The calendar of Merisyl is divided into 10 months of 35 days each, and a 14 day period called the Osvithix, generally a time of celebration and remembrance.
Astronomically, a Merisyl year is 364 days long, and the 14 days of Osvithix happen when the planet Lotrath is hidden behind the sun. Mythologically, this is explained as Lotrath fleeing from betrayal and later emerging victoriously.
The month names are all derived from Draconic.
Months
Spring Months
- Ocuiri – From the Draconic “ocuir“ (to see), this month is named for Lotrath emerging from behind the sun.
- Leirithi – From the Draconic “leirith” (near), this month is when Merisyl is closest in its orbit to the sun.
Summer Months
- Faestiri – From the Draconic “faestir“ (to serve), This is the hottest month, as the tilt is towards the sun, and Merisyl’s orbit is on the close side.
- Austrati – From the Draconic “austrat“ (to fly), this month is when Merisyl begins to head out the further arc of its orbit.
- Maurgi – From the Draconic “maurg” (to breed), allegedly this is the time of year when Dragons roam the land looking for potential mates.
Fall Months
- Karifi – From the Draconic “karif” (far), this is when Merisyl reaches the furthest point from the sun.
- Gethi – From the Draconic “geth” (quest), this month represents Merisyl’s journey back towards the sun.
Winter Months
- Claxi – From the Draconic “clax” (take), this is when the final harvest is taken as winter months begin.
- Sjachi – From the Draconic “sjach” (shadow), this month is where the tilt of the planet and the orbit combine to place the hemisphere of Merisyl with the known land masses most directly facing away from the sun.
- Dartaki – From the Draconic “dartak” (to hate), this is the month that precedes Osvithix, and is named for the betrayal that drives Lotrath into hiding, according to the mythology.
Merisyl’s elliptical orbit is mildly eccentric; while it has noticeable differences in distance from the sun, it remains within a reasonably small temperate range.
Ceremonial Period
Osvithix – From the Draconic “Osvith” (to flee), the 14 days of Osvithix are marked at the beginning by the view of Lotrath being obscured behind the sun and at the end by Lotrath re-emerging from behind the sun. Osvithix is traditionally celebrated by three feasts, at the beginning, middle and end of Osvithix.
The first is the Feast of Reaffirmation, where close friends and allies gather, ostensibly to renew their pledges of loyalty to one another.
The second is traditionally held at midnight. Called the Feast of Sanctuary, it is focused on providing safety and aid to those in need. In many cultures it is common to pardon one or more prisoners at this time as well.
The final celebration is the Feast of Emergence, and celebrates victory over threats, persistence in the face of adversity, and redemption.
Other Holidays
Festival of Equality (35th Leirithi) – Celebrated primarily in larger cities with a Temple of Humanity, this holiday is part celebration, part history lesson. The Temple of Humanity puts a festive assembly of musicians, jugglers, bards and other entertainers, along with street food and games – all of which attracts a healthy crowd. The highlight of the day is the performance of the play Redemption, which tells the story of how it was discovered that the Hominal races were innocent of the plague for which they had been blamed for thousands of years.
Gethal Endurkomu (35th Karifi) – This celebrates the “Quest to Return”, as Merisyl swings back towards the sun with a planetary tilt that puts the bulk of the known world moving towards winter. This is traditionally celebrated by games that include quest-like components, like scavenger hunts, capture the flag or even hide-and-seek. Often these will be on a large scale (an entire city or community) and will start on the 28th Karifi, concluding on the 35th with a celebration of the winners and associated prizes and feasts.