Kharndam Guide: Human Calendars
Originally published at The Codex Continual. You can comment here or there.
There have been many calendars across the continent of Rokhal, but only three are still in common use around the lands of Old Kharndam and the Imperam by the rulers and most peoples.
Draketime: Most follow a common calendar that marks the start at Ornaoth’s slaying of his first dragon-the wyrm Som-aril-dhar-chrys-as Year 1 Overdrake (OD), symbolizing the lower races’ victories over their larger oppressors. Years still living under dragon rule are the years Underdrake (UD), which officially numbered 4988 by the time of Ornaoth’s accomplishment.
As this is the most common calendar, even in the western Impral states of Pralkesh and Xhonoril, most refer to this when marking time. If documents need to use the local ruler’s official calendars (as happens within the Impralands), they use both with Draketime following.
It is the current Year 1650 OD (Overdrake) by Drakereckoning.
Old Kharndam Flight Years: This was the primary calendar of Kharndam and successively the Pegasus Sovereignty. Starting in Year 1 with Gyrthorn II’s taming of the first winged horse, the years were referred to as In Flight (IF), although even the monarchs of a united Kharndam were not yet a dream (let alone their continental alliance of states). The In Flight calendar lasts for 56 decades, the Pegasushattering coming on 561 IF (or 1 AF (see below)).
Some historians-though not a wide practice-refer to the years of warfare between the rising Imperam and falling Kharndam as Descending Flight (DF) and use those for the 142 years at the end of the Sovereignty’s existence. From the shattering of the Pegasus Throne (and the resulting fall of both Kharndam and the Sovereignty), historians mark the years as After Flight (AF), and the present year is 848 AF.
Calendar of the Imperam: This calendar always carries two numbers-the year of rule of each individual Imprator and the year since Bheddar broke from the Pegasus Sovereignty and proclaimed itself an independent state and the heart of the Imperam. Impral historians also use this calendar when referring to things predating the Imperam, simply making the dates in negatives (and thus biased historians link Ornaoth Dragonslayer to Impral bloodlines and mark 1 OD as -660 IM).
It is currently the year 79/990 IM (Impramark)-the 79th year of the fourth Ulach’s rule in the 990th year of the Imperam.
(C) 2008 Steven E. Schend All rights reserved