The 13th Full Moon

[James Hebert]

Alright Lore-brains, the beam is upon you. I'm setting up my campaign calendar, you know, like a well-rounded person, not at all like an over-immersed geek, and I'm going to have a focus on Were-Villains. I feel like it's important to jot down a lunar calendar. I decide to follow the 2020 Earth moon calendar (since my campaign starts Abadius 4720). In Golarion, the full moons are each named and known. Here's what 4720 portends:

• Abadius 10 - Long Moon
• Calistril 9 - Fated Moon
• Pharast 9 - Rebirth Moon
• Gozran 7 - Flood Moon
• Desnus 7 - Blossom Moon
  
• Sarenith 5 - Sweet Moon
  
• Erastus 5 - Lover's Moon
  
• Arodus 3 - Swarm Moon
  
• Rova 2 - Harvest Moon
  
• Lamashan 1 - Hunter's Moon
  
• Lamashan 31 - Black Moon
  
• Neth 30 - Cold Moon
  
• Kuthona 29 - ????

Lamashan 31 being the Black Moon is already at 95% spooky levels, but what are the in-Golarion thoughts on years with 13 full moons? I propose we cancel all blogs until this is decided upon.

[Luis Loza]

Unfortunately, I don't believe we have a name for the 13th full moon in Golarion. Most years only have 12 full moons. This 13th full moon is known as the Blue Moon in our world and is the origin for the "once in a blue moon" saying. As a result, you could choose to just use the Blue Moon name. However, we're playing a fantasy game so we can do better than that!

I think it's more interesting if the moon has an interesting title suggesting something mysterious or menacing. In my own games, I would call this the Lost Moon, suggesting that it brings with it something that is hidden away or has been forgotten. Perhaps there is some kind of inaccessible power that can only manifest during a Lost Moon. It's the perfect moon for using as part of rituals and the like.

I'm curious to see what other names people come up with, though!

[Fumarole]

Well, shoot. This thread has made me realize that the Golarion calendar found on Dungeonetics doesn't match up with Luna's cycle.

[Unicore]

It would be pretty awesome if the 13th moon was known as the last moon, with rumored lore that it is the one night where Groetus' eye returns to the material plane and his whispers speak to those ready to hear them.

[Virellius]

GROETUSNACHT! The night when the dread Groet Goat comes out of it's cave to judge those who are worthy of The End.

[Gamerskum]

Sorrow's Moon or the Lost Moon? being that its in Zon -Kuthon's Month?

[CorvusMask]

Oh cool :O I didn't know Golarion had lunar calendar

[Laclale♪]

Luis Loza wrote:

Unfortunately, I don't believe we have a name for the 13th full moon in Golarion. Most years only have 12 full moons. This 13th full moon is known as the Blue Moon in our world and is the origin for the "once in a blue moon" saying. As a result, you could choose to just use the Blue Moon name. However, we're playing a fantasy game so we can do better than that!

CorvusMask wrote:

Oh cool :O I didn't know Golarion had lunar calendar

...Where is Golarion's lunar calendar? Or is that linked too?

Is leap year one and only exception in time flowing?

[Luis Loza]

The lunar calendar was first featured in Blood of the Moon. Golarion's moon phases are meant to match up with those of the real world, so you can look at our real world moon phases whenever you need to find one for Golarion. For example, the next full moon will be on April 26th, so Golarion's next full moon would be on the 26th of Gozran.

[Brinebeast]

I might call it the Agony Moon since it falls in Kuthona.

[The Raven Black]

The Dead Moon. Both for Groetus and Zon-Kuthon. Because Death also stands for profound change. And in memoriam of Acavna too.

[Perpdepog]

Not sure what it could signify, but when I first read the post my thought was "Ghost Moon." Kind of in the same vein as Luis, where old and forgotten things suddenly come to the fore again.

It's too bad Black Moon is already taken, because otherwise the extra full moon could be a great way to link to Aucturn and The Dominion of the Black.

Perhaps it still can be, and it's called something like the "Gate Moon" or "Beckoning Moon?" The extra lunar cycle is the easiest time for beings from the Dark Tapestry to watch and arrive on Golarion.

[Laclale♪]

Luis Loza wrote:

The lunar calendar was first featured in Blood of the Moon. Golarion's moon phases are meant to match up with those of the real world, so you can look at our real world moon phases whenever you need to find one for Golarion. For example, the next full moon will be on April 26th, so Golarion's next full moon would be on the 26th of Gozran.

Check this IRL moon calendar.

In this theory, the next year with the 13th full moon is 2023 IRL, 4723 AR.
4728 AR is when the next 13th full moon comes in Kuthona.