Calendar(s) on Sennadar

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Shadowhawk
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Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Shadowhawk »

In "Tower of Sorcery", Chapter 16:
"What is this 'week'?" Allia asked.

"A Week is a Wikuni term for measuring days," she replied. "There are five days in a week. Kikal-day, Arga-day, Bor-day, Tori-day, and End-day. Two of our weeks make up one Selani March or Sulasian Ride, which are both ten days.
Somewhere earlier there is "less than a month"... Why 5 days, instead of 7 days per week?

On Earth month is approximately as long as some natural period related to the motion of the Moon. Traditionally it is related the cycle of moon phases; such months are synodic months and last ~29.53 days. The alternating 30 and 31 days months (and one 28/29 month) are result of fitting the lunar cycle month to the solar cycle year (and solar cycle day). It is speculated that 7-day week is related to 1/4th of 28 day month (length of one phase of the moon). Other theories includes number of Gods etc.

Sennadar lunar cycles are more complicated, with at least one main, large moon and two smaller moons. I wonder how days, weeks, months and years on Sennadar are related to days, weels, months and years on Earth?
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Fel
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Fel »

This comes directly out of The BINDER. there might be a few minor errors if I changed names of days or months and forgot about it, but this is as direct as it gets...right out of my old game world binder, upon which the books are based.

I put in some personal comments enclosed in *** ***...everything else I transcribed right out of my binder, ver batim.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The year on Sennadar is 301 days long, divided into ten months of thirty days each and a special day that is not part of any month, that is the official day that starts the new year. Once every five years, another day is added ot the calendar to keep it balanced, and this day is regarded as the most holy day in the five year cycle.

The first day of the year falls on the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, and the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere.

Every five years, a day is added to the calendar. This day falls between the fifth and sixth month (which in the northern hemisphere is midwinter). This day is known as Gods' Day, and is a holy day for every faith in the Sennadar pantheon. On this day, magic is more potent, and the gods are closer to the world. Spells of divination are particularly clear, any spell cast has its maximum possible effect, and items enchanted on this day have a chance to take on powers and abilities beyond what the creator originally intended (and this is not always beneficial; the majority of cursed items were created on Gods' Day).

Because of this, the creation of magical objects on Gods' Day is strictly prohibited by both Niami and Azur. Any who breaks this stricture has a good chance of drawing the wrath of either--and possibly both--of these gods.

There are many different calendars on Sennadar, but all share the 301.2 day cycle. They vary by year and by the name of the month and by the date which the new year begins. The two most used calendars are the Sulasian Standard calendar and the Sharadi calendar.

---The Sulasian Standard calendar---

Current year: 1013 (in Demon's Bane, the year is 1024)

Basis of year count: The Breaking

--Special Day: Renewal (the day of the new year)

1: Leina
2: Ular
3: Mis
4: Innes
5: Saraces
6: Vala
7: Duva
8: Kava
9: T'Kien
10: Jerresen

The Sulasian calendar has no specific names for days. Days are divided into groups of ten, called Rides, and are referred to as first day, second day, etc. Each month holds three rides, and these are known as Dawn's Ride, Sun's Ride, and Moon's Ride. Thus, the fifth day of Sun's Ride refers to the fifth day of the second ride, or the fifteenth day of the month.

---The Sharadi Calendar---

Current Year: 7281 (in Demon's Bane, the year is 7292)

Basis of Year Count: Founding of the Kingdom of Sharadar

--Special Day: Arumi (new year's day)

1: Daya Tah
2: Araya Tah
3: Goya Tah
4: Meya Tah
5: Vaya Tah
6: Edya Tah
7: Doya Tah
8: Shiya Tah
9: Kiya Tah
10: Kaiya Tah

Unlike the Sulasian calendar, where every month has a name, the months of the Sharadi calendar literally translate to "first month, second month," etc, (where counting to ten in Sharadi goes "da, ara, go, me, va, eda, do, shi, ki, kai"). Also unlike the Sulasian calendar, the days in the Sharadi calendar do have names.

