Calendar Systems

There are several calendar systems in place around the Million Islands. The most prominent of these are the Clarati calendar, the Warlock's calendar, the Chōju calendar, and the Sabaen or Naga calendar. There is also the Anirniitup calendar which is commonly used in the Northern Region. It is a seasonal calendar, and does not depend on either solar or lunar timekeeping.

The Clarati Calendar

The Clarati calendar is known by scholars throughout the Northeastern Region, although the Warlock's calendar has supplanted it for common use. This calendar is a solar-based system that consists of 12 months, each with 30 days. It also has an intercalary period called the Interannum, which begins at the winter solstice and lasts five days. During this period, people celebrate and perform rituals to alter their fate and destiny. It is believed that the laws of fate are malleable during the Interannum and that destinies can be changed during this period. The Interannum is periodically extended to six days based on astronomical observations intended to align it with the solar year. Dates are traditionally written by identifying the day of the week, whether it is the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd iteration of that day in the month, then the month's name and the year. For example, 1st Finis of Lepus 3985 would refer to the Finis of the first week of the month Lepus in the year 3985.

The Clarati calendar counts years forward from the founding of the city of Luxe, with the current year being 3985.

The Warlock's Calendar

The Warlock's calendar is a variant of the Clarati calendar, used primarily in the Northeastern Region. This calendar is almost identical to the Clarati calendar, except that it restarts the year count from the time when Sange was lost. This means that the current year in the Warlock's calendar is 989.

The Chōju Calendar

The Chōju calendar is a lunisolar calendar used in the Empire of Wamato and by many scholars in the Northwestern and Southwestern Regions. It uses dynastic eras to group years together. The Chōju calendar counts the years again for each dynastic change, with the current year being 264 of the Ariwara Dynasty.

The Chōju calendar combines lunar phases with the solar year to determine the months and dates. It has 12 months, and the lengths of these months vary from 29 to 30 days. This calendar is widely used by scholars and historians for its accuracy and reliability.

In order to keep the calendar in sync with the solar year, a leap month is added in some years. The leap month is inserted after the seventh month, Fumizuki, and is called Nafuton. Nafuton has 29 days. The addition of Nafuton gives the Chōju Calendar a total of 13 months in leap years, with a total of 384 days. In non-leap years, the calendar has 12 months and a total of 354 days.

Leap years occur regularly every 3 years, 5 years, 8 years, 11 years, 14 years, 17 years, 19 years, and 23 years. The decision whether to add a leap month in a given year is made by the Imperial Court based on astronomical observations.

The Sabaen Calendar

The Sabaen calendar, also known as the Naga calendar, is used primarily in the Sabaen Archipelago and by scholars in the Southeastern and Southern Regions. It was spread by the Telmunic Empire, and is common in nearly all the areas Hundaru of Telmun conquered. The Sabaen calendar uses regnal years, which means it counts years based on the reign of a monarch.

The Sabaen calendar begins the year at the spring equinox and has 12 months. The length of each month is determined by the lunar phase, with a full month being 29 or 30 days long. The current year is 461 by the Sabaen calendar and is counted from the rise of the Malika of Saba.

The Sabaen calendar uses a 19-year cycle of intercalation, with seven intercalary months added in that time period. Each intercalary month has 29 days. This cycle is used to ensure that the Sabaen calendar stays in sync with the solar year. The intercalary month is called Zilitu, and is inserted just before the beginning of the year to place the spring equinox on the 1st of Nisanu.