Timekeeping

Methods of timekeeping vary across Kishar.

Years

In most parts of the world, years are counted using the ancient clocks built into the anchor sites. Each new tick on the outer discs of the clocks represents the passing of another year. As such, the current year is denoted by the estimated number of elapsed ticks. Despite the ubiquity of this method, many common people are unaware of the origin of the number used for the year, but use it out of convention. By convention, years counted using this method are written in the format "Y1234".

In some places, it is more typical to start the year count at some historical event of significance. In the Sangiran Empire before the death of the Eternal Suzerain, years followed the pattern "123 of the fourth reign", where the latter number is the incarnation of the Suzerain and the former is the number of years since their birth.

Calendars

Zodiac calendar

The zodiac calendar is perhaps the single most widespread method of keeping track of the year used on Kishar, throughout most of the Three Great Seas and even farther afield. This system divides the year into twelve months of twenty eight days each, each corresponding to a full lunar cycle. Every month begins with a new moon. Despite this general consistency, the names used for the months are not universal - all use animals or magical beasts, yet the particular creatures chosen to represent each month varies based on culture.

The winter solstice falls on the first day of the first month, and the summer solstice on the first day of the seventh month.

Marcher calendar

The Marcher calendar is primarily used in Brightmarch, Hinthial, Kharakun, and the Laqto Rainforest. An evolution of an old elven method of timekeeping, it revolves around the region's wet and dry seasons. Like the zodiac calendar, each month is tied to a lunar cycle.

Khapeshan calendar

In Khapesh, instead of twelve months the year is divided into three seasons, called Akhet (inundation), Peret (growth), and Shemu (harvest). These are marked by the state of the Aur River. Years in Khapesh are traditionally denoted by the number of years of rule of a given dynasty. Y9975^*, for example, would be known as the year 341 of the Menes dynasty. However, nearly everyone in Khapesh is familiar with more broadly used calendars as well, and the traditional system is mostly relegated to ceremonial and religious purposes.

Fanakara calendar

Throughout most of the Wounds, the calendar used is tied to the wet and dry seasons. This system does not have months, precisely, but rather each season has a wax and a wane, roughly dividing it in two.

Despite its name the Fanakara calendar is not only used by the Fanakara, but also commonly by other peoples of the Wounds as well.

Demon-seasons

The second major method of keeping track of the year in the Wounds, alongside the Fanakara calendar, is through counting the demon-seasons. The demonic invasions beginning in the Old Twins are remarkably predictable. The planar tears open and the demons arrive on the Old Twins on the 175th day of the year, then disappear once more without a trace after precisely 168 days.

Months and seasons by calendar

Lunar cycle	Zodiac calendar	Marcher calendar	Khapeshan calendar	Fanakara calendar
1	Bear	Moonrise	Peret	Wet season - wax
2	Dragon	Wind's Blessing		Wet season - wane
3	Songbird	Starwatch
4	Lion	Fire's Grasp
5	Camel	Rain's Call	Shemu	Dry season - wax
6	Falcon	Revival
7	Wasp	Soaring Sun
8	Snake	Greenbloom		Dry season - wane
9	Basilisk	Rain's Retreat	Akhet
10	Elephant	Bounty
11	Wolf	Water's Wane		Wet season - wax
12	Phoenix	Year's Rest