The Lunar Calendar of Arcasia

A system shaped by Selunvar’s steady rhythm and Thalune’s erratic dance.

Arcasia reckons time by the heavens. Though both moons hold influence over the world, it is the slow, deliberate cycle of Selunvar—the Elder Moon—that forms the backbone of the Arcasian calendar. Each new year begins on the first new moon of Selunvar, and every month is aligned to its phases.

Thalune, the smaller and swifter moon, weaves its orbit through this system, completing two cycles for every one of Selunvar’s. Its presence serves as a secondary marker: a reminder that magic, fate, and change rarely move in perfect order.

The calendar is as much a cultural and religious structure as a practical one. Festivals, harvests, maritime seasons, magical rituals, and even political ceremonies are timed according to the interplay of the two moons.

Structure of the Arcasian Year

Length of the Year: 360 days
Months per Year: 10
Days per Month: 36
Days per Week: 6

Each month begins with the new moon of Selunvar. This makes the Arcasian year elegant, predictable, and reflective of the natural lunar rhythms that shape magic and culture.

The Six Days of the Week

(Names vary by region, but the core structure is universal.)

1. Day of Dawn
2. Day of Tides
3. Day of Shadows
4. Day of Craft
5. Day of Beasts
6. Day of Rest

Various cultures interpret these days differently, but most associate them with the natural cycle of life and labor.

The Ten Months of Arcasia

Below are the canon month names, each tied to a deity, natural cycle, or celestial influence. Each month has its own rituals, atmosphere, and cultural identity.

1. Seluris

Named for Selunvar, the Elder Moon.
A calm and auspicious beginning to the year. Oaths are sworn, debts forgiven, and scholars begin new ledgers and treatises. Navigators consider Seluris the safest month for sea travel due to stable tides.

2. Thalorin

A month marked by Thalune’s influence. Magic becomes restless; illusions inspire art and trouble alike. This is a favored time for apprentices to begin arcane training. Many marriages, duels, and bold ventures are said to begin under Thalune’s mischievous light.

3. Vaelstrom

Season of storms and shifting waters, named for Vaelar, god of the sea and sky. Coastal communities perform rites of protection. Travelers take caution as river crossings and mountain passes become unpredictable.

4. Merynthfall

A month of growth and renewal. Planting festivals, healing rites, and green blessings are common. Herbalists gather rare flowers said to bloom only under Merynthfall moonlight. Rural regions mark this as the true beginning of spring.

5. Korsaryon

High summer and the season of trials. Competitions, warrior rites, and athletic contests honor Korsai, deity of courage and discipline. Many organizations hold their yearly oaths or training cycles during this month.

6. Elystra’s Veil

The warm, dreamlike month dedicated to Elystra, Muse of Art and Stories. Theaters flourish, poems proliferate, and entire towns transform into stages for traveling troupes. Some claim dreams are more prophetic during this time.

7. Aruvenreach

A month of fate, journeys, and study. Dedicated to Aruven, the god of wisdom and oaths. Students take exams, pilgrims set out, and treaties are often negotiated. It is considered an auspicious time to begin anything requiring patience and clarity.

8. Shadowmend

Associated with Thonir, the death-weaver. The veil between worlds grows thin; ancestors are honored; quiet vigils are kept. Shadowmend is not morbid—it is reflective, respectful, and deeply spiritual. Many cultures see it as the true autumn.

9. Sundertide

Named for the Sundering—the cosmic war in which the evil gods were cast down. A tense month, marked by ceremonial fasts, recounting of old myths, and heightened vigilance against cult activity. Storms and strange omens are not uncommon.

10. Apsiran

The month of transition and prophecy, named for Apsira, the double full-moon event. Divinations are most potent during Apsiran, and many choose this time to end old projects and prepare for renewal. The last night, Emberfall, marks the symbolic burning away of the year’s regrets.

Seasonal Markers and Lunar Events

Apsira

Occurs roughly every 108 days, when both moons are full on the same night. Treated variously as sacred, dangerous, or transformative depending on the culture. Magic is amplified; prophecy is sharpened.

Shadowfall

A rare eclipse where Thalune crosses Selunvar, tinting the world blue. Seen as an omen of change or upheaval. Some myths tie it to weakening seals or ancient cycles of catastrophe and rebirth.

Festival Seasons

Most major religious and cultural holidays tie directly to the moons, especially:

• The Dawnmonth rites (Seluris)
• The Trickster’s Revels (Thalorin)
• The Verdancy and the Bird-Return (Merynthfall)
• Ancestor’s Vigil (Shadowmend)
• The Aegisfast and Breaking of the Chains (Sundertide)
• Emberfall (Apsiran)

Cultural Interpretations

Different societies emphasize different aspects of the calendar:

• Chelonia uses Apsiran for deep-ocean rites linked to Pearlescent magic.
• Tilçanhu times its religious and political councils around lunar phases rather than fixed dates.
• The Free Peoples use the calendar for civic organization but treat festivals more flexibly.
• The Kurai map ancestral duties and martial traditions according to Selunvar’s “rivers” on the moon’s face.
• Zareem tribes follow their own song-line calendar that overlays the lunar system with seasonal wind patterns.

Despite cultural variations, the lunar calendar is recognized across nearly all of Arcasia. It remains one of the few systems of time that transcends borders, languages, and religious differences.

Conclusion

The lunar calendar of Arcasia is more than a way to mark days. It is a reflection of the world’s cosmology, a guide for magic and agriculture, a framework for ritual, and a unifying thread across diverse cultures.

Selunvar gives the calendar structure; Thalune gives it texture.
Together, they mark the rhythm of Arcasia’s life—steady, shifting, and filled with meaning.