World Building Dark Fantasy World-Building

[Shireling]

Understandable. That's a tendency that takes some time and effort to overcome, believe me. 

Indeed it does. It also doesn't help that I have much higher standards for originality in myself. 

 

[Shireling]

I most certainly can, and would be happy to.

Awesome. How good are you at doing town maps as well? Because I might want some small scale maps of the municipalities. It will be a large undertaking, but I'm not really putting a time limit on this. 

 

[_Line 213]

Awesome. How good are you at doing town maps as well? Because I might want some small scale maps of the municipalities. It will be a large undertaking, but I'm not really putting a time limit on this. 

Here's a quick and easy map I did during a few hours over the course of one day for a D&D campaign. Given time, I can surely do something more detailed and textured than this without much trouble.

Spoiler

 

[Shireling]

Here's a quick and easy map I did during a few hours over the course of one day for a D&D campaign. Given time, I can surely do something more detailed and textured than this without much trouble.

Spoiler

That's actually pretty cool. The cities look cool in perspective.

 

[_Line 213]

That's actually pretty cool. The cities look cool in perspective.

I'm also capable of more traditional top-downs, if you would prefer that. This one is also unfinished, but it serves as a good example nonetheless:

Spoiler

 

[Shireling]

I'm also capable of more traditional top-downs, if you would prefer that. This one is also unfinished, but it serves as a good example nonetheless:

Spoiler

It looks really good. I hit the jackpot with cartographers. 

 

[Ternunda Hunter]

Hi. I love dark themes in general. I will edit this post with feedback here in a few. I'm at werk.

 

[Shireling]

Alright, guys, the next big structural thing to tackle is the nature of magick. Now, seeing as we have a heavy influence from astrological phenomenon, most of magick I would think is "situational." What I mean by this is that it requires a specific ritual at the right time in the right place. This is my proposed system, but I will admit that it's just a preliminary. 


There are several types of magick, but they fall roughly into these categories: 


Evokation: The ability to "evoke" spirits to do your bidding. There is Black and White evokation, the difference being in the kind of spirits. Black Evokation naturally focuses on summoning dark spirits while White Evokation focuses on summoning light or "good" spirits. The process of Evokation involves a ritual performed on a point of spiritual significance (call it a "layline" to use other fictional terms) but can be performed any time of the year. Black Evokers can only work when the Sun or Moon is shrouded, or the Moon is waning. White Evokers can only work when the Sun is out or the Moon is waxing or full. 


Transmutation: The alteration of one chemical substance into another, also known as Alchemy. Less of a pure magick and more of a magi-science, Transmutation rituals involve preparing a magical solution to submerge a substance in on the First Full Moon of the Ascendant Warp. The process is not reliable either. Only the most skilled Alchemists can transmute anything into gold, with most just getting copper, tin, or even wood. The secret is in the preparation of the concoction, which is a closely guarded secret by the small group of Master Alchemists that inhabit the realm. 


Necromancy: The general art of raising the dead. Necromancers can raise the dead at night on any Full Moon, or at any point in time during the Ascendant Warp. To do so, they must perform a ritual on a high mount near the location where the bodies to be ressurrected lie. Alternately, they can perform a ritual over a singular grave to raise a single corpse. 


Mesmirism: The ability to mesmerize, meaning broadly to influence the minds of others, is a more passive ability. Mesmerists can be more benign individuals, using their abilities to perform optical illusions, or they can be serious menaces and maniacal thieves. To mesmerize an individual, the magick user must utter a "prompt" or a coded phrase that gives access to the target mind. These prompts are closely guarded secrets. The mesmerist can then "nudge" the mind with mental projection. It is not akin to full mind control in that only individuals who are not guarding their minds can be mesmerized, unless the mesmerist is of great skill. Even then, certain enchanted items can render one immune to mesmetic suggestion. 


Enchantment: Apart from the usual properties that are imbued in objects created during certain portions of the calendar, any man-made object can be enchanted. Enchantment also includes Warding. The way to produce specific enchantments varies, but generally they have to occur at a specific point in the calendar under specific conditions and using an assemblage of spells in the correct order. Warding is the process by which a structure or geographical location is enchanted, usually for the purposes of defense. The size of the area being warded largely depends on the strength of the enchanter or enchantress. The most common form of warding is Consecration, the process by which priests enchant houses against the Undead. 


