Seasons of Xesteria

**Season Duration:** 87 Days

**Calendar Days:** 1 - 87

**Notable Holidays:** Day of the Dawn (Chemosh 1), Midwinter Feast (Chemosh 41)

**Days of Worship:** Lolth (Chemosh 14), Chemosh (Chemosh 40), Yeenoghu (Chemosh 65)

**Day of the Dawn (Chemosh 1):** A day in which the inhabitants of the world celebrate the new year. It is also customary to give a gift to the person who changed your life the most, or meant the most to you, in the past year.

**Midwinter Feast (Chemosh 41):** A day that dates back hundreds of years to celebrate the generosity and hardiness of the prime races during their more primitive years that helped them survive the long winters.

**Season Summary**
The season of Chemosh is the longest and harshest that Xesteria experiences. While it usually begins gently, most kingdoms sans Alexandria, Kurjaztar, and the southern reaches of Kaspia and Stromgarde are prone to experiencing blistering cold and severe blizzards during the peak of the season. For most of the season, Nordland and Baldrheim are blanketed in snow while Artalia and Albion see prolonged periods of snow-covered grounds. On average years, snowfall generally occurs throughout affected kingdoms between Chemosh 10-80, though snowfall before and after these dates is not uncommon. Snow can persist into the following season of Paladine in some kingdoms.

**Season Duration:** 51 Days

**Calendar Days:** 88 - 138

**Notable Holidays:** Heritage Day (Paladine 22)

**Days of Worship:** Ragarra (Paladine 9), Paladine (Paladine 15)

**Heritage Day (Paladine 22):** A day in which everyone to remember where they came from and pay respect to their families, relatives, and homelands.

**Season Summary**

The season of Paladine marks the end of winter for most kingdoms, though scattered snow and the rare blizzard may still occur in parts of Baldrheim and Nordland for the first dozen or so days of the season. In general, it is seen as the season of rebirth in which plants begin to bloom, flower, and grow once more. Though the winter ends and the world begins to turn green once more, the winds often still have a chill to them for most of the season. It isn't until, on average, the second half of the season that the sun's warmth overpowers the cool winds. Alexandria, Kurjaztar,and the southern reaches of Kaspia and Stromgarde typically enjoy a warmer season than anywhere else, often seeing significant amounts of sun. Kurjaztar and the southern reaches of Stromgarde see heavy rainfall during this season.

**Season Duration:** 39 Days

**Calendar Days:** 139 - 177

**Notable Holidays:** Life Day (Ehlonna 25)

**Days of Worship:** Ehlonna (Ehlonna 20), Pelor (Ehlonna 22)

**Life Day (Ehlonna 25):** A day in which the rebirth of life after the winter is celebrated. Blessings from Ehlonna and glorious feasts are commonplace on this day.

**Season Summary**

The season of Ehlonna is generally considered to be the most favourable season of the year, as temperatures begin to rise comfortably to a level in which the sun's warmth is greatly enjoyed all over. Heat waves can occur during this season, but they are unlikely outside of Kaspia and Kurjaztar. Coastal areas, such as Jourdain and the Merchant Isles, see a large amount of rainfall during this season due to oceanic disturbances. At only 39 days in length, the season of Ehlonna is the shortest. It is succeeded by the second longest, and hottest, season of the calendar year.

**Season Duration:** 73 Days

**Calendar Days:** 178 - 250

**Notable Holidays:** Day of the Sun (Aureon 16), Night of the Hunt (Aureon 32), Harvest Day (70)

**Days of Worship:** Aureon (Aureon 35), Aseroth (Aureon 59)

**Day of the Sun (Aureon 16):** A day where the full arrival of summer is celebrated. Festivities often include several games that encourage people to get outside and enjoy the sun.

**Night of the Hunt (Aureon 32):** A holiday that occurs at night in which everyone takes part in a grand hunt in all major settlements. Those who return with the most impressive game are deemed champions of the hunt and pampered until dawn.

**Harvest Day (Aureon 70):** A day in which the people of the world pay their thanks to those who toil in the fields and gather food. Massive food festivals are held worldwide and, for one day, class divide does not exist as nobles and peasants eat side by side.

**Season Summary**

The season of Aureon is the second longest season of the year and it is also, by a large margin, the warmest. Travel in some kingdoms becomes inadvisable on some days due to extreme temperatures. Heat waves are common in dry areas, and humidity can reach profound levels along the temperate coastlines. The season is considered "too hot" by most kingdoms, with only Nordland and Baldrheim having temperatures low enough to be considered comfortable. In contrast, Jourdain and the Merchant Isles still extreme levels of rainfall during this long season due to oceanic cyclones. Though the humidity and temperature reach dangerous levels during this season, the inhabitants of Xesteria still prefer it to the colder seasons of Chemosh and Talos.

**Season Duration:** 48 Days

**Calendar Days:** 251 - 298

**Notable Holidays:** Day of the Dead (Talos 1), Sailor's Day (Talos 15)

**Days of Worship:** Malar (Talos 18), Talos (Talos 30), Gruumsh (Talos 33)

**Day of the Dead (Talos 1):** A day in which citizens honour their fallen friends and warriors. Prayers and visiting resting places of the fallen are commonplace on this day, and it is considered respectful to leave tokens of remembrance even tho those you do not know so that their memory may live on.

**Sailor's Day (Talos 15):** A day to commemorate the achievements of sailors past who helped to colonize the world and shape the kingdoms into what they are today.

**Season Summary**

The season of Talos, which abruptly brings an end to the heat of the season of Aureon, is often met with open arms due to the relief it provides from the high temperatures. This shorter season sees the rapid decline of temperatures dropping from scorching to, in some parts of the world, frigid. This season is enjoyed particularly by nature lovers, as Xesteria's plant life transitions to a phase of temporary death to protect itself from winter, which results in many leaves and plants adopting unusual colours that are not found outside of this season. By the end of this season, some kingdoms have seen snowflakes and warning them that winter is coming.