Measuring time in Aethelgard
Aethelgard records its long history through Cycles and Edicts. In civil calendars, one Edict is treated as approximately one year: the passage of a full revolution of the world’s magical currents. Ten thousand Edicts form one Cycle, giving historians a shared frame for events separated by immense spans of time.
Dates are normally written as a Cycle followed by an Edict number—for example, Cycle II · Edict 3350. The Cycle establishes the larger age; the Edict identifies the point within it. This notation allows events from widely separated ages to be read against the same chronological frame.
One word, several meanings
The word “Edict” does not always refer to a date. In magical study, the Seven Primordial Edicts belong to Second Tier Primordial Magic. Historians distinguish Veridia’s historical laws as the Veridian Decrees, avoiding confusion with magical or calendar Edicts.
Unless a record clearly identifies a magical Edict or a Veridian Decree, a numbered Edict should therefore be read as a calendar date.
Dates within the chronicles
Chronicles use dates as anchors within Aethelgard’s wider history. A date places an event within its age; the surrounding account explains what changed, what endured, and how later generations inherited its consequences.