Scrivening: Or "word magic" is essentially rune-making by another name. Scriveners learn symbols that can be drawn onto surfaces to imbue them with special powers. Usually considered "enchantment on the go." Certain scriveswork (the term for magick of this type) can only occur using certain materials. For instance, the Scrive for Resistance can only be forged in iron. It is not enough for the symbol to be created, it must also be "charged" by the magician. Additionally, scrives may lose power over time and need to be "recharged." 


Casting: The last form of magick is Casting, and it is arguably the most potent form of magick. Casting is the machine gun of the magickal world, with casters able to hurl fire, thunderbolts, etc. It's not as easy as it seems. First, one must obtain a Rod of Power--an enchanted staff, essentially. You must then learn the keyword for a specific form of casting. This is a phrase to be uttered every time the magician uses the rod. Finally, the rod only has a finite amount of uses before it must be recharged in a calendar-specific ceremony. Thus, it's not all running and gunning. 


Brewing: This is a form of magick most usually associated with witches, but also widely practiced by priests who serve as physicians. Brewing requires the collection of certain ingredients, brewed under certain conditions at a certain point in the calendar. This creates potions, which have various effects. As a form of healing, it is better than bloodletting practiced by "real physicians" but is insufficient to cure chronic illness in the Waxing and Ascendant Scythe. 

 

[_Line 213]

Thought off of the top of my head: What if we folded Necromancy and Evokation into each other, and Enchantment and Scrivening into each other, giving us six degrees, which could in turn be assigned to specific calendar months?


If we want a degree of separation away from the calendars, we could keep the number of spells at Eight, then delve further into each type, and assign specific subsets to each calendar portion.

 

[Shireling]

Thought off of the top of my head: What if we folded Necromancy and Evokation into each other, and Enchantment and Scrivening into each other, giving us six degrees, which could in turn be assigned to specific calendar months?


If we want a degree of separation away from the calendars, we could keep the number of spells at Eight, then delve further into each type, and assign specific subsets to each calendar portion.

Alright. Give me an example of what you are proposing. 

 

[_Line 213]

Alright. Give me an example of what you are proposing. 

I'll put forth something in a bit, going to grab some food and do a few other things, and then I'll write something up.

 

[_Line 213]

Now that I'm back, here's examples for the first proposal.


1.) Necromancy is rolled into Evokation. Evokation, as a result, is comprised of two main schools: Summoning, that being the bringing of spirits onto the mortal plane in order to fulfill one's desires, and Animation, comprising both traditional necromancy, as well as the binding of spirits into objects, a process which is less common due to its more limited uses. Scrivening is rolled into Enchantment, in the sense that (almost) all Scrivening is Enchantment, but not all Enchantment is Scrivening. Enchantment is separated into two main "methods," the first being Ritualism (the act of performing specific rites or actions in order to create an enchantment), and Scrivening, which involves the use of written language or celestial / terrestrial geometry in order to predict or create certain effects.


2.) With this in mind, the ties are as follows:


Evokation, Magick of the Warp. Amateur Evokers often believe that the best time of year to practice Summoning and Animation is during the time of the Scythe, but those with greater knowledge know that the Warp is Evokation's most powerful time. Fresh souls lay about the land of the living thanks to the work of the Scythe, and the waxing Wheel is the signal of spiritual hauntings, often taken by Evokers to mean that an ascendant Warp brings down the barriers between various afterlives and the living realm. In older times, it was believed that the constellation itself was a portal through which spirits once fell to earth, ripe for human use. Due to the nature of the Warp, it is nigh impossible to tell what spirit one will call upon, outside of their morality based on the sort of magick used to call them. Calling specific spirits is still possible, yet lengthy rituals, usually requiring personal affects, are often required.


Transmuation, Magick of the Eye. The Witch's Eye is a constellation that brings turmoil, but not true chaos; an important distinction amongst those that practice magick. Change, without study, seems random, and without reason. With time and observation, however, such mayhem can become as orderly as any other natural phenomenon. Transmutation functions in the same way, bringing about change that can be carefully guided and studied in order to produce desired effects. Under the Witch's Eye, a time which encourages change without the abundant chaos of the Warp, Transmutation becomes a favored and powerful method of shifting the world.


