¶ Years
A Bleak Haven year consists of 368 days. The Bleak Haven calendar uses the Dale Reckoning system from the world of Toril in Realmspace.
For the purposes of lining up the Aethervane timeline with those of other campaign settings, 1 Bleak Haven year is considered identical to a standard Earth year of 365 days.
¶ States
Bleak Haven follows a calendar of 16 “states” (months). Each state contains 23 days and is named for an emotion associated with one of the 16 outer planes, although occasionally the names of the planes themselves are used for the states as well. The 1st day of Joy (Elysium) marks the start of a new year.
¶ Holidays
In the few years that the calendar has been in regular circulation and use, a number of unofficial holidays have sprung up among Bleak Haven residents who follow the calendar.
¶ Devils' Day
The 12th day of Boldness marks a day when residents are encouraged to play pranks on their friends and relatives. The most notorious of such pranks so far has been one resident tricking another to sign a deal for his soul with an actual devil from the Nine Hells who was passing through Bleak Haven.
¶ Day of Respite
The 12th day of Joy marks a day when residents will often take the day off of work, instead relaxing and getting together to enjoy each other's company. Some may concoct a “meal” to share together, despite the fact that eating is unnecessary in the Astral Plane.
¶ Background
The Bleak Haven calendar was originally designed by aethervane operator Richnaith Valana, whose current whereabouts are unknown. While operating and studying the aethervane, Valana came to believe that Bleak Haven was drifting in a consistent pattern through the Astral Plane, denoted by the emotions of its citizens, and appearance of color pools and creatures native to other planes. Valana believed that the god isle was regularly coming into close proximity with other planes, which were somehow “leaking” into Bleak Haven and affecting its residents. He also claimed that the number of color pools related to each plane was more frequent, as well as the sighting of other creatures native to those planes.
Valana believed that when Bleak Haven drifted close to another plane, powerful emotions associated with each plane would alter the emotional states of the residents. For example, when in proximity to Limbo, there were greater reports of random violence and destruction, and when close to Mechanus, paperwork was often submitted more punctually and with fewer errors. Valana tracked these changes, believing that they would regularly occur in a specific order, and crafted a calendar to denote these potential changes. Each denoted state is related to one of the outer planes, named to reflect the type of emotional change one might encounter. Valana believed that each state consisted of 23 days with the 12th day marking the apex, when associated emotions were most prevalent.
These claims have never been proven. Regardless, numerous residents of Bleak Haven adopted the calendar, believing in the planer effects on emotions, which further reinforced the validity of Valana’s claims.
Many merchants who reside in Bleak Haven longterm have also taken to using the calendar simply as a means to be consistent when tracking spelljammer arrivals and departures. This usage is said to have originated when a council of merchants held a long debate about which calendar across the various planes to use, and after many hours of deliberation someone simply shouted out, “Just use that maniac's calendar so we can go home!” The Bleak Haven calendar was officially put into place the following day.
¶ Real-World Correspondence
Each week that passes in the real world corresponds to 1 state passing in the Bleak Haven calendar. The Aethervane campaign started in the week of July 25, 2021, which corresponds to the State of Joy, year 1491 DR. You can derive the current state and year in the Aethervane campaign based on the current real-world date.
The Brightshore campaign ended in Sextus (Month 6), Year 26 of the Brightshore calendar. That corresponds roughly to Despair, 1490 DR of the Bleak Haven calendar.
The tables below track the correspondence, from the latest date to the earliest.
