Almanac

 Aurelia's Almanac 

World Information, Calendar, and Knowledge of the Lands of Midian

Midian typically refers to the 'known world'. Three continents comprise the lands of Midian—the northern continent (Noriterre), where Formour, Heldan, and the Elven Homelands are; the southern continent (Suditerre), consisting of Byzant and the older nations; and the eastern continent (Osterre), from which Humans originated. The major nations of the northern continent, together with Byzant, are often referred to collectively as the 'Middle Lands' as these areas are often near the center of most world maps. This is due largely to the western edge of the northern continent (including the Farreaches) is largely unmapped by humanity.

According to old Bizzannite tradition, the lowest part of a cycle is where it both dies and is born, as the coals hiding amidst ash from a dead fire will reignite if stoked. Thus, each year begins and ends mid-winter, and the day begins/ends at midnight. It must be noted that this puts year's end midsummer for most of the Elder Kingdoms, so not everyone counts years the same way. Counting months from the first fullness of Luna is an even older tradition, and has survived into modern convention. The Empire of Byzant's efforts to create unified international standards resulted in nearly everyone using the same months and days of the week—along with common units of measure—but not universal acceptance of Bizzannite coin, which was their primary goal.

Days of the Week

 * 1) Lunaday: The first full moon (Luna) is on this day.
 * 2) Kingsday: Day for proclamations.
 * 3) Swordday: Day of feasts and honouring warriors and the fallen. Mercenaries typically take this day off.
 * 4) Junoday: Juno is full on this day on the fourth of each month.
 * 5) Midweek: Marks the middle of each 10-day week.
 * 6) Sacrament: The day when people attend church.
 * 7) Queensday: In Formour, this is a day of rest for women.
 * 8) Sellday: The biggest sales day of the week for merchants.
 * 9) Freeday: A day of rest.
 * 10) Sunday: Eclipses—of either moon—occur on this day about once every four years.

Months of the year

 * 1) Syadus
 * 2) Zarathus
 * 3) Mojus
 * 4) Gulik
 * 5) Eldus
 * 6) Mandalus
 * 7) Chaosphe
 * 8) Cabbus
 * 9) Ignotius
 * 10) Erisus
 * 11) Kalistus
 * 12) Malclypse

Lunar cycle
The world where the lands of Midian lie are orbited by two moons. Luna is the primary. Juno, the secondary, is smaller and and is further out away from the planet. It is almost always at least partially in Luna's shadow; a truly full moon for Juno occurs only a few times a decade. Juno is 10° behind Luna, following like a lost puppy.

The months are consistently 30 days, 12 of which make up 1 year. The rigid precision of the heavens has lead to a rogue theory that a 'higher power' created the world. This theory is not widely held, however.

The chart of the details of each phase of the moons—with their corresponding light level equivalents—follows.

Climate
The predominate climate of Formour is a mildly temperate one. The eastern, southern, and central areas are wooded. The forested areas become lighter in the west-central area, leading to plains in the western regions and near the mountains to the north and west. The temperature becomes cooler in the higher altitudes, and in the north near the Heldanic Freeholds and the Farreaches areas. The south-eastern portion receives a great deal of rainfall, and is nearly perpetually cloudy. Both summers and winters are fairly mild in Formour.

The Elven Homeland is surrounded by impassable mountains to the north and east, and bordered by dangerous seas on the south and west. The climate is lush and subtropical, with gentle rains in the morning and evening with generally clear skies for the remainder of the day and night. Snow falls only in the upper altitudes of the surrounding mountains. It is widely held that the Elves keep their climate by mystic means. Harsh environmental conditions are almost unknown in this sheltered area.

The Heldanic Confederation—also known as the Heldanic Freeholds, is a cooler northern nation. There are few areas of this nation that are not mountainous, and the lower valleys are reserved for agriculture. The climactic conditions are harsh, with winter storms claiming the lives of quite a few inhabitants each year. The eastern shores of Heldan receive the cooler northern winds from the oceanic cycle that powers the summer storms common to the Killian Empire. Summers in the Heldanic Confederation are cool and the winters cold and very harsh.

The Killian Empire is an island nation with cool winters and hot summers. The summer months bring two series of fierce storms from the same oceanic cycle that brings the winter storms to the Heldanic Freeholds. Mornings—and longer into the day during winter—is characterized by a thick fog. The overall climate of the Killian Empire does not lend itself well to the growth of large hardwood trees. Lumber is scarce in this land; small fruit trees are the most that can grow.

The Byzant Empire has a wide range of environments. These range from mountainous and cold, hot desert, marshy, cold desert, tropical, lush forests, heavily urbanized, etc. The wide range of the Empire makes generalizations about it (other than the variety) difficult, if not impossible.

The Farreaches are the unclaimed, and generally uncharted territory north of the Elven Homeland, West of the Heldanic Freeholds, and northwest of the Kingdom of Formour; this land is generally cold and inhospitable moors and steppes. The summers are often hot and brief with the winters quite cold and of extended duration. Little vegetation grows in this area.

Holidays
Elves typically do not follow holidays, unless influenced by other cultures. Being immortal, Elves do not commonly keep track of days and years, and note only the change of seasons.