Mesmerism, Magick of the Fangs. With fangs comes beasts, and with beasts comes two things: Fear, and cunning. The Twin Fangs signal the beginning of the most dangerous part of the year, and a rise in mental instability is sure to come with it like clockwork. When paired with cunning, minds fall easily in the face of Mesmerism, for the mental fortitude of the isle's men is already half gone. The rise of the Eye, the signal of change, passively strengthens the ability to shift the natural world, granting further strength to the abilities of a clever Mesmer.


Enchantment, Magick of the Wheel. Ritualism, and to an even greater degree, Scrivening, are perhaps the most "artful" forms of Magick, in a more traditional sense (it goes without question that such a title is hotly debated by practitioners of Mesmerism, but that is neither here nor there). Under the Wheel, inspiration for new patterns and writings comes freely, as do requests for enchantments; as travelers prepare to move under the blessing of the Wheel, they request that their goods and persons be blessed tenfold by the work of skilled Priests and Enchanters. Wards placed now will not only aid travelers under the Wheel, but continue to remain strong through the Fangs, allowing travelers to pass through both their busiest time, and their most dangerous time, with a little extra protection.


Casting, Magick of the Valiant. The most violent kind of spellcrafte for the most violent times of men. Destruction feeds destruction, and so it stands to reason that spells devoted to the causing of death will find most use during times of violence. Historians devoted to the study of magick often debate over which came first; did the violence of men result in the creation of dangerous spells, or did the potency of magic under the shield of stars promote more wars and death, solidifying its place as the greatest time to strike against fellow men? By preparing rods and regents under the Valiant, those that wish to protect themselves, or strike against others, will ensure that their magicks will last long through the Valiant, often depleting in time to be refreshed (albeit not as strongly) by the time the Fangs wax.


Brewing, Magick of the Scythe. Though laymen often believe brewing to be the magick of the Eye, anyone engrossed in the practice knows such to be silly, for most reagents are best used directly after their harvesting. The preparation of brewed items for use is a practice which requires that mixtures stand for an entire cycle or more in order to allow for the greatest potency; potionmakers generally prepare their reagents during the Scythe and brew throughout the Wheel in order to prepare for the Fangs and the Eye, the time when most draughts are used to treat beast-related illness and injury, and in order to ensure health and fertility at the cusp of the New Year. Reagents collected during the Scythe are sometimes dried and preserved for use during other signs, in order to produce other effects; however, due to the limited yield of the land, if reagents are not collected during the Scythe, it is often hard to find merchants willing to part with their personal reserves.


3.) When organized chronologically, the result is as follows.


The Newfrost Signs:


Transmutation, Magick of the Eye.


Casting, Magick of the Valiant.


The Midyear Signs:


Brewing, Magick of the Scythe.


Evokation, Magick of the Warp.


The Elderfrost Signs:


Enchantment, Magick of the Wheel.


Mesmerism, Magick of the Fangs.

 

[Shireling]

Now that I'm back, here's examples for the first proposal.


1.) Necromancy is rolled into Evokation. Evokation, as a result, is comprised of two main schools: Summoning, that being the bringing of spirits onto the mortal plane in order to fulfill one's desires, and Animation, comprising both traditional necromancy, as well as the binding of spirits into objects, a process which is less common due to its more limited uses. Scrivening is rolled into Enchantment, in the sense that (almost) all Scrivening is Enchantment, but not all Enchantment is Scrivening. Enchantment is separated into two main "methods," the first being Ritualism (the act of performing specific rites or actions in order to create an enchantment), and Scrivening, which involves the use of written language or celestial / terrestrial geometry in order to predict or create certain effects.


2.) With this in mind, the ties are as follows:


Evokation, Magick of the Warp. Amateur Evokers often believe that the best time of year to practice Summoning and Animation is during the time of the Scythe, but those with greater knowledge know that the Warp is Evokation's most powerful time. Fresh souls lay about the land of the living thanks to the work of the Scythe, and the waxing Wheel is the signal of spiritual hauntings, often taken by Evokers to mean that an ascendant Warp brings down the barriers between various afterlives and the living realm. In older times, it was believed that the constellation itself was a portal through which spirits once fell to earth, ripe for human use. Due to the nature of the Warp, it is nigh impossible to tell what spirit one will call upon, outside of their morality based on the sort of magick used to call them. Calling specific spirits is still possible, yet lengthy rituals, usually requiring personal affects, are often required.


