Time & Seasons on the Sword Coast
A quick guide to dates, months, seasons, and holidays used across Neverwinter, Leilon, and Waterdeep.
The Calendar We Use
- Calendar: Calendar of Harptos (the standard across Faerûn)
- Year count: Dalereckoning (DR)
- Structure: 12 months of 30 days each, plus a handful of festival days inserted between months
- Weeks: People count in tendays (days 1–10). There are no official weekday names.
How I write dates in this world
1491 DR — Marpenoth (Leaffall), 5th day of the second tenday 1491 DR — Highharvestide
Months at a Glance (Calendar of Harptos)
| # | Month (Common Name) | Seasonal note / what folks call it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hammer (Deepwinter) | Coldest stretch begins; inland travel is harsh. |
| 2 | Alturiak (The Claw of Winter) | Deep winter storms; coastal sailing is chancy. |
| 3 | Ches (The Claw of Sunsets) | Winter easing; late squalls. |
| 4 | Tarsakh (The Claw of Storms) | Spring storms and floods; muddy roads. |
| 5 | Mirtul (The Melting) | Thaw complete; rivers run high. |
| 6 | Kythorn (Time of Flowers) | Pleasant spring; caravans roll. |
| 7 | Flamerule (Summertide) | High summer heat. |
| 8 | Eleasis (Highsun) | Long days; peak sailing and trade. |
| 9 | Eleint (The Fading) | Harvest; evenings cool. |
| 10 | Marpenoth (Leaffall) | Storms begin to return; last “safe” sailings. |
| 11 | Uktar (The Rotting) | Cold rains, early snow; most ships stand down. |
| 12 | Nightal (The Drawing Down) | Harsh winter; sea travel uncommon. |
Festival Days (inserted between months)
These “intercalary” days aren’t part of any tenday. Most places observe at least a market, feast, or temple rite.
- Midwinter (between Hammer–Alturiak) — nobles trade oaths and gifts; temples hold solemn rites.
- Greengrass (between Tarsakh–Mirtul) — first flowers and outdoor feasts.
- Midsummer (between Flamerule–Eleasis) — weddings, revels, and treaties.
- Shieldmeet (the day after Midsummer, every 4 years) — public courts and renewal of oaths.
- Highharvestide (between Eleint–Marpenoth) — markets and harvest fairs.
- Feast of the Moon (between Uktar–Nightal) — remembrance for the departed, tales by the hearth.
How People Talk About Time
- Tendays, not weekdays. Folks say “3rd day of the second tenday,” or “on the sixth.”
- Watches/bells. Sailors and guards divide the night into watches; in towns you’ll hear “two bells past dusk,” or simply “after dawn / by highsun / before dusk.”
- Year names. Many years also carry a traditional epithet (the Roll of Years). You’ll sometimes see “Year of the ____” alongside the DR number.
Seasons & Travel on the Coast
- Sailing Season:
- Best: Kythorn → Eleasis (late spring through high summer).
- Adequate: Eleint → Marpenoth (harvest into early leaf-fall).
- Risky: Uktar → Nightal (winter storms), Tarsakh (spring gales).
- Caravans: Avoid deep winter in the North; most overland traffic peaks from Kythorn–Eleint.
Current campaign date: 1491 DR — Marpenoth (Leaffall), 5th day of the second tenday
Last safe sailings are leaving port; winter convoys are already being planned (or postponed).
Quick Reference (copy/save)
- A year = 12 × 30-day months = 360 days + festival days
- A tenday = 10 days
- No weekday names; use day numbers and tendays
- Festival days sit between months (they are not day 31)
- Every fourth year adds Shieldmeet after Midsummer
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