Calendar

Overview
The calendar is the method used for timekeeping on a multi-yearly basis. It is based on the ancient High Elven calendar, though the Western Human variant is now the most commonly used in the world today. The Fourth Dwarven Empire and Forantia are exceptions to the rule, retaining their original calendars instead.

All three calendars share several common features:
 * 360 days in a year
 * Transitioning from one year to the next in the middle of winter
 * A basis on the cycle of the moon and seasons
 * Division into eras based upon world-shaking events

The Elven Calendar
The most ancient system of timekeeping currently known to civilization, the Elven calendar was in use long before the Gray-gold Disunion. Based upon precise measurements of the moon's cycle and the seasons, the Elven calendar has 12 months, each with 30 days. The months are further subdivided into five 6-day weeks. The first and last days are days of rest, while the others are standard workdays.

Elven months are named after the heroes and gods of old, while Elven days are descriptive in nature.

Elven Months
This section details the current Elven calendar in its modern form, as is used by the High, Wood, and Dark elves. Like the others, it has changed notably over time. These revisions will not be listed here.
 * 1) Ollar—named after Ollaris Laren, the founder of Forantia and the oldest high elf hero.
 * 2) Tholm—named for Tholamin, the chief of the elf gods and their god of magic.
 * 3) Lorian—the first month of spring. Named for Loriantiir, the high elf god of life and creation
 * 4) Viren—the second month of spring. Named after Virenende, the goddess of nature, planting, and gardens.
 * 5) Phal—the first month of summer. Named for Phalahara, the high elf archmage, inventor of Wish, and founder of the Phalhandrian Lyceum of Arcane Inquiry.
 * 6) Lamin—the most recently named month. Renamed in memory of Laminaius, a city in west Forantia which was destroyed in an orc raid.
 * 7) Yaran—the elven word for "fire," representing the hottest month of the year
 * 8) Ililien—named after Ilien, the elvish god of summer storms and bringer of the rains for fall.
 * 9) Vash—the first month of autuman. Named for Vashyr, a high elf master archer.
 * 10) Umefir—named after the fourth queen of Forantia, who instituted wide reforms to decrease corruption and improve the education of her people when she refused to abdicate after her husband's untimely death.
 * 11) Torei—the month where autumn picks up especially hard for the southern region. A now-archaic elvish word which roughly translates to "time of frost."
 * 12) Saleemis—shares a root with the god Salmit; "end."

Elven Days
There are six days in an elven week, each named for elven 1-6 and the -u (ooh, "day of) suffix
 * 1) Pruhmu
 * 2) Sondu
 * 3) Eirdu
 * 4) Mildu
 * 5) *this day is often mocked by immature humans—it sounds identical to "mildew," meaning "mold," in common
 * 6) Bahldu
 * 7) Hondu

Elven Date Notation
Dates in elvish are recorded as follows: occurrence of the day of the week, day of the week, month, year, era.

For example, the first Sondu in Ollar of the current year is "First Sondu Ollar, 583, 5th era." The last Sondu of the same month is Fourth Sondu Ollar, 583, 5th era. The highly precious nature of the High Elf calender precludes the use of numerical dates within the month.

The Dwarven Calendar
The dwarven calendar originated shortly after the dwarves emerged from the Plane of Earth in the early Second Era, when dwarf civilization remained largely underground and in tunnel networks within their mountains. As a result, their concept of time is far more fluid, based largely upon the annual melting and freezing of snow and ice within the mountains and their surrounding caves.

With no concept of months, the dwarven caledar is instead based largely on seasons. While they have adopted the 360-day year from the High Elves, dwarven timekeeping still draws primarily from the fluctuations of the seasons.

Dwarvish "Months"
While not months in the traditional sense, these periods of division by the dwarves are the closest thing they have to a true collection of months. They have since been adopted from an underground style of living to a mountainous one, but have remained largely unchanged in tradition and style for thousands of years.

All months are translated from their dwarven names to the Common ones, for ease of convenience.
 * Coldrock—begins when the trickle of meltwater from mountaintop glaciers ceases. The first twelve days are commemorated by a rapid harvest followed by the Festival of Salting and Smoking, where food is consumed and prepared in equal measure so that dwarves may fatten up and prepare for winter.
 * Thaw—begins when the meltwater returns. Celebrated with the festival of Wellspring, where the remaining winter stores are consumed, before planting begins again.
 * Overwalking—the spring and summer. The most active months for the dwarves, featuring most of their cultivation, hunting, and conquest.
 * Doorholding—the painfully short autumn season. So named because ancient dwarves would hold the doors (often boulders blocking tunnel entrances) open as long as possible while loved ones struggled to return home during the first snows. It is traditional to return to one's hometown after the first snowfall of the new year, bringing symbols or tales of one's successes during Overwalking.

Dwarven Date Notation
Without a concept of months, dwarven notation is simple. The total days in a year, the era, and the year: Day 234 of 5th Era 583. The Scribes of Time's Wheel (a council of dwarven scholars and clerics devoted to Briellnis who record the day of each year that each season begins, as well as all other events they deem notable) invented this notation and track it religiously. They have outlasted multiple Dwarven empires and republics, and are deemed indispensable by most civilized dwarves.

The Human Calendar
Based upon the elvish system of timekeeping, the human calendar has undergone multiple revisions, alterations, and modifications over its 1200-year history. Humans have altered the calendar in several notable ways while keeping its core monthly structure intact. Through their revisions, including multiple holidays and festivals and dubious namings and renamings, the human calendar is a distinct niche now followed by much of the known world.

