Tèran Calendar
Overview
The Tèran Calendar is the standard method of measuring time on Tèra, structured around the natural celestial cycles of the planet. Unlike many Terran-based calendars, the Tèran Calendar is designed to accommodate the unique orbital and rotational characteristics of the Tèran homeworld, featuring a 360-day year, 18 months, and a precise hierarchical structure of timekeeping.
Time Units
| Unit Name | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minute | 50 seconds | |
| Hour | 50 minutes | |
| Day | 20 hours | Standard planetary rotation |
| Week | 5 days | Social and economic cycles revolve around this structure |
| Annulment | 3 weeks (15 days) | Legal time limit for annulling a marriage |
| Month | 4 weeks (20 days) | |
| Year | 18 months (360 days) | The complete solar cycle of Tèra |
| Courtship Year | 3 years (1,080 days) | Traditional minimum length of a courtship before marriage |
| Tax Year | 5 years (1,800 days) | Frequency at which taxes are filed |
| Enlistment | 8 years (2,880 days) | Average length of a non-career soldier's service term |
| Decade | 10 years (3,600 days) | |
| Census Year | 20 years (7,200 days) | Interval between official Imperial censuses |
| Champion’s Decade | 40 years (14,400 days) | The period between Tèran Championship events, similar to the Olympics on Earth |
| Century | 100 years (36,000 days) | |
| Life Expectancy | 600 years (216,000 days) | Average lifespan of an un-augmented Tèran |
| Lethurèan Year | 2.78 Tèran years (1,000 days) | Standard unit of interplanetary synchronization |
| Millennium | 1,000 years (360,000 days) | |
| Dynastic Age | 10,000 years (3,600,000 days) | Used to measure the rule of long-lived dynasties |
| Epoch | 15,000 years (5,400,000 days) | |
| Age | 50,000 years (18,000,000 days) | |
| Era | 100,000 years (36,000,000 days) | |
| Eon | 1,000,000 years (360,000,000 days) | |
| Galactic Season | 17,000,000 years (6,120,000,000 days) | Used for large-scale cosmic events specifically the a quarter rotation of a Galaxy |
| Galactic Year | 72,000,000 years (25,920,000,000 days) | The full rotation of Tèra’s solar system around the galactic core |
| Cosmic Year | 1,000,000,000 years (360,000,000,000 days) | A standard reference for intergalactic history |
| Universal Eternity | 6,500,000,000 years (2,340,000,000,000 days) | The estimated age of Lethurèa in Tèran Cosmology |
Cultural Significance
The Tèran Calendar plays a crucial role in every aspect of Tèran society, from daily routines to major life milestones. Some of the most culturally significant periods include:
- Annulment Period (3 weeks) – The legally defined time in which a marriage may be annulled without social or religious penalty.
- Courtship Year (3 years) – A tradition that dictates the minimum time required for a proper courtship before marriage.
- Tax Year (5 years) – The interval in which taxes are assessed and collected.
- Census Year (20 years) – A Imperial record-keeping event that updates population demographics.
- Champion’s Decade (40 years) – The period between each grand-scale Tèran Championship event, similar to the Olympic Games on Earth.
Intergalactic Synchronization
To facilitate trade, diplomacy, and interstellar relations, the Tèran Calendar is often converted to the Lethurèan Standard Calendar, where 1 Lethurèan Year is equivalent to 2.78 Tèran Years (or 1,000 days). This conversion ensures easier timekeeping when dealing with entities outside of Tèra.
Legacy and Adaptation
Due to the moderately long lifespan of Tèrans, the measurement of time takes on a different cultural weight compared to species with shorter lifespans. Though extremely long lived species, such as the Valorèin, measure time with the Lethurèan Standard Calendar as their concept of time is drastically different from that of the Tèran and many other species. Many major life events, such as marriage, military service, and championships, are based on extended periods that emphasize patience, endurance, and long-term planning.
The calendar has also been adopted in various Lethurèan Species and remains one of the most widely recognized timekeeping systems in Lethurèa other than the Lethurèan Standard Calendar.