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Cerea Island 2 : History (day 3): Overview and timekeeping
Saturday, 21 April 2007

This is an installment of the series of articles that are to be published daily.

They focus on different parts of the NWN2 persistent world Cerea Island 2.

The subjects will rotate between the following: the world(cosmology and similar), gods, history, places, custom systems, big events of the past, characters, old adventures, new adventures and organizations.

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History of Myaasia

Note: All time lines are approximate, as most of the historical records are lost.

First Era

The first era was the era of the immortals, dominated mostly by the Iylari and the Uruk-Hai, with their long lifespans to gain personal skill and power.

In the Elf-Orc-Wars at the end of the first era, their slow breeding-rates eventually caused the “lesser” races to grind them down with numbers.

 Second Era

The second era - after most of the immortals had died off in the Elf-Orc-Wars - saw the rise of quicker breeding races and unlife. During most of the era, the forces of life and unlife were about in balance. Towards the middle of the era, the dragons with their tremendous power gained more and more power, but in the Magewars at the end, they faced the same problems as Iylari and Uruk-hai in first era: With their slow rate of breeding, they lost most of their influence. But the greatest losers of all was unlife, loosing most of their strongholds and areas.

 

Third Era

The beginning of third era was a time of unprecedented growth of life. This time the fast breeding races like common men and goblins and lesser orcs saw a great dominance. With unlife forced mostly to the shadows , and the longer-living races low in numbers, the domination of the world was in the hands of the “common” races.

At the end of the third era a large number of unlife swept over most of the world, killing millions in what became known as the Unlife Wars. They were eventually defeated, but large parts of the land remained under unlife control.

 

Fourth Era

Current Status: During the Unlife Wars all races suffered horrendous losses. Unlife was eventually defeated, but they control wide parts of the land and have a significant presence in others.

The people of Myaasia are slowly starting to rebuild their civilization.

 

Time Keeping

The prominent Way of counting time is the way of the continent of Myaasia. No one knows why it is as it is, but still it is almost universally used by humans and most others at least know how to use it.

Time is divided into: seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, years, periods, sets and eras.

Seconds to weeks is as expected. There are 48 weeks in a year and twelve years in a period, except in for the periods of destruction that thankfully only haves six years. A set has thirteen periods and thus 150 years.

Cataclysmic events cause the change of era and the counting of periods to start anew.

When a new era is started by the collapse of civilization, the counting of years is twelve years of beaver, followed by twelve years of badger and so on until there are the six years of destruction.

These periods are collectively called the “first periods”, totaling 150 years followed by the “second periods” and so on.

The weeks of a year are all named and have a “theme” and the years of a period are numbered and the periods are also named and have an “ideal” Thus time is given like: “eleven in the morning of Sunday of strength in the year four of seventh period of wolf in third era.”

Meaning: “11 AM, on Sunday of the 28th week of the year, in the fourth year in 12th period(=year 136 of the set) in the seventh set in the third era(=year 1.036 of the era).”

Week names and ideals

The names of weeks are a mystery, as they do not seem to fit the seasons or any other logic.

week Primary Other meanings

01 Joy Absence of Sorrow
02 Wholeness Health, Purity
03 Sun Light, Summer
04 Partnership Gift from Above
05 Communication Signals, Oracle, Holiness
06 Possessions Vitality, Community, Wealth
07 Harvest A fruitful year, Fall
08 Growth New Birth, Wood, Spring
09 Fertility Legendary Hero
10 Flow Sea, Source, Water
11 Movement Course of the Sun , Horse
12 Breakthrough Day, God’s Light
13 Opening Torch, Skiff, Map, Ulcer
14 Defencse Yew, Bow, Armour, Debate
15 Protection Resistance
16 Wolf Common Beast, Survival
17 Scholar Knowledge, Books
18 Smith Builder, Project, Completion
19 Tower Residence, Home
20 Rune Sword Weapon of Power
21 Staff of Power Device of Power
22 Cleric Deity through man
23 Wizard Energy, Mana, Adept
24 Destiny The Unknowable
25 Bard Bringer of News, Storyteller
26 Earth Stability, Work
27 Oneself Man, Self, Mankind
28 Strength Strength, Ox, Sacrifice
29 Journey Travel, Quest, Desire
30 Warrior Victory, Star
31 Thief Loss of Item, Breakage
32 Initiation Secret, Uncertain Meaning
33 Griffin Legendary Beast, Sidhe
34 Retreat Separation, Wealth
35 Standstill Ice, Winter
36 Constraint Necessity, Sorrow, Lesson
37 War Hostility, Disagreement
38 Death Assassin
39 Gate Giant, Demon, Thorn
40 Disruption Damaging Natural Forces
41 Pit Traps, Danger
42 Deceit Deception, Illusion
43 Betrayer Infiltrator
44 Goblin Dispersed Evil
45 Werewolf Monster, Vicious Evil
46 Dragon Mighty Evil, Fear
47 Distortion Twisting, Undead
48 Vortex Chaos, Entity, Destroyer

The years of a set
Years Period of... Major ideal
1-12 Beaver Construction
13-24 Badger Home/health
25-36 Bear Power
37-48 Buffalo Masculinity
49-60 Deer Femininity
61-72 Eagle Freedom/Revolt
73-84 Horse Work/Duty
85-96 Lion Life
97-108 Moose Stability
109-120 Owl Wisdom/Knowledge
121-132 Otter Life/Happiness
133-144 Wolf Survival of Fittest
145-150 Destruction See “Period of Destruction”

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 24 April 2007 )
 
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