Hollow Moon Planetology: Blue Moon -- Calendar
by Sharon Dornhoff A Hollow Moon calendar
The earliest formal system of recording time's passage, for
Materans, dates back to the 18th century BC. It was devised by
human servitors of an archaic Vulcanian nation of kopru; IRL, the
names of months given are (very) loosely based upon ancient
Assyrian*. The HM kopru nation's culture is actually M-Achaemenid
Persian; but the language and calendar of their subject peoples had
been heavily influenced by Taymoran civilisation (which I consider
M-Babylon/Assyria), at the time of their arrival from Mystara.
Other Materan civilisations have words in their own languages for
the months of the 18-month lunar year, but they usually don't
change their titles -- Shining Month, Month of Travel, etc --
except where their own cultures have no equivalent concept to the
koprus' (e.g. gnomes abhor slavery, so have re-named the 13th
month). Additional civilisations' names for the months -- assuming
I can think of any :-) -- will appear with those cultures'
descriptions.
(* - Some words (iti = "month") came straight out of a lexicon on
the Web, the rest I just made up.)
Each month's regular Storm and Fire Times of the Storm Cycle are
listed, along with any extreme tides over the course of a
month/lunar day. Neap tides aren't listed, but they occur twice in
every week of game-time in response to Patera's passage; lunar
seawaters move either south-north or north-south, depending on
which latitudinal direction the invisible moon is passing Matera
in, and level out between tidal events. Lunar tides typically rise
and ebb over a seven-hour period, striking first one shore (north
or south) and then the other. Storm Times take seven hours of
game-time, while Fire Times are thankfully brief and only last
about 3 hours (although the consequences, such as floods or
tremors, may linger for days).
In all cases below, the "XXXX hours" statements refer to the time,
as given on our 24-hour imaginary clock face -- the same concept
DMs can use, to keep track of HM lighting conditions (see that
post). Remember that every "hour" on the made-up clock represents
28 hours of game time, so a 15-minute interval given below is
actually 7 hours of game-time. A running tally of the passage of
days on Mystara is provided for each month/lunar "day", and for
each major climatic or geological event within that month. Remember
that a new pass by Patera occurs every 3 1/2 Mystaran days, so many
passes which occur at an angle greater than 15 degrees aren't
heralded by storms or volcanism; high tides still occur from passes
at 30 degrees or less, and these are listed.
I've deliberately refrained from tying down the Materan "New Year"
to any particular date on the Mystaran calendar*, although the fact
that 1200 hours must be a "new moon", and 2400 hours, a "full moon"
does synchronise the two settings to some extent. For greatest
convenience, DMs can assume the Materan "year" starts on the
Mystaran summer or winter solstice, alternating between the two
each time; the second severe Fire Time therefore takes place on
either the vernal or autumnal equinox, while the circle tides only
occur at the turn of the Mystaran seasons: spring-to-summer or
fall-to-winter for the counterclockwise one, and winter-to-spring
and summer-to-fall, for the clockwise tide. Otherwise, DMs should
start the off Materan year at some arbitrary point, when their PCs
first enter the HM setting, that provides as much (or as little)
time between that arrival, and the next disaster or "circle tide",
as desired.
(* - In case anyone's interested, the year that's given below
begins when Patera and Matera are in conjunction, i.e. when Patera
passes at zero degrees longitude from Matera.)
Note that references to weather conditions and agricultural
activities, in the calendar-names below, are specific to the local
climate of the koprus' domain in the HM setting, and are dictated
by precipitation and volcanism rather than seasons.
