Days of the week

[Aeriale]

Wednesday, I was talking with Philo, and some other people (sorry, I don't remember who else), and a very newly awakened mentioned that the past two days had been rather uneventful. Philo replied that Moon's Day and Tiu's Day were always uneventful. I thought that was the coolest, so we had a brief OOC conversation about the days. I figured I'd mention it so that any in-character post or scroll or whatever having to do with days could be more authentic. So, the days of the week, beginning with Sunday:
Sun's Day
Moon's Day
Tiu's Day
(or, according to a book of Norse mythology - Tyr's Day)
Woden's Day
(or, for Philo, Wotan's Day, and in Northern Norse, Odin's Day)
Thor's Day
Frey's Day
(or mayhap Frigga's Day, but Frey is more common)
Saturn's Day

It's only a suggestion. But (I think) it's a durned good one. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif
Aeriale (Niki)
misswells

[Atama]

Crap, Zero is Greek... we just need a standard for days.

[Monkey]

Heh, I just started doing this as part of Philo's idiom. I don't really expect anyone else to talk this way, and, for clarity's sake, I tend not to use it in any of my IC posts to forums.

--Monkey (aka Philo)

[Aeriale]

Well, I just thought it was a cool thing, and, it would be nice to have the days of the week: that way, in the posts, there would be any "in two days' time [Thursday]" stuff. I really like this idea. It's definately more authentic.
But, it's just an idea. I think I'll start using it.
Aeriale

[cedric]

I've had this OOC discussion with other characters as well. We seemed to agree that the modern American names didn't really make sense. I decided then that I would start doing this, but haven't had an opportunity since then to use day names, so I shelved it. I would really like to see this happen, as it would help suspension of disbelief. The other thing is that it won't matter if people use slightly different name "Frey's Day" vs "Frigga's Day" because we are all from different places and different backgrounds anyway. It makes more sense than not that different people will have different names. They should all, of course be similar so that we can understand each other, but why would somebody from Silumnat use the exact same day names as somebbody from Crete? (These are two locales that I've heard of people being from so far.)

So, I think it's a great idea and there's no need to standardize it.

[Atama]

That's my point. Zero is from Crete, why would he talk about Norse Gods? Also, despite the periods of history we are all from, and the various geographical locations, we all seem to speak some form of quaint English (the magic of the Castle at work, or something done to us upon Awakening). You are allowed to keep your silly French phrases though, Felix. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Aeriale]

A few things. I'm glad this suggestion is being taken so well. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif
However, a note about authenticity: I was talking to my boyfriend about this, and he agreed that some of the names (Sun's Day, Moon's Day, and Saturn's Day) were prolly just kinna made up to fit our calendar now. There were less days of the week back then (according to him), but it would get rather confusing if we were to try to follow that. (As a side note, there is some evidence for Moon's day. Monday in French is 'lundi', and moon in French is "lune". (I took French) However, it's no the same for Sunday and Saturday.)
Anyway, one observation is, apparently, we didn't loose all our memories, because we know what food is, and what to do with it, and clothes, and things like that, but, I would suggest that we perhaps don't know much about reckoning of time. I'm sure that the system of 'bells' isn't widely used anywhere, except in Castle Marrach. So why should the days of the week be any different? Maybe Zero has some Greek things from the past, and Felix uses "lundi, mardi, etc.", but, once you come to Castle Marrach, I should think that you would forget it all. Felix can't forget his accent, that would be hard, or typically French phrases, perhaps, but, maybe days are one of those things you do forget. I don't know.
I just think that a standard Marrach version would be best. Because for those who took Spanish in high school, or just remember squat from their language class, would'nt know what Felix meant by jeudi. And, where is Zero planning on finding Greek days of the week?
And I don't know where Aeriale came from, either.
One more suggestion: using Sabbath (or Sabbaoth, I think that's older) instead of Sun's Day. As Sun's Day isn't perhaps for real.
Anyway, as always,
Aeriale

[Monkey]

Aeriale says:

One more suggestion: using Sabbath (or Sabbaoth, I think that's older) instead of Sun's Day

I think this opens a whole new can of worms, for some of us celebrate Sabbath on Saturday, not Sunday.

--Monkey

[Atama]

I'm in favor of just using the standard modern english days of the week terminology. Let's not confuse newbies any more than we have to (or people who have been around a while).

Another thing, as far as time goes, I have been using terms like "8 bells o' the morn" and "8 bells o' the eve" to talk about time. It seems archaic enough, but easily understandable.

[JeffCrook]

Except that 8 bells means 8 o'clock to some, and 4 o'clock to others.

[Monkey]

JeffCrook writes:

Except that 8 bells means 8 o'clock to some, and 4 o'clock to others.

'Bells' has already been established as the Castle Marrach standard. The number of bells is equal to the current hour PST. And yes, when the hour changes for daylight savings time, the bells change in the castle.

[Aeriale]

Originally posted by Monkey:

I think this opens a whole new can of worms, for some of us celebrate Sabbath on Saturday, not Sunday.