Transmuation, Magick of the Eye. The Witch's Eye is a constellation that brings turmoil, but not true chaos; an important distinction amongst those that practice magick. Change, without study, seems random, and without reason. With time and observation, however, such mayhem can become as orderly as any other natural phenomenon. Transmutation functions in the same way, bringing about change that can be carefully guided and studied in order to produce desired effects. Under the Witch's Eye, a time which encourages change without the abundant chaos of the Warp, Transmutation becomes a favored and powerful method of shifting the world.


Mesmerism, Magick of the Fangs. With fangs comes beasts, and with beasts comes two things: Fear, and cunning. The Twin Fangs signal the beginning of the most dangerous part of the year, and a rise in mental instability is sure to come with it like clockwork. When paired with cunning, minds fall easily in the face of Mesmerism, for the fortitude of the isle's men is already half gone. The rise of the Eye, the signal of change, passively strengthens the ability to shift the natural world, granting further strength to the abilities of a clever Mesmer.


Enchantment, Magick of the Wheel. Ritualism, and to an even greater degree, Scrivening, are perhaps the most "artful" forms of Magick, in a more traditional sense (it goes without question that such a title is hotly debated by practitioners of Mesmerism, but that is neither here nor there). Under the Wheel, inspiration for new patterns and writings comes freely, as do requests for enchantments; as travelers prepare to move under the blessing of the Wheel, they request that their goods and persons be blessed tenfold by the work of skilled Priests and Enchanters. Wards placed now will not only aid travelers under the Wheel, but continue to remain strong through the Fangs, allowing travelers to pass through both their busiest time, and their most dangerous time, with a little extra protection.


Casting, Magick of the Valiant. The most violent kind of spellcrafte for the most violent times of men. Destruction feeds destruction, and so it stands to reason that spells devoted to the causing of death will find most use during times of violence. Historians devoted to the study of magick often debate over which came first; did the violence of men result in the creation of dangerous spells, or did the potency of magic under the shield of stars promote more wars and death, solidifying its place as the greatest time to strike against fellow men? By preparing rods and regents under the Valiant, those that wish to protect themselves, or strike with strength, will ensure that their magicks will last long through the Valiant, often depleting in time to be refreshed (albeit not as strongly) by the time the Fangs wax.


Brewing, Magick of the Scythe. Though laymen often believe brewing to be the magick of the Eye, anyone engrossed in the practice knows such to be silly, for most reagents are best used directly after their harvesting. The preparation of brewed items for use is a practice which requires that mixtures stand fors an entire cycle in order to allow for the greatest potency; potionmakers generally prepare their reagents during the Scythe and brew throughout the Wheel, in order to prepare for the Fangs and the Eye, the time when most draughts are used to treat beast-related illness and injury, and in order to ensure health and fertility at the cusp of the New Year. Reagents collected during the Scythe are often dried and preserved for use during other signs, in order to produce other effects; however, due to the limited yield of the land, if reagents are not collected during the Scythe, it is often hard to find merchants willing to part with their personal reserves.


3.) When organized chronologically, the result is as follows.


The Newfrost Signs:


Transmutation, Magick of the Eye.


Casting, Magick of the Valiant.


The Midyear Signs:


Brewing, Magick of the Scythe.


Evokation, Magick of the Warp.


The Elderfrost Signs:


Enchantment, Magick of the Wheel.


Mesmerism, Magick of the Fangs.

Shit. That's some good stuff. For some reason, the division of the signs into Newfrost, Midyear, and Elderfrost tickled my fancy as well. I surely have a talented set of collaborators. 


Anyways, I'm done flattering you all. Well done. Now we can work on some of the more common spells and magicks as well as profiling the different types of magick, users. 

 

[Shireling]

For those who are newcomers to the thread, I don't want you all to think I am ignoring you. Just know that as I am the director of sorts of the dialogue, you will have to take an active role in pressing your ideas. I appreciate any and all expressions of interest, it is the fuel that keeps me thinking of this batshit crazy shit to entertain you all with. 


Also, if any of you have missed the "proof of concept" short story, I believe it is on page one contained in a spoiler. I will be posting another such short story shortly to examine the religion and tradition of the realm. 

