The Etalan Empire numbered their years Year of the Empire (YOE), from the founding of their capital city, Rumen. The Cataclysm began in the 979th Year of the Empire, by their counting, and continued through the 981st.
Etalan roads in Narvonne are often said to be 'a thousand' years old; the Narvonni were conquered by the Etalans in the late 3rd century of the Empire, and remained under a provincial governor for the next six hundred years or so prior to the Cataclysm.
The Narvonnian Calendar was marked from the year of the founding of Aurelius' new kingdom, dubbed 'After Cataclysm,’ and beginning with year 1 as 981 YoE; the fortuitous alignment of the number 'one' was said to have been suggested by his wife, Elantia of the Narvonni. It is likely also Elantia's influence that saw to the official use of the old Narvonni names for the moons, rather than the Etalan names.
The divisions of the day established by the Church of the Angelus are the same as those which were used in medieval Europe. In Narvonne and the rest of the Etalan successor kingdoms, most people get up at dawn, which is called prime, or the first hour. The third hour, terce, is about halfway between daybreak and noon. Sext, or noon, is the sixth hour. The ninth hour, nones, is about halfway between noon and sunset. Vespers is the twelfth hour, or sunset.
Church bells are rung at these times, though the precise timing often differs from village to village. If you are outside of hearing range from a bell, the only way to tell time is to estimate based on the sun, or to set up a sun-dial, such as the portable one Trust carries.
The year consists of thirteen Moons, each of twenty-eight days, for a total of 364 days in the year. The names are different from place to place. Under the Etalan system, the Kalends marked the first day of a moon, while the Ides marked the 14th. The list of Moons below gives approximate equivalent dates to the calendar most readers will be familiar with. The Feast Days of Narvonne are listed; the people of the Caliphate, for instance, would celebrate their own set of Angelus, rather than the ones given below.
Wolf Moon / Primus (January 19- February 15)
The first Moon of the year, when the winter wolves have free reign to hunt over the frozen, dark land. The Feast Day of Saint Kadosh the Guardian is celebrated during the Wolf Moon, and it is common for peasants to offer Wolfsbane at his altars.
Starving Moon / Secundus (February 16-March 15)
The Starving Moon is marked by the slow increase of light over dark and warmer temperatures, though it is still winter; it is named for the fate of those who have stored insufficient food to last the winter.
The Flood Moon /Tertius (March 15-April 11)
Storms and floods mark the beginning of Spring, and the Spring Equinox. As the days grow longer and warmer, and the snows turn to rain, even the high peaks melt, often leading to flooding rivers, washed out roads, and a morass of mud. It is considered foolish to undertake a military expedition before the Ides of the Flood Moon, which is the Feast Day of Saint Rahab, Angelus of the Sea. This is a fisherman’s holiday, and marks the beginning of their season.
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Planting Moon/Quartus (April 12-May 10)
Feast of Saint Lailahel on the Ides of Quartus
As the mud dries, the spring crop is planted; at the same time, the trees begin to blossom and flowers begin to bloom throughout Narvonne. The Feast of Saint Lailahel, Angelus of Fertility, is celebrated on the Ides of the Planting Moon. It is traditional to bathe in a river, and for women who hope to conceive to put sachets of mistletoe, mint, and cinnamon in their bedrooms.
Flower Moon /Quintilis (May 11-June 8)
The last moon of spring, as the world grows green and the seasons pass into summer. Any untended land is a riotous profusion of wildflowers and tree blossoms, and in many parts of Narvonne, lavender grows in profusion. The Feast of Saint Theliel, Angelus of Love, is celebrated on the Kalends, with flowers used to decorate cattle horns, and offerings made to propitiate the faeries of the Ardenwood.
New Summer’s Moon / Sextilis (June 9-July 7)
New Summer’s Moon brings the first days of summer. In the second week of this moon lies the Summer Solstice, a time of religious ceremony referred to as High Summer, and the Feast of Saint Madiel, Angelus of Fire. Bone-Fires are built to drive off witches and dragons, and in honor of Madiel’s death fighting the Sun Eater. Dried lavender is often used in these rituals, to bless and protect houses, or thrown into the Bone-Fires.
High Summer Moon/September (July 8-August 5)
The hot summer sun warms Narvonne, especially in the south, and in coastal settlements such as Rocher de la Garde, swimming and bathing in the sea is common. The Kalends is celebrated with tourneys in honor of Camiel, Angelus of War, and his Feast Day.
Deep Summer Moon/October (August 6-September 3)
Toward the end of the summer, the crops grow tall and ripe, and a haze of heat lays upon the land. In the south, especially, little work is done during the day.
Harvest Moon /November (September 4-October 1)
The Autumn Equinox and its accompanying Bone-fires, especially, are a time of great Magical potential. The Feast Day of Saint Veischax, Angelus of the Seal, ends the harvest season, with the blessing of the Angelus invoked to seal the granaries. Cats, believed to be favored by Veischax as hunters of rats, are honored, and Priests of the Angelus perform rituals to maintain and strengthen the seals on the bindings which have held daemons since the Cataclysm.
Blood Moon/December (October 2-29)
Blood Moon ushers in Autumn, its leaves as red as the name would indicate. The Ardenwood, the greatest forest in Narvonne, is likened to a roaring fire of red, orange, and yellow leaves during this time. On the Ides, the Feast Day of Saint Masheth the Destroyer, the Angelus who punishes the guilty, is celebrated. It is a common time for executions to be held, or for prisoners to be released after serving their sentence.
Gray Moon/Undecimis (October 30-November 26)
Only the faeries of the Ardenwood speak the old name of this time – The Bone Moon, the moon when sacrifices were made in their honor. During their long withdrawal into the depths of the Ardenwood, the Etalans forbid the use of the old name, and Aurelius officially changed it to a less offensive description of this cold, gray season before the snows fall. On the Kalend, the Feast Day of Saint Abatur, Angelus of the North Star, is celebrated, who is said to weigh the souls of the deceased on his scales.
New Winter Moon /Tredecimis (November 24 -December 21)
In the more northern parts of Narvonne, as well as the Skandian March, the Principality of Raetia, and the Grand Duchy of Kimmeria, this is a picturesque time of new fallen snow, before the numbing chill of Deep Winter sets in.
Deep Winter Moon/Quattuordecimis (December 22-January 18)
The Kalends of Deep Winter marks the Winter Solstice, or Deep Winter Night, and the Feast Day of Penarys, Angelus of the Night. It is a time for feasting and celebration, as it marks not only the longest night of the year, but the days beginning to grow longer again and the eventual return of the sun.