Are you talking about irl? Cuz, I wouldn't want to mess with that, but, jus' s'long's everyone knows that in-game, we mean Sunday, it'd prolly be okay - unless people have major problems.
But didn't what's her name, the priestess, hold meetings for her religion on Sunday? So, the in-game Sabbath is therefore on Sundays, right?

And, a note about Daylight Savings Time: that's craziness. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

Aeriale

[StaciD]

Hello all,

First, let me state that we all appreciate your desire to contribute to the game world, to create a more consistent and enjoyable experience for all. We do read your comments and suggestions, and you will probably see some of them implemented within the game.

But, on the matter of time and days of the week, there is a mesh of story and technical reasons why we have not yet implemented a system that differentiates the castle world from the real world. On the story side of things, I don't think I'm giving away too much if I say that time doesn't work the same way in Marrach as it does in the real world. We do have ideas about how things like calendars and clocks work (and associated things like the movement of heavenly bodies), but because we don't have the technical means to implement them within the game, we have not yet instituted them as part of the story. Sure, I could tell you that the Royal Ball is going to take place on the third Gleeping day from tomorrow at 9 1/2 bells, but that doesn't do you much good unless you have some way of converting that to a real world date and time (preferably for your time zone). (Note: the Royal Ball is real, Gleeping day is not--I just made it up as an example).

Because there are much more important technical systems to be implemented at this time (like, for instance, death, and the ability to provide you with objects that do things), we have opted for the convenience of using real world days and times until a full time and calendar system can be implemented. As Atama said, it's one less thing for new players to worry about. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif In the meantime, we'd ask you not to start renaming the days of the week with more "fantastic" sounding ones, as it will just make the transition to the actual calendar/time system more difficult.

Just in case you're still reading, there is one more issue I'd like to bring up. As can be seen from this thread, there are many of you who have created "histories" for your characters that indicate they are from this world, our real world. I would just like to state clearly that that is not the case. Castle Marrach actually exists within a separate world, a fantasy world, and the guests are drawn from a wide variety of times and locations of that world. Because we haven't actually designed that world, you are free to use whatever typical fantasy tropes you like in making up your backstory--there is plenty of room for variety. Feel free to be creative. If you've already said your character is from Crete or France or wherever, don't feel like you have to change it --I just don't want players to feel constrained by the limits of our actual geography and history.

Of course, you should not feel compelled to create a backstory for your character at all--while it might aid your character's personal development, it will likely not have a significant impact upon of the grander story of the Castle. And remember, memories can be fickle things--sometimes what you remember isn't what happened at all...

Staci D.
Castle Marrach team

[Monkey]

I am talking about real life yes http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif I'm agnostic, so I'm no expert, but I believe that Sabbath is Sunday on the Christian calendar, Saturday on the Jewish calendar, and Friday on the Moslem calendar.

The Priestess has also held ceremonies on Wednesdays http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif

[Lobo]

Different times and places eh? Hmm....knew I should have tried that futuristic character. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/smile.gif Aw well, kind of stuck as it is, but if anyone wants to try it I think it could be interesting...

[pizzadude]

Well, this was certainly an interesting discussion thread...
Anyway, I just wanted to say that in my defense, I have never actually said that Felix is French. Others have said so, yes, and I've gone along with it, but it was never an intended thing. He's just got a French accent. Technically, you'd probably want to call him Montaigne, but we've been through this [and, er, if you're listening, Mr. Wick - please, don't kill Elaine! We need her!]. *cough* anyway, just making a defense for myself that probably wasn't even necessary. Since I imagine it being a long, long time before there's even a hint about the truth (other than 'We have died! bwahaha!'), I often forget that that's one of the big elements. Well, that's about it.
Rock on,
-The Pizzadude

[StaciD]

Whoops! I did say "typical fantasy tropes" didn't I? Yup, I did. Again, don't want to limit people's creativity, but people would probably just think your character is nuts if they started talking about electric lights, central heating, or automobiles, let alone spaceships and warp drive. I'll further clarify "typical fantasy tropes" with the clause "of a pre-industrial nature", just because some things--though they might be fun--would just be too disruptive within the generally Medieval/Rennaissance feeling of the castle.

[Atama]

If you've already said your character is from Crete or France or wherever, don't feel like you have to change it --I just don't want players to feel constrained by the limits of our actual geography and history.

Zero's Crete is most definitely NOT the historical Crete. For one thing, the Ancient Greeks didn't even have a concept of the number Zero, that was a concept attributed to the later Arabs. And, Zero flew great battling kites (it was part of his computer-generated memory) even though the only ancient culture known to do so was China, as far as I know. I think of Zero as being from a fictional Greece, kind of like the psuedo-historical world that Hercules and Xena of television live in. But, since I have studied Greek Mythology alot as a child, I thought it would be fun to play someone from a psuedo-Greece. I'd love to run into people from Conan's Hyperborea, or Lankhmar, or the Wheel of Time, or Dragonlance, or anywhere else people want to be from. After all, noone really knows WHERE the castle actually is.

[Aeriale]

Wednesday is Woden's Day, so, that can't be the Sabbath. :P

I think Aeriale is Jewish. Not Hebrew, cuz she's blonde, but Jewish. Hm. http://www.skotos.net/ubb/confused.gif
Oh well.

Aeriale