The Reckoning of Years and the Seasons of the Yann

In the lands far to the west of Ember, in domains once claimed by the Second Empire (and the surrounding lands), the years are counted based on the date of the founding of the Second Empire. Thus, in those lands, the current year is 118, the one-hundred and eighteenth year since the Empire was founded. The fact that the Empire collapsed decades ago and lasted under a century is, of course, irrelevant.

In Ember, the years are counted from a different starting point: the original beginning of civilization, when Kilooloogung first taught agriculture to the fishermen and hunter-gatherers who lived along the banks of the Yann, and founded the first ever village (or so the story goes). The truthfulness of this story and the identity of that first village are lost, although every major city along the Yann has, at some point, claimed to be the original settlement. Regardless, though it is the year 118 in the Second Empire, it is the year 3488 in Ember.

The climate around the Yann is quite different from other parts of the world, and the seasons are dominated by the flooding and receding of the mighty river. There are only three seasons, which are the Flood Season, the Planting Season, and the Harvest Season.

The Flood Season is when the waters of the Yann are at their highest. The fields are flooded and agriculture cannot be performed, so instead this is a season of travel, trade, and war, as the width of the Yann allows the fastest and sturdiest ships to sail. It occupies the months of September to December.

The Planting Season follows the Flood Season, and last from January to April. In this season, trade is at its lowest point, as the farmers return to their fields to plant the year's crops, and traders and travellers return to their home cities. The lower waters of the Yann make travel along the river more difficult.

Finally, the Harvest Season lasts from May to August. In this season, crops are harvested and stored away for the rest of the year, local trade increases as farmers come into market, and merchants and travellers lay their plans for the coming flood season. In times of war, the farmers and craftsmen are called to train and prepare, for when the Flood Season returns, mighty war galleons will sail down the Yann once more.