Calendar, Weights & Measurement, Coinage
Distances:
1 sliver = 1/100th of a foot
1 thumb = 1/10th of a foot
1 pace = 1 foot
(1 stride = 2 paces)
(1 lunge = 3 paces)
1 span = 10 feet
1 throw = 100 feet
1 field = 1,000 feet (approx 1/5th of a mile)
(1 range / spate = 5 fields, or 5,000 feet, or a little under 1 mile)
1 trek / league = 10,000 feet (approx 2 ½ miles)
(1 ride = 5 treks, or 10 miles)
1 march = 100,000 feet (approx 19 miles – average day’s travel overland)
1 voyage = 1,000,000 feet (approx 190 miles – ten days of travel)
Container Measurements:
1 pinch / drop = 1/1000th of a pouch / flagon
1 bit / thimble = 1/100th of a pouch / flagon
1 scoop / shot = 1/10th of a pouch / flagon
1 pouch / flagon = standard measure of volume
1 sack / cask = 10 pouches / flagons
1 bale / barrel = 100 pouches / flagons
1 wagon / pool = 1,000 pouches / flagons
Coinage:
100 copper nubs = 1 gold
10 silver stags = 1 gold
1 gold crown = 1 gold
1 platinum dragon = 10 gold
1 bone chip = ½ copper
1 brass bangle = 2 copper
1 tin bint = 4 copper
1 bronze dole = 6 copper
1 iron thug = 8 copper
Note: 1 gold piece equates to approximately $100.00 in value. Also, magically-receptive metals like Mithril, Adamantite, Sonarium, and Darksilver also exist, and are in some cases minted into coins, but these coins are extremely rare.
CALENDAR:
Counting the Years: Most of the centralized nations (and every nation with vocal adherents of the Illumination Reformation) observe the Veru Sequensa (True Timeline), which consists of Prias Coronosi (Pre-Crowning) or PC, and the Sequens Veru Coronosi (True Crowning), or SVC timeline. (All terms are in the Propil Lingae.)
PC: Prias Coronosi (Prior to Crowning) – All years prior to 550 AD (0 VC)
IB: Inters Bellos (During the Warfare) – The years between Artur’s arrival & crowning, 437 AD – 550 AD
VC: Veru Coronosi (True Crowning) – The year of Artur’s crowning in 550 AD (0 VC)
SVC: Sequens Veru Coronosi (Following the True Crowning) 1 SVC and all the years after
A Deeper Dive:
In many cases in the Otherrealm—especially in older, outlier nations—a distinctly different timeline is used in tracking years. What may be odd is that many of these older cultures actually adhere to a timeline more recent than the one observed by the so-called “modernized” (centralized) nations. This is also reflected in their general choice of worship; many peripheral lands still largely worship the gods of old, and therefore adhere to dating conventions based on the conclusion of the Godswar, a cataclysmic event that took place a thousand years past. Prias Perditios, or PP, is used for the years prior to the Godswar, and Sequens Accordant, or SA, for the years following the forging of the Cygnus Accord (the peace initiative that effectively ended the Godswar). Opposed to that convention are many centralized countries who are by and large adherents of the Church of Light (that is when beholden to any faith at all) and therefore maintain the Godswar as a secondary event to the sacrosanct coronation of Avalonia’s first and final king.
PP: Prias Perditios (Prior to the Destruction) all years prior to the Godswar in 450 SVC (1000 AD)
IP: Inters Perditios (During the Destruction; generally utilized to mean time during the Godswar, a period of 16 years between 450 SVC and 466 SVC)
SA: Sequens Accordant (Following the Cygnus Accord) 0 SA = 466 SVC (1016 AD)
The Veru Coronosi predates the Godswar by 450 years, even though the crowning (and subsequent religious reformation) came hundreds—or in some cases, thousands—of years after the old gods were actively seeking worship.
Time measurements:
Most civilized nations have adopted the 12-hour clock as standard; more than enough of the spring-powered timing devices have come across from the Firstrealm that most folk have adapted readily to them. However, the outlying lands continue timekeeping measures passed on from generations that stretch a thousand years past. This older unit of chronological measurement is based on prevailing tides, shadows, and magnetic indications, as well as other more magical cues. Various peoples have their respective names for these distinctive measures; the Propil Lingae names the archaic system Oras Aestus (OA), meaning “Tide Time,” whilst referring to the more modern 12-hour timekeeping process as Oras Duodecimas (OD), meaning “Twelve Time.”
