Calendars of Aropa and Hessia (with modern equivalnets)

Aropa uses a 13-month calendar, each with 28 days. As this only accounts for 364 days, one or two days are added after the 13th month, to account for missing days. These added days are not part of any week, so the months always start on Lunis. This calendar is also called the Cafren calendar.

The months are:

Empesos
Secondos
Tertios
Quartos
Quintos
Sextos
Septimos
Octimos
Novimos
Decimos
Ektos
Elos
Domos

A week-number designator is combined with the day of the week to form the day name. In cases where this would sound clunky, an "n" is added between them. Thus, the 28 days common to all months are officially, in order:

Primalunis
Primanaris
Primameric
Primatorres
Primaveris
Primanodis
Primasolis
Secolunis
Seconaris
Secomeric
Secotorres
Secoveris
Seconodis
Secosolis
Trilunis
Triaris
Trimeric
Tritorres
Triveris
Triodis
Trisolis
Quaterlunis
Quaternaris
Quatermeric
Quatertorres
Quaterveris
Quaternodis
Quatersolis

(Unofficially, certain names have been shortened, such as Primaris for Priminaris, Secodis for Seconodis.)

Dates are given as "the [day name] of [month], Year of Annos [year]". So one might speak of an event happening on the Triodis of Tertios, Year of Annos 1375.

The added days are treated as if they were added to Domos, the last month. So the day after the Quatersolis of Domos is officially called the Quinlunis of Domos. However, since there is only one month with a Quinlunis, most people omit the month. If Annos, the Year Star, rises during the Quinlunis, the next day is the start of the year (i.e., the Primalunis of Empesos). If not, the next day is the Quinaris of Domos (again, most people omit the month), and the following day is the start of the year. The Royal Observatory in Spira, the Capital of Cafren, has an enchanted roof that allows starlight and moonlight to be observed even when obscured by clouds and sun, so there is never a doubt as to when Annos rises.

As for modern equivalence, the Primalunis of Empesos is best equated with our March 1.

The Hessian calendar (also called the Xi An calendar) is based on seasons. There are five recognized seasons, each 73 or 74 days long. Leap Years, which follow the Gregorian rules, add a 74th day to the first season (Cherry).

The seasons, and their modern equivalents, are:

Cherry (Jan. 19 - Apr. 1)
Lilac (Apr. 2 - Jun. 13)
Sunflower (Jun. 14 - Aug. 25)
Rice (Aug. 26 - Nov. 6)
Mistletoe (Nov. 7 - Jan. 18)

The days of the week run normally, and are ordered as follows:

Sunis
Monis
Gallis
Atoris
Falsis
Veris
Elmentis

Dates are normally given as "[day of week], [number] Day of [season], Year [year] of His Holiness". So a typical date might be Veris, 35th Day of Rice, Year 135 of His Holiness.

The Eight Paths of Hessia

Religious thought in Hessia is divided into eight separate but equal paths. Each one has a name, a symbol, and a set of four "ideals" that define it.

Each has a rite that members practice every eight months on the full moon, and are often seen doing things on the new moon of the "opposite" path. Although these are Hessian religious rites, it is more convenient to use Aropan calendar months, as Aropa has a lunar/sidereal calendar. (The new moon usually occurs in the first three days of an Aropan month, and the full moon usually occurs around the 15th day of the month.)

The path of The World will hold rites on the full moon of Empesos, 1376. Its ideals are Change, Earth, Permanence, and Water; and its symbol is a circle seated atop a square. Its opposite is the path of The Aether.

The path of The Moon will hold rites on the full moon of Secondos, 1376. Its ideals are Darkness, Fire, Permanence, and Water; and its symbol is a circle inside a square. Its opposite is the path of The Sun.

The path of The Intangibles will hold its rites on the full moon of Tertios, 1376. Its ideals are Change, Darkness, Light, and Permanence; and its symbol is a triangle pointing downward. Its opposite is the path of The Elements.

The path of Truth will hold its rites on the full moon of Quartos, 1376. Its ideals are Earth, Fire, Light, and Permanence; and its symbol is a circle. Its opposite is the path of Falsehood.

The path of The Aether will hold its rites on the full moon of Quintos, 1376. Its ideals are Air, Darkness, Fire, and Light; and its symbol is a square seated atop a circle. Its opposite is the path of The World.

The path of The Sun will hold its rites on the full moon of Sextos, 1376. Its ideals are Air, Change, Earth, and Light, and its symbol is a square inside a circle. Its opposite is the path of The Moon.

The path of The Elements will hold its rites on the full moon of Septimos, 1376. Its ideals are Air, Earth, Fire, and Water, and its symbol is a triangle pointing upward. Its opposite is the path of The Intangibles.

The path of Falsehood will hold its rites on the full moon of Octimos, 1376. Its ideals are Air, Change, Darkness, and Water, and its symbol is a square. Its opposite is the path of Truth.

