Vale Calendar

History of Time

The creation of the Cycle helped make daily life easier for all the people of Crevice. The Kyren needed to create a calendar that would allow for celebrations and holidays to honor Cynosure and the Strata Council wanted it to make it easier on the businesses. Early in the history, the calendars were changed a few times and disagreements on how long weeks, months and even years were fiercely debated. The surface calendars were created by the stars in the sky, there is no such view underground and many different sources were put forward. Some were suggested they use food sources and harvesting times. In 375, the Kyren calendar was being fiercely debated since it seemed to change when a new Kyren was selected and was not consistent. The merchants were pushing for a standardized calendar, but each merchant seems to be submitting their own to meet their needs.

The current calendar was based around this poem written by an unknown author. All people and locations are made up and the names are meaningless.

Verra had seen the Vale
She ran and ran, would always fail

Dust would lift her, move her aloft
Up Through the shrooms she flew and hit Thine
He'd smile quite gently and swallow her soft
Falling to the Bellow, she was Elyn's to Find

She silently tip toed past the Novin
It woke, but in the Yorup by Heren was slain

She would try time and again, but saw the Yorn
She swam with Crava as it drew her in
He would swirl with her down to the Krail
Brant and Brine would carry her through the Nexin

And Verra would find the Vale
At last, she would never again fail.

A student created the calendar for a school project and the school used it for one month. It gained popularity with the kids who liked to say the date as a story. Within the year it had spread to several schools and became an official school calendar. Merchants were forced to use it to work around the schools schedule. It wasn't until 410, that the Kyren officially approved the Vale Calendar and it has never changed.

The Vale Calendar

Names of Cycles

Verra, Dust, Thine, Elyn, Novin, Heren, Crava, Brant, Brine

The Weeks

Each month has 3 weeks referred to as the Crawl, Walk and Run in the month.

The Months

Vale, Bellow, Yorup, Yorn, Krail, Nexin

Special Syntax

The people will define time in the following syntax.

Novin Walks in the Krail

Arranging a meeting may look like this.

Meet me when Dust Runs in the Early Red of the Yorup.

The term month is rarely used in common conversation although it is normally taught in schools when learning about the history. The term path is sometimes used to replace months.
We still have two paths to walk to deliver the supplies to the Beacon.
This means they have two months and the walk is the week in that month it needs to be delivered. This is still pretty rare and usually reserved for written works of fiction.

Time is usually referred with at least two parts depending on the circumstances.

Dust is in the Red (A specific time on a specific cycle)
Heren Crawls(the first Heren of the month)
Crawls in the Yorn (first week of the Yorn).

One part responses to questions are acceptable for the month and sometimes for the week, but not for the day. This is considered slang though and not taught in schools.

When are you visiting Quintori?
In the Krail
The Crawl

This response would mean in the month of Krail or in the crawl of the current month. The second response would be said instead of next week or in two weeks. They would not say next month, they would simply name the appropriate month. If they are referring to a week on a different month they would use two terms.
This would be the appropriate response for a specific cycle even they are currently in the same week.

When are you visiting Quintori?
When Crava crawls.

It would be inappropriate to simply say Crava without a month, week or time period. Since the names are based on fictional people and places, the syntax is considered important.

The Seam

This marks the point between the end of one year and the beginning of another. There are several ways this is said.

When Brine runs in the Nexin meets Verra crawling in the Vale.
The Seam of the Nexin and Vale
The Seam

The term year is still used to count the number of seams that have passed. There were some attempts to alter it as well, but the term survives. Many simply use the two terms interchangeably. Some prefer seams as it fits the story feel of the rest of the calendar.
I have crossed 24 seams working in the mines
This usage is still considered slang though.

Years are usually only counted by scholars and in government or merchant documents. They are very rarely used in normal conversation, but may still be written as below.

The new Kyren was selected while Thine Runs in the Yorn after 8,567 seams.

Era without Age

Before the offiical calendar, people weren't marked by a numerical age, but by stages of life. These were set to the colors of the cycle.

Blue: Birth and Renewal
The soul has been reborn and given new life.
Birth to Walking

Green: Strength and Learning
The child grows, fails and learns
Walking to end of education

Yellow: Awareness and Work
Coming to Age and getting a job.
Working to beginning a family

Orange: Perseverance and Family
Balancing work and family
Raising a family to retirement

Red: Love and Wishes
Relaxing in retirement
Retirement to age and health issues

Purple: Safety and Finality
Struggles with health and faith.
Health issues to death.

You are still green Indolyn, talk to me after you finish your studies.

The Vale Calendar has led to some combinations of the colors with the new calendar. Each month/path is attributed to a color. They are also combined in speech.
You are still green Indolyn, talk to me when you are ready to walk the path of the Yorup.

Being green can also be used as an insult to those already working and usually means the person is lazy or ignorant.
Stop being so green and get to work.

Age

Age is unique as the calendar is only 162 cycles. Age is judged by the passage of two calendar years. This is usually refered to as an echo.

Alkora has heard 32 echoes,
This would mean they had seen the passage of 64 years.

In a year that isn't the echo, people will call it a shadow.
Auri is still young, she walks in her 10th shadow.
This would mean she has seen the passage of 21 years.

Phynis will hear her 5th echo when Elyn runs in the Bellow.
This would mark the cycle of her birth.

Ulith walks with 8 shadows when Thine runs.
This indicates they have heard 8 echoes and are approching the 17 year since their birth.

Echoes and Shadows

These are celebrated in unique ways.
An Echo is usually a great celebration with family and friends. Usually comes with a lot of food and drinking. Music can be heard throughout the Grotto and the people will dance through most of the Red.

The Shadow is more private. It is used to contemplate the past and future. Many will visit trusted Mentors for guidance or even a rare visit to the Beacon.

The Cycle of Blessing

The children of Crevice are born into a world of darkness. About one week after their birth they go through special ritual called Shadow Manifestation or the Shadow Blessing. This cycle is then another celebration done every year. This is a celebration of the Cynosure and the protection of the shadows it has provided.
While it largely looks similar to other celebrations in Crevice, many games are played blindfolded to mimic the time they spent blind to the world as a baby. While the actual number isn't usually tracked by people, this can be used to indicate the exact number of years that have passed.
Wenick is celebrating their 53rd Blessing.