Circus of the Greats

The Dating of Events In Eiliron the date is reckoned by the lunar cycle, so there are thirteen months in the year. The year is reckoned from the first moon after the first frost, and continues on through the end of the harvest at the end of the year. While weather and crop cycles vary by year and by location, the following calendar is a rough outline of the different times of the year. Moon of the First Frost: Ushers in the new year. The harvest is in just ahead of the first frost, and everyone prepares for the winter. It’s a busy month for most people. Sleep Moon: The last of the harvest occurs with the process-ing of meat for the winter. It’s also a labor-intensive time, particularly where the growing season is short, and supplies of grain, legumes, and the like are not as plentiful. Dark Moon: The days are dark, short, and increasingly cold. There is, in most countries on Eiliron, a Winterfest that celebrates the light in the darkness. Freeze Moon: Deep, deep cold. In some areas, it is also known as Death Moon because losses to illness are more common in the deep winter, and it’s considered an ill-omened time. Snow Moon: The cold usually abates somewhat by this moon, but there is also more chance of heavy snow, particularly in the mountains. Travel is not undertaken lightly. Communities are cut off from each other in some regions. Bright Moon: The first signs of spring, particularly in the plains and on the coast. Though the weather remains cold and wet, it’s clear that winter is coming to an end. Thaw Moon: Winter’s back is well and truly broken. Even in the mountains, the snows have stopped, and the melt waters swell the rivers that flow into the sea. In warmer parts of Eiliron, new growth is beginning. Rain Moon: Cool and wet. Trees are budding, herds are incr-easing, and winter stores of food are nearly spent. Travel can be difficult because the roads are often messy. Moon of First Leaf: A time of celebration, when new life is bursting out everywhere. Farmers are planting their fields. The days grow ever longer and brighter. Flower and Berry Moon: Spring gives way to summer with long, warm, sunny days and starry nights. Heat Moon: The hottest part of the year. Sunshine is abun-dant, and if the rains come regularly, the crops ripen and grow heavy. Harvest Moon: The harvest begins as the weather starts to cool again. Moon of the Ancestors: The harvest concludes as the weather grows colder. It is said that the spirits of the dead are more active, so it becomes a time of deep thought and remembrance.