 

[_Line 213]

I've been thinking a bit on magic, but I ended up coming up with a bit more calendar nonsense instead. Here's a few ideas before we move further into magic:


-- The Yearly Turning takes a period of 300 days (as stated earlier on in the thread).


-- The modern Tennday Week is an amalgamation of two older forms, the Priestly Week and the Farmer's Week.


-- The Farmer's Week was the first to arise, taking place over the course of twelve days, each of which corresponded to a different kind of homestead work. Its days were as follows:


     1.) Weodeg, the Weeding day. The fields are prepared for planting through turning the soil and removing unwanted plants.


     2.) Saadeg, the Seeding day. The fields are sown, and the ground is watered.


     3.) Chateldeg, the Herding day. Animals are set free to roam, eat, and exercise.


     4.) Gaederdeg, the Gathering day. Fishing, foraging, hunting, and trapping activities are performed.


     5.) Gwyddeg, the Logging day. Wood for building structures and stoking fires is collected.


     6.) Wassendeg, the Washing day. Clothes, abodes, and belongings are cleaned from the work and filth of past days, to prepare for the second half of the week.


     7.) Frugdeg, the Harvest day. The fruit of the harvest is taken in, and the fields are cleared.


     8.) Pottdeg, the Potting day. Grains are stored away, vegetables are seeped in brine, and fruits are mashed and sugared.


     9.) Sladeg, the Slaughtering day. Animals prized for their meat are killed. Meats are prepared for Smodeg.


     10.) Smodeg, the Smoking day. Meats that are prepared for smoking and salting begin or finish their preservation processes, depending on the type of meat.


     11.) Barrdeg, the Market day. Goods are taken to be sold and bartered. Supplies are taken home and stored away.


     12.) Spineldeg, the Spinning day. Clothes and belongings that are worn out are tossed aside, and new ones are spun and created in preparation for another week of work.


-- Generally, farmers did not follow the activities of each day strictly. Their names arose naturally in collective agrarian format, as opposed to arising from a schedule mandated by a higher power.


-- The Priestly Week arose after monastery astronomers observed the rise and falls of the Constellations in relation to the three-hundred day year. They separated the movements of the constellations into rough fifty-day periods, and decided that each week shall be ten days long. Their week was divided into two portions; four days of work, and six days of study, each of the latter revolving around a specific sin or virtue.


-- The days of the Priestly Week was as follows:


     1.) Preideg, the Day of Prayer. Requests for blessings brought to the monasteries are acted upon. Enchantments and Wards are placed and refreshed. Confession services are given, and mass for the public is held.


     2.) Fasdeg, the Day of Fasting. The mind is tempered through the beginning or ending of a fast on this date, depending on the individual practice of each monastic order. Some forbid the consumption of food on this day.


     3.) Tendeg, the Day of Sustainment. Grounds and gardens are maintained, rooms are dusted, and structures and clothing are repaired.


     4.) Sildeg, the Day of Silence. A resting day. Interpersonal communication is forbidden, and meditation takes place. The day serves to move one's mind away from work and daily attachments, in order to prepare for study.


     5.) Hassendeg, the Day of the Study of Hate. The nature of the First Cardinal Sin, Hate, is studied and reflected upon.


     6.) Lufdeg, the Day of Love. The nature of the First Cardinal Virtue, Love, is studied, reflected upon, and practiced.


     7.) Gredeg, the Day of the Study of Greed. The nature of the Second Cardinal Sin, Greed, is studied and reflected upon.


     8.) Cardeg, the Day of Charity. The nature of the Second Cardinal Virtue, Charity, is studied, reflected upon, and practiced.


     9.) Ludeg, the Day of the Study of Lust. The nature of the Third Cardinal Sin, Lust, is studied and reflected upon.


     10.) Restdeg, the Day of Restraint. The nature of the Third Cardinal Virtue, Restraint, is studied, reflected upon, and practiced.


-- To this day, the Priestly Week is still used by most monasteries.


-- During a wave of greater piety, many laymen began to adopt the far more orderly Priestly Week, due to it fitting more readily into the movement of the Constellations, which allowed for greater predictive powers on the part of the average person. However, due to elements of the Priestly Week that were inaccessible to the common man (such as fasting and silence), and the fact that more than four days were required in order to sustain oneself, most commonfolk brought over the elements of the Farmer's Week that were most important to them.


