Revising the Calendar Application, Calendar Lore in General

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#1

Aki_Tendo

May 09, 2015 5:54:41

In this thread we'll tackle two topics, the rebuilding of a very small calendar tool WotC created some years ago found here:

 

https://www.wizards.com/dnd/fc/index.htm

 

And the lore of calendars in general as it applies to the Realms. For those interested in that rather than code related matters skip ahead to the next heading.

 

The tool above is nifty, but it's old - written in 2005 and Java Script has come a very long way in the last 10 years - and so have browsers. Judging from the structure of the code of that page it probably would happily run on IE 4. Coding complex websites is what I do for a living, and since starting a Realms campaign I want a better tool than that one so I'm going to write one.  So far I've extracted the roll of year names from the old app and converted it to a JSON object. That format will be used to store the data files for this project.  My initial goals are to update the code and make the calendar responsive, with portrait and landspace view states for mobile. I intend to release the code back to WotC to do with as they will. 

 

The initial version will be JavaScript only - server side code will be required to maintain state across devices and, while nice, is out of scope.  I'm researching a means to allow people to compose and share data files without knowing JavaScript and without splitting their brain open dealing with the data structures I'm designing which are computer friendly - but not very human friendly (for example, day events will be stored as a simple day count starting from -700 DR. That means the first day of the current year, 1489 DR, is day 799,168 to the computer). Unfortunately file manipulation in Java Script remains spotty.

 

Like the current calendar moon phases will be calculated out - and I've already built new moon phase glyphs in svg format so they'll remain crisply displayed even on UHD and "retina" devices. Compatibility will be any browser that is fully HTML 5 / CSS 3 / EMCA 5 compliant - examples: IE 11, Safari, Chrome, Firefox. After replicating the functionality of the current app I intend to add, well, a lot, and that's where the lore part, and the fun part comes in.

 

Brief note for any fellow programmers: When I have something presentable I'll commit it to git hub for other programmers to check out. I am using Jade to handle the html templating and the stylesheets are SASS based. I'm also using Codekit and will include the project config file in the push. I'm not using a CSS framework since I'm not in any particular hurry and I want to get this done right.

 

Calendar Lore

For as fleshed out as the Realms is, there's a lot of functional holes in the calendar system that I'd like to address. If any of this has been answered please point out where the canon source lies. There used to be some regulars here that had Ed's personal email and could forward things along to him.

 

In the absence of an official answer for now I'll be filling in the blanks, but I welcome feedback and elaboration.

 

Days of the Week

First question - what are the days of the week named?  In our world the week days are named for gods all but forgotten. In the Realms the situation is a bit more contentious. The common name for each day is its theme, and then the local deity most strongly associated with that theme usually has the day named in honor of them.

 

(Note - the calendar tool will have the day and week names will be decoupled from code and editable).

 

First Day of the Week - Miracle Day

Most churches in the Realms hold their weekly observences on this day and the abundance of divine magic getting tossed around has led to the phrase "Miracle Day." "All God's Day" is another very common if somewhat wordier choice.  In Zhentil Keep the day is Banesday and in most cities that have a very dominant power it is usually this day that is assigned to the local favorite. In Waterdeep ever first day celebrates one of 36 gods throughout the year on this day. Merchants quip that all gods get worshiped somewhere on this day, hence the second name.

Second Day of the Week - Court Day

In most areas of the Realms this is the beginning of the seven day long work week which is the most common. Courts open up on this day, by tradition prison sentances begin or end on this day.

Third Day of the Week - Mystery Day

Mystyrul (Mystra's predecessor in Netheril) was said to be born on this day during the full moon, and Mystery days of a full moon are said to be a high tide for magic. By inverse any new moon on this day is a high holy day for Shar and her allies. Mystraday is the most frequently used name for this day.

Fourth Day of the Week - Candle Day

By tradition university classes begin or end their sessions on this day, degrees are conferred and titles awarded. A day for lore and learning, it is Ogmhaday in most areas of the Realms.

Fifth Day of the Week - Settlement Day

Trials by combat allow three days preparation, so when such is the finding of a court it is this day that such trials are held. Whether by accident or design a lot of major battles began on this day of the week, and as a result it is Tempusday for most of the folk of the Realms.

Sixth Day of the Week - Solemn Day

For many clerics this is a fasting day, and examinations of all types are scheduled for this day.

Seventh Day of the Week - Sorrow Day

In most areas the time of mourning for the dead starts on the day of their day and runs to the second Sorrow day after - though for a king or high noble this may run from their death to the last sorrow day of the following month.

Eighth Day of the Week - Pay Day

The conclusion of the work week, by law in most areas common laborers must be paid on this day, so on this day Wauken is most frequently venerated in the cities. On the manors Chantea is celebrated since this is when the serfs are given their share of the harvest rather than coin.

Ninth Day of the Week - Journey Day

Journeys typically are begun on this day, often to reach a festival location on the morrow, or for travelling merchants it gives time to reach the next village in time for the start of the next work week.

Tenth Day of the Week - Feast Day

Festivals begin on this day, especially those that are extended by the inter-monthal days such as midwinter or greengrass. Marriages are so frequently performed on this day that in many if not most areas it is known as Sunesday for the goddess Sune.

#2

intently

Jul 13, 2015 8:05:13

I'm looking forward to the new tool. Please keep us updated.

 

Also thanks for the day-name lore.

#3

Krash

Jul 16, 2015 2:19:40

Go here:

 

http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6761

 

-- George Krashos