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Every 100 years, the people of Laterano celebrate the new century beneath the "Tower of Revelations", a tradition recorded for over a thousand years, called the "Centennial Celebration". This reflects their reverence for time's cycles, embodied in the Terran calendar.
Despite different environments and traditions, groups across Terra—Sargonian tribesmen, Victorian dukes, Iberian junkmen—use the same basic calendar under different names. Neither ancient texts nor the Royal Academy of Sciences explain its construction.
Most sources attribute its origin to a legend of the Sargonian Shahanshah Lugalszargus, who broke into a sealed "Cursed Place" and discovered a sacred artifact that "controls time". He declared himself "Shah of Past and Future", and scholars interpreted the artifact's "guidance", replacing older calendars.
The Terran Calendar begins at that discovery (Year 1); next year marks 1,100 years since. The calendar spread with Sargonian royal influence, though this doesn't explain Laterano's similar system. People lived on Terra before the calendar, making it merely a functional tool. This timeline covers only the Crystal Age onward (797–present).
Every 100 years, the people of Laterano gather beneath the old clock tower known as the "Tower of Revelations", believed to have been built by the land's first saint, to welcome the new century with rhythmic explosions. This "Centennial Celebration" has existed for over a thousand years and has taken place at least ten times.
Such a faithfully observed tradition is rare on a land where memories are often lost and records are scarce. Its survival stems from the near-sacred reverence the people of Laterano have for time's cycles, embodied in the Terran calendar—a system the author has refrained from discussing in detail elsewhere.
Sargonian tribesmen, Victorian dukes, and Iberian junkmen alike share the same basic calendar, though called by different names such as the "City-State Calendar" or "Terran Calendar". Its widespread adoption challenges assumptions about communication barriers throughout Terra, though the author does not claim it is the only calendar in use.
Neither fragmented ancient texts nor the findings of the Royal Academy of Sciences explain why the calendar's rules are so elegantly and practically constructed; in most cases they are taken as axiomatic.
Most sources trace the calendar's origins to a legend of the Sargonian Shahanshah Lugalszargus, "Shah of Past and Future". Standing at the edge of a dark "Cursed Place"—sealed by the padishahs for hundreds if not thousands of years because the hated Sarkaz were said to have emerged from it—the Shah insisted on breaking the earthen wall while marching to fight invaders from the south. Having slain thousands of terrifying enemies, he feared nothing. Entering the darkness, he reached a vast hall with moving murals and floating phantom objects. When the lights went out and a roar echoed, he stood before a pulsing red light and gripped it tightly as it beeped. It became a sphere with ever-changing engravings, and he shouted that he had discovered the machine that controls time.
Sources suggest he then declared himself "Shah of Past and Future" and ordered scholars to interpret the artifact's "guidance". Its precision replaced older, flawed calendars and endures today. The Terran Calendar begins with this discovery (Year 1); next year marks exactly 1,100 years since the event.
In early Terra, control and knowledge of time were part of royal authority, and the calendar spread with the Sargonian monarchy's influence. This still doesn't explain why Laterano, not ruled by a king, uses a nearly identical, even more detailed system. Laterano, the Sargonian Dynasty, Sarkaz, and Kazdel have existed longer than the calendar accounts for. Current timekeeping is merely an imperfect yet functional tool.
This timeline follows the Terran Calendar from Year 1 and covers only major events from the Crystal Age—Terran Calendar 797 to the present. For early civilization, see the Races of Terra chapter. The author thanks colleagues at the Royal Victorian Academy of Sciences and other researchers.
Every 100 years, the people of Laterano gather beneath the old clock tower known as the “Tower of Revelations”, which is believed to have been built by the land’s first saint, to welcome the arrival of the new century. Of course, their typical method of celebration involves triggering a series of rhythmic explosions. Though the spectacle might seem somewhat amusing, it is indeed an ancient tradition. Historical records clearly prove that this celebration has existed for over a thousand years. In other words, this event, known locally as the “Centennial Celebration”, has taken place at least ten times.
Such a long-standing and faithfully observed tradition is quite rare on our land, where memories are often lost, and historical records are scarce. The driving force behind the thousand-year survival of this tradition has been—and continues to be—the near-sacred reverence the people of Laterano have for time’s cycles, embodied in the Terran calendar—a system I have deliberately refrained from discussing in detail elsewhere in this book.
Whether the Sargonian tribesmen in the depths of the desert, the dukes of Victoria in the heartland, or the junkmen scavenging along the Iberian coast, these groups—despite their vastly different environments, social structures, and historical traditions—share a striking commonality: the calendar that they use. People from different regions may call it by different names, such as the “City-State Calendar” or the “Terran Calendar”, but the basic system itself remains the same. The widespread adoption of this calendar challenges our previous assumptions about communication barriers throughout Terra. Of course, that’s not to say I believe this is the only calendar system in use across the land.