-- Over time, these individual interpretations shifted, fused, and died away, resulting in the widely-used Tennday Week, now used by people in all walks of life. It is separated into two periods, the initial set of three days, known as the Cardinal Days, and the seven Layman's Days. The Tennday Week is as follows:


     1.) Fyrsdeg, the Day of the First Cardinals. The nature of Hate and Love are studied and reflected upon. The less pious use this day as a rest day.


     2.) Sedeg, the Day of the Second Cardinals. The nature of Greed and Charity are studied and reflected upon. The less pious use this day as a rest day.


     3.) Thriddeg, the Day of the Third Cardinals. The nature of Lust and Restraint are studied and reflected upon. The less pious use this day as a rest day.


     4.) Feldeg, the Fielding Day. Weeding, seeding, and the turning of soil take place.


     5.) Chateldeg, the Herding day. Animals are set free to roam, eat, and exercise.


     6.) Gaederdeg, the Gathering day. Fishing, foraging, logging, hunting, and trapping activities are performed.


     7.) Wassendeg, the Washing day. Clothes, abodes, and belongings are cleaned from the work and filth of past days, to prepare for the second half of the Layman's Days.


     8.) Frugdeg, the Harvest day. The fruit of the harvest is taken in, the fields are cleared, animals are slaughtered, and meats are prepared for Ceepdeg.


     9.) Ceepdeg, the Storage day. Meats are preserved, grains are potted, vegetables are soaked in brine, and fruits are mashed and sugared.


     10.) Spineldeg, the Spinning day. Clothes and belongings that are worn out are tossed aside, and new ones are spun and created in preparation for another week of work.


-- Initially, the Cardinal Days were positioned at the end of the week, mimicking the Priestly Week. However, their connections with the First, Second, and Third Cardinals eventually pushed them to the beginning of the week, after less aware generations began associating them with the first, second, and third days of the week as well.

 

[Shireling]

I've been thinking a bit on magic, but I ended up coming up with a bit more calendar nonsense instead. Here's a few ideas before we move further into magic:


-- The Yearly Turning takes a period of 300 days (as stated earlier on in the thread).


-- The modern Tennday Week is an amalgamation of two older forms, the Priestly Week and the Farmer's Week.


-- The Farmer's Week was the first to arise, taking place over the course of twelve days, each of which corresponded to a different kind of homestead work. Its days were as follows:


     1.) Weodeg, the Weeding day. The fields are prepared for planting through turning the soil and removing unwanted plants.


     2.) Saadeg, the Seeding day. The fields are sown, and the ground is watered.


     3.) Chateldeg, the Herding day. Animals are set free to roam, eat, and exercise.


     4.) Gaederdeg, the Gathering day. Fishing, foraging, hunting, and trapping activities are performed.


     5.) Gwyddeg, the Logging day. Wood for building structures and stoking fires is collected.


     6.) Wassendeg, the Washing day. Clothes, abodes, and belongings are cleaned from the work and filth of past days, to prepare for the second half of the week.


     7.) Frugdeg, the Harvest day. The fruit of the harvest is taken in, and the fields are cleared.


     8.) Pottdeg, the Potting day. Grains are stored away, vegetables are seeped in brine, and fruits are mashed and sugared.


     9.) Sladeg, the Slaughtering day. Animals prized for their meat are killed. Meats are prepared for Smodeg.


     10.) Smodeg, the Smoking day. Meats that are prepared for smoking and salting begin or finish their preservation processes, depending on the type of meat.


     11.) Barrdeg, the Market day. Goods are taken to be sold and bartered. Supplies are taken home and stored away.


     12.) Spineldeg, the Spinning day. Clothes and belongings that are worn out are tossed aside, and new ones are spun and created in preparation for another week of work.


-- Generally, farmers did not follow the activities of each day strictly. Their names arose naturally in collective agrarian format, as opposed to arising from a schedule mandated by a higher power.


-- The Priestly Week arose after monastery astronomers observed the rise and falls of the Constellations in relation to the three-hundred day year. They separated the movements of the constellations into rough fifty-day periods, and decided that each week shall be ten days long. Their week was divided into two portions; four days of work, and six days of study, each of the latter revolving around a specific sin or virtue.


