Calendar of Aetaltis

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF AETALTIS: BOOK OF DAYS, an accessory for the World of Aetaltis 5E campaign setting. This book is a resource for your World of Aetaltis games. It includes methods of timekeeping on Aetaltis, information about important holidays in the Amethyst Sea basin region, and a complete Aetaltan calendar.

Introduction

Over the course of the Ages, the people of the Amethyst Sea basin have employed a variety of methods for tracking time. We’ll touch on a few historical systems of timekeeping, but our focus here is on how the people of the Amethyst Sea basin track time in the year 423 AC—the “modern day” of Aetaltis and the period during which World of Aetaltis adventures take place. The methods described below gained popularity in during the Age of Atlan, and they are used universally through the known world today.

Counting the Years

The people of the Amethyst Sea basin count the years using the Aetaltan Cycle (AC), a system instituted by the Atlan Alliance and derived from Halfling Reckoning. Year zero of the Aetaltan Cycle is the year the first Alliance explorers arrived on Aetaltis. According to the Aetaltan Cycle, the current year is 423 AC. It is a solar calendar based on a seasonal year.

Other Dating Conventions

You’re likely to encounter a variety of older methods for counting the years during your adventures. None of these are heavily used today, but it’s helpful to have familiarity with them for the purpose of dating ancient texts, ruins, and other finds.

Feylariyan Wheel

The Feylariyan Wheel (FW) is the traditional fey method for counting the years. It is a solar calendar based on the seasonal year, and it is still used in some isolated Elloriyan and Feylariyan lands. According to legend, year zero of the Feylariyan Wheel is the year the twelve ancient fey courts were founded during the Age of Dawn. According to the Wheel, the current year is 12107 FW.

Halfling Reckoning

The traditional Dalelander method for counting the years is Halfling Reckoning (HR). Mathematically, Halfling Reckoning is based on the same system of marking time used in the Tsvergic Count. Numerically, it is tied to the passage of a comet called Alantra’s Tear. The comet passes Aetaltis every 735 years. Each time it passes, the HR count of years is reset to zero. The current year by Halfling Reckoning is 731 HR/22P, or more formally, the seven hundred and thirty-first year of the 22nd passage.

Tsvergic Count

Prior to the arrival of the Alliance, dwarves used the Tsvergic Count of the Years (TCY) although it’s often referred to simply as the Tsvergic Count. Although the dwarves are known for living in the Deeplands, this is a solar calendar as well. Speculation among Aetaltan scholars as to why Deeplanders used a solar-based calendar proposes it is much older than the current count of years suggests (the current year by the Tsvergic Count is 4111). They theorize it originates from a time before the dwarves descended into the Deeplands, and there are indicators the dwarves reset the count of years to begin at the start of what we today refer to as the Dwarven Age.

Calendar

The calendar of the Aetaltan Cycle is based on the traditional 364-day calendar used in Halfling Reckoning. It is arranged around the lunar cycle and is divided into thirteen months of even length that each begin on a full moon. Each month is named after one of the Enaros, with the exception of the first month of the year, called Dawn, and the seventh month of the year, called Lensae. Originally, the month of Dawn was named after Endroren. Not surprisingly, that name fell into disfavor after the Age of Darkness.

The months are divided into four weeks of seven days that correspond with the phases of the moon, with the full moon occurring on the 1st day of each month. The formal names for the days of the week are taken from the names of seven original avatars of the Enaros, but today people use the informal Dalelander names shown in the Months and Days table below.

The only remaining hint of Endroren’s presence in the calendar today is the Day of Magic. The Day of Magic occurs every two years before the first day of Dawn. It falls outside of the normal calendar and, according to tradition, outside of time itself. Newardine astronomers insist that the day is simply a corrective tool to account for the actual length of the year not corresponding perfectly with the calendar.

Nearly every day of the calendar is also assigned the name of an avatar. This is the holy day of that avatar. It is also the most auspicious day to ask that avatar for aid. On the calendar, the avatar’s name is shown in the lower righthand corner of the day.