Human Months
Like the elven calendar there are twelve months, which follow the same seasonal structure as the original. However, each is 28 days long, rather than 30, and divided into four 7-day weeks.
 * 1) Ohlar—mispronunciation of "Ollar," with greater emphasis on the first syllable
 * 2) Bredallan—named for Bredal, chief goddess of mankind.
 * 3) Lore—transformation of Lorian into a Common word, "lore." The Vernal equinox occurs during this month.
 * 4) Winterfall—taken from "Phal" and made descriptive—referring to the passage of seasons from the cold spring to the warm summer
 * 5) Mercen—named after Mercenix the Resolute
 * 6) Linger—reference to the lengthening of days during the summer months. The Summer Solstice occurs during this month.
 * 7) Labor—the the most intensive month of farming, where the cold climates of most human settlements is abated enough for long hours of farming to take place.
 * 8) Vitruvus—month dedicated to Vitruvia Golden-Eyed, Mercenix's lover and second-in command of the Council of Conquest.
 * 9) Ochrest—combination of "oak+rest" and "ochre;" referencing the transformation of deciduous trees in the southern kingdoms at the end of this month. The autumnal equinox occurs during this month.
 * 10) Harvest—the month of rapid cooling, where the summer yield must be gathered rapidly before the winter sets in in full force.
 * 11) Snowfall—autumn is a brief season in the northern Kingdoms of Man, lasting barely through Ochrest and harvest before the first frosts come and snow begins to fall. This month is named after that short period.
 * 12) Bleakwinter—the coldest, most miserable part of the year in much of the kingdoms. While the southern nations such as Vinitia remain temperate or even warm year-round, the northern territories are besieged by darkness and blizzards during this period.
 * 13) Yearsend—while not a proper month, Yearsend is the 24 days left at the end of every year dedicated to a festival in the northern regions. Meant to be a spot of hope and pleasantry in the miserable, cramped winter months, it has served well in ensuring that humans survive through the winter with warm spirits and homes. The Winter Solstice occurs during this period. The days during this month are not considered normal weekdays, and every Ohlar 1st falls a new Plansday.

Human Days
Each of the seven days of the human week are descriptive in nature, with each name explaining roughly the day's purpose and situation.
 * 1) Sunday—a day of rest and readiness for the coming week. Considered a lucky day to consult oracles and make deals. The market day in preparation for the coming week.
 * 2) Munday—the start of the week, the beginning of work. Named for Bredal, the goddess of the moon, and a day workers address their biggest priorities related to survival, defense, etc.
 * 3) Mersday—a standard day of work, when tasks are carried out. Named for Mercenix, the god of war.
 * 4) Midweek—a break in the middle of the week, provided for laborers to recover their strength or sleep off their revelry of the night before. Weddings are traditionally held on Midweek.
 * 5) Tornsday—regarded as the harshest day of the week; after a day of rest one must return to work. Starting times on Tornsday are more relaxed than others. Named for Torran, the god of the storm.
 * 6) Endweek—the final day of work in the week
 * 7) Freeday—a day of rest, relaxation, and recuperation. The religious treat Freeday as a day for worship, flocking to temples and shrines. Most funerals are held on Freeday.

Human Date Notation
Human dates are written in a era/year/month/date configuration, with the day of the week reserved for more informal or short-term messages. Official documentation follows the above format. For example: 5E 583, Vitruvus 12th.

= Eras = Eras are not widely agreed upon until decades, or even centuries, after their end. They are marked by notable events in the history of the world which widely affect every race. They are:
 * Zeroth Era/0E: prehistory. Exists prior to any known records. Giants, dragons, dragonborn, orcs, goliaths, and gnomes all inhabited the Cosmic Disk during this time. Ruins that predate these civilizations also exist, particularly on Myurâ.
 * First Era/1E/Age of Elves: High elves arrive in the Cosmic Disk, apparently from Myurâ and begin their conquest of much of the southern half of the world. Few records from this era still exist due to elven papyrus' fragility. Lasted 2406 years.
 * Second Era/2E/Age of Dwarves: Dwarves emerge from the bottom of the Cosmic Disk from the Plane of Earth, uplifted by Brazad. The First Dwarven Empire arises and conquers the south and west with the Greenskin Plains and Blacksands separating the two civilizations. Lasts 1971 years.
 * Third Era/3E/Age of Peace: The First Dwarven Empire becomes a republic after a brutal civil war. The first humans arrive during the same period, settling in Winter's Isles and other locales in the Okvilk Sea and Strihan strait. General stability during this era, and also the shortest. Lasts 201 years.
 * Fourth Era/4E/Age of Conquest: The Second Dwarven Republic collapses, and large sections of the northwest are left abandoned. Mercenix the Resolute takes advantage of the ensuing chaos by moving inland from Csepic with the Company of Conquest and their followers to create the Kingdoms of Man. Lasts 410 years.
 * Fifth Era/5E/The Modern Age: Mercenix VII, the last of his bloodline, dies in battle against the united orc tribes. In the years following his death, The Kingdoms of Man fragment into their respective nations. The Third Dwarven Republic unites the mountain nations at the same time before disintegrating into the Fourth Dwarven Empire. The current age. Has lasted, so far, for 583 years.