Time and Calendars
Every dweller in the realm of Almaris can count the passing of days and nights by the moon and the Sun, but the recording of time is more difficult. Although time is carefully recorded today, it was not always this way. The first calendar year marks when Elves began measuring time in Aegis. Alongside establishing units of time, such as the day, month, and year, they also named several units of time after Malin, the father of elves. However, there exist Human and Dwarven measurements of time. For example, the majority of Humans have replaced Elven with Saint's. An Elven hour is a Saint's Hour, Elven day is a Saint's day. Seeds have also been replaced with Legacies, taking inspiration from the Canonist dead. The dwarves also have their unique calendar, having replaced Elven with Stone. An Elven hour is a Stone Hour, Elven day is a Stone day.
Contents
Measurements of Time
The most common references of time are the day (passing), month (seed), year (Elven week), and Malin's Year (Elven year). Many units of time are referred to as "Elven" but this is not always the case, like with Dwarves and Humans, who often prefer using their own system over an Elven one.
Day
A day, also called a passing, refers to one day/night cycle, from one sunrise to the next. Due to modified server mechanics, this equals one real-time hour.
Month
A month, also called a seed, fortday, Elven day or Legacy is 24 passings. This equals one real-time day.
There are seven months in a year, and a year begins on Snow's Maiden. The month switches at noon, GMT.
- Snow's Maiden (Wednesday)
- Malin's Welcome (Thursday)
- The First Seed (Friday)
- The Grand Harvest (Saturday)
- Sun's Smile (Sunday)
- The Amber Cold (Monday)
- The Deep Cold (Tuesday)
The Human Calendar is respectively like so;
- Horen's Calling (Wednesday)
- Owyn's Light (Thursday)
- Godfrey's Triumph (Friday)
- Tobias' Bounty (Saturday)
- Sun's Smile (Sunday)
- Harren's Folley (Monday)
- Sigismund's End (Tuesday)
Year
A year, also called an Elven week, Saint's week or Stone week is seven months or 168 passings. This equals one real-time week.
Malin’s Year
A Malin's Year, also called an Elven year, Saint's year or Stone year is 52 years. This equals one real-time year.
Seasons
A year is comprised of four seasons which last different times. The seasons affect weather, temperature, and crop growth. Weather also varies between even and odd years, with odd years often being cooler.
Spring
Spring contains the month of Malin's Welcome. It marks the melting of snow and the beginning of new life.
Summer
Summer is the longest season, lasting from The First Seed to Sun's Smile. It is a time of warmth and sunshine, with long days and short nights, and it receives less precipitation than the other seasons. Harvests are most bountiful in the middle of summer, during The Grand Harvest.
Autumn
Autumn contains the month of The Amber Cold. It is a time of cooling and decay, and it is when the leaves change color and the temperature drops.
Winter
Winter lasts from The Deep Cold to Snow's Maiden. It is a grim season with short days and long nights, and snow regularly falls on most of the land. Crops, although they can still be harvested, can no longer grow. Although The Deep Cold arrives with drastic cooling and Snow's Maiden brings blizzards, some celebrate the start of the new year during winter.
Important Years in History
For a full list of dates and their corresponding real time dates, see: Real Date to IG Year Calendar
- [OOC] 1300: Aegis began. Although the realm had already existed for a long time, Lord of the Craft opened in this year.
- 1326: Aegis fell. People escaped through a portal to the Verge and sailed for new lands.
- 1351: Asulon was discovered. Some people briefly called this year 1.
- 1414: Asulon was left behind. People sailed to Kalos and Elysium.
- 1420: Anthos was discovered.
- 1454: Anthos was left behind. People traveled through the Door of Eternity to The Fringe and, in 1463, Thales.
- 1470: Thales was left behind and Athera was settled.
- 1513: Athera was left behind and Vailor was settled.
- 1571: Vailor was left behind and Axios was settled.
- 1643: Axios was left behind and Atlas was settled.
- 1705: People escaped from Atlas to Arcas.
- 1796: Arcas was destroyed and people settled on Almaris. Some people started to mark this as the beginning of the Second Age and reset the year to 0.
Trivia
- Prior to Anthos, a year had eight months, with the month The Second Seed following The First Seed. This month was removed due to the climate difference on Anthos.
- Urguan's seventh Dwarven king coined the term "fortday" because his kin's sleeping cycles lasted one month.
- The Orcs of Krugmar first observed the bi-annual temperature difference. They used this knowledge to achieve plentiful harvests.
- The length of a Malin's Year was determined when the first Elven High Prince was elected. Malin resided in Laurelin for 52 years, so the length of a High Prince's reign and the length of a Malin's Year is 52 years.
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