1 1 Day 24 hours
2 1 Close 12 hours
3 1 Tide 6 hours
4 1 Ride 3 hours
5 1 Roam 1 hour 30 minutes
6 1 Rest 45 minutes
7 1 Spinning 22 minutes, 30 seconds
8 1 Spell 11 minutes, 15 seconds
9 1 Deed 5 minutes, 37.5 seconds
10 1 Favor 2 minutes, 48.7 seconds
11 1 Hitch 1 minute, 24.3 seconds
12 1 Trick 42.1 seconds
13 1 Turn 21 seconds
14 1 Chance 10.5 seconds
15 1 Pause 5.3 seconds
16 1 Breath 2.6 seconds
17 1 Beat 1.3 seconds
18 1 Tick 0.7 seconds
A typical 8-day week (at least within the Otherrealm’s centralized nations) is called an Eightspan. Each month has four eightspans, and festival weeks are also considered eightspans. The only days that do not fall somewhere within an eightspan are the five named holidays (Sentinel, Lyre, Masque, Reaping, and Bidwinter), each occurring once per year.
Night Day
Dusk – 8pm Dawn – 8am
Twilight – 6pm Morning – 10am
Midnight – 12am Midday – 12pm
Deadnight – 4am Highsun – 2pm
A year in the Otherrealm consists of ten 32-day months (320 days) and five 9-day festivals (45 days) totaling 365 days. Note that there are no leap years in the Otherrealm calendar, which places it (at least with regard to the current dating system) approximately three months ahead of the Firstrealm; on the rare occurrence where a Firstrealm native crosses over, they would find the seasons have skipped ahead by one. (A Firstrealm traveler wandering through a nexus portal in winter would find themselves in the midst of an Otherrealm spring.)
A year consists of:
10 months of 32 days (320 days), plus:
5 more weeks of festivals (360 days), plus:
5 more single holidays that end (or begin) each festival
Total: 365 days per year
There are 4 weeks per month, and 8 days per week:
First day: Unaday (Firsday) / Unamera (Una)
Second day: Dioday / Diomera (Dio)
Third day: Thrinday / Thrinmera (Thr)
Fourth day: Tetraday / Tetramera (Tet)
Fifth day: Quinday / Quinmera (Qui)
Sixth day: Hexaday / Hexamera (Hex)
Seventh day: Septaday / Septamera (Sep)
Eighth day: Ogday / Ogdomera (Ogd)
Months:
32 days of Enary (Ena)
32 days of Deuteros (Deu)
8 days of Icing (Ici) (aka Maslentza) It’s not hockey, it’s Icing!
1 day of Sentinel (Sen) War leaders meet! Stay watchful!
32 days of Triany (Tri) Spring (91 days) begins Triany 19th
32 days of Tessera (Tes)
8 days of Tivili (Tiv) Spring festival! Flowers in your hair!
1 day of Lyre (Lyr) (aka Tryst) One wonderful night of song (and sex)!
32 days of Pentos (Pen)
32 days of Saxany (Sax) Summer (91 days) begins Saxany 5th
8 days of Midsummer (Mid) Every summer fest ever – for 8 days!
1 day of Masque (Mas) Halloween (the good one)!
32 days of Epary (Epa)
32 days of Octobas (Oct) Autumn (91 days) begins Octobas 22nd
8 day week of Harvestide (Har) 8 days of food! Feast!
1 day of Reaping (Rea) Halloween (the bad one)!
32 days of Novolas (Nov)
32 days of Decuras (Dec)
8 days of Yule (Yul) 8 days of gifts! Tis the season!
1 day of Bidwinter (Bid) Winter (92* days) begins on Bidwinter
* There remains some argument in various parts of the world whether or not Bidwinter is technically the last day of autumn, as it bids Winter to come, rather than the first day of winter. This would grant autumn 92 days instead of winter, which strikes some folk as queer, but the debate is a hotly contested one in certain circles.
The Otherrealm is known to have two moons, and rarely are they both full at the same time (see below). The silver moon (Luna) is known to cycle regularly with the tides, and is dependable; the red moon (Selene) is said to affect childbirth and magic. Luna and Selene align their cycles once every 1,024 days (every 2.8 years).
A Deeper Dive:
There is also in fact a third moon: the black moon (Hecate). When Luna and Selene’s cycles align, they allow, due to their position, a brief glimpse of the black moon—by those who know what to look for. All three moons align their cycles once every 32,768 days (every 90 years or so); all three are full moons, allowing for exceedingly rare generational magic to be cast. The red, silver, and black moons align over the sun once every 1,048,576 days (2,872.8 years), breaking down all previous magical barriers and wards – essentially a global “reset” … and it’s been nearly that long since the last manifestation. Hmm…
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Lastly…
Three buttshekels = One iron dong
Three iron dongs = One golden dronez
Five golden dronez = One mussy crown
Canon.
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