Over the years, I have reviewed a great deal of material related to historical development. Yet when it comes to why the rules for measuring time are so elegantly and practically constructed, neither the fragmented ancient texts nor the findings of the Royal Academy of Sciences (some of which are used in the Races of Terra chapter) offer clear explanations or solid evidence. In most cases, the rules of the calendar are taken as axiomatic, requiring no further elaboration.
As for the origins of the calendar, most sources point to a legendary story about the Sargonian Shahanshah Lugalszargus. Some versions of the story lavish more praise on the King of Kings than others. The one I have chosen to share here can be considered more or less “neutral”.
That great figure, later known as the "Shah of Past and Future" and the "Shahanshah", stood at the edge of a dark place that no one had ever ventured into before.
The locals called it the "Cursed Place", sealed by the padishahs for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, due to legends that the hated Sarkaz had once emerged from it. When the Shah received reports of an invasion from the south, he went to go fight the interlopers. When he passed by the "Cursed Place" with his army, he insisted on breaking the earthen wall to face the legendary evil head-on.
Over the past few decades, the Shah had faced thousands of enemies, some of whom were terrifying beyond description. He had slain them all with relative ease. So what thing lurking in this darkness could possibly frighten him?
All the padishahs and ministers standing behind the Shah thought so, certain that nothing here could challenge him.
He stepped forward—one step, two steps, three steps—just as his figure was about to be fully engulfed by the darkness, a beam of greenish-white light poured down from above the doorway, illuminating a trail of dusty footprints on the ground.
The sound of his footsteps suddenly stopped.
The padishahs gathered at the entrance grew tense, uneasy murmurs spread through the crowd, and the guards placed their hands on their weapons. Then, his footsteps returned—quicker, heavier, and louder than before.
Just as the seventh step sounded, the entire room lit up, and they all realized they were standing before a vast hall. The walls shimmered with murals that moved, showing symbols and figures beyond human comprehension. Phantom objects floated and swayed slowly in the air.
For a moment, everyone stood in stunned silence. But just as they rushed forward to try and catch up with the Shah, all the lights in the hall suddenly went out again. A few voices cried out in panic, "It's a trap!" as they fled toward the entrance.
A roar echoed through the hall.
Those who had not yet escaped turned to see a faint red light glowing at the far end of the hall, pulsing, growing brighter and fading in a steady rhythm. A tall, dark figure was standing in front of this sole light source.
It was the Shah! He raised the red light high with one hand and gripped it firmly. The light began to emit a "beep, beep" sound, but he continued to grip it tightly, completely unafraid.
After a few breaths, the red light disappeared—
He opened his hand, revealing a sphere with ever-changing engravings glowing quietly in his palm. The sphere continued its bright-dim pulsing.
The Shah pondered for a moment, then turned to the only entrance and shouted "It's time! I've discovered the machine that controls time!"
Many historical sources suggest that Shah Lugalszargus once discovered a sacred artifact that "controls time", after which he declared himself the "Shah of Past and Future". He then ordered scholars to meticulously interpret and document the artifact's "guidance". Due to its precision, the artifact's "guidance" quickly replaced many of the old, flawed calendars based on everyday experience, and this system has endured to this day.
The Terran Calendar we use today begins in the year when the Sargonian Shahanshah discovered the "sacred artifact" (Year 1). In other words, next year marks exactly 1,100 years since this event took place.
Research suggests that in the early stages of Terra's civilization, control and even the knowledge of time were considered part of royal authority. This accurate, precise calendar spread across Terra, with the monarchy's influence, during the height of the Sargonian Dynasty.
Yet, this still doesn't explain why a country like Laterano, which is not ruled by a king, would use a nearly identical calendar system, a system even more detailed than those found elsewhere. Laterano, the Sargonian Dynasty, and the distant regions of Sarkaz and Kazdel have existed far longer than the period accounted for by the current Terran Calendar.
We know that people lived on this land long before this calendar was established. Thus, the current method of timekeeping is merely an imperfect, yet still functional tool we use to measure our own history.
This timeline follows the Terran Calendar, which begins with the year that the Sargonian Shahanshah, the "Shah of Past and Future", discovered the sacred artifact and established the calendar, i.e. "Year 1". Since Terran history remains largely unknown and undocumented, this timeline includes only major events from the Crystal Age—Terran Calendar 797 to the present—that I personally consider to be of clear historical significance.
For a broader overview of Terra's early civilization and other historical periods, please refer to the Races of Terra chapter. Lastly, I must extend my gratitude to my colleagues at the Royal Victorian Academy of Sciences, as well as the many historical researchers I've partnered with in my work, whose long-standing efforts have ensured that our past is not entirely lost to obscurity.
CRYSTAL AGE