The Mortal Calendar
*Author's Note - The main thing to understand about this calendar is that it's not the same as ours. That sounds simple in theory, but hard to keep in mind in practice. The year on Lokka is 450 days long. So when someone is 10 years old in one of the books, they would be 12 in our world. An average pregnancy here is nine months (280 or so days), but on Lokka it's a little over six. Just something to keep in mind as you read.
Months
Despite their focus on earthly things, the dwarven love for
order once extended to the stars, and thus they were the first people to measure the pace of the seasons and the turning of the year. During the Dark Ages, dwarven scholars developed the first sundials and water clocks to measure the passage of time. Most of the original names of months were lost to the passage of time, and even Heaven's library in Medina does not record their names. The simpler weekday names were easily retained and survived intact.
During the Age of Lords, the early work was refined and gear-driven machines were crafted to replace their less-accurate predecessors. By that point in history, however, humans had come to dominate the world, and it was human scholars who developed the calendar that survives to the modern day, based on the previous measurements. Out of deference to the original work done centuries before, the month names were rendered in the dwarven tongue and have remained thus unchanged since the dawn of the Age of Merging.
Each month is exactly 45 days long, and each of the four seasons is measured at 134.5 days. The transitions from Spring to Summer and from Autumn to Winter traditionally occur at midday, while the transitions to Autumn and Spring occur at midnight.
order once extended to the stars, and thus they were the first people to measure the pace of the seasons and the turning of the year. During the Dark Ages, dwarven scholars developed the first sundials and water clocks to measure the passage of time. Most of the original names of months were lost to the passage of time, and even Heaven's library in Medina does not record their names. The simpler weekday names were easily retained and survived intact.
During the Age of Lords, the early work was refined and gear-driven machines were crafted to replace their less-accurate predecessors. By that point in history, however, humans had come to dominate the world, and it was human scholars who developed the calendar that survives to the modern day, based on the previous measurements. Out of deference to the original work done centuries before, the month names were rendered in the dwarven tongue and have remained thus unchanged since the dawn of the Age of Merging.
Each month is exactly 45 days long, and each of the four seasons is measured at 134.5 days. The transitions from Spring to Summer and from Autumn to Winter traditionally occur at midday, while the transitions to Autumn and Spring occur at midnight.
Lunar Cycles
The lunar cycles are as regular as the sun and stars. Sin completes a full lunar cycle every 29 days, while San completes a cycle every 36 days. As with most things beyond primitive man's comprehension, the moons had a special significance during the Dark Ages, and certain superstitions persisted even into the Age of Lords after the coming of the immortal angels. Each full moon was given a special name, as were certain lunar alignments such as the Devil's Horns and the Angel's Wings.
When San is full and Sin is waxing from a new moon (and forms a crescent), if the two moons are visibly juxtaposed in the sky it is known as the Devil's Horns. This alignment is generally associated with bad luck and evil deeds.
When Sin is waning from a full moon and San is waxing from a new moon (and both form a crescent shape), if the two moons are visibly juxtaposed in the sky it is known as the Angel's Wings. This alignment is generally associated with good luck and holiness.
When San is full and Sin is waxing from a new moon (and forms a crescent), if the two moons are visibly juxtaposed in the sky it is known as the Devil's Horns. This alignment is generally associated with bad luck and evil deeds.
When Sin is waning from a full moon and San is waxing from a new moon (and both form a crescent shape), if the two moons are visibly juxtaposed in the sky it is known as the Angel's Wings. This alignment is generally associated with good luck and holiness.
Days of the Week
In true dwarven fashion, the days of the week were laid out in an orderly fashoin, and they simply translate as the First Day, Second Day, etc. This simplicity is presumed to be the reason their names survived the Dark Ages and remained popular throughout recorded history.
The final three days of the week, commonly referred to as the "weekend," are properly known as the Sabbatha, or the time of rest and worship. Niday is traditionally set aside for worship and Decaday for rest. Octday is technically part of the Sabbatha, but as it has no standing tradition, it is more nebulous and is frequently considered a standard working day.
The final three days of the week, commonly referred to as the "weekend," are properly known as the Sabbatha, or the time of rest and worship. Niday is traditionally set aside for worship and Decaday for rest. Octday is technically part of the Sabbatha, but as it has no standing tradition, it is more nebulous and is frequently considered a standard working day.
Duration Chart