Months of the Year

1. Dawn
2. Droth
3. Larayil
4. Alantra
5. Zevas
6. Modren
7. Lensae
8. Elendra
9. Toletren
10. Grethken
11. Vale
12. Phensral
13. Aelos

Days of the Week

1. Laborday
2. Marketday
3. Grainday
4. Orcharday
5. Aleday
6. Restday
7. Sowday

Timekeeping

The Dalelanders are also the inventors of the system used to track smaller increments of time. The Hearthtales say these tools were invented to ensure Dalelanders never miss lunch, but this explanation is viewed with a healthy amount of skepticism. Each Aetaltan day is divided into 24 hours of equal length. The previous day ends and the new day begins at midnight.

When one gives the time, it is shared as “hours before midday” or “hours after midday.” In some lands they may also say “hours after midnight” and “hours before midnight,” although this is an uncommon convention. Of course, in the Dalelands, people prefer to say “hours before lunch” and “hours after lunch.”

People will occasionally refer to half hours (“An hour and a half before midday”) and on rare occasions to quarter hours, but it is unusual for a person break time down into increments smaller than this. A well-known exception are alchemists, who use an intricate Newardine system of timekeeping involving “minutes” and “seconds” to ensure their delicate formulas are properly executed.

Clocks

The most common type of clock found around the Amethyst Sea is the sundial. Dalelanders love them and nearly every Dalelander home has one in its garden. Water clocks are also available, but they are far less common due to the difficulty of calibrating them. Finally, there are mechanical clocks, but these are rare and most examples are quite large.

TIME KEEPING TERMINOLOGY
For the sake of clarity, Aetaltis books use standard Earth time increments (noon, midnight, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years). We tried using fantasy timekeeping in our own games, but we discovered long ago that trying to wrap your head around a statement like this:

“Wait here! I’ll be back in two flops of a dubber.”

gets old quickly, and everyone reverts back to using standard Earth time anyhow. Either that or players keep saying, “I tell them I’ll be back in the equivalent of an Earth hour” which is a little silly and doesn’t really get us anywhere.

Clock towers are often found in large towns and cities. These towers don’t have a face to read the time, but rather employ bell ringers who use two bells of differing tones to ring out “hours before” or “hours after” midday. Typically, the hours are only rung from sunup until sundown.

There are a few automated clock towers in existence. Most of these are mechanical, although a few are magically driven. The best-known automated clock is the Silver Star at Selenthea. Created by the mages of the Silver Circle, it is powered by magic and is said to keep the most perfect time of any clock ever created.

Just as uncommon, but gaining popularity in some circles, are personal gearworked mechanical clocks that use faces to show the time. They display a half circle with a representation of Lensae that moves from one side of the half circle to the other, to be replaced by the moon at sunset. The half circle is marked with equally spaced increments to represent the number of hours with the mid-point of the half circle being midday or midnight.

Holidays

Every land has its own holidays and festivals, but the following holidays are observed in nearly every kingdom and country of the known world.

Holy Days of the Avatars

An avatar’s name is assigned to their official annual holy day on the calendar. People only celebrate an avatar’s holy day if that avatar is of particular importance to that person or group.

Holy days are observed by engaging in activities related to the aspects of the world the avatar has dominion over. For instance, the people of Port Vale observe the Holy Day of Sliif, an avatar of Zevas who has dominion over disguises and illusions. They celebrate by wearing costumes and holding spellcasting contests to create the most realistic illusions.

Most holy day celebrations are also used as an excuse hold a market faire. Market faires are a combination market, carnival, and marathon party all rolled into one. Performers come from miles around to put on shows, merchants haul out their finest wares, and people flock to the celebration from villages far and near. The most popular market faires may even extend into the days before and after the holy day being celebrated.

The Dawning (1st of Dawn)

The night before the 1st of Dawn is the Aetaltan winter solstice, the longest night of the Aetaltan year. It is believed this night is particularly dangerous since the long period of darkness makes it easier for endrori to stalk the land.

