Absalom Reckoning
- See also: Portal:History, Holidays and festivals, and Imperial Calendar
Absalom Reckoning, or AR for short, is the most commonly used calendar in Avistan and Garund and possibly all of Golarion. In Absalom Reckoning, the day of the month is always listed first, followed by the month and the year and generally suffixed with the letters "AR".
Origin
Absalom Reckoning takes its origin from the moment the god Aroden lifted the Starstone from the depths of the Inner Sea and founded the city of Absalom, an event dated to 1 Abadius, 1 AR. This event also ushered in the Age of Enthronement in which human nations began to be founded in the Inner Sea region inspired by Aroden's example.12
Days, weeks, months, and seasons
In Absalom Reckoning, each day on Golarion has 24 hours, each week has seven days, and each year has 52 weeks. A year is also divided into 12 months, although once every four years an extra day is added to the end of Calistril to make up for the slight variance in the planet's orbit around the sun. The last leap year was 4720 AR, and the next will be 4724 AR.324
Days of the week
Although most days of the week are assigned for work, a few also have other meanings in most Inner Sea region cultures.25
- Moonday: Generally a work day with some religions holding ceremonies at night.
- Toilday: A work day.
- Wealday: A work day.
- Oathday: A work day on which it is often considered advantageous to sign contracts and oaths.
- Fireday: A work day that is most often the market day.
- Starday: A work day.
- Sunday: Generally a day of rest and one devoted to religious observances.
Months of the year
Each of Absalom Reckoning's months are associated with a specific deity.24 Each month has commonly used alternative names that lack such direct religious connotations.65
| Month | Pronunciation | Common name |
Days | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abadius | (ah-BAY-dee-us) | Prima6 | 31 days | The first month of the year, named in honor of Abadar. |
| Calistril | (KAHL-izz-trihl) | Snappe6 | 28 days | A late winter month named for Calistria, goddess of revenge. |
| Pharast | (fah-RAHST) | Anu6 | 31 days | An early spring month named after Pharasma, the goddess of birth and death. |
| Gozran | (GOHZ-ran) | Rusanne6 | 30 days | A stormy month named for the god of the wind, Gozreh. |
| Desnus | (DEZ-nuhs) | Farlong6 | 31 days | A mild month named for the goddess Desna. |
| Sarenith | (sa-REHN-ihth) | Sola6 | 30 days | The sun goddess Sarenrae gives her name to this sun-blessed month. |
| Erastus | (eh-RAS-tuhs) | Fletch6 | 31 days | Named in honor of Erastil. |
| Arodus | (AIR-oh-duhs) | Hazen5 | 31 days | Although he is no longer widely worshiped, the summer month is named for the dead god Aroden. |
| Rova | (ROH-va) | Nuvar5 | 30 days | The beginning of autumn is named after the violent god Rovagug. (Dwarves dispute naming a month after such a destructive and evil deity and instead name the ninth month Torawsh after their creator god, Torag.7) |
| Lamashan | (lah‑MAHSH‑ahn) | Shaldo5 | 31 days | Named for Lamashtu, the goddess of monsters. |
| Neth | (NEHTH) | Joya5 | 30 days | Named for Nethys, the two-faced god of magic. |
| Kuthona | (koo-THOH-nah) | Kai5 | 31 days | The shortest day of the year comes during the month named after the god of darkness, Zon-Kuthon. |
Seasons
The Inner Sea region has four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall (or autumn). The months of Kuthona, Abadius, and Calistril are considered to fall in winter. Spring falls during Pharast, Gozreh, and Desna, while summer occurs during Sarenith, Erastus, and Arodus. Finally, Rova, Lamashan, and Neth are considered fall.4
Lunar Calendar
Just as Absalom Reckoning is based on Golarion's orbit around its sun, some people and cultures use a lunar calendar that dates time using phases of the moon, and where each full moon is given its own name.8
Imperial Calendar
Absalom Reckoning is by no means the only way of counting time on Golarion. On the continent of Tian Xia, the most common dating method is known as the Imperial Calendar, which began at the founding of Yixing, Tian Xia's first empire. As this happened exactly 2,500 years before year 1 of Absalom Reckoning, converting from one date to the other is quite easy.9
References
Absalom Reckoning also corresponds to real-world calendars. See the Canon Policy for details.
- ↑ Tanya DePass, James Jacobs, Lyz Liddell, et al. (2019). "Overview". World Guide, p. 10. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-172-6
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Erik Mona et al. (2008). Campaign Setting, p. 238–9. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-112-1
- ↑ Tanya DePass, James Jacobs, Lyz Liddell, et al. (2019). "Overview". World Guide, p. 9. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-172-6
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 James Jacobs et al. (2011). "Life". The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 248. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Rigby Bendele et al. (2022). "Time & The Calendar". Travel Guide, p. 7. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-465-9
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Rigby Bendele et al. (2022). "Time & The Calendar". Travel Guide, p. 6. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-465-9
- ↑ Sean K Reynolds. (2012). Torag. Curse of the Lady's Light, p. 74. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-459-7
- ↑ Tim Akers, Neal F. Litherland, David R. Ross, and Tork Shaw. (2013). Blood of the Moon, p. inside back cover. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-578-5
- ↑ James Jacobs, Dave Gross, Rob McCreary. (2011). Dragon Empires Gazetteer, p. 15. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-379-8