1: Komini
2: Shumini
3: Kamini
4: Gomini
5: Femini
6: Jimini
7: Wumini
8: Bamini
9: Vumini
10: Fomini

Each day takes the first two letters of the names of the first ten rules of Sharadar, with the suffix "mini," which means "day." This was enacted in 1938 by King Dravin to honor the first ten kings and queens of Sharadar.

Days are broken into ten day units called Drans, and the three rides in a month are called Daya Dran, Araya Dran, and Goya Dran.

***this may seem unoriginal, but remember that the Sharadi kingdom is over eight thousand years old, and they're heavily steeped in tradition. That was how it was set up way back then, back when they didn't want to waste too much time dealing with a calendar, and that's how they've kept it all this time, because it is TRADITION. Big sticklers for tradition, those Sharadi. When I created their calendar, I based it on some of the oldest calendars around in OUR world...and wouldn't you know, they did the same thing. They didn't give months or days names, they just numbered them, and those numbers evolved over time into names. Time can do that.***

---Other years of note---

Year dates in other prominent civilizations, and basis of year count:

-Wikuni: 4872; establishment of the Wikuni kingdom. ***just after the Blood War***
-Yar Arak: 5686; birth of the first Emperor who united the kingdoms of Arak into one empire. ***yah, they've been around that long, Yar Arak predates the Blood War***
-Zakkar: 2784; death of Krazkig the Prophet
-Shou Lung: 4692; birth of the first traceable member of the Imperial Family. ***again, right after the Blood War...you should see why. The Shou were some humans who fled east after the war was over, and they became the Shou***

---The Wikuni calendar---

Of special note is the Wikuni calendar, which is starting to gain a foothold as the trading Wikuni increase their influence in the lands of Sennadar, and hold to their own calendar, which forces those of Sennadar to know this calendar. It too shares the 301.2 day year. Their calendar is broken into nine months of 33 or 34 days each. The Wikuni do not separate new year's day from other months. The first day of Kikkallan is new year's day.

1: Kikkallan (34)
2: Doyamilan (33)
3: Miyanlan (34)
4: Jinsanlan (33)
5: Sumilan (33)
6: Farallan (33)
7: Pordinlan (34)
8: Denthalan (33)
9: Dragolan (34)

Wikuni months are named after their nine gods: Kikkalli, Doyami, Miyan, Jinsan, Sumila, Faral, Pordice, Denthar, and Dragor.

The Wikuni separate their days into 5 day units known as weeks.

1: Somar
2: Troko
3: Lorra
4: Bren
5: Sora

It is unknown what origins these names possess; it has been lost over the course of Wikuni history.

The Wikuni add Gods' Day to the month of Kikkallan, which becomes the first day of the month, and of the year, on years when it falls.

---The Katzh-Dashi---

Of special note is the order of Sorcerers known as the katzh-dashi. The katzh-dashi utilize the calendar of whichever kingdom in which they reside, but all katzh-dashi use a different year, which dates back to the foundation of the very first society of Sorcerers, which even pre-dates the creation of the katzh-dashi. The katzh-dashi consider this first society of Sorcerers to be the first appearance of their mysterious Goddess, and they mark that day by basing their year count on that event. They refer to years as "the (year date) Year of the Goddess," and all official records and documents are noted using this year system. This year system dates all the way back to the Urzani Empire.

In the katzh-dashi calendar, the year is 9,998 (in Demon's Bane, the year is 10,010).

***see the chronology, guys? The first order of Sorcerers was created just short years after the first use of the Firestaff, over 10,000 years before the current timeline, in what is now Suld. That order eventually became the katzh-dashi.***
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Hallmist »

Wow. It's amazing how much research there is behind all the writing you do.

Was just thinking: the wiki is a compilation of all this information gleaned from the books, right? But I'd bet that most of that comes from THE BINDER. Any chance of posting the binder in its entirety? cause that would cut down on confusion/replication. (and I bet it's already organized even!)

just someting to think about next time you've got a writer's block.
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Spec8472 »

Yeah, wow. Lots of info.