Beginning at sunset on the evening before the 1st of Dawn, bonfires are lit and kept burning all night long. The light of these fires is thought to drive away any endrori that might be lurking in the shadows. Once the fires are lit, a great communal feast follows.

When the feast is over, the true festivities begin. Throughout the night people celebrate with music, dancing, and more than a little drinking. The noise of the celebration is thought to further dissuade any endrori from coming near the town or village.

Many communities also host parades that begin at midnight. Revelers dressed as endrori march through the streets, banging pots and pans and brandishing noisemakers. As they pass, they stage mock attacks against the onlookers, scattering the crowd with cries of laughter. These costume parades are an ancient Dalelander tradition, thought to have originated as a way to make the endrori think the village was already taken by other endrori and thus tricking them into passing by the village.

The conclusion of the celebration is a formal welcoming of the sunrise. The people gather at the highest point near the village to watch the sun break the horizon. This moment signals the end of night, the lengthening of the days, and the start of the new year. It is a silent, reflective moment, after which everyone disperses quietly to their homes.

The Trials of Droth (1st to 3rd of Droth)

The Trials of Droth are a series of increasingly difficult challenges set forth by the priests of Droth over the course of three days. Anyone may attempt to pass the trials, although few succeed. The final challenges are not only difficult, but quite dangerous. It isn’t uncommon for challengers to suffer serious injury or even death. Those who successfully complete the trials are celebrated with a feast at the end of the third day, during which the priests of Droth honor the challenger with a tattoo of Droth’s blade Galodrian. Many temples host trials, but the most prestigious of these is held at the High Temple of Droth in the northern Free Kingdoms.

Dalliance Day (1st of Larayil)

Dalliance day occurs on the Holy Day of Bliss. Bliss is Larayil’s Avatar of Trysts and Infatuation. On Dalliance Day people sneak off to participate in playful romantic engagements. Many trysts are between individuals who wouldn’t normally come together, often due to the expectations of their class, family, or culture. Some Aetaltans hold elaborate masked balls to celebrate Dalliance Day, and traditionally the masks remain on at all times until the celebrant is safely back home alone the next morning.

Storm Queen’s Festival (16th to 18th of Larayil)

During the Storm Queen’s Festival, the celebrants choose an individual to crown as the Storm Queen for the duration of the holiday. As Storm Queen, this person represents Larayil, and the festival participants must obey any orders the chosen monarch gives. The Queen’s orders are typically of no real consequence, but they are often outlandish and whimsical. In fact, many of the Queen’s orders are beneficial to the participants, and include commands such as “everyone must stop working for the day,” “the people must host a grand dance,” or “every person in town should receive a lemon cake.”

Festival of Rebirth (8th of Alantra)

The Festival of Rebirth takes place on the spring equinox and marks the first day of spring. Depending on where you are in the Amethyst Sea basin, the celebration may only last a day, or it may include the days immediately preceding or following the equinox.

First and foremost, the Rebirth honors Alantra, the Enaros of Hearth and Home. Worshipers make offerings to Alantra and pray to her for protection. They also seek blessings of fertility for themselves and their animals. It is also a time of purification and renewal. Elaborate ritual cleansings of the home and oneself are carried out as a means of purifying a person both physically and spiritually.

It is also tradition to use this time to right past wrongs, and to apologize and give restitution to those you’ve harmed over the past year.

Fool’s Faire (13th of Zevas)

The Fool’s Faire is a day of tricks and jests. During this chaotic celebration, madness and mayhem reign. Social roles are reversed, practical jokes are played on friends and neighbors, and playful deception is the rule of the day. Of course, the festival also includes a lively market faire.

Forge Festival (15th of Modren)

The Forge Festival honors the Enaros Modren and celebrates crafts and craftspeople. The festival lasts one to three days depending on the town and is marked by crafting contests. Sponsored by local guilds, these include contests of speed, quality, and beauty. Ribbons are awarded to the winners, along with a hefty helping of pride and a good deal of new business.

