Twilight of Empires

The Lunistria calendar is 384 days long, or twelve lunar months as marked by the White Moon. The year begins on the Spring Equinox. At the time of this campaign, celestial mechanics are still regular enough that leap days are unnecessary. (And if that “still” bothers you, blame one of the Sorcerer's Wars)

The Common Tongue names for the months have drifted from what were somewhat contentious use-names for various gods to more generally accepted names based on what commoners or the crops are doing around that time (in the temperate climates). The Elves have their own names for the months that more or less line up with the Common ones in meaning, while the Mandarinate and Fang languages name them for other things: the two empires are tropical locations with 384 day a year growing seasons.

• Sproutmoon: Begins on the Spring Equinox, and matches up with Earth's late March-mid April.
• Blossomwatch: Effectively late-April to Mid May.
• Foalingard: Mid-May to Summer Solstice. Generally, most domesticated animals have had offspring by this point.
• Sunheight: Summer Solstice through mid-July. Summer is here.
• Berryripe: Late July to mid-August.
• Crowningfield: Late August to mid September. Grain crops ripen.
• Leaffall: Late September to mid October. Harvest begins.
• Harvestmath: late October through mid-November, crops harvested in earnest, harvest festivals in abundance.
• Hushmoon: late November to winter Solstice. Nights get much longer, no festivals, hibernation well underway.
• Darkover: Winter Solstice through mid-January. Days start getting longer again (Northern continent).
• Frostrime: Late January to mid February. Cold. Snow. Ice. Frostbite.
• Gnawingbone: Late February to Spring Equinox. Larders getting bare.

Lunistria has an eight day week, as marked by the phases of the Red Moon.

• Godsday: Generally dedicated to revering the gods, charitable and community works.
• Greivese: First day of the work week.
• Toilsday: Actual work starts getting done.
• Marketsmark: Core midweek day for goods to come to town.
• Midgar: Hump day!
• Guildsday: Common day for “professional” related activities. Most contracts start this day.
• Winesday: Last day of the work week.
• Fallowsday: A day of rest in most cultures, the festive gods demanded it.

While there is a commonly accepted concept of an “hour” that lines up with ours, most people function on a more fluid and simpler approach to marking the parts of their day: dawn, mid-morning, noon, mid afternoon, sunset, midnight, and accept the fluidity caused by the changing seasons.

The Elven House Gnosis came up with a finer gradation below hour, with 108 “minutae”, but no one else, even the other Great Houses uses that. There are two competing time systems, more popular, that the varying alchemist guilds have developed. Mammalian species break the hours into ten “decums”, and those into ten “centines”. Four-fingered reptilian races use “okts” and “hexks” in their place. Best be careful to note the author when translating a new recipe!