The Trader's Calendar

Different cultures have developed their own names, festivals, and traditions for marking the passage of time. For everyday use, however, most of the known world follows the Common Calendar, often called the Trader's Calendar.

The calendar became widespread as long-distance travel and trade resumed following the last great Age of Ice. Its simplicity made it useful across cultural and political boundaries.

The present year is 1250 AC, or 1250 After Conquest, dating from Maedar Jordayne's conquest and unification of the Five Marches of Carthmoor.

Years

An Aerethian year is approximately 365.26 days, making it close enough to an Earth year that players may treat the two as equivalent for ordinary roleplay.

Moons

• The year is divided into twelve Moons, traditionally based upon the orbital cycle of Aine, Aereth's small natural satellite.
• Rather than requiring players to learn twelve invented month names, the Moons are simply numbered:
• 1st Moon, 2nd Moon, 3rd Moon and so forth through the 12th Moon.
• For ease of play, they correspond to their Earth-calendar equivalents. The 1st Moon corresponds to January, the 5th Moon to May, the 9th Moon to September, and so forth.

Days

Days are likewise numbered rather than given universal names. Regional cultures may have their own traditional names, but the Common Calendar does not require them.

• One Aerethian day is 24 hours.
• A date may therefore be written simply as:
• 8th Day of the 9th Moon, 1250 AC

For roleplay purposes, players may use the equivalent Earth date when planning or coordinating scenes.