High Summer’s Day (15th of Lensae)

High Summer’s Day falls on the summer solstice and marks the first day of summer. The event is marked with athletic competitions, feasting, and dances. In rural areas, it is also haying time, and the community effort to bring in the hay is part of the celebration.

In the south, many towns observe the tradition of a High Summer Dragon Hunt. Leading up to the festival, an enormous dragon puppet is constructed. The “dragon” then soars through town, causing mischief and making mock attacks on the celebrants. The children, meanwhile, chase after it with wooden swords and spears. The raucous pursuit ends with a climactic final battle between the children and the dragon, and always ends with the fell beast slain. A victory feast in the children’s honor follows their heroic fight.

Festival of the Narussai (16th of Elendra)

The Narussai are a trio of divine spirits that serve Naruss, Elendra’s Avatar of Artistic Inspiration. The trio are said to bring inspiration and revelation to artists, and they are honored during this annual festival. To celebrate the holiday, artists bring their finest works to the festival and put them on display. The pieces are judged, and the greatest works are awarded prizes. It is also common for artists to demonstrate their craft during the festival, and those seeking an apprenticeship often use this event to petition master artists.

The Justicaria (11th of Toletren)

The Justicaria is a day that honors Toletren, the Enaros of Knowledge and Truth. It is a traditional time to reveal secrets or clear up lingering falsehoods. To lie to someone on this day is said to bring ill fortune over the coming year.

It is also a time for adjudicating important disputes and meting out justice where appropriate. On this day, the Justicars of Toletren will hear any case, no matter the class or station of the plaintiff or the defendant. Traditionally, the types of cases brought to the Justicars on this day are peasants bringing a complaint against a noble, entrenched disagreements between intractable parties, and similarly difficult or unbalanced complaints one might fear to pursue under normal circumstances.

Autumnal Equinox (22nd of Grethken)

The autumnal equinox is the first day of autumn in the Amethyst Sea basin. It is also the first day of the annual Harvest Festival week. It is immediately followed by the Great Market and ends with the Feast of Grethken.

The day of the equinox is a celebration of balance. In some parts of the Amethyst Sea basin, this is observed by taking children to leave flowers on the graves of their ancestors, celebrating the eternal cycle of life and death. In other lands, it is a time for the wealthy to give to the poor as a symbolic balancing of the social scales.

Great Market (23rd to 26th of Grethken)

The Great Market is a five-day market faire, typically hosted by the largest settlement in the region and sponsored by the noble lords and ladies of the land. It is a tradition started in the north, where the Great Market served as the final large gathering before the snows of winter set in. It is the largest and most festive market faire of the year in almost every land, and is punctuated by a variety of entertainments, including performances, contests, dances, and all manner of celebrations.

Feast of Grethken (27th and 28th of Grethken)

The day after the close of the Great Market is the Feast of Grethken. It is a grand communal feast where people enjoy the fruits of their labors and thank Grethken for his blessings and bounty.

Night of the Wild Hunt (28th of Vale)

The Wild Hunt is a tradition that dates back at least to the Age of Shadow. According to legend, Vale rides forth with her host on this day to hunt those whose spirits are corrupted by darkness. To hear the Hunt—the thundering of Vale’s horses or the baying of her hounds—is terrifying, but otherwise harmless. To see the Wild Hunt, however, is to know your doom is imminent.

Modern observances of this holiday are centered more on the art of hunting than the Wild Hunt itself, and they often include ceremonial boar or deer hunts. These are followed by great feasts where the quarry is served as the main course. One may also participate in archery and trap-making competitions.

In some of the less civilized regions of the known world, they observe older traditions. These involve the ritualized hunt of a person, a member of the community chosen to play the part of the corrupted one. Although this person isn’t actually killed during the ritual, some ancient texts hint this was not always the case. There are scattered tales that describe the hunted person as a sacrifice to Vale in the hope of protecting the rest of the community from her Wild Hunt.

