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The Calendar of The Realms

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Timescales

When does the adventure take place?

The adventure begins during the last ride in the month Mirtul*. It is the Year of the Tankard - 1370 by Dales Reckoning, although few in Neverwinter use the calendar system of the Dalelands, in the distant East.

It is a time of drastic change in the North. Most people thinks it's a turn for the better, because so many bastions of evil have fallen in recent years, and the leaders of the North are trying to unite in mutual defense. Many priests, historians and philosophers say, however, that they sense evil - and new, darker times at the doorstep. The say that beasts once ruled the land, and the time is not distant, when the beasts will return.

So it will be, perhaps. But at present, the forces of good are stronger than in recent centuries in the North, even though still threatened from dangers on all sides. The first great fall of Evil occurred 14 years ago, in the Year of the Worm (1356 DR), when Chieftain Bruenor Battlehammer and the dwarves of Clan Battlehammer defeated the duergar (evil dwarf sub-race - like drow are to elves) who had occupied their Mithral Hall for nearly two centuries. Clan Battlehammer reopened the famous dwarf mine.

It was around about that time that the "Time of Troubles" happened, when Avatars of the Gods also walked the Realms and did battle.

Luckily, Neverwinter itself was fairly isolated from those events and although everyone realised something big was going down back then, for John Doe on the streets, it made little difference.

What is the Forgotten Realms Calendar like?

The calender is divided into 12 three week months. Each week has 10 days. The days that Celene is full are typically marked as holidays and are in fact not included in any month. These four days are known as Midsummer, Harvestide, Sunsbirth(midwinter) and Greengrass.

Moons

The planet which you call Faerum has two natural satelites. The largest is called Luna after the goddess, Selune. It has a natural cycle of 28 days which it completes 13 times a year. The smaller moon is known as Selune's Hand maiden or often Celene. It completes 4 orbits of the planet in one year. By some fluke, Luna and Celene are both full on Midsummer night. As one might imagine this is not a good time to be abroad in werebeast infested areas.

Each month is divided up into three 10 day periods, called "rides", although the expression "ride" can be used to refer to any 10 day period.

Special Days:

Midwinter is known as the High Festival of Midwinter. It is traditionally a feast day where plans are made for the year ahead. To the common people, it is the mark of the midpoint of the worst of the cold.

Greengrass is the offical beginning of spring. A day or relaxation before the preparation of the land before planting.

Midsummer, called Midsummer Night or the Long Night, is a time for feasting and music and love. Betrothals are traditionally made on this night. It is considered a bad omen if the weather is bad on this night.

High Harvestide heralds the coming of fall and the harvest. It is a feast which continues in some places throughout the harvest, so that there is always food ready for those coming back from the fields. There is usually a lot of travel at this time as the pilgrims/merchants/court emissaries etc make haste before the mud makes travel difficult.

Moonfest, or Feast of the Moon, is the last grand festival of the year. It also marks the arrival of winter, and the day when the dead are traditionally honoured. It is a night for story telling of those who have passed away and their lives.