Eria

Eria - The Physical World

Eria "Home" orbits a single greenish-yellow star, Somai, The Lightgiver. It completes one orbit every 405 days, making up the standard year of 9 months. Three companion moons orbit Eria. Much of Eria is covered in ocean, known as Seshai, "The Great Deep", or the Tide Sea.

Seshai

Because of the presence of three moons in Eria's skies, Seshai has tides unlike those of our own planet. The average tide along Land's Edge involves a sea level change of over 400 feet, with tides of 800 feet being recorded under certain lunar conditions. Needless to say, sea travel in coastal regions is hazardous, and most ships are constructed with side reaching outriggers that allow them to be grounded when the tide leaves them stranded. Most harbors also look more like dry docks than traditional harbors, with huge berths to hold ships steady when the tide retreats.

The Moons

Mios

The closest and smallest, Mios, "Dark Face", is a pitted and scarred rock, gray and forbidding. He rises and sets approximately once each day, and goes through his phases once every nine days, the standard week.

Yeotu

The largest moon, Yeotu, "Bright One", presents a more hospitable appearance, her face is smooth and yellow-brown, with ranges of mountains visible. The face of Yeotu is usually blurry, with a faint wispy outline around her form plainly visible. Yeotu rises and sets once every two days, and goes through her phases every 45 days, the standard month.

Trian

The third moon, Trian, "The Companion" is actually in orbit around Yeotu. Though larger than Mios, his disc actually appears to be slightly smaller when viewed from Eria. Trian completes an orbit of Yeotu once every three days. Trian does not appear to go through complete phases from the point of view of Eria, and a portion of his face is always in light.

Phases and Events

There are numerous combinations of eclipses, conjunctions and oppositions possible between the three moons, Eria, and Somai. Some of the better known ones are:

• Dark Eclipse - When Somai is eclipsed by Mios. Considered a sign of bad luck and an ill omen. Dark Eclipses are possible twice each year.
• Grand Conjunction - When all three moons align over Eria, it is a sign of chaos and destruction. The oceans rise, earthquakes strike, and volcanoes erupt. A Grand Conjunction happens at most once every 27 years.
• Light Eclipse - When Somai is eclipsed by Yeotu, it is considered a good omen, particularly if the "Red Flash", a strange effect caused by the halo surrounding Yeotu, is seen. A Light Eclipse is possible once each year.
• Trine - When all three moons are in the sky at once, it is considered a Trine. Various configurations of the moons relative to each other and their various phases all have different meanings depending on the astronomer or astrologer questioned. Generally Yeotu being full and higher than Mios is good, Mios being full and higher than Yeotu is bad.

Other Planets

Astronomers have identified a number of other planets circling Somai:

• Hajba, "The Wanderer", is only visible at rare intervals. His course takes him well out of the normal paths of the planets.
• Yeo Alos, "Bright Morning", is usually visible early in the morning or in the twilight. She is greenish yellow, and quite bright. Careful observation will reveal the existence of two companions, "The Twins" or the Janu, Sholis and Neemosh. Both are dim but quite visible.
• Nomia So, "Strange Light", is often visible late at night. She glows with an eerie, almost electric blue light.
• Yull Nomia, "Ill Stranger", has only been visible once in recorded history. It is not known whether this planet will return or was simply a passing rogue.

The Stars

There are many stars in the night skies above Eria. The names and properties possessed by these celestial bodies vary depending on who is describing them. Most believe stars are divine beings, the Mithos, created by Yeotu and Trian to combat the darkness. There are whole schools of astrology and magical studies devoted to the understanding of the powers they possess.

Time

The Calendar

The known world uses the Vichar calendar, which is based on the observed lunar period of Yeotu. Each year of 405 days is divided into 9 months of 45 days each. Each month is further divided into 5 weeks, each of 9 days (the period of Mios's lunar period). Each week is further divided into three, three day long periods, known as tridays (based on the period of Trian's orbit around Yeotu). The current year is 1348, and dates from the crowning of the first king of the Great Empire - Andros the Strong.This reconing is commonly referred to as the Year of the Empire (YOE).

The months are:

• Bitranesh - Cold Time
• Sholis - Gray Time
• Tormai - Life Giver
• Daronesh - Growing Time
• Galanesh - Hot Time
• Rolanesh - Harvest Time
• Quaso - Fading Light
• Kaionesh - Death Time
• Hamanesh - Waiting Time

The weeks are:

• Yeoas - Bright Days - Yeotu is full on the first day of Yeoas.
• Shokas - Gray Days
• Oskas - Dark Days - Yeotu is new on Veka of Dimlot.
• Quaos - Fading Dark
• Daroso - Growing Light

The tridays within a week are called:

• Tunlot - First triday - Mios is full on Tuka of Tunlot.
• Dimlot - Middle triday
• Finlot - Last triday

The days of the triday are:

• Tuka - One Day
• Veka - Two Day
• Finka - Last Day

Thus a full date would be Tuka in Dimlot, Daroso of Sholis, 1347. The first day of the middle triday of the last week of Sholis, 1347. Official documents use a single number in place of the day, triday, and week designation. Thus the date above would be the 40th of Solis, 1347.

The Day

Each day of Eria's year is 18 hours long, each hour representing the time it takes Somai to cross one constellation of the zodiac belt. Each hour is actually longer than a terrestrial hour, being about 80 minutes long. The actual time of Eria's day is about 24 terrestrial hours.

The Seasons

Eria has a very warm climate, with mild winters in all but the northern and southern most reaches. Near the equator, temperatures can soar to dangerous heights, and even in winter, light clothing is the rule.

FINI

All material Copyright (C) Mark A. Thomas