Sea King Festival (22nd of Phensral)

In the northern reaches of the Amethyst Sea, herring schools come within sight of land at this time of year. In fishing communities, this led to the holiday known as the Sea King Festival. It is marked by a communal effort to take advantage of the close proximity of the herring schools. Everyone turns out to help with the harvest, whether they go out on the boats to net the fish, or stay on shore to help process the catch.

At the beginning of the festival, ritual offerings are made to Phensral asking for his blessing in the coming harvest. Additional offerings are made at the end of the festival to give Phensral thanks for his blessings. The festival concludes with music, dancing, and a community feast.

Night of Silence (16th of Aelos)

It is believed that on the Night of Silence, those spirits whose time on Numos is complete depart Aelos’s kingdom and begin their final journey to Lensae. Before they depart, however, Aelos gives these spirits a final opportunity to speak to their families. The messages they deliver are often prophetic or protective, including warnings and advice about what awaits their living loved ones in the coming year.

These messages, should they come, are exceptionally important. To miss one might lead to catastrophe, lost opportunity, or other ill fortune. To ensure the message gets through, the people of Aetaltis participate in a vigil from sunset on the 16th of Aelos until sunrise on the 17th of Aelos, during which time they do nothing but listen for the whispers.

Extended families often gather for this event, coming together at a central place to observe the vigil as a group. It is thought that this increases the chance the voices of the dead will reach them, since the deceased loved one won’t need to travel between everyone’s homes.

Celebrants believe the whispers of the dead are difficult to hear, so even the slightest noise may drown them out. Complete silence is observed throughout the ritual. No one speaks, and noisy movements are avoided. In some lands, this effort is taken to the extreme. Animals are muzzled, hinges are oiled, and feet are wrapped in heavy cloth to ensure that no sound is made.

Finally, it is exceptionally important one remain awake throughout the vigil, since they might miss their loved one’s visit if they fall asleep. Traditionally, people make and serve a hot, minty beverage called Moon Milk. The drink helps to ensure wakefulness.

The Day of Magic (between the 28th of Aelos and the 1st of Dawn)

Every other year, between the last day of Aelos and the first day of Dawn, there is a single day that exists outside of time. This strange day is known as the Day of Magic. Before the Ritual of Limitation, it served as a time to celebrate Endroren’s gift of magic to the enari. Today, it is considered a day of ill-tidings and misfortune.

The modern traditions surrounding the Day of Magic are more precautions than celebrations. On this day, it is believed that the binding spells that prevent Endroren from interacting with the rest of the world are at their weakest. For this reason, one must take special care when it comes to the use of magic.

Spellcasters avoid casting any spells on this day out of fear Endroren’s power might corrupt their spells. People also avoid using magical devices, fearing the device might tap into dark magic, causing it to become cursed. Even divine magic is used with care on this dangerous day.

The Day of Magic’s status as a non-day also creates unique mundane problems. One may not enter into any sort of agreement on this day, from marriages to treaties to business contracts, since its place outside of time makes it impossible to record a legal date for the agreement.

It is also an ill-omen to be born on the Day of Magic, and pregnant mothers do whatever they can to avoid giving birth on this day. The consequences for children born on this day vary by region. In some lands the children are seen as born corrupted; in others they are considered non-people and cast out of society. In still others, the child is assumed to have unnatural or unclean powers.

One exception to these dark views about the Day of Magic is a tradition among the Feylariyans and Elloriyans that dates back to the Age of Dawn. They believe fey born on this day are imbued with a soul of true essence, a mythical third form of essence spoken of only in the oldest fey loresongs. The fey believe this gives the child access to special powers beyond those of normal fey, and these individuals are deeply respected by both the Elloriyan and Feylariyan people.

Another exception to the dim views of the Day of Magic is its celebration in Port Vale. The city-state already borders on the edge of lawlessness, but the people of Port Vale take things one step further on the Day of Magic. Since the day is unreal and sits outside of time, they’ve interpreted this to mean one cannot face consequences for what they do on this day. It is taken as an opportunity to engage in wild debauchery with even fewer limits than usual, and a good number of folk use it as an excuse to settle old scores without legal repercussions