The Caradorian calendar is based on the old Masallan calendar, which not only neatly divides the year, but was also made to be in tune with the cycles of waxing and waning magical energies. It is said that the first to make a calendar were the ancient alchemists, who practiced what we know today as Arcane Alchemy. These ancient practitioners of magic were keenly aware of the cycles of the elements, and the powers of celestial bodies.
After they designed the first calendars, these devices were taken up and used by merchants and historians, who also had use of the naming and counting of days. And it is these people, today, who keep the calendar alive, for although the knowledge is had by all folk, it is commonly little used. It is just as well to say meet me three days hence, rather than name the day upon which the agenda is set. So the calendar and the naming of days remains a device that is largely used only by those bound to rigid schedules.
The Calendar is lunar, based on the thirteen moon cycles which comprise each year. It gives us three hundred and sixty-four days, divided into thirteen moons. Each moon, then, is divided into four passages, each of seven days.
The Moons-
Originally the ancient alchemists named each of the thirteen moons. These names were long and of mystical origin, and were soon replaced by the common folk with names which accorded with the seasons. There is no official beginning of the year, as history is marked not by numbered years but rather by Historical Markers, with the years between these marking events being the factor of import. But most think of the Rain Moon as the beginning of the year, and thus with it we will begin.
Each moon lasts for twenty-eight days. Although not all provinces share the same seasons as Masalla, the descriptions below roughly correspond to the seasons of Masalla, the Old World, and the New World. Moraithe, Rel Morde, and Gwynned also utilize the same names, though their seasons are slightly (or extremely) different.
Rain Moon marks the usual time for the first rains of spring.
Plowing Moon fields are plowed and prepared for planting.
Cricket Moon Summer approaches as small creatures come to life.
Summer Moon A time of warmth and plenty.
Storm Moon It is not unusual for powerful storms to wrack the land.
Dry Moon Deep into summer, intense heat and dry spells are not unknown.
Harvest Moon The time for taking of crops has come, and bounty is upon the land.
Autumn Moon The trees turn colors, and the time for canning and pickling has come as people set stores for the winter moons.
Frost Moon Bare trees and frosted grasses mark this time.
Snow Moon The first snows herald the coming of winter.
Dark Moon The days have grown very short, and the nights long.
Ice Moon The coldest time of the year meets the coming warmth, and as snow melts and cools once again, ice coats everything.
Melting Moon At last winter has passed, and the ice and remaining snows melt away to fill rillets to overflowing.
As one can see, the moons are aptly named, and serve as a reminder of what the weather will soon be bringing.
Each moon, then, is divided into four passages, named simply the first, second, third, and fourth. Thusly, the fourth passage of the Ice Moon would presage the first passage of the Melting Moon.
Lastly, each passage is divided into days, each of which was named by the alchemists for the elemental or celestial force which was felt to have the most potency on that particular day. The alchemists had a complex system of waxing and waning power that was marked by the name of the day and the phase of the moon.
The naming of days, from first to last, is below. All is in Old Masallan, with the prefix, An, meaning day, or more specifically, a passage from light to darkness. The second word is the name of the element or body in Old Masallan. The pronunciations of the Old Masallan words follow in parenthesis.
An Tiné Fire Day (ahn tin-ay)
An Tir Metal Day (ahn teer)
An Sel Water Day (ahn sell)
An Maad Earth Day (ahn mawd)
An Ilι Wind Day (ahn ee-lay)
An Aran Sun Day (ahn ah-rahn)
An Meja Moon Day (ahn may-shjah)
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