants on this day. What little cargo trade there is in winter is usually scheduled so as not to fall on the first day of the year.
• Reflection upon the past year. Families and friends gather together and reminisce about the last thirteen months, and often use their successes or failures as motivation for the new year. Many pass the time by telling tales of years past -- stories of ancient heroes, humble ancestors, and even simple childhood anecdotes.
• Yearpass Eve revelry. In the past, great drinking and dancing affairs were often held the night before Yearpass (and regretted come morning). This was less of a tradition among the "respectable" people of the Empire, and more of the lower class and the young. Since the fire rain, the traditional merriment has been very subdued. Some Emprans have moved the revelries to the eve of Yearpass itself.
• The last tenday of Chillset, a sprig of holly is usually hung over the door to welcome visitors.

Winter Solstice
Bitewind 12-13 [Jan 12-13]

Celebrated as a two-day event, placing it precisely opposite the Summer solstice.

Elven Tivili and The Joining
Fadefrost 24-30 [Feb 25 - Mar 01]

Tivili and The Emperor's Ball
Blossombud 1-3 [Mar 2-4] (Shadokhan)

Tidewarm
Blossombud 1 [Mar 2] (Oceanuus)

The day the ocean temperatures supposedly change in Oceanuus and the coming of spring. This is also Emperor Cornelius Dreven's birthday.

Spring Equinox
Gentrain 14 [Apr 14]

Birth of Tumian Dreven
Sunshare 7 [May 7]

Cuin's Fire
Meridian 1-4 [Jun 30 - Jul 3] (Thermish desert only)

Regarded as the four hottest days of the Thermadair summer, temperatures reach as high as 130º during Cuin's Fire (lower as you approach the desert's border). This four-day period is named for the story of a hapless trader who was always seeking ways to cut corners and shave costs to maximize his profits. Despite the warnings of his peers, he chose to travel during the worst time of year for trading. As the story goes, Cuin was three days into the journey when he and his wagon burst violently into flames, which could be seen for miles. Predictably, Thermish traders and travelers who must journey during Cuin's Fire take great amounts of water, and keep themselves moist by day.

It should be noted that Trader Cuin appears in several Thermish tales in which his greed and foolishness result in unfortunate circumstances. In the tent-towns of Thermador, fools are often referred to as "Cuinkin."

Summer Solstice
Meridian 15 [Jul 14]

Festival of Lights
Between 15 and 30 Soothcool [Sep 12-27]

The Battle of Dawn's Early Light
Soothcool 30 [Sep 27]

Commemorates the destruction of Icaruss and his forces upon the plains south of Dreven in 1200 UY. As the story goes, Icaruss's horde was moving south past the Sturrbith Mountains in hopes of swooping toward where Dreven City now is located. His plan was to set up camp at Mt. Cillian and then send sorties into Arboria. He felt that if Arboria fell, then everything would be his. Icaruss was met by Cornelius in an attack at dawn. Aided by a Dragon (yes, a dragon -- clearly not native) and all archmages but vivomancy, Cornelius was able to take Icaruss by surprise and, with the help of his sword, Dawn's Embrace, 'kill' Icaruss.

As a result of Icaruss's defeat, his horde scattered to the four winds, most of them returning to the Badlands. At least ten Iccarun war Golems were destroyed in the battle, and legends are told of the truly mighty battle between Klackatonikan and War Golem #7. All three leading members of Triad were present in that battle. At least three of Icaruss's mixed Archmagi were present. Confirmed were Freon and a Demonomancer.

Autumn Equinox
Moonshare 16 [Oct 13]

Cornelius Dreven crowned as Emperor of the Silver Moon Empire
Goldfall 14 [Oct 13]

Mooncalling
Goldfall 19 [Nov 15]

The day of the dead. On this single day there is no moon seen in the sky and it is the darkest night of the year. It also is said that the undead have incredible power on this evening. For more about the history and customs of Mooncalling, please see The History of Mooncalling

Tidechill
Chillset 1 [Nov 27](Oceanuus)

The day the ocean temperatures supposedly change in Oceanuus. This is suppose to coincide with the coming of winter.

The Feast of The Hundred
Chillset 16 [Dec 12] (Shadokhan/Arboria/Luminii)

In the mid-1120s UY, the western half of the proto-Empire (roughly coast-to-Sturrbith) saw scattered cases of a sickness that caused the afflicted to develop large, red blisters about the face and neck and a general nausea that prevented them from keeping food down most of the time. As the sickness progressed, the blisters would grow bright and angry while the victim fairly wasted away. Some managed to resist starvation for as long as a month before the blisters burst and the poor souls bled to death, their life's blood too thin to clot. The sickness was dubbed "Bloodgaunt."

By 1130 UY, the scattered cases had become a full epidemic, killing hundreds each week. Vivomantic methods were unreliable at best; with a concerted effort by a well-practiced magus, the chance for recovery was roughly fifty-fifty, but often left the victims scarred, and there was no method to prevent them from contracting it again.

In the autumn of 1132, a small conclave of vivomancers in eastern Luminii hit upon a cure; a specific approach to Bloodgaunt that had cured their volunteers so far. The sickness hadn't yet crossed the Sturrbith, but the Luminites had a preventive mindset toward new ailments, and it was only a matter of time before it spread. One hundred vivomancers gathered to cross the mountains in late Moonshare. They dispersed across the land, curing whomever they found and teaching the cure wherever they went. By the middle of Chillset, the fivescore vivomancers regrouped in the town (now city) of Marrford at the foot of the Sturrbith, each weary and footsore, but successful in spreading the cure throughout the region. A great feast was held to celebrate their triumph, and celebrated unofficially for another few years before it was finally instituted as a holiday.

There have been no recorded cases of Bloodgaunt for the subsequent generations.

Miller's Day
Chillset 30 [Dec 26] (Arboria/Luminii/Shadokhan)

Miller's Day is traditionally the day millers across the arable half of the Empire grind the last grain for deepwinter storage, and set aside extra grain for the Yearpass feast. Located the day before Earthfreeze, it's one of many minor holidays observed across western Hyathis.

Reckoning Day
Earthfreeze 5 [Dec 31]

The one day of the year where feuds are ended and pacts are formed between individuals, families, regions, etc. It is on this day that resolutions are sought.

Correspondence of Earth Years to Lyran Tal Years:

1998 = 1256
1999 = 1257
2000 = 1258
2001 = 1259
2002 = 1260
2003 = 1261/71 (The 'Jump' occurred on 29 Moonshare/26 Oct 2003)
2004 = 1272
2005 = 1273
2006 = 1274
2007 = 1275
2008 = 1276
2009 = 1277
2010 = 1278
2011 = 1279

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