This is far from an exhaustive list of the various holidays in the lands of Midian. There are lesser holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, local and regional holidays, births, deaths, victories in sports or in war, religious days of celebration or reverence, and holidays not yet started. Feel free to add to this list (and we would love to hear about what you do add). People seldom need an excuse to get off from work and get drunk. To make all of this visually clearer, there is a calendar.
 * New Year's Day: [Worldwide] The first day of the year. This day is typically spent hung-over from the previous night. This holiday also commemorates the begining of spring in the north, and fall in the south. Syadus 1st
 * Walpurgisnacht: [Worldwide] This is sort of a post-winter Halloween, with less emphasis on costumes, and more on booze and funnelcakes. Zarathus 30th
 * Detestation Day: [Worldwide] To remember those that you dislike. In most countries (the Elves being a notable exception), this is also a day to remember the departed. By focusing on the negative about those that have passed, it is easier to overcome grief and get on with living. Zarathus 14th
 * Hysteria: [Western Realms] Day of jokes—practical and otherwise. Mojus 1st
 * Pie Day: [Western Realms] Coinciding with last year's canned fruit running low, and fresh fruits blooming, Pie Day is celebrated with contests of cooking and eating. Mojus 14th
 * Sun-tide: [Worldwide] Northern solstice marking the first day of summer in the north, and start of winter in the southern hemisphere. Gulik 1st
 * Fête: [Worldwide] A holiday for dressing up and partying. This is a celebration for the new spring. There are often death-themes to the costumes and decoration—but this celebrates birth and renewal. It is typical to give up bad habits following this holiday. Gulik 10th to 20th
 * Day of Bliss: [Worldwide] The final day of Fête enjoyed by some while heavily sedated.
 * Sea Day: [Worldwide] The day when ships are typically put to sea. Eldus 30th
 * Foundation Day: [Kingdom of Formour] Day commemorating the establishment and the unification of the Kingdom. Mandalus 7th
 * Tau Day: [Worldwide] For the math geeks; you get twice as much pie. Mandalus 28th
 * Days of Reaping: [Worldwide] Marking the begining of autumn in the northern hemisphere, this is a festival for the final harvest and preparation for the upcoming winter. In the deep south this is the vernal equinox—starting spring—and indicates you were chosen by Death to live through another winter. Chaosphe 3rd
 * Dead Man Dance: [United Darkmouth Emirate, Byzant] Celebrates the unification of the citystates of Gnopolis and Scientius into the Darkmouth Emirate. Also celebrates the life (and death) of Archmagus Vrid Krieg, who freed the city of Scientius (formerly Vridtown) from the Undead and banished all forms of necromancy from the state. Ironically, Scientius is now home to the largest university that trains necropolitans (and necromancers, according to popular rumour). Chaosphe 4th and 5th
 * Day of the Dead: [Ghouls, Goths, and Hobgoblins mostly] According to myth, the dead are able to walk about on this day. This is originally a Ghoulish holiday about the legendary first Ghoul-vampire who was able to withstand sunlight on this day. The cultures that practice this holiday spend it with family visiting the gravesites of dead loved ones (just in case). Chaosphe 30th
 * Day of Joy [Dwarves] / Day of Wrath [Hobgoblins]: Two very different holidays commemorating the same event from different cultural perspectives. This day marks the defeat of the Olde Empire. To the Dwarves, this is a day celebrating freedom; to the Hobgoblins, this is a day of grim remembrance. Cabbus 2nd
 * Jump-up Day: [Magnose Primera, Heldannic Confederation] Starting today, this week-long celebration commemorates the freeing of the early Magni from slavery. Ignotius 10th
 * Emperor's Birthday: [Byzant Empire] Celebrates the current Emperor's birthday. Ignotius 23rd
 * Wentruz: [Worldwide] The southern equinox marks the begining of winter in the northern hemisphere, and summer in the south. Erisus 1st
 * Halloween: [Worldwide] A day for dressing up, partying, and remembrance of the dead. Erisus 30th
 * Last Saints' Day: [Atrum Ortus cult] Though the walking dead are abhorent, church members will resurrect the dried, dead and decorated pine shrubs of each years' Last Saints Day celebration. Through a simple ritual, old trees once thrown to the curb are given a new life. Lost pine needles grow back, though pallid and thorny, and sap begins to flow anew, though with a sickly-sweet odor. The undead holiday trees also produce a moaning sound when placed near a fireplace, a result of swelling from heat. Children of the Atrum Ortus faithful are generally fearful of the holiday, as parents will encourage them to sit near the tree to complete the parent's idyllic vision of the season. It's rumored that more than one child has gone missing the day after, and the trees sit quietly. Kalistus 14th
 * Commercialmas: [Worldwide] An end of year holiday for gift-giving and having to deal with family. Malclypse 25th
 * New Year's Eve: [Worldwide] The last day of the year. The evening is typically spent in a drunken stupor. Malclypse 30th

Other sections
''[From here, each edition of Aurelia's Almanac has a lengthy calendar of weather and harvest times. We'll spare you that for now, and skip ahead to the end where one finds more details on the nations and cultures of Midian.]''

Corwin O'Dale's Guide to the Kingdom of Formour

Slagg's Guide to the Byzant Empire

Gothic Culture (by Damien Wynter: poet, historian, and cultural expert)

And finally, Religions, Faiths, and Beliefs