1. Itidili (First Month) -- Mystaran day 1-28
* Fire Time (severe) at 0000 hours (midnight day 0/1, Mystara)
* Very high tides on northern shores, 0015 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 1145 hours
* Storm Time (moderate) at 1200 hours (midnight day 14/15,
Mystara)
* High tides on southern shores, 1215 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 2345 hours
2. Itikajjanu (Month of Rest) -- Mystaran day 29-56
* High tides on northern shores, 0015 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 0245 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 0315 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 1145 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 1215 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 1445 hours
* Storm Time (moderate) at 1500 hours (noon day 45, Mystara)
* High tides on southern shores, 1515 hours
3. Itiapsu (Month of Fountains) -- Mystaran day 57-84
* Very high tides on southern shores, 0245 hours
* Fire Time (moderate) at 0300 hours (noon day 60, Mystara)
* Very high tides on northern shores, 0315 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 1445 hours
* Storm Time (severe) at 1500 hours (noon day 74, Mystara)
* High tides on southern shores, 1515 hours
4. Itibelu (Masters' Month) -- Mystaran day 85-112
* High tides on southern shores, 0245 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 0315 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 1445 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 1515 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 1745 hours
* Storm Time (mild) at 1800 hours (midnight day 105/106,
Mystara)
* High tides on southern shores, 1815 hours
5. Itiukkin (Month of Assembly) -- day 113-140
* High tides on southern shores, 0545 hours
* Storm Time (mild) at 0600 hours (midnight day 119/120,
Mystara)
* High tides on northern shores, 0615 hours
* Circle tide (counterclockwise) from 1030 to 1330 hours (6 pm day
124 to 6 am day 128, Mystara)
* Very high tides on northern shores, 1745 hours
* Fire Time (mild) at 1800 hours (noon day 133, Mystara)
* Very high tides on southern shores, 1815 hours
6. Itiabura (Month of Waves) -- day 140-168
* High tides on southern shores, 0545 hours
* Storm Time (mild) at 0600 hours (midnight day 147/148,
Mystara)
* High tides on northern shores, 0615 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 0845 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 0915 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 1745 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 1815 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 2045 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 2115 hours
7. Itiisatu (Fiery Month) -- day 169-186
* High tides on southern shores, 0845 hours
* Storm Time (severe) at 0900 hours (noon day 178, Mystara)
* High tides on northern shores, 0915 hours
* Very high tides on northern shores, 2045 hours
* Fire Time (moderate) at 2100 hours (noon day 192, Mystara)
* Very high tides on southern shores, 2115 hours
8. Itiakalu (Month of Feasts) -- day 197-224
* High tides on southern shores, 0845 hours
* Storm Time (moderate) at 0900 hours (noon day 206, Mystara)
* High tides on northern shores, 0915 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 2045 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 2115 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 2345 hours
9. Itinasahu (Month of Travel) -- day 225-252
* High tides on southern shores, 0015 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 1145 hours
* Storm Time (moderate) at 1200 hours (midnight day 238/239,
Mystara)
* High tides on northern shores, 1215 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 2345 hours
10. Itiememu (Month of Heat) -- day 253-280
* Fire Time (severe) at 0000 hours (midnight day 252/253,
Mystara)
* High tides on southern shores, 0015 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 1145 hours
* Storm Time (moderate) at 1200 hours (midnight day 266/267,
Mystara)
* High tides on northern shores, 1215 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 2345 hours
11. Itisadu (Month of the Mountain) -- day 281-308
* High tides on southern shores, 0015 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 0245 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 0315 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 1445 hours
* Storm Time (moderate) at 1500 hours (noon day 299, Mystara)
* High tides on northern shores, 1515 hours
12. Itibabbar (Shining Month) -- day 309-336
* Very high tides on northern shores, 0245 hours
* Fire Time (moderate) at 0300 hours (noon day 315, Mystara)
* Very high tides on southern shores, 0315 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 1445 hours
* Storm Time (severe) at 1500 hours (noon day 327, Mystara)
* High tides on northern shores, 1515 hours
13. Itiwardu (Slaves' Month) -- day 337-364
* High tides on northern shores, 0245 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 0315 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 0545 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 0615 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 1445 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 1515 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 1745 hours
* Storm Time (mild) at 1800 hours (midnight day 356/357,
Mystara)
* High tides on northern shores, 1815 hours
14. Itinissatu (Month of Misery) -- day 365-392
* Very high tides on northern shores, 0545 hours
* Fire Time (mild) at 0600 hours (noon day 372, Mystara)
* Very high tides on southern shores, 0615 hours
* Circle tide (clockwise) from 1030 to 1330 hours (6 pm day 376 to
6 am day 380, Mystara)
* High tides on southern shores, 1745 hours
* Storm Time (mild) at 1800 hours (midnight day 385/386,
Mystara)
* High tides on northern shores, 1815 hours
15. Itizeu (Month of Seeds) -- day 393-420
* High tides on northern shores, 0545 hours
* Storm Time (mild) at 0600 hours (midnight day 400/401,
Mystara)
* High tides on southern shores, 0615 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 0845 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 0915 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 2045 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 2115 hours
16. Itisamu (Month of the Firmament) -- day 421-448
* High tides on northern shores, 0845 hours
* Storm Time (severe) at 0900 hours (noon day 435, Mystara)
* High tides on southern shores, 0915 hours
* Very high tides on southern shores, 2045 hours
* Fire Time (moderate) at 2100 hours (noon day 449, Mystara)
* Very high tides on northern shores, 2115 hours
17. Itisattu (Month of Harvest) -- day 449-476
* High tides on northern shores, 0845 hours
* Storm Time (moderate) at 0900 hours (noon day 469, Mystara)
* High tides on southern shores at 0915 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 1145 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 1215 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 2045 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 2115 hours
* High tides on southern shores, 2345 hours
18. Itiqatu (End Month) -- day 477-504
* High tides on northern shores, 0015 hours
* High tides on northern shores, 1145 hours
* Storm Time (moderate) at 1200 hours (midnight day 490/491,
Mystara)
* High tides on southern shores, 1215 hours
* Very high tides on southern shores, 2345 hours