Yondaran Calendar

The Yondaran calendar is a simple one. There are thirteen months, each month consists of 4 weeks, each week consists of 7 days. Every day consists of 24 hours, and the time is measured the same, independent of location (i.e., no time zones). In Yondar, the time is kept in hours, much like standard military time (for example, 1:00 P.M. in Yondar would be "the thirteenth hour").

The Yondaran calendar was first developed and implemented by the Loremasters of Ezra as a tribute to King Aldus I Vermitharr's reign as king of Yondar. The Loremasters marked the submission of Ardis as the true start of King Aldus's reign (despite having been crowned in the Mire ten years prior), and thusly named the following year (and each year thereafter) the "Year of the Serpent Kingdom (YSK)." The years that preceded have been likewise labeled "Ante Serpent Kingdom (ASK)." For example, when King Aldus I Vermitharr returned home to begin construction of Mirehold in 1 YSK, he had not been back home to his beloved swamp since he had been crowned there in 10 ASK.

Yondaran days of the week:

• Solon
• Duon
• Trion
• Tetron
• Penton
• Hexon
• Hepton

Below can be found a list of the months and the known holidays celebrated within each one.

Apothemensis

• The 1st day of Apothemensis every year marks the passing of a new year. In Yondar this is typically celebrated as a day of new beginnings; it is not uncommon for families and friends to reunite, weddings to be had, or for various rites of passage to be conducted. At any rate, the realm celebrates and welcomes in the new, while taking a moment to bid farewell to the past.

• The 13th day of Apothemensis is the Day of Justice. This day's roots are steeped deeply in the Exodus of the Children. This holy day is in remembrance of when Fangor, Voxos, and Nelroth were banished to Infandus for their transgressions against the peace. This holiday is celebrated by all the major good and neutral deities (although some devout of Auleos refuse to celebrate this holiday, as they refute that true justice would have been slaying the dark gods, as opposed to giving them a new home).

Fangorlûn

• Every year, from the 8th through the 14th of Fangorlûn, the Festival of Lust is celebrated. Typically, this festival is observed privately by Yondarans west of the Ebonwood, however, east of the Ebonwood, this holiday tradition lives up to its name. In every city, in every tavern, inn, brothel, and in every temple of Fangor, people take on new lovers, for the sake of the act of coupling. Deemed perverse by many of the Eleven Eternal, this holiday was outlawed during the reign of King Rexford I Vermitharr and not made legal once more until the short reign of King Lyrus II Vermitharr (who's death was rumored to have been an assassination by one of the Garroters for his repeals around religious oppression). The Festival of Lust has a much darker and lesser known repute, for this holiday is also kept by vampires.

• On the 14th day of Fangorlûn, a sinister holiday takes place known as the Blood Harvest. The Blood Harvest is a dark end to the Festival of Lust. For the truly devout of Fangor and for vampires, the Festival of Lust is a week long search for the perfect host to mate with, and in the case of the former, the devout will slay their mate as a sacrifice to Fangor, or in the case of the latter, the mate will join the ranks of the undead, eager to take part in the festival the following year.

Aurel

• The 1st day of Aurel is Varanis (the Dawn of the Mother). This special day is an observance of all mothers, a reminder that we all must come from somewhere, and that the miracle of life is bestowed upon us from mother to mother throughout history. This major holiday is commonly celebrated all throughout the realm, but it is considered the highest holy day for the Matriarchs of Aurelia. Children born on this day are said to be born with the mark of the mother, and common superstition holds that those with the mark of the mother are said to be incredibly fertile and kindhearted.

• The 26th day of Aurel is the Day of Mercy, perhaps the second highest holy day for the Matriarchs of Aurelia. This day marks a celebration of Aurelia's act of mercy - banishing the Children to the material plane instead of executing them, as she was implored to do by all of her peers. It is because of this act of mercy that life as we know it came to be, and therefore, Yondarans everywhere give thanks on this day. It is common, for those who can afford it, to have venison, elk, or goose as part of a feast on this day. Elsewhere, the common folk gather in common halls and plazas everywhere to share what they have with their neighbors.

