197th Age

The 197th Age is the astronomical era following the 196th Age, denoted by the destruction of yet another Facsimile which is visible in the sky for many days following the incident. It is the current age of the main series, and the first age in Mencuan history since the original 1st Age that the Jalenga have not been a prominent force in the world. Because it is still ongoing, the age has not received an official nickname yet.

## Length & Numbering

While each Age has a varying length, most of them range between about 2000 and 3000 years. The 197th Age is something of an anomaly, having lasted 4677 years at the time of *The Crown of Zivia*, and no sign of a change of age is in sight. While the beginning and ending of an Age is marked by a supernova that heralds the erasure or destruction of a Facsimile, the causes of these destructions have varied on an individual basis. With only four Facsimiles remaining, the stability of these remaining worlds seems to be unusually high, hence the length of the present era.

The term "Age" and the naming convention of simply using numbers for them was coined by the Jalenga after the 1st Age was heralded in with the destruction of the 186th Star, In writing, all years are written with four digits. Years prior to the 1000th year of an age are written with extra zeros in front of them (ergo, the 764th year of an age would be written 0764). The day is written before the month, apart from Žaníma, which belongs to no month.

## Major/Significant Events

Since there have not been any more Facsimile worlds destroyed to warrant the coming of a new age in an unusually long period of time, the 197th Age has had more than its fair share of monumental events and the like. With its abnormally long length, some scholars dispute that perhaps the signs of other worlds' dissolutions have not been noticed, and that the current year should be in the 198th Age, or a rare few that believe it might even be the 199th Age. Rarer still are those that cling to a small fringe theory that Mencu is the last of the Facsimiles, and that it should thus be the 200th Age at this point.

1-1-0001: The 197th Age is ushered in after the surprising destruction of Kulak-Fe, which also coincided with the elimination of the last of the Jalenga. Many of the Jalenga's old lands are taken up by the Kingdom of Shioru and the Zukuren Empire of Koldia.

31-9-0002: The 65th Krippan Empire falls apart after 143 years of power. As usual, the Republic of Krippa resumed its position to fill the void and prevent a power vacuum.

7-7-0102: The alliance between Tazuké and Shahar-Eka remains as strong as it did in the previous age, although they also extend it to include the distant western nation of Krippa. Other countries, particularly Krawvill and Kroggné, do not take well to this news, but they do not react at the time.

4-2-0614: The 68th Krippan Empire crumbles after only three years of operation. Krippa is thrown into deadly war and disarray, which takes them years to recover from properly.

1-1-2549: Many doomsayers claimed that there would be an apocalyptic event occurring on this day, although no such event happened. It was believed that the origins of these rumours sprouted from the year 2548 being the final year of the 181st Age.

Žaníma-2999: A large-scale Žaníma event took place this year as the people of Mencu celebrated the 3000th year of an age, which was normally considered something of a rarity.

1-1-4000: Rare are the ages that go on for over 3000 years, let alone 4000, and so for an age to last this long without a sort of world-changing event was a harbinger of concern for many, although for others it was another reason to celebrate.

12-8-4215: The 78th Krippan Empire crumbles, returning to a somewhat fragile republic. Few people assume that it will last long, but it manages to remain intact

15-2-4587: The Crown of Zivia is given to princess Leto Irizari by Shenhua. Zivia awakens from her crown form, revealing to the world the last surviving Jalenga, and the first one seen in nearly 4600 years.

31-6-4587: The events of *The Crown of Zivia* take place throughout much of this year, with this date marking the day that Leto Irizari discovered her origins and that she was essentially given over to the Arakos as a test subject. This later led her to start the war known as "Leto's Rebellion" or the Elven Civil War.

15-2-4610: The events of *The Crusade of Zulera* take place throughout much of this year, with this date marking the moment California Zendenga realized that she was used as bait for what would later become the Renkida Vampire Crisis.

27-6-4610: The province of Sezonzé is nearly obliterated by a massive fire. This date marks the start of the true all-out war that was a result of the Renkida Vampire Crisis.

25-12:4610: Asami Wekera is born in Sezonzé to parents Nayeli and Hiawatha Serénes, although they relocate to Daksina-Serénes during Asami's infancy.

16-1-4611: Asami is abducted by Shinzoka and raised as one of them in Krawvill, where she becomes a formidable member of the Kagero-Kiza.

25-3-4644: The events of *The Shadows of Shinzoka* take place through much of this year, with this day marking the day that Asami learned of her origins, which in turn kicked off the events of the volume.

19-7-4675: The 79th Krippan Empire is founded by Liberty Tezeru Mežkiel 4 in the state of Xin-Moxige. While there is debate of whether it was a short-lived empire or one continuous empire, the seeds Liberty sowed gave birth to the most powerful country the age had ever seen.

## See Also

* 196th Age
* 195th Age
* *The Crown of Zivia*
* *The Crusade of Zulera*
* *The Shadows of Shinzoka*