Parevia and the Demarcation of Time

The movements of the star Parevia are integral to the Stenza reckoning of time.

The Day

There are two classes of "day" in Stenza society. One sunrise-to-sunrise period constitutes around 382 days. One rotation of the planet itself, as measured by the rise-to-rise period of the star Parevia, is just longer than twenty-eight hours. The former is the foundation of the festival calendar, and the latter is integral to daily, military, and space-bound life.

The Week

Just as integral to the usual "civil" calendar as the movements of the actual star are the stories which surround the goddess Parevia. One of the key features of Parevia's mythology is her penchant for exactitude. It is said that she took ten days to deliberate over and set into place the length of the rotation of the planet following its impact with the asteroid, while Lan'tha began to cultivate new life in the wake of the destruction. When she decided on a period, she helped Lan'tha adjust the rotation of Mudewei accordingly. The structure of the week is set to honor the story of the asteroid and the adjustments after its impact.

The Month

The flow of seasons is related to the sunrise-to-sunrise definition of "day", and is measured, in part, via the wanderings of the star Parevia across the Eastern horizon. The days and weeks are grouped by season, which is determined by a host of environmental factors including sunlight, temperature, weather patterns, etc. Much of this is indicated by Parevia's position in the sky or on the horizon.

The Year

In one sense, the year is akin to a day, wherein the sun rises, sets, and rises again. This is without a doubt the prime measure of the Stenza year, and the standard of its festival calendar. However, Stenza astronomers have developed a predictive measure of when First Sunrise is to take place: the heliacal rising of Parevia. Parevia is in such a position in the sky that every year it rises into the predawn light before Lan'tha rises more properly (Lan'tha is then followed by Iradae; this is reflected in a common form of An'o, with players representing the three deities in question and mirroring their progress across the sky. The player who represents Parevia is often represented in light colors, symbolizing that she is no longer visible in daylight hours). Parevia's heliacal rising marks both the point by which longer preparations for First Sunrise should be completed, and the point by which short-term preparations can begin.