Overview

Things are very different when it comes to calendar dates and time in Idalos when compared to Earth. Though we've added a few extra things into the Idalos year, they aren't too hard to follow, especially for new players. The first thing we want to talk about is Time Stamping.

Time Stamping

Time Stamping your threads is a simple and easy way to keep track of the date your threads take place on. All characters are required to post a 'calendar' of sorts where they list their active threads for all the seasons they've roleplayed in to avoid confusion. This is usually on your Character Sheet (CS).

Threads may not take place at the same time, but they may take place on the same date. For example: Paul and Jezebel want to do a thread on the 1st Trial of Vhalar when suddenly Paul remembers he has another thread with Steve already set up for the 1st Trial of Vhalar. If Jezebel's thread with Paul takes place during the morning and Steve's thread with Paul takes place during the evening, that would be okay. To time-stamp a thread, the original post of that thread should have a note somewhere saying "Nth Trial of X in the arc Q". That's it. You can also specify the break and bit your thread takes place in with the words "D Break, Bit H". If you're ever confused about what we mean, simply go to a city's forum in the World of Idalos section and look at some of the threads players have started.

The Time Stamps will always be at the top of the first post in the thread.

Calendar

A year (arc) in Idalos is made up of 492 days (trials).
A trial consists of 24 hours (breaks).
A break has 60 minutes (bits) in it.
A bit is composed of 60 seconds (trills).

• One Idalos arc is the same as one RL year.
• In one arc there are 3 Cycles, each with 2 seasons
• The Rebirth Cycle - Cylus and Ashan are the seasons to begin the arc.
• The Hot Cycle: - Made up of Ymiden and Saun.
• The Cold Cycle: Vhalar and Zi'da round out the year.




A Note On Language

As a fantasy world, we have specific words for some time frames. These are there for flavour and to aid in immersion in the RP. Therefore, we encourage players to use the Idalos terms. However, if you use the word "minute" in a post, that's fine! Any time that real-life words are used to denote time, all involved in the thread should assume that the Idalos-specific term is used in the game world.

What About Weeks?!

Idalos doesn't use names for the days, or weeks as common measurements of time. It is fine for you to use phrases such a "a ten-trial" or "a seven-trial" (or day!) for a block of time. It is also reasonable to assume that almost all places run on a roughly ten-day programme in terms of work etc, but there's no hard or fast rule. So, whether you want to write "Saun 20th, Arc 720, 3rd break past noon-bell" or "Saun 20th, 720" etc, so long as the timestamp is clear, then you're good!




Seasons

For more detail on specifics, please see Seasons.

Dates of Cycle Changes

February 1st: First day of the Rebirth Cycle. The first day of the Rebirth Cycle also marks the arc change.
June 1st: First day of the Hot Cycle.
October 1st: First day of the Cold Cycle.

The Suns & Moons of Idalos

Suns

There is usually one sun orbiting Idalos. There are, however, two seasons when this changes:

• In Cylus there is no visible sun - the world is in twilight. This is due to the moon Zilli (see below)
• In Saun, a second sun appears and is present in the sky for the 40 days of the season.

All other seasons have one sun. These suns will always rise in the east and set in the west.

Moons

Three moons orbit the planet thanks to the Immortal Treid, who would not have Faldrun outdo him with his twin suns.

The largest of the trio is Zilis. Should one set foot on this moon, they would have a hard time getting off. Its surface is believed to be made of a clay-like substance as the moon appears flatter at the top and bottom but wider and more round towards its sides. Of all three moons, Zilis spins the slowest. It is the moon responsible for the lack of sunlight during the season of Cylus. In the middle of the three is the moon Rahkrii, known for its reddish tint and peculiar surface. Rahkrii appears to be pockmarked with bright, almost yellow spots that lead some early Idalosian astronomers to believe it was a third sun. The third and smallest moon is Telva and is the most often seen of the three moons. It is light gray in color with few if any craters and an oblong shape. There is much debate about whether or not it is a true moon due to its shape.

During the season of Cylus, Zilis remains directly in between the suns and the planet, obscuring the light in such a way that the entire planet is enveloped in twilight.