Hey, Fel - If I (or someone else) sent you some USD$, could/would you photocopy the binder and post it over to me (or if someone else here wants to type it up) so it can be put onto the Wiki?
I'm sure we can make it worth your time :)
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Shadowhawk »

So calendars on sennadar as far as I understand are Sun (solar cycle) based? Understandable, with more than one moon to chose lunar cycle(s) from...
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Fel »

Yah, they're solar based...with 4 moons, building a lunar cycle calendar would be problematic.
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by J-Man5 »

So how are females afftected by the lunar cycles? Do any of the species seem to be affteced by lunar cycles or is it all just solar based? Lunar cycles also correspond with tidal motion and cycles. So I'd think the Wikuni would keep track of lunar cycles too. Or are tides just too wildly erratic?

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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Shadowhawk »

Fel wrote:Yah, they're solar based...with 4 moons, building a lunar cycle calendar would be problematic.
One could always use the largest moon (probably least affected by the other moons, and with most regular cycle) as the basis of lunar cycle calendar. I wonder why Wikuni doesn't have "tide" and "great tide" instead of/in addition to 5 day weeks...

BTW. can anyone remind me what is the 4th moon named?
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Shadowhawk »

J-Man5 wrote:So how are females affected by the lunar cycles?
Hmmm... I wonder if the fact that human female menstrual cycle is 28 days in average, and the synodic month (lunar phases cycle month) is ~29.53 days is an accident, i.e. if there is cause-and-effect relation between length of those two cycles.
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Fiferguy »

The moons are Domammon, Vala, and the twins, Duva and Kava. At least in Chap 15 of Weavespinner. :D

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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Spec8472 »

Fel wrote: ---Other years of note---

Year dates in other prominent civilizations, and basis of year count:

-Wikuni: 4872; establishment of the Wikuni kingdom. ***just after the Blood War***
-Yar Arak: 5686; birth of the first Emperor who united the kingdoms of Arak into one empire. ***yah, they've been around that long, Yar Arak predates the Blood War***
-Zakkar: 2784; death of Krazkig the Prophet
-Shou Lung: 4692; birth of the first traceable member of the Imperial Family. ***again, right after the Blood War...you should see why. The Shou were some humans who fled east after the war was over, and they became the Shou***
Are these dates in the Sharadi Year? If so, it doesn't seem consistant. First you say that The establishment of Wikuni was in 4872, "just after the blood war", and then that Yar Arak predates the blood war, when the Emperor to do so was born in 5686.
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Fel »

Those years are backwards from the current date. Since you know that it's 11 years after the Firestaff event, you can count backwards to see where those year systems begin.

Since the Arakite year is 5686 years, that's 5686 years ago. It starts well before the last use of the Firestaff, which was the trigger of the Blood War.
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Spec8472 »

Fel wrote:Those years are backwards from the current date. Since you know that it's 11 years after the Firestaff event, you can count backwards to see where those year systems begin.

Since the Arakite year is 5686 years, that's 5686 years ago. It starts well before the last use of the Firestaff, which was the trigger of the Blood War.
aaah, ok. Thanks :)
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Shadowhawk »

Fiferguy wrote:The moons are Domammon, Vala, and the twins, Duva and Kava. At least in Chap 15 of Weavespinner.
"The Questing Game", Chapter 19: Dommammon, the great white moon (The White Moon); The Twin Moons, Vala and Duva; the Red Moon, Kava.
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Re: Calendar(s) on Sennadar

Post by Fiferguy »

Interesting... In Weavespinner, chapter 15, they're described as "The appearance of Domammon, the White Moon, on the southeastern horizon was like a cold rock sitting in his belly. It had begun. Vala would rise but moments after Domammon, and the Twin Moons, Duva and Kava, would rise exactly nine minutes after Vala. Domammon in the southeast, Vala in the northeast, and the Twin Moons dead east. They would rise and approach one another, and then they would join to form the conjunction in exactly four hours and six minutes. Tarrin took out the pocketwatch and studied it for a long moment, seeing that he was right on time so far."

Hmm.... :wink:

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