Calendar (Elegy Supplement)
From D&D Wiki
Languages:[edit]
On the world map, the names in parenthesis are Elven (with the exception of the Vaniri Empire), since the Elves were usually the first to name the lands they explored.
Nearly all races can be found in all kingdoms, to greater or lesser degrees (for example, not many elves live in the dwarven lands, and vice versa, and the Vaniri Empire is almost completely human). In most cases, assume a mix between seventy-thirty to ninety-ten percent mingling of races in a given city. Monstrous races are rare, but if they exist in civilization at all, they are usually either in magor metropolitan areas, or out on the fringes of known and "civilized" lands.
The language known as "Common”, although it functions in gameplay as English, is technically a mix of dwarven, human and Elvish that evolved out of a tradespeak some five hundred years ago. Most humans learn Common before learning Mann (the Human language, since calling it “English” would be kinda silly), if they learn the latter tongue at all. All human kingdoms speak Mann except Strelichz, where Lichzespakk is the native language. The common, or “low” dwarven language, being the closest to the human tongue, can almost always be pronounced phonetically. Gnomish is more closely related to Elvish; the two languages share alphabets, but not pronunciation. Halflings speak common, although they have a few peculiar regional dialects that escape being foreign languages only by clinical definition.
The Elegy Calendar[edit]
One of the subtle differences in Elegy is the length of the year: it is 366 days long, rather than 365.
ELVES: The elves (and half-elves who live among them) observe a 6 day week, with 61 weeks in the year. The elven calendar has eight seasons: Thimblewinter, Thawling, Spring, Summer, High-summer, Autumn, Thindusk, and Winter. There are 8 weeks in the main seasons, and seven weeks all the "mid-seasons". Those of you paying attention will note that there is an extra week unaccounted for. There is an extra week that moves to a different season every six years. At the time of this adventure, the extra season is in Autumn. This week is traditionally looked upon as a time of ill fortune.
HUMANS, GNOMES, HALFLINGS: These races observe the more traditional 7 day week. The days are: Sunday, Mansday, Marksday, Wainsday, Lassday, Kingsday, Godsday. The months of the year are similar in name to the Gregorian calendar (by some odd coincidence), but with a few minor differences. The names are: Jonaver, Frayaver, Marches, Aprel, Mayven, Jelos, Septander, Octander, Novander, Disander, Grimander and Noctaver. Note that "Septander" is equivalent to July, and the following three months are similarly two months behind their Gregorian equivalents. (This is largely due to the GM having always wondered why month names with the Latin roots of 7, 8, 9 and 10 should be the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelth months of the year.) The numbers of days per month are the same as the Gregorian calendar. There are 52 weeks in the year, (the astute thinker will note that in the human calendar, every other year would have to be a leap year to accommodate the extra day. The shorter years are called fell-years, and the longer years are full-years), with normal season names. As in our world, the extra day falls in Frayaver (Februrary).
DWARVES: The dwarves, being a race that lives for long periods, sometimes entire generations, without seeing the sun, have developed a system of time called the Karut.
A Karut is a traditional candle or lamp made to burn for exactly eight and a half hours. This time is broken down into smaller units, measured by a dwarven hourglass called a knut (literally: finger). There are ten knut-ku in a knut, and five knuts in a Karut. Three Karuts make up a Dwarven "day."
Traditionally, the dwarves have some concepts of the seasons, but pay them little heed, only noting when the entrances to the mines are colder or warmer. The dwarven week is ten days long, and the year is 60 weeks long. High dwarven holidays take place three times a year, or every twenty weeks. In recent ages, some dwarf clans have informally adopted the human calendar, and many now use gnomish clockwork to measure time.
CURRENT YEAR:[edit]
1521 cc (Common Calendar): used by Humans, Gnomes, Halflings, and most merchants. The calendar began at the founding of the first human city (Caer Dinnh, the capital of Cardinia). This year is the year of the wren for all but the gnomes. For a gnome it is the year of the goshawk.
2687: the current year in the Elven Calendar, also the Laisren Calendar. Began when Laisren became the new Elvenhome. This is the year of the Elk.
931: Of course the dwarves have to be different. The dwarven calendar counts backwards. Ancient dwarves prophesied that the end of all things would come when their calendar reached zero.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Campaign Settings → Elegy
