Where Did the Year Come From?

Samyania

Samyania

Scholar
So, it's 617, right (except in Barran, where it's 624, I guess, but still)?
Why?
What happened 617 years ago that made the date start counting up? Is it universally the same for all chapters? Is there an explanation in your chapter?
The trouble with that number is that it's low enough that it's fairly plausible for there even to be middle-aged PCs who are older than that. And I've definitely met older NPCs. So even if there are some races where that could count as history, there are some PCs who, even if they don't know, should just be able to ask their moms.
Or is it not 617 in your corner of Fortannis?
 
Acarthia (denver) is 417.
 
In the land of Terna (Chicago) it's 317. The counter started when Wayside (the main PC kingdom nowadays) was incorporated as a semi-independent nation, later becoming a proper kingdom.
 
To clarify my earlier post, Enerret is one of two San Francisco campaigns. In Maelstrom, the other, it is currently 617.
 
It is a holdover from NERO when the games split when there was but one game and chapter. The earliest date given is 507 ER. This is when the Northern Marshes were first explored.

They just subtracted 1400 from the real year to get the game year. Now, what ER stands for, I don't know specifically. I can't find it in my 3rd edition rule book. However the game was set in the Kingdom of Evendarr, do my guess would be Evendarr Rises or Rule or Regency. Basically, the founding of the then current kingdom.
 
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Oregon just chose 6 and then the last two digits of the real year... No idea why 6 though.
 
I'll ask the Empress, I bet she knows.
 
markusdark said:
It is a holdover from NERO when the games split when there was but one game and chapter. The earliest date given is 507 ER. This is when the Northern Marshes were first explored.

They just subtracted 1400 from the real year to get the game year. Now, what ER stands for, I don't know specifically. I can't find it in my 3rd edition rule book. However the game was set in the Kingdom of Evendarr, do my guess would be Evendarr Rises or Rule or Regency. Basically, the founding of the then current kingdom.
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Evendarrian Reckoning.
 
norman b said:
Oregon just chose 6 and then the last two digits of the real year... No idea why 6 though.
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It relates to the history of the continent and the kingdoms therein as well as the idea that it's one world/planet (Fortannis).

Basically, we started with the concept that OR and SEA were in the same world, and since it had long been established that it was 614 (at the time) in SEA, then we'd create the history of Aer'Astria to fit that year/number. So there was a particular happening on Aer'Asteria 614 (now 617) years ago and the history went on from there. Even had a "before this event" dating system.
 
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Avaran said:
It relates to the history of the continent and the kingdoms therein as well as the idea that it's one world/planet (Fortannis).

Basically, we started with the concept that OR and SEA were in the same world, and since it had long been established that it was 614 (at the time) in SEA, then we'd create the history of Aer'Astria to fit that year/number. So there was a particular happening on Aer'Asteria 614 (now 617) years ago and the history went on from there. Even had a "before this event" dating system.
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So you're telling me, in order to know for sure (for our part of Fortannis), I need to find someone who's not only 600 years old (doable), but also like 12 campaigns old (more difficult)?
 
Edit: I misread the previous post, nevermind
 
Samyania said:
So you're telling me, in order to know for sure (for our part of Fortannis), I need to find someone who's not only 600 years old (doable), but also like 12 campaigns old (more difficult)?
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This would have been true at one time, but I'm not head of plot there any more, so I can't say one way or another. =P I would hazard a guess that since Norm (the new HoP) wasn't aware of this given his response in the thread, my guess would be not. But....FOIG!

I was just sharing my team's thinking behind why we chose the year value when we created the campaign. :)
 
Its a largely subjective question. Each culture of such wildly ranging lifespans will very likely have different measures of time, resulting in different year markers in any sensible form.
 
Saephis said:
Its a largely subjective question. Each culture of such wildly ranging lifespans will very likely have different measures of time, resulting in different year markers in any sensible form.
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And that makes waaay more sense, especially given that cultures (generally?) develop individually before they open to the mists. I was under the impression that the year was consistent across the planet, and that was even more confusing than the same reckoning across campaigns in different lands but in the same chapter.
 
Samyania said:
And that makes waaay more sense, especially given that cultures (generally?) develop individually before they open to the mists. I was under the impression that the year was consistent across the planet, and that was even more confusing than the same reckoning across campaigns in different lands but in the same chapter.
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That's ... likely the case, on intention, however as more chapters open, and more plot teams start up, I feel like its likely fractured a bit from what was (likely) the Human Kingdom Standard Year.
 
Saephis said:
Its a largely subjective question. Each culture of such wildly ranging lifespans will very likely have different measures of time, resulting in different year markers in any sensible form.
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Not to mention that the Fortannis itself has been forcibly edited several times, so anyone that old is inherently an unreliable narrator who believes that Detect Magic and DOOM are still spells. :)
 
Muir said:
Not to mention that the Fortannis itself has been forcibly edited several times, so anyone that old is inherently an unreliable narrator who believes that Detect Magic and DOOM are still spells. :)
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I still have a Purify Blood potion tag. :)

I figured that it is like the Chinese calendar, Mayan Calendar or any other such calendars. That there are regions that may have their own calendar - especially remote areas that have a calendar but not a lot of contact with the rest of Fortannis. But feel that there is a "Fortannis Year" that is currently 617.

I can only find one reference to a year in the current (and the last three) rule books and that is under "How to Get Your History Rejected" where it says "...if you write that the Duke killed your father in the year 597..."
 
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