Coins and Numbers in Aropa

The Aropans have developed a system of numbers based in part upon their coinage structure. The coins are standard Rolemaster quarter-ounce mint throughout all of Aropa, and follow the standard 10-1 ratio, but use the Treasure Companion ordering (i.e. Mithril coins are worth 1,000 gold, whereas aluminum coins are worth 100 gold). From greatest value to least, the coins are:

Mithril (only for ceremonial purposes)
Aluminum (rare)
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Copper
Tin
Iron (no longer used)

In the early years of Annos (before 750 Y.A.), there were intermediate "coins" that were worth 5 of the smaller coin (or half of the larger coin). In one case (the fur piece), there was no actual coin, but referred to the value of a standard fox pelt. In the case of the eog (truesteel) and laen (trueglass) pieces, these do not exist, but the names are used as placeholders for the numeric system. (They were discovered after the basic system was in place, and represent lower numeric values than mithril, which had been discovered, even though they are worth more than mithril alchemically.) These values are:

Eog (between Mithril and Aluminum)
Laen
Zinc
Jade
Fur
Nickel
Half-copper (origin disputed, but refers either to a crude attempt to alloy copper or a practice of slicing copper coins in half to make change)
Quartz

These 17 values form the basis of the numeric system. The first letter of the smallest value (I), represents a numeric value of 1. The next higher letter, Q (for Quartz), represents 5. Each value then builds up, to the point where Mithril, the largest actual coin, represents a value of 100 million. No provisions have yet been made for larger numbers.

The Aropan system uses subtracive values similar to the Roman numeral system of Earth, but supports the concept of complex subtraction. Aropans use "IQ" to represent the number 4, just as Roman numerals allow "IV" to represent the same thing, but the Aropans allow for subtractions to cross boundaries of order of magnitude. "IB" would be 999 (1,000 - 1), a value that Roman numerals would list as "CMXCIX". Additionally, sometimes a value can be built up (using normal addition rules for numbers) only to be subtracted from an even larger number. This is seen in the current Year of Annos BCTTQNI. "B" represents 1,000, "CTTQ" represents 125, but immediately precedes "N", which represents 500. Thus "CTTQN" represents 375 (500 - 125). Combining all the results (1,000 + 375 + 1), we see that the BCTTQNI represents the year 1376.

The Bladehex Song

This song was introduced at the beginning of the campaign. With the group composition changing, it bears repeating here.

The first time this song was encountered, it was sung in Elvish. It has since been translated into the common tongue:

When the Seven accepted the One
And added Color to the Grayscale,
Reya gave of her substance,
Indagu gave of his strength
Forging the swords of the Bladehex --
A total of six were made
Vested in them were expressions
Of the elements, gods, and minds.
If ever the hilts start growing,
Dwarf, elf and man must come together.
Extending the blades to the limit --
Defeating the scions of darkness.

Lo! May this day not come, for
If it should ever arrive,
Fiends of the purest disciplines
Expect to engulf the world.
In that day, the Bladehex will respond:
Fate shall select its champions,
Harrowing deeds will be done, and
Every eye will see them.
Extending the blades to the limit --
Defeating the scions of darkness.
Extending the blades to the limit --
Defeating the scions of darkness.

The Known Regions

There are three main regions of the world, as reported by the Keeper of the Bladehex. These are known, in broad terms, as Aropa, Ferica, and Hessia.

Aropa
If we consider a map of only the known regions, Aropa would lie in the northwest corner. It is separated from Hessia by a range of mountains on its eastern border inhabited by dragons, and separated from Ferica by an ocean to its south. Aropa has traditional seasons, but the summers are relatively cool and the winters are relatively warm.

The following nations are part of Aropa:

Cafren: This nation is in the western part of Aropa, and it is known for its wine and theatre. It is occupied mostly by humans, with the occasional members of other races.
Gherek: This is the Orc nation. It occupies the southeastern part of Aropa. The city of Ispasa holds the one land passage to Hessia that is not occupied by dragons.
Icy Wastes: Although this is technically separate from Aropa (being too far north to be part of the continent), the Vikings here have raided the Aropan nations of Nagymer, Siraus and Tribnia.
Iliscy: This island lies south of Lytia, and is home to a large halfling population. It is known as a home for unusual beneficial plants.
Lytia: This wooded area in the southern area of Aropa is home to the Elves. It is the nation that is closest to Iliscy.
Nagymer: This is another human nation. It is in the northern part of Aropa and is the home of the Bladehex. Grain, dairy and cattle are their primary business.
Panis: This is a human nation that lives on the peninsula that comprises the southwestern portion of Aropa. Wine and fruit are common products here, and Panis boasts a large number of sailors.
Siraus: This nation lies directly west of the Dragon Mountains. The humans here rely mostly on gathering naturally grown foods, as anything they plant is subject to draconic raids.
Switz: This is the dwarf kingdom in the center of Aropa. The primary business of Switz is smithing and alchemy.
Tribnia: This island nation lies off the northwestern coast of Cafren and is run by humans. While most of the nation keeps to themselves, their cadre of sailors is exceeded only by Panis and the Icy Wastes.

Hessia
This is the area east of the Dragon Mountains. It is also home to several nations.

