2026-04-01 - The Quarter of Spells, Map Updates, & Calendars
Intro
Calendar
The world of Hiraeth has been around for more than a decade, as I grow and gain better skills in the world change and grow with me. Sometimes things I wrote in a math classroom when I should have been working on schoolwork in May 13 years ago is one of them. The calendar is one of the many things that have changed over the years, and I hope for the better. This is a small change but I think will have a good impact on play at the table. Renaming the days of the week and months to be less alien and forced, the goal is to make days and months titles feel more special and also have some holidays be.
operates on a mathematically perfect 360-day solar year. Every day represents exactly one degree of planetary rotation around the sun.
For the common folk, scholars, and adventurers, the calendar is a blend of ancient divine reverence and practical, everyday terminology.
Days of the Week
A standard week in Hiraeth now consists of a 10-day cycle, commonly referred to as a "tenday." While scholars and the devout use the ancient divine names, commoners use simplified, modern terms that closely mirror the real world. The weekend consists of the final two days, dedicated to hearth, home, and sunlight.
| Day # | Ancient Name | Common Name | Origin / Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pythda | Lyday | Named for Pythia, Goddess of Life. The start of the work week. |
| 2 | Loronda | Moonday | Named for Loron, Goddess of the Moon. A day transitioning out of the weekend's rest. |
| 3 | Minda | Minday | Named for Minos, God of Time. |
| 4 | Voida | Wanesday | Named for Voidos, God of Space (the waning void). |
| 5 | Giada | Earthday | Named for Gia, Guardian of the Land. The peak of the agricultural workweek. |
| 6 | Matda | Forgeday | Named for Matrix, the Anvil of Destiny. A day of heavy labor, crafting, and industry. |
| 7 | Ethearda | Starday | Named for Etherea, Goddess of the Stars. |
| 8 | Nyda | Freeday | Named for Nyx, Goddess of Night. The final workday. |
| 9 | Hestda | Hearthday | Named for Hesta, Goddess of the Hearth. A day of rest and family. |
| 10 | Bethda | Sunday | Named for Bethtox, God of the Sun. A day of celebration and worship. |
The Calendar Year: Seasons and Months
The calendar is built around a 364-day year. This is divided into exactly 360 standard days (organized into 12 months) and 4 Quarter Days that mark the shifting of the seasons.
Together, solstices and equinoxes are traditionally known as Quarter Days. To fit the 360-degree rotation and these 4 Quarter Days, each season operates on an identical 91-day structure:
- It begins with 1 Day Outside a Month (the seasonal Quarter Day).
- It is followed by two 30-day months (exactly three tendays each).
- It concludes with one 29-day month.
Months vs. Zodiacs
It is important to note that the calendar months are not the Zodiacs. The months are simply the periods of time used to track the year.
The Zodiacs (often referred to in different cultures as "The Sky Signs" or "The Ascendants") are the dominant celestial constellations that happen to be visible in the night sky during those specific months. For example, a person born in the month of Novnus is born under the Zodiac of The Matrix, but the month itself is distinct from the stars overhead. Zodiacs are a possible mechanic in PC creation we are still expirementing with.
Winter (The Stillness)
Quarter Day (Day Outside a Month): The Nadir
| Month # | Ancient Name | Common Name | Days | Dominant Zodiac |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novnus | Deepwinter | 30 | The Matrix (The Hero) |
| 2 | Ultcicero | Dawning | 30 | The Son (The Prince) |
| 3 | Concis | The Thaw | 29 | The Phoenix |
Spring (The Growth)
Quarter Day (Day Outside a Month): The Vernal Awakening
| Month # | Ancient Name | Common Name | Days | Dominant Zodiac |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Rifis | Springtide | 30 | The Frog |
| 5 | Inder | Monsoon | 30 | The Hammer |
| 6 | Gradum | Greengrass | 29 | The Leaf |
Summer (The Heat)
Quarter Day (Day Outside a Month): The Zenith
| Month # | Ancient Name | Common Name | Days | Dominant Zodiac |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Tristis | Highsun | 30 | The Horse |
| 8 | Mutare | The Turn | 30 | The Ship |
| 9 | The Watcher | The Harvest | 29 | The Iris |
Fall (The Fading)
Quarter Day (Day Outside a Month): The Autumnal Balance
| Month # | Ancient Name | Common Name | Days | Dominant Zodiac |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Umbra | Leaf-fall | 30 | The Cart |
| 11 | Galious | First Frost | 30 | The Snow Wolf |
| 12 | Nocturum | Year's End | 29 | The Knights |
Map Changes
The Map has undergone some massive changes over the last year. New countries added, coastlines refined, and the map fleshed out. You can see the changes here.
New Level Up Word
In order to build out the rites of our D&D group I put forward an anitive to come up with what we say and so dor level up Scott choose the word "Bojangles" and Wicke choose the sound from Final Fantasy.
The BIBLE 2.0!
What started off as a collection of google docs moved to a Obsidan folder syned via git has balloned to include charecter options, out dated world lore, and so much more. It is time for a soft reset. This might mean I ask for more info sometimes or help filling in some details.
I plan for this not be a shadow wiki but more of a more advanced stratchpad without the granulare details.
New Game Style Done
Some of you know that I have been engaging with a 1:1 diplomacy style game where you were a head of state. Surprise, that was actually a group game! The other states were played by other players. I thought it would be in good fun and some of you in my Friday game have already seen these conflicts really cause a trickling effect.
Spells Added
Bello in the drop down is a list of all the new spells added, their levels, school, people that can use them and a short discription.