Calendar of Ilbarych

Organization

Years

• The current year is 519 CR, or "Crown Reckoning."
• The Crown Reckoning is based on the founding of Ilbarych, in year 1 CR.

Seasons

• Each of the seasons is thematically associated with one of the original Imperial Lands.
  • Winter: The Wolf Moons
  • Spring: The Bear Moons
  • Summer: The Lion Moons
  • Autumn: The Eagle Moons
• There are three Moons per season, with the new year marked by the first Wolf Moon of winter.

Moons

• The moons hold to 28 day cycles, divided into four luminations.
  • The Flourishing Lumination of a moon is when it is waxing in light.
  • The Splendid Lumination of a moon is when it achieves fullness during the central three days of that lumination.
  • The Withering Lumination of a moon is when it is waning in light.
  • The Dead Lumination of a moon is when it fades entirely from the sky during the central three days of that lumination.
  • A common use term, "week," has evolved out of the wrightfolk designation for a similar unit of time, the wiek. At this point, it is considered an acceptable term to use in conversation, but not in proper scholarship or written records.
• Each of the twelve moons of a year has a traditional name.
• Full Moon Festivals: The people of the Old Empire and of the Crownhold celebrate full moons in festivals. Of the three moons of a season, the middle moon is always a civic celebration of some kind, while the other two tend to be intended for the individual or household.

Dates

• Dating is done by combining the day of the lumination + the moon of the season + the year.
  • Thus, "The third day of the Withering Spring Moon of 412 CR" or "last year during the Splendid Autumn Moon."

The Calendar

Wolf Moons (Winter)

• The Frost Moon (Dec): Named for the moon during which the frosts first touched the Wolf Lands of the Old Empire, the Frost Moon sees the true cooling of autumn into early winter.
  • Mantlemas (Full Moon): The Frost Moon celebration is held on a household or familial level. In wealthy households, new winter clothing is given to members of the family, while in poorer households, packed-away winter clothing that has been unpacked, repaired, and freshened up are given around (with the occasional new article when it can be made or purchased). Afterwards, it is traditional for a household to deliver at least one gift to another household, usually one that is less well-off than they. The gift varies by the house, but is often preserved foods or goods that will help the other during the winter. This is traditionally delivered by the eldest child in the household if they are age, or by the head of the household otherwise. This time is often seen by adolescents and young adults as the last opportunity for socializing, so many locales have bonfires for those out delivering gifts to warm themselves
• The Winter Moon (Jan): Named for the moon at which winter achieves its height.
  • The Feast of Light (Full Moon): The Winter Moon celebration is a festival of light against the darkest part of the year. In most domains, it is celebrated by a procession of the people who have left their homes after extinguishing all flames there. Each family bears a winter-lantern (usually just a plain lantern that is engraved or decorated with symbols of winter, although some nobles have made very extravagant and expensive lanterns) to a feasting place. There, the people feast in a circle of light, made by the lanterns placed at the edges of the gathering area. Traditionally, as the lanterns gutter out, using up the last of their oil, it is refilled with an oil donated by the local nobility for that purpose, and then not lit again until it is time for that family to leave. They then return home with the lantern, and light all their household fires from it again.
• The Death Moon (Feb): Named for the bitterest depths of the year, when winter has gone on long enough that the unwise or the unwell were likely to be claimed by the cold.
  • The Rooks Festival (Full Moon): Although named for the old Imperial strategy game of Rooks, this festival is a time when all manner of games are played, celebrating the diversions that have kept people entertained and stimulated during the long winter. This is usually a time for several households to get together in one home, all pitching in to make a thick traditional stew and flat bread, foods easy to tend to while games with boards, cards, and dice are played. In some domains, the hosting is done by the local nobles, instead, who throw open great halls and feed all who come throughout the day.

The Bear Moons (Spring)

• The Waking Moon (March): x
  • The Flowering Festival (Full Moon): The Flowering Festival is held in the spring every year. It's a combination county fair, beauty pageant, and talent show, with an emphasis on works from commoners. Spring flowers do decorate the festival, but the "flowering" is supposed to come from inside, to show your talent and inspiration flowering to beautify the world. Artisans show their best wares, aspiring artists perform, and new buildings are dedicated. The local nobility are expected to provide prizes for the winners, and these winners usually accompany the nobles to the Crowndom to compete again for the favor of the Crown during the Feast of Flowers. Those that gain the Crown's favor are lavishly rewarded and often retained by the Crown, and their nobles gain enormous favor and bragging rights.
• The Spring Moon (April): x
• The Furrow Moon (May): Among the nobility, the Furrow Moon is a time of travel, as the gentry flock to Crownhold in anticipation of the Summer Court.

Lion Moons (Summer)

• The Storm Moon (June): x
  • The Feast of Flowers (Splendid Storm Moon Lustration): Held on one of the three days before the full moon proper, the Feast of Flowers is a grand garden party, the first hosted by the Crown. Nobles who have brought winners from their local Flowering Festivals are invited and given places of honor at the Crown's table, along with their winners, and the Crown judges the "finest of the garden" there.
  • Crown Day (Full Moon): A celebration of the founding of Ilbarych. Though many localities have small celebrations, the biggest is always in Crownhold, where the festivities last for all three days of the full moon. Crown Day is officially the start of the Summer Court, celebrated with a parade and the Crown Ball that night. The tradition among the nobility is that if one is not in Crownhold by Crown Day, don't bother attending the Summer Court.
• The Summer Moon (July): x
• The Fire Moon (August): x

Eagle Moons (Autumn)

• The Harvest Moon (September): x
• The Autumn Moon (October): x
• The Barren Moon (November): x

The Wise Moons (Triannual)

Every three years, an additional month is "added" to the year, to account for the imperfect passage of time within the lunary month. This is primarily a function to ensure that the specific months line up with their proper seasons, but this "odd moon out" also has a notable magical ambient power to it.

Every three years, a full month is added to one of the seasons, progressing through them in order: Winter to Spring to Summer to Autumn. These are added between the second and third moons of the seasons in question.

Each of these full moons is aligned with one of the Four Imperial Wisdoms. All rolls made to use that Wisdom during that month gains a +1B. During the full moon proper, this becomes a +1D.

• The Winter Wise Moon: The Winter Wise Moon, or the Warding Moon, is aligned with the Wisdom of Warding, laying protections while the people hide from the winter behind the walls of home and keep. These winters are often hard, though spring does tend to trickle in earlier in the last winter month than usual.
• The Spring Wise Moon: The Spring Wise Moon, or the Divination Moon, is aligned with the Wisdom of Divination, looking ahead to see what the future holds and making plans for the year. The sowing during this time is usually full of small folk rituals, and the fields are thought to produce more during such years.
• The Summer Wise Moon: The Summer Wise Moon, or the Benediction Moon, is aligned with the Wisdom of Benediction, the laying of blessings and elevating of fates. When this month occurs, it always extends the Summer Court by a full month, giving ample excuse for revelry and celebration in Crownhold.
• The Autumn Wise Moon: The Autumn Wise Moon, or the Maledication Moon, is aligned with the Wisdom of Malediction, the laying of curses and the blasting of fortunes. It is thought that the fields claim more blood during the harvest of these years, and many communities perform blood sacrifices in those fields (covertly or as a community) in hopes of sating them with farm animal blood instead of that of the farmers themselves.