¶ 2022
| Real-World Week | Game Time |
|---|---|
| Dec 25 - Dec 31 | Boldness (State 11), 1495 DR |
| Dec 18 - Dec 24 | Dread (State 10), 1495 DR |
| Dec 11 - Dec 17 | Gloom (State 9), 1495 DR |
| Dec 4 - Dec 10 | Despair (State 8), 1495 DR |
| Nov 27 - Dec 3 | Fear (State 7), 1495 DR |
| Nov 20 - Nov 26 | Loneliness (State 6), 1495 DR |
| Nov 13 - Nov 19 | Delirium (State 5), 1495 DR |
| Nov 6 - Nov 12 | Ego (State 4), 1495 DR |
| Oct 30 - Nov 5 | Secrecy (State 3), 1495 DR |
| Oct 23 - Oct 29 | Instinct (State 2), 1495 DR |
| Oct 16 - Oct 22 | Joy (State 1), 1495 DR |
| Oct 9 - Oct 15 | Reflection (State 16), 1494 DR |
| Oct 2 - Oct 8 | Righteousness (State 15), 1494 DR |
| Sep 25 - Oct 1 | Peace (State 14), 1494 DR |
| Sep 18 - Sep 24 | Thirteen (State 13), 1494 DR |
| Sep 11 - Sep 17 | Thoughtfulness (State 12), 1494 DR |
| Sep 4 - Sep 10 | Boldness (State 11), 1494 DR |
| Aug 28 - Sep 3 | Dread (State 10), 1494 DR |
| Aug 21 - Aug 27 | Gloom (State 9), 1494 DR |
| Aug 14 - Aug 20 | Despair (State 8), 1494 DR |
| Aug 7 - Aug 13 | Fear (State 7), 1494 DR |
| Jul 31 - Aug 6 | Loneliness (State 6), 1494 DR |
| Jul 24 - Jul 30 | Delirium (State 5), 1494 DR |
| Jul 17 - Jul 23 | Ego (State 4), 1494 DR |
| Jul 10 - Jul 16 | Secrecy (State 3), 1494 DR |
| Jul 3 - Jul 9 | Instinct (State 2), 1494 DR |
| Jun 26 - Jul 2 | Joy (State 1), 1494 DR |
| Jun 19 - Jun 25 | Reflection (State 16), 1493 DR |
| Jun 12 - Jun 18 | Righteousness (State 15), 1493 DR |
| Jun 5 - Jun 11 | Peace (State 14), 1493 DR |
| May 29 - Jun 4 | Thirteen (State 13), 1493 DR |
| May 22 - May 28 | Thoughtfulness (State 12), 1493 DR |
| May 15 - May 21 | Boldness (State 11), 1493 DR |
| May 8 - May 14 | Dread (State 10), 1493 DR |
| May 1 - May 7 | Gloom (State 9), 1493 DR |
| Apr 24 - Apr 30 | Despair (State 8), 1493 DR |
| Apr 17 - Apr 23 | Fear (State 7), 1493 DR |
| Apr 10 - Apr 16 | Loneliness (State 6), 1493 DR |
| Apr 3 - Apr 9 | Delirium (State 5), 1493 DR |
| Mar 27 - Apr 2 | Ego (State 4), 1493 DR |
| Mar 20 - Mar 26 | Secrecy (State 3), 1493 DR |
| Mar 13 - Mar 19 | Instinct (State 2), 1493 DR |
| Mar 6 - Mar 12 | Joy (State 1), 1493 DR |
| Feb 27 - Mar 5 | Reflection (State 16), 1492 DR |
| Feb 20 - Feb 26 | Righteousness (State 15), 1492 DR |
| Feb 13 - Feb 19 | Peace (State 14), 1492 DR |
| Feb 6 - Feb 12 | Thirteen (State 13), 1492 DR |
| Jan 30 - Feb 5 | Thoughtfulness (State 12), 1492 DR |
| Jan 23 - Jan 29 | Boldness (State 11), 1492 DR |
| Jan 16 - Jan 22 | Dread (State 10), 1492 DR |
| Jan 9 - Jan 15 | Gloom (State 9), 1492 DR |
| Jan 2 - Jan 8 | Despair (State 8), 1492 DR |
¶ 2021
| Real-World Week | Game Time |
|---|---|
| Dec 26 - Jan 1 | Fear (State 7), 1492 DR |
| Dec 19 - Dec 25 | Loneliness (State 6), 1492 DR |
| Dec 12 - Dec 18 | Delirium (State 5), 1492 DR |
| Dec 5 - Dec 11 | Ego (State 4), 1492 DR |
| Nov 28 - Dec 4 | Secrecy (State 3), 1492 DR |
| Nov 21 - Nov 27 | Instinct (State 2), 1492 DR |
| Nov 14 - Nov 20 | Joy (State 1), 1492 DR |
| Nov 7 - Nov 13 | Reflection (State 16), 1491 DR |
| Oct 31 - Nov 6 | Righteousness (State 15), 1491 DR |
| Oct 24 - Oct 30 | Peace (State 14), 1491 DR |
| Oct 17 - Oct 23 | Thirteen (State 13), 1491 DR |
| Oct 10 - Oct 16 | Thoughtfulness (State 12), 1491 DR |
| Oct 3 - Oct 9 | Boldness (State 11), 1491 DR |
| Sep 26 - Oct 2 | Dread (State 10), 1491 DR |
| Sep 19 - Sep 25 | Gloom (State 9), 1491 DR |
| Sep 12 - Sep 18 | Despair (State 8), 1491 DR |
| Sep 5 - Sep 11 | Fear (State 7), 1491 DR |
| Aug 29 - Sep 4 | Loneliness (State 6), 1491 DR |
| Aug 22 - Aug 28 | Delirium (State 5), 1491 DR |
| Aug 15 - Aug 21 | Ego (State 4), 1491 DR |
| Aug 8 - Aug 14 | Secrecy (State 3), 1491 DR |
| Aug 1 - Aug 7 | Instinct (State 2), 1491 DR |
| Jul 25 - Jul 31 | Joy (State 1), 1491 DR |