Time Measurement in the Negresti Empire

Years in the Negresti Empire are counted from the founding of the Empire at the end of the Gilded War. They count the current year as 3026 After the Sacrifice (AS) when The Gilded Queen martyred herself to end the Gilded War.
Within a year, seasons and time are measured based on the passage of the sun relative to the Shroud. During the "Summer" the sun's path never crosses the shroud and this time is referred to as "Unshrouded". As the year progresses the sun's path gets lower and lower until "the shrouding" where the path of the sun starts to cross the shroud. Depending on where one is standing on Iolivus, the suns path may continue to sink until it eventually travels under the arc of the shroud for some part of the year. In the Negresti empire, while the sun is behind the shroud, it is considered a time when mischievous spirits influence the world and the superstitious among the Negresti stay indoors during this time when the veil between worlds is believed to be at its thinnest. The beginning and end of The Shrouding season are often festivals that correlate with the harvest and planting times respectively in much of the Negresti Empire. Collibria is one of the furthest south points in the empire and while close, never sees the sun travel under the arc of the shroud. The "Winter Solstice" equivalent is when, in Collibria, the sun's light is almost visible behind the shroud at high noon and the Empress performs a ritual ceremony at this time asserting the ascendance of the Negresti by symbolically lighting an enormous lantern to represent The Gilded Queen protecting the Negresti from the Evil Empire that she destroyed at the empire's founding. It is believed that even though during this day the sun spends the most time behind the shroud, the power of the Empire keeps safe the people and midwinter festivals are held all over the land. While not formally associated, many people associate the spirit of The Gilded Queen and her protection of the empire with the sun and thus with the royal family.
The exact number of days of each season depends on how far north or south you are but in Collibria the unshrouded lasts roughly 70 percent of the year which is roughly 360 days long making the unshrouded roughly 250 days long with the other 110 days comprising the shrouding.