The land of Ehris: Ehrisian Chronology

The chaotic nature of the world is such that not even the passage of time is standard; it is variable. There is no predetermination of time on Ehris. There is no calendar, no set structure to the chronology of the world. This is because the geological events that transpire on Ehris, around which the chronology is based, are not constant. Climate and weather patterns are difficult to follow, and even simple things like day and night are often inconsistent making any sort of standardized system impossible.

The people of Ehris use the paramount event in their society, Nhal’riun, as the basis for all temporal measurement.

The amount of time that passes from one Nhal’riun to the next is called an Am’nae, which means “age”. An age is usually the longest measurement of time that is used in Ehris and has historically been between 850 and 1450 days long.

(On rare occasions, when referring to the passing of an undefined number of ages, the term Am'naas or "Aeon" can be used. However, such a device is rarely encountered outside of historical or scholarly nomenclature.)

An age is divided into smaller periods of time known as Am’na, which means “period” (usually referred to as a period of change). Periods are determined based on the climate and weather changes seen within any given age. There is no predefined length to any one period or any predefined number of periods that may occur in any one age. Historically, there have been between 6 and 8 periods within an age with each one being between 106 and 240 days long.

Periods of change are determined, and named as such, by the Queen after a reasonable amount of a similar type of weather has been experienced. For example when it rains in Ehris, as it often does, for longer than 15 out of the last 25 days the Queen often declares that Am’na sha’il is upon the land (the period of falling). This period then continues until the weather changes enough to constitute a new period.

Example periods of change that have been witnessed on Ehris:

• Period of falling (Am’na sha’il)
• Period of darkness (Am’na sha’lindrl)
• Period of frost (Am’na kilas)
• Period of white (Am’na ans)
• Period of storms (Am’na r’shtan)
• Period of quiet (Am’na khal)
• Period of fire (Am’na gesh)
• Period of migration
• Period of death (Nhal'riun)
• Period of rebirth

Smaller divisions of time within any period are known as Am’a, which means “day”. Am’a are divisions of time that roughly coincide with the cycles of light and dark in the land. An Am’a can be as short as 12 hours or as long as 30 or 40 hours depending on the time of year. Historically, the average has been about 20 hours.

The smallest measurement of time in Ehris is known as an Am, which means “hour”. The length of an Am is usually defined as the amount of time it takes one to recite the first Passage of Virtue from the Doctrine of Law.

In summary, the passage of time on Ehris is divided as such:

• Am'naas (Aeon)
  An undefined number of ages; the passing of a large amount of time.
   
• Am’nae (Age):
  The amount of time that passes from one Nhal’riun to the next. The length of an Am’nae has historically been between 850 – 1450 days long.
   
• Am’na (Period):
  Sub-divisions of an Am’nae determined by the weather and climate changes.
   
• Am’a (Day):
  Sub-divisions of an Am’na based on the cycle of light and dark in the land.
   
• Am (Hour):
  The smallest division of time in Ehris, usually defined by the amount of time it takes one to recite the Passage of Virtue in the Doctrine of Law.

The people of Ehris determine one’s age by the number of Nhal’riun survived, or the number of ages lived. The current era on Ehris is 211.