-- The days of the Priestly Week was as follows:


     1.) Preideg, the Day of Prayer. Requests for blessings brought to the monasteries are acted upon. Enchantments and Wards are placed and refreshed. Confession services are given, and mass for the public is held.


     2.) Fasdeg, the Day of Fasting. The mind is tempered through the beginning or ending of a fast on this date, depending on the individual practice of each monastic order. Some forbid the consumption of food on this day.


     3.) Tendeg, the Day of Sustainment. Grounds and gardens are maintained, rooms are dusted, and structures and clothing are repaired.


     4.) Sildeg, the Day of Silence. A resting day. Interpersonal communication is forbidden, and meditation takes place. The day serves to move one's mind away from work and daily attachments, in order to prepare for study.


     5.) Hassendeg, the Day of the Study of Hate. The nature of the First Cardinal Sin, Hate, is studied and reflected upon.


     6.) Lufdeg, the Day of Love. The nature of the First Cardinal Virtue, Love, is studied, reflected upon, and practiced.


     7.) Gredeg, the Day of the Study of Greed. The nature of the Second Cardinal Sin, Greed, is studied and reflected upon.


     8.) Cardeg, the Day of Charity. The nature of the Second Cardinal Virtue, Charity, is studied, reflected upon, and practiced.


     9.) Ludeg, the Day of the Study of Lust. The nature of the Third Cardinal Sin, Lust, is studied and reflected upon.


     10.) Restdeg, the Day of Restraint. The nature of the Third Cardinal Virtue, Restraint, is studied, reflected upon, and practiced.


-- To this day, the Priestly Week is still used by most monasteries.


-- During a wave of greater piety, many laymen began to adopt the far more orderly Priestly Week, due to it fitting more readily into the movement of the Constellations, which allowed for greater predictive powers on the part of the average person. However, due to elements of the Priestly Week that were inaccessible to the common man (such as fasting and silence), and the fact that more than four days were required in order to sustain oneself, most commonfolk brought over the elements of the Farmer's Week that were most important to them.


-- Over time, these individual interpretations shifted, fused, and died away, resulting in the widely-used Tennday Week, now used by people in all walks of life. It is separated into two periods, the initial set of three days, known as the Cardinal Days, and the seven Layman's Days. The Tennday Week is as follows:


     1.) Fyrsdeg, the Day of the First Cardinals. The nature of Hate and Love are studied and reflected upon. The less pious use this day as a rest day.


     2.) Sedeg, the Day of the Second Cardinals. The nature of Greed and Charity are studied and reflected upon. The less pious use this day as a rest day.


     3.) Thriddeg, the Day of the Third Cardinals. The nature of Lust and Restraint are studied and reflected upon. The less pious use this day as a rest day.


     4.) Feldeg, the Fielding Day. Weeding, seeding, and the turning of soil take place.


     5.) Chateldeg, the Herding day. Animals are set free to roam, eat, and exercise.


     6.) Gaederdeg, the Gathering day. Fishing, foraging, logging, hunting, and trapping activities are performed.


     7.) Wassendeg, the Washing day. Clothes, abodes, and belongings are cleaned from the work and filth of past days, to prepare for the second half of the Layman's Days.


     8.) Frugdeg, the Harvest day. The fruit of the harvest is taken in, the fields are cleared, animals are slaughtered, and meats are prepared for Ceepdeg.


     9.) Ceepdeg, the Storage day. Meats are preserved, grains are potted, vegetables are soaked in brine, and fruits are mashed and sugared.


     10.) Spineldeg, the Spinning day. Clothes and belongings that are worn out are tossed aside, and new ones are spun and created in preparation for another week of work.


-- Initially, the Cardinal Days were positioned at the end of the week, mimicking the Priestly Week. However, their connections with the First, Second, and Third Cardinals eventually pushed them to the beginning of the week, after less aware generations began associating them with the first, second, and third days of the week as well.

I just have one question. What do they do, say, on the planting day when there's nothing to plant? 

 

[_Line 213]

I just have one question. What do they do, say, on the planting day when there's nothing to plant? 

In older days, miscellaneous work would be done, or rest would be taken, since there were no times for rest set aside in the traditional Farmer's Week.

