Dating Scales
Most historians measure Saeral history in relation to the founding of the first Kingdom of Sarimia by King Silas “the Lame.” In this fashion, a date one hundred years later would be referred to as 100 AF, or one hundred years After Founding, and vice-versa for dates Before Founding, or BF. This system first came into common use during the reign of Silas’ grandson, Magnus, and has continued in the thousands of years that have followed.
There are inherent problems with this method, however, as this dating system bares very little relevance to cultures and civilizations beyond Sarimian influence. It presents a very Saricentric view of history, and increasingly, historians have begun using comparative scales for different societies. In Hrolfgard, years are measured before and after the fall of the Last Dvarr Empire (and the subsequent climactic changes of the Northern Cooling), the equivalent of some 900 years before the founding of Sarimia. Hrolfgardian towns put on a festival that coincides with their new year. Although the exact date of the Last Empire’s collapse is unknown, the festival traditionally coincides with the end of the harvest, and as a result is subject to some variability.
In Suldafos, time is traditionally measured based on a 144-year cycle, following the twelve members of the Suldafid Zodiac: The Horse, The Strider, The Spirax, The Woman, The Man, The Dog, The Eagle, The Dragon, The Shark, The Cat, The Child, and The Leviathan. Each member of the zodiac holds sway for twelve years at a time. This bears some similarity to the Chinese Zodiac of Earth, but with a slightly different cultural importance and viewpoint. The Suldafid Zodiac is more similar to the Aztec tradition in which the world ends every fifty-two years. The Years of the Leviathan were traditionally held to be the end of the old world, with the coming of the Dawn Horse signalling the beginning of the new.
Some experts believe this to coincide with the orbital cycles of the other planets in the Tylaran system, specifically Saeris’ two moons, Casurn and Scios, and the massive Gas Giant Desrion. The city of Suldafos saw the first use of telescopic lenses to observe the stars, circa 700 AF, and it’s quite plausible that the cultural significance of celestial movements directly contributed to this.
In Weryon, years are measured by which major city held sway in Weryan politics, which is more similar to a dynastic system. Whereas someone from Earth would say that a vase was Ming Dynasty, a Weryan person would describe one of their artifacts as being 2nd Ma’atan Supremacy or 19th Tonan Supremacy.