“Lucky, Kai,” he finally said. “I feel damn lucky.”
Appendix
Calendars and Astronomy
The year of The Alchemy of Chaos is 1215 by the Druth calendar. The calendar’s first year marks the end of the Rebellion from the Kieran Empire and the coronation of King Maradaine I, forming what was called at the time the Great Kingdom of Druthal. Druthal went through many changes over the next twelve centuries, including breaking into smaller kingdoms and then reunifying centuries later in its current form.
The Druth calendar has its roots in classical astronomy, which is tied to the era when Druthal was part of the Kieran Empire. Therefore the classical Kieran names for astronomical bodies remain in Druth scholarship. The sun is officially “Canus,” and the world “Tovara,” though these terms are almost never used outside of academic settings. The world revolves around the sun every 362 days. The two moons are Onali—the larger white moon—and Namali—the smaller red one. Onali has a thirty-two-day cycle, and Namali a nineteen-day cycle. There are also thirty-six official constellations of “constant stars,” and seven planets (“inconstant stars” in the old Kieran). The planets are Enevium, Kioxu, Acalsa, Ghenix, Miersum, Renyla, and Lemeschi.
The Druth calendar measures the year with twelve months that range from twenty-six to thirty-two days*. The calendar begins with the month Keenan, which has thirty-two days. Keenan first is also called New Spring and is the vernal equinox. The remaining spring months are Maritan (thirty days) and Joram (twenty-six days). The summer months are Erescan (thirty-one days), Letram (thirty-two days), and Soran (thirty days), with the summer solstice on Erescan fourth. The autumn months are Oscan (thirty-two days), Poriman (thirty-one days), and Alasim (thirty days), with the autumnal equinox on Oscan second. The winter months are Nalithan (thirty-two days), Maleman (thirty days), and Sholan (twenty-seven days), with the winter solstice on Nalithan first.
The Druth calendar also notes a seven-day week, which has its origins in ancient Kieran religious practices that do not apply to modern Druth life. The days are Lemes, Ene, Kio, Acal, Ghen, Mier, and Ren. The primary social distinction of the Druth week is most civil employment pays weekly on Ren, especially for the city positions in Maradaine: Constabulary, Fire Brigade, Yellowshields, River Patrol, Sewer and Pipemen, and so forth. Every day of the week is a workday in Druthal, but there are twenty-four Saint Days over the course of the year which are observed as holidays to varying degrees. The most important of these Saint Days are Fenstide (The Feast of Saint Fenson), Terrentin (Saint Terrence Day), and Quiet Night (Saint Jasper Day, also the winter solstice). There is one national holiday as well: Reunification Day, celebrated on Erescan thirty-first, which commemorates the unification of the ten archduchies under the Druth throne and the newly formed Parliament in 1009. Parliamentary and local election results are traditionally announced on Reunification Day.
*Ancient Kieran calendars originally had twelve thirty-two-day months and, as more accurate measurements were made, the calendar was corrected by dropping days off some months. Legend has it that Joram became the shortest month because King Bintral IV (674–684) wanted to irritate his cousin, whose birthday was Joram twenty-seventh.
Looking for more?
Visit dawbooks.com for more about this author and a complete list of their books.
Discover your next great read!
The Alchemy of Chaos: A Novel of Maradaine (Maradaine Novels) Page 35