For the purposes of this wiki, time is measured using the Imperial calendar, as this is the one most widely used on Avishraa. In brief, the Imperial calendar divides up time into nine eras, which will be the basis for dating historical events. Eras are divided into cycles, cycles into 36 turns, and turns into 36 vigils (or, less precisely, six phases of approximately six vigils each, starting at sunrise: Brightening, Radiance, Dimming; then, after sunset: Waxing, Vigilance, Waning). See also this handy unit converter (courtesy of pinkgothic).
Prehistory: While technically the Ancient Era has no start date, assigning precise dates to events becomes increasingly futile the further back one goes, and therefore, events prior to the invention of writing are simply assigned to prehistory, expressed in approximate number of cycles before present.
Ancient Era: Writing was invented between about 700 and 800 hundred cycles before present, and after this point it becomes possible to date events with more precision, though the Imperial calendar itself did not exist at this point. Accordingly, the Ancient Era counts backward from the beginning of the Dawn Era, with the last cycle of the era being counted as 0 Ancient.
Dawn Era: The first cycle of the Dawn Era was held in legend to have been proclaimed to mark the founding of the Sixfold League, the precursor to the
Sixfold Empire, though in truth this date was set generations afterward. It lasted for 16 cycles.
Nest Era: Like that of the Dawn Era, the beginning of the Nest Era was proclaimed retroactively; unlike the Dawn Era, the first cycle of the Nest Era was one within which a historical event was known in fact to occur. This was the ceremonial exchange of daggers with the
Pact of Glory that marked the start of war between the two alliances. It lasted for 13 cycles.
Glory Era: In the aftermath of the
Wars of Righteousness and its mastery over the lower
Sahvarr watershed, the Sixfold League restructured its government, becoming the Sixfold Empire. The Glory Era was proclaimed at the setting of the
first stone in the Empire's new capital at
Kar Iitan. It lasted for 39 cycles.
Sky Era: The Sky Era was proclaimed at the inauguration of the Imperial Expeditions, sent out by land and sea to find new lands for the Empire to awe into submission. It lasted for 34 cycles.
Storm Era: The Storm Era was not proclaimed until it ended, but was held to begin in the same cycle that the
Mad Overturn, the first of the devastating civil wars known collectively as the
Overturns, began. It lasted for 19 cycles.
Steel Era: The Steel Era began with the end of the Overturns and the ascension of the first of the sole
empresses. It lasted for 32 cycles.
Vigil Era: As central control gradually weakened, regional governors and outside invaders became bolder. The loss of the far western provinces was cited by the empress of the time as her reason for declaring the Vigil Era, as a reminder to all Imperial citizens to be cautious of traitors and watchful for disloyalty. It lasted for 27 cycles.
Cloud Era: The sack of Kar Iitan and the shattering of the Foundation Stone by the rebellious general
Uvereth marked the final end of the Empire. The general consensus counts the entire time after this event, up to the present day, to be the Cloud Era, which thus far has lasted for the better part of 85 cycles.
The remnants of the Empire are being overshadowed by the rise of
new powers,
faraway lands have been found across the sea, and the increasingly prevalent techniques of
enchantment are changing the world. And as the
Citadel comes increasingly under the influence of the
oracle Dlyss and
her followers, the time approaches when the
takmar will have to deal with
Chosen who refuse to hide in the shadows any longer. The approaching changes may herald the coming of a new era at last - and, unless some
outside force intervenes, it is likely to be a
violent and terrible one…