-- Generally, farmers did not follow the activities of each day strictly. Their names arose naturally in collective agrarian format, as opposed to arising from a schedule mandated by a higher power.

Historically, these days would have been set aside for certain activities by the masses, thereby earning their names. For example, if half the village you lived in planted on the first day of the week, that would become the planting day. These days likely varied from region to region before any sort of constant trading contact was created; in another village, for example, planting may have taken place on the third day of the week. It was only once trade became widespread, in either the mainland or the isles, that the days became more cohesive from region to region. They were named because they were the popular activity for that day during the harvesting season, and not necessarily because that was the day that those things had to be done.


In the contemporary age of the isle, the etymology of the Tennday Week is probably something that is neither remembered nor cared about by the majority of the population, save for the Cardinal Days. For the most part, whatever activities that need to be performed are performed, regardless of the original purposes of each day. In this way, the etymology is somewhat similar to our real-world seven-day week, the days of which are named after entities that are no longer widely worshiped.

 

[Shireling]

In older days, miscellaneous work would be done, or rest would be taken, since there were no times for rest set aside in the traditional Farmer's Week.


Historically, these days would have been set aside for certain activities by the masses, thereby earning their names. For example, if half the village you lived in planted on the first day of the week, that would become the planting day. These days likely varied from region to region before any sort of constant trading contact was created; in another village, for example, planting may have taken place on the third day of the week. It was only once trade became widespread, in either the mainland or the isles, that the days became more cohesive from region to region. They were named because they were the popular activity for that day during the harvesting season, and not necessarily because that was the day that those things had to be done.


In the contemporary age of the isle, the etymology of the Tennday Week is probably something that is neither remembered nor cared about by the majority of the population, save for the Cardinal Days. For the most part, whatever activities that need to be performed are performed, regardless of the original purposes of each day. In this way, the etymology is somewhat similar to our real-world seven-day week, the days of which are named after entities that are no longer widely worshiped.

Makes sense. I like it. So I guess the next step is to make a graph calendar. 

 

[Shireling]

Also, I'm thinking of using your names for the days but substituting a Y for the final G so that they jive better with the Old English dialect.

 

[_Line 213]

Sounds fine to me. I was rolling with a slight corruption of the Old English daeg, but the Y works just as well.

 

[Shireling]

Sounds fine to me. I was rolling with a slight corruption of the Old English daeg, but the Y works just as well.

True. But as I understand it, the G was silent or almost silent, so it almost amounted to "day." I didn't want to confuse anyone.


So I've been giving some thought to the clothing and general look of the people. Being fat would be a symbol of extreme wealth, so most would be skinny in the worst sense. They would most likely be a shorter race of people (between 5'3 and 5'9 on average I would assume) because tall bodies dissipate heat rather than trap it. They would likely be very pale, owing to lessened exposure to sunlight, and men would probably grow thick facial hair, or at least would wear beards in the winter.  

 

[Shireling]

I will admit though, I hate beards. So I'm going to bake a social convention in that their women don't find beards attractive to get rid of them. *to the tune of It's My Party* It's my setting, and they'll shave if I want them to.

 

[Vudukudu]

Sorry about the disappearance - had a visit to make. The last topic I'd been involved in was festival days, and seeing as we're still on the subject of calendars, I'll jump on that. 


On a side note, are we assuming humans mature at the same speed or that the new calendar matches human maturing? The difference between 300 and 365 days is a stark one - 16 years with a 365 day calendar is the equivalent of 19.5 years on a 300 day calendar. This is relevant for some of the festivals I had in mind, so I'll need an answer before I can really get going. 

 

[Shireling]

Sorry about the disappearance - had a visit to make. The last topic I'd been involved in was festival days, and seeing as we're still on the subject of calendars, I'll jump on that. 


On a side note, are we assuming humans mature at the same speed or that the new calendar matches human maturing? The difference between 300 and 365 days is a stark one - 16 years with a 365 day calendar is the equivalent of 19.5 years on a 300 day calendar. This is relevant for some of the festivals I had in mind, so I'll need an answer before I can really get going. 

Yes, humans mature at the same speed. So people reach "adulthood" at around 20.

 

[Vudukudu]

Yes, humans mature at the same speed. So people reach "adulthood" at around 20.

Going to need clarification on that. 


Is that 20 setting-calendar years or 20-earth-years-transplanted-to-setting?