Ferres: Home to vulfen (wolflike humanoids), this nation lives due east of the Dragons, and lives on small game and gathering.
K'mir: Currently home to Quishadi (a magically constructed race that look like unwrapped, decomposed mummies). The pass at Ispasa in Gherek connects to the city of Nampen in K'mir. Its primary trade is in magical items.
Kor'Yan: This human nation in the northeast of Hessia is home to a nomadic tribe of mountain-dwelling soldiers.
Minoc: Home to the cat-like Idiyva, this nation in north-central Hessia is known for keeping itself out of the Black and Blue War.
Mugal: This nation was a co-leader in the old Xi An Empire of Emperor Shatran, but the loss of King Perseus Charon 25 years ago caused the nation to fall into ruin. It lies in the south-central part of Hessia.
N'dif: The island nation just to the south of Mugal is home to a group of humans who keep mostly to themselves. They operate an island paradise with obscure traditions.
Nihuna: This island nation off the east coast of Xi An is a feudal society of humans that have developed a large number of martial arts schools.
Tailin: This human nation east of Mugal has developed a large number of products all made of rice.
Xi An: This is the largest nation, and the most cultured. All sorts of learning are encouraged here. Although humans rule the nations, there are almost as many Urlocs (shorter blue humanoids with innate magic abilities) in the nation, and most non-governmental organizations are run by Urlocs.
Yychis: The Goblin nation lies between Tailin and Xi An, and is seen as a scourge by all the other nations. However, no one can deny the Yychians' ability to defend their swamp.

Ferica
More information will be given about this area when it becomes available.

The Origin of the World

No one knows what really happened, for no one was there. But the earliest legends all speak of something known only as Destruction. And when Destruction had destroyed everything else, it destroyed itself, leaving Creation in its wake. Thus ended the First Age: The Age of Decline.

Creation began to create in this new world. And when it had created everything else, Creation created Destruction anew. Thus both were in the world. And thus ended the Second Age: The Age of Ascension.

If Destruction were left to itself, Creation reasoned, it would destroy everything, including Creation. Then the actions of the past would repeat themselves, creating an Endless Cycle.

Creation began to oppose Destruction, but they were evenly matched. Therefore, something had to be done. Thus Creation merged part of its essence with that of Destruction, creating 99 mixed beings. These became known as the Greyscale.

Those beings of the Greyscale that were composed mostly of Creation's essence joined Creation, and those composed mostly of Destruction's essence joined Destruction. Only one being remained neutral, as it was composed of equal parts of both essences. Again, the two sides were evenly matched. To break the stalemate, both Creation and Destruction offered their power to the neutral being if it would join them.

The neutral being accepted both offers and began to call itself Arbiter. Arbiter created two worlds, one for each of the two Prime Beings. The first one would never be empty; if ever there were only one thing left in it, another would be created at random. The second would never be full; if only one thing were left uncreated, something in that world would be destroyed at random. The two Prime Beings were sent into their worlds, and the connections between those worlds and this one were destroyed. Then the Greyscale began to make the world anew, and Arbiter judged the results, destroying those things that were not worthy. Thus ended the Third Age: The Age of Creation and Destruction.

This went on for years. However, stagnation developed. For the day came when all objects were created and either accepted or rejected. Thus nothing new ever happened. Arbiter saw no problem with this, as this was the ultimate solution to the Endless Cycle, but the other Greys grew bored. So they asked Arbiter to go back to their former masters and petition them for a gift that would end the Stagnation. Arbiter agreed and arranged for temporary transport. Once they received their gifts, the Greys were transported to a distant island where the gifts were to be opened.

Arbiter ordered that Destruction's gift be opened first, fearing a trap. Inside was a card that read, "2 + 2 = 5".

"This is an Error," Arbiter intoned, "but Destruction has given us what we asked for. Until now, we have been judging things on a standard of perfection, leaving only certain designs as viable. By allowing imperfection, the Stagnation will end, as there will be things to destroy. Therefore, let this Error remain as an example to us all."

Creation's gift was then opened. It was a prism made of crystal, and the Greys set it up so that light passed through it. Seven beings emerged, each resplendent in color:

Reya, queen of Earth
Orana, mistress of Light
Yallo, king of Fire
Garin, lord of Permanence
Ballu, prince of Water
Indagu, master of Darkness
Valeta, princess of Air

Arbiter considered the revelation. "This, too, is useful," he concluded. "Creation has shown that items which appeared to be useless by themselves may have value when combined. Creation's wishes will be upheld. Go forth, beings, and fulfill your purpose." The Seven went forth and created many things: men, dwarves, platypuses, lambtrees, and centaurs. Thus ended the Fourth Age: The Age of Mixture.

After they did so, they came back to the island where they were first released and found Destruction's card. A fierce debate erupted among the Seven as to what to do with it. In the end, it was decided that since Arbiter allowed it to remain, they were free to use it. In the end, they gave it the name Erora, lady of Change, a body like their own, a brown robe, and let it combine itself into everything, including themselves. Thus things like disease, decay, mistakes, luck, and uncertainty were put into objects. Thus begins the Fifth and Current Age: The Age of the Eight Gifts.