Introduction to the timeline of Nephele

This page will cover how the years in which major events in Nephele occur, as well as how people on Nephele measure those years. It will also cover the two major technological "eras" in which characters and stories have been developed.

Measurements of Time
Nephele orbits around an Earthlike sun and has 24-hour days. It has an axial tilt similar to that of Earth, and therefore it seasons function similarly. It has perfect 365-day years. People on Nephele have different units of measurement than Earth does - for time as well as for things like distance, volume, and weight - but characters speak about measurements of time using Earth-English units (minutes, hours, seconds) as per the "Translation Rule".

The calendar of years on Nephele is measured by is people by the 25-30 year reigns of god-like beings occupying the Throne Above Thrones, a vast and powerful magical pillar that serves as the umbilical cord for all magic on the planet. These beings, Monarchs, have reigns of varying lengths, depending on when they are overthrown by their successor. A year a new Monarch is enthroned is named after that Monarch; for instance, the year that the Queen of Lights first took the throne is referred to as Lights 1. The sixth year after her ascension, if there was no replacement of Monarch in that time, would be referred to as Lights 6. Monarchs will never repeat titles, and the line of Monarchs from the beginning of history can thus be traced through ancient records.

A year where no Monarch whatsoever occupies the throne is called an Interregnum. Interregnums are counted cumulatively. Let's say that the King of Sparks occupies the Throne for six months, following a year with no Monarch. The calendar may count the year previous to Sparks' ascension as Interregnum 9, the year that the King of Sparks ascends as Sparks 1, and the first new year that passes with an empty throne again as Interregnum 10. Interregnum can be abbreviated as IR.

This is an absolute nightmare of a system in-universe if you have no ability to memorize the succession of Monarchs and need to know how long ago something happened. People hate it, but traditionalists balk every time something more streamlined and workable is proposed and universal adoption of a replacement is very unlikely.

Out-of-universe, we know this is a nightmare and we're not going to make you use it. Some years on Nephele map very loosely to Earth years in terms of what technology will be available to the characters at what time, and what historical milestones they would be expected to be familiar with. This is to be taken as an entirely meta mechanic, and should not strictly dictate IC canon. It is just here to help you write them, remember what happened when, get ideas for what fashions the characters would wear, and help you decide whether or not you want so-and-so to have heard of the invention of the rocket launcher yet. It's not here to restrict you, it's here to make aesthetic decisions and comprehension easier. Break the rules if you're comfortable with them, lean back on them if you aren't.

Eras
Eras are an out-of-universe term, meant for ease of sorting characters who live in different technological and cultural time periods into two groups.

Locusts-era
See also: "Locusts-era" (meta term)

The Locusts-era of Nephele is the time period immediately leading up to and then overlapping with the reign of the Queen of Locusts. The Locusts-era is categorized by trench warfare rapidly progressing into mechanized warfare, a dying age of war as a regulated, sport-like affair as weapons such as chlorine gas and the machine gun begin to dominate tactical considerations, a golden age of combat magic, and civilian technology roughly equivalent with the first half of Earth's twentieth century. Princes battle each other across a global stage in a perpetual multi-sided conflict to be the next to occupy the Throne Above Thrones, and most Princes that arise will be known for their political, military, or religions significance, or will be from a non-magical dynasty of royals that still run some countries. Horses and suits of armor can be seen here, riding alongside primitive motorcycles and even tanks. Honor in combat can range from enemies taking breaks during high holidays to enjoy food together to civilian towns and railroads being pockmarked with land mines and marauding invaders. The Locusts-era is home to characters such as:


 * Calyx
 * Kel
 * Larka
 * Lankhet
 * Biding
 * Sacrifices
 * Thundering
 * Noon

Legends-era
See also: "Legends-era" (meta term)

The Legends-era of Nephele is the time period immediately leading up to the attempt on the throne by the Prince of Legends, on the centennial of the beginning of the Throne Wars. Characters in this era know Locusts-era characters primarily as historical figures, although long-lived ones such as elves and the undead still survive. The Legends-era is categorized by an era of media, communications, and financial dominance, with many Princes ascending due to their significance in the areas of entertainment or technology. Characters in this era will have seen the beginnings of space travel, as well as the dominance and rise of the internet and social media. Few countries are led by royal bloodlines, and Princehood cycles as rapidly as the news does, with some Princes lasting decades and others lasting merely days as their time of frenzied fame peaks and crashes ever faster and faster. Combat is increasingly done at a far distance, with kills being made by impersonal bomb or drone strikes, and it is extremely rare that Princes and mundane political leaders are seen personally leading troops. Many Princes of this era will have powers related not to combat, but instead to their civilian professions. The Legends-era is home to characters such as:


 * Volk
 * Hera
 * Cory
 * The Prince of Legends
 * Ashti Ward
 * Etamin