Time

      Time in Realms of Adventure is somewhat different than our regular real-life calendar. This system attempts to promote a fantasy setting without making the system of keeping track of time overly complex.

For hours of the day, we use the same hours as we normally do on a 12-hour cycle. The only difference is time is typically expressed in relation to one of 3 important times of the day. 12 pm (noon) is expressed as “High Sun.” 12 am (midnight) is expressed as “High Moon.” 4:00 pm (the time of the skills refresh) is expressed as “Midday.” When giving a time such as “3:00 pm” one would say something like “3 hours past High Sun” or “1 hour before Midday.” When giving a time such as “1:00 am” one would say something like “1 hour after High Moon.” You MAY wear or carry a watch during the game but it must be covered and not openly displayed as this detracts from the atmosphere we are trying to create. You may discretely check the time and watches are referred to in game as either “Time-Pixies” or “Sun dials.”

For days of the week we do not use the typical names like “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc.” The RoA week begins with Monday and ends with Sunday. Typically they use the name of the number they correspond to with the exception of the 6th and 7th day as shown below.

      When expressing a day in a given month it would be something like “Day 5” or “The 5th day” for the 5th of a month and “Day 21” or “The 21st day” for the 21st of a month.

Months are called “Moons” and each “Moon” has the same number of days as its respective month (ex-January has 31 days whereas February has 28). The names of the months at RoA are listed below.

      When referencing a year on the real-world calendar, years that come after 0 are followed by the letters AD and years that took place before 0 are followed by the letters BC. In Adraveth, many major civilizations have their own calendars and their own year 0 which typically marks an important historical event within their culture. As Realms of Adventure is set in the town of New Calendale which is located within the Twin Kingdoms, it follows the Twin Kingdoms calendar, whose year 0 designates the unification of the once-separate kingdoms of Vondara and Breckendorf. So, when writing the number of a year which takes place after the unification it is followed by the letters AU (for after unification) and when writing the number of a year which took place before the unification it is followed by the letters BU (for before unification). In order to determine the current year in the Twin Kingdoms, simply subtract 900 from the year in real life. For example, 2005 in the real world would be 1105 AU in the Twin Kingdoms, as the in-game year takes place 1105 years after the unification of Vondara and Breckendorf.

Sometimes years are expressed by their number but every year also has a name, and these are universally recognized by all major civilizations and cultures. At the time of this writing (2003) it is the Year of the Goblinoid. The way these names come about is truly strange and wondrous. It is said that in the farthest reaches of Agoria, deep within the jungle lives an ancient albino Agorian referred to as “The Oracle.” The Oracle is said to be the oldest being on Adraveth aged several thousand years, and given the gift of immortality by the gods themselves. No one has ever been able to establish proof of the Oracle’s existence but his effects are undeniable. In the second half of the Spirit Moon, that belonging to Negoro, creator of the Agorian race and the Lord of all Eternity, people of all different ages, races and civilizations begin to hear the call of the Oracle. It begins with a simple feeling and culminates with dreams of meeting with him. At these meetings they can see all the other participants from across the lands and they all listen as the Oracle tells of the year to come. The name of the year usually foretells in some way what is to be. The dreamers are often heard to mutter and speak in the tongue of the old ones while they sleep, despite not knowing the language when they awake. From this meeting the name of the year comes about. Some have claimed to have met the Oracle through dreams or actually in person but most times these people are dismissed as charlatans or crackpots. It is not known if the Oracle knows of all things to come or simply is an instrument of the gods. The predictions made during sessions with the Oracle do not necessary come true as he makes certain to express to his “visitors” that these are some of possible outcomes. It is clear however that some remember (or are simply told more) than others. Some very chilling prophecies have come from these meetings.

Years that RoA has been running and their respective names are found below:

(2003) 1103 – The Year of the Goblinoid
(2004) 1104 – The Year of Balance
(2005) 1105 – The Year of Upheaval
(2006) 1106 – The Year of Tragedy
(2007) 1107 – The Year of Redemption
(2008) 1108 – The Year of Strife
(2009) 1109 – The Year of Lucidity
(2010) 1110 – The Year of Awakening
(2011) 1111 – The Year of Discovery
(2012) 1112 – The Year of Exploration
(2013) 1113 – The Nameless Year
(2014) 1114 – The Year of Ascension
(2015) 1115 – The Year of Justice
(2016) 1116 – The Year of Healing
(2017) 1117 – The Year of Mischief
(2018) 1118 – The Year of the Prism
(2019) 1119 – The Year of Expansion
(2020) 1120 – The Year of Expanding Horizons