Voxolûn

• From the 1st through the 7th day of Voxolûn, citizens of the realm gather from all corners of the world to partake in Xarnath's Festival of Knights. Though this proud tradition has been part of Xarnathian culture for centuries, a keen observer of history would note that the Festival of Knights stem back to the reign of Grondar the Terrible, the Orcish war-chief that conquered most of Yondar in 167 ASK. When he took Xarnath as his seat of power, many of the brave Knights of Xarnath died fighting his warriors, so to compensate (and at the advice of one of the remaining Xarnathian council members), the Festival of Knights was born to help bring in the deadliest, most fearsome warriors to the aid of the Orc warlord. Today, the competition exists so that any challenger who is worthy of the honor can become a Knight of Xarnath. It is important to note that because of its origins, it is still perfectly legal to slay a challenger during the Festival. For this reason, only the bravest dare to compete.

Syb/Cyblis

As most of the names of the months take their names after the Eleven Eternal, so too has the name of this month taken its inspiration from the god of nature. Cybil/Sybil are the names given to both the masculine and feminine aspects of the god/goddess of nature. Much as nature changes frequently, so too does this deity, eager to experience all that there is to experience. In honor of this ardent spirit, Yondarans have elected to mark this month as Cyblis on odd years, and Syb on even numbered years.

• On the 1st day of Cyblis and/or Syb, the Day of the Tree is observed. On this day, rangers, Moonchildren, farmers, Elves, and all worshipers of Cybil/Sybil take part in the Eredfalma, or the wave of seeds, by planting the seeds of trees native to the area. It is said that one will receive a special blessing from Cybil if they can plant the seed of an Opalwood on this day. For farmers, this is when a great deal of the produce intended for the autumn and winter is planted. A variation on this holiday does exist, known as the Day of the River Moon. This variation of the holiday is observed only by the Elves of the Hammersong Mountains; the Selaeruíl will guide the Moonchildren out of the mountains and into the Sapphire River below and begin planting only Opalwood seeds, making the valley along the Sapphire one of the largest sanctuaries of Opalwood trees in all of Arnessia. Additionally on this day, when the Moonchildren have come of age, they are each instructed to fast and embark on a spiritual journey alone along the banks of the Sapphire. They are to stay there for as long as it takes, sometimes weeks, until one of the Opalwood speaks to them. Once it does, they must earn the tree's blessing to cut it down and make an item of their choosing (such as staves, armor, bows, etc.).

• Once every four years on the 15th of Syb, the Festival of Fire takes place. For farmers and keepers of the wooded areas of the realm, this is typically celebrated by a feast after the completion of stubble burning. Over the years, with the spread of wizardry, this holiday has been adopted by pyromancers who use the day as an excuse to show off their craft. This has resulted in widely attended fire shows, where pyromancers, bards, and all sorts weave flames into wondrous displays. Some evil pyromancers, however, conflate the two meanings of the holiday and burn people for entertainment.

Lû-Nelroth

• Merendagros, the Festival of Slaughter, lasts from the 7th through the 13th of Lû-Nelroth, following the rise of the Blood Moon (the given name of the full moon that rises on the eve of the Festival). This holiday lives up to its name; while the good-aligned citizens of the realm use this as an excuse to merely do an excess of grilling and smoking meats, sadists, murderers, and the heavily religious Orcs west of the Ebonwood (though this practice has phased out some since the construction of the Warrior Road in 256 YSK) honor Nelroth, the god of slaughter by culling the herd. Put plainly, they murder in as great of numbers as they can muster, some people acting in groups, others caring out their own sinister plots. To help quell this horrible practice, the paladins of Apotheos, as well as many of the Kulrak of Ursus band together in record numbers and patrol the towns. Still, every year, the God of Slaughter receives sacrifices from His votaries.

Equimensis

• From the 9th through the 15th of Equimensis the Celebration of the Sun takes place. One of the most joyous times of the year, all of Yondar gives thanks for the sun and for all the things to which it gives life. Most celebrate this by taking in nature and leaving the cares of the world behind for some time. A merchant is considered unscrupulous and often made a mockery of by bards if they don't provide a paid week of leave for their employees to enjoy the Celebration of the Sun with their loved ones. This holiday's origins are unknown, but its observance predates all written history preserved. It it widely believed that this is another celebration attributed to Aurelia, though the Matriarchs of Aurelia have never taken credit for the origins of this holy week.