Calendars

The Lunar Calendar of Realm

Month	First Week	Second Week	Third Week	Fourth Week	Notes
Ascending Air	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Respendent Air	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Descending Air	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Ascending Water	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Respendent Water	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Descending Water	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	Coldest Winter Month
Ascending Earth	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Respendent Earth	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Descending Earth	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Ascending Wood	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Respendent Wood	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Descending Wood	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Ascending Fire	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Respendent Fire	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	—
Descending Fire	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	◻◻◻◻◻◻◻	Hottest Summer Month
Calibration	◻◻◻◻◻				—

There are 425 days in one year.

The lunar calendar used by the Realm has spread through much of the rest of Creation. The moon passes through its phases every 28 days, and each of the five seasons (Air, Water, Earth, Wood, Fire) consists of three months. Each of the three months represents a phase of the season: the first month is the Ascending phase, the second Resplendent and the third Descending. After the season of Fire is Calibration, a moonless five-day holiday that is not part of any season. During this topsy-turvy time, the spirit courts are in disorder, the worlds of men and gods are closer than normally, and many strange phenomena are observed as the world ties up loose ends and prepares itself for another year.

Ascending Water is usually the coldest month of the year, when the North is draped in ice. Frost and cold bind the East and West during this month, while pleasant rains cool the South. Temperatures rise through the months of spring in Descending Water and the early months of the season of Earth, bringing hurricanes to the South, monsoons to the West and drenching downpours and storms to the East. Then, there is a long growing period of increasing warmth for the last month of Earth, all of the season of Wood and the first month of the season of Fire, until the height of summer comes with Descending Fire. In that month, the South is scorched by endless days of blazing sun, the breadfruit trees of the West are dried up, the endless forests of the East are parched and dry, and the North is bright and temperate, fully open to traders and travelers. After this, temperatures fall rapidly, bringing storms across Creation and a hurrying in the year’s last harvest before winter grips the world once more.

These natural patterns of climate and weather are affected by gods, elementals, sorcery, Charms and other supernatural influences. Winds move under the direction of the weather gods, weather magic is commonplace, and elementals and local gods can be relied upon to disturb the regular flow of climate in response to a few prayers or favors—or in order to spite an enemy. While the major weather patterns continue according to the season, with monsoons slashing across the Western coasts in the rainy season and sandstorms moving through the desert, smaller changes constantly occur. In the First Age, these fluctuations were regulated by the Exalted, who would have set matters in order and ordered the gods to keep the weather patterns in balance. Alas, the First Age is long gone, and the Solar Deliberative with it, and now, every petty deity is prepared to divert a rainstorm for a bit of worship on the side.

The combination of a very long growing season and the effects of magic and prayer result in high crop yields; the gardens of Creation are heavy with vegetables and the paddies full of rice all through the season of Wood. Most areas can harvest three crops of rice a year, while the Blessed Isle and the Scavenger Lands bring in five rice crops in the most fertile areas. This vast bounty encourages large and complicated societies, for one peasant can nourish many people with her labor.

The Varangian Calendar

The Varangian calendar is the most accurate and complex in the Threshold. Its astrology, mixing solar, lunar and stellar cycles, is similarly advanced. These two disciplines determine the status in life of virtually every Varangian citizen. Enormous clock towers toll the hours in every city, wealthy citizens carry ornate spring-driven pocket watches, and local astrologers use intricate horoscopes to determine the caste and subcaste of almost every individual born in the region. (From The South.)