A Complete Reference for Weave of Ashes
ℹ️ PART 1: THE SHATTERED WORLD The Cataclysm (Over 100,000 Years Ago)
Before: Doha was a super planet—massive, unified, thriving with cultivation civilization at its peak. The Creators (Luminari) had left behind treasures like Shaolin, the lost world training ground.
During: The Cataclysm struck. Exact cause lost to history, but theories include:
• Divine Tome activation gone catastrophically wrong
• Collision with another dimensional realm
• Cultivation breakthrough that literally tore reality
• War between Eternalpyre cultivators that shattered the world
After: Doha fractured into three planetary fragments, each locked in stable orbit around their shared sun. This ancient event reshaped the world, but over the millennia since, new civilizations rose, wars were fought, and the Zartonesh invasions became the defining timeline of the current age.
► The Zartonesh Invasions (Defining the Modern Era)
What Are the Zartonesh:
• Interdimensional demons from another realm
• Access Doha through "Hell's Gate" which opens cyclically
• Seek to consume souls and destroy civilizations
• Extremely powerful—required all Doha races united to repel them
Invasion Cycle:
• Hell's Gate opens approximately every 10,000 years
• Each invasion has devastated Doha's civilizations
• Fourth (last) invasion ended 10,000 years ago = Year 0
• Current year: 9,938 AZI (After Zartonesh Invasion)
• Fifth invasion approaching within next 10 years
What survivors called "realms" aren't separate dimensions—they're three pieces of the original planet, each now a world unto itself.
🔵 HIGH REALM (Largest Fragment)
• Size: ~60% of original Doha's mass
• Environment: Paradise. Temperate, stable, abundant resources
• Ember Qi Density: Extremely high—natural formations, qi springs, treasure gardens
• Population: Majority of powerful clans, sects, cultivation academies
• Governance: Organized empire structures, sect hierarchies, clear power balance
• Climate: Mild seasons, predictable weather, lush vegetation
• Danger Level: Low in settled areas, but monster-infested wilderness still exists
• From Lower Realm: Appears as a massive, bright "moon" with visible continents and oceans
• Notable: Can see Lower and Mid Realms as smaller moons from surface
🟠 MID REALM (Middle Fragment)
• Size: ~30% of original Doha's mass
• Environment: Moderate. Better than Lower, but harsh compared to High
• Ember Qi Density: Medium—enough for cultivation but requires effort to find rich sources
• Population: Mixed clans, independent cities, fewer major powers
• Governance: Regional powers, city-states, constant territorial disputes
• Climate: More extreme seasons than High, unpredictable weather patterns
• Danger Level: Moderate—civilized zones exist but danger never far
• From Lower Realm: Appears as a pale, smaller moon with visible landmasses
• Notable: Bridge between High and Lower; some cross-realm trade exists
🔴 LOWER REALM (Smallest Fragment - Jayde's Home)
• Size: ~10% of original Doha's mass
• Environment: Harsh, volcanic, scarred from Cataclysm
• Ember Qi Density: Scarce—cultivators fight over every resource
• Population: Scattered settlements, brutal clan territories, slave systems
• Governance: Might makes right. Clan territories, no unified structure
• Climate: Volcanic influence—ash storms, harsh seasons, dangerous weather
• Danger Level: Extreme—even "safe" areas have constant threats
• From Surface: Five "moons" visible in night sky: Three true moons (survived Cataclysm) Two massive, continent-marked "moons" (High and Mid Realms)
• Notable: Most descendants here are refugees from higher realms, bloodlines diluted Why They Look Like Moons
From Lower Realm's surface, the other two realm-planets appear as moons because:
• Distance: They orbit at different points in the same solar system
• Reflected sunlight: They shine like moons, illuminated by Doha's sun
• Visible features: On clear nights, continents and oceans visible on the realm-moons
• Movement: They follow predictable orbital patterns, like moons
• Cultural ignorance: Most Lower Realm inhabitants have never left their planet, assume they're seeing "moons"
The Truth: Ancient texts mention the Cataclysm, but few understand the shattered world's true nature. Most believe in "three realms" separated by mystical barriers, not three planets in the same system.
⇝ Interstellar Laws They Don't Understand
The three realms follow normal planetary physics:
• Shared sun: All three orbit the same star
• Shared year: Same orbital period = same calendar length
• Same solar time: When it's noon in Lower Realm, it's noon in High Realm
• Stable orbits: Cataclysm somehow left them in perfect gravitational balance
• No barriers: It's not mystical separation—it's just space between planets
But: Without space travel technology or high-level dimensional cultivation, cross-realm transit is nearly impossible. The few who achieve it become legends.
Common Methods:
• Teleportation Arrays: Ancient Cataclysm-era arrays, expensive, controlled by powers
• Dimensional Rifts: Rare, unstable, dangerous—most who enter die
• High Cultivation: Eternalpyre cultivators can physically traverse the void
• Divine Artifacts: Legendary treasures that allow realm-crossing
ℹ️ PART 2: THE DOHAN CALENDAR SYSTEM
Overview
After the Cataclysm, survivors needed a unified calendar. Despite being separated onto three worlds, they kept the old Dohan calendar—practical, as all three realms share the same solar year.
Year Structure
365 days = 1 Dohan year
12 months of 30 days each = 360 days 5 extra "Void Days" at year's end (celebration/mourning period)
The Twelve Months
Total Year Length: 365 days = 12 months (30 days each) + 5 Void Days
MONTH 1: EMBERRISESpring Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: January-February
→ Significance: New Year begins, renewal, cultivation season starts
→ Climate (High Realm): Gentle spring, flowers blooming, perfect temperatures
→ Climate (Lower Realm): Cold but warming, storms frequent, unpredictable
→ Cultural: Fresh starts, cultivation oaths taken, sect ceremonies
MONTH 2: SPARKFALLSpring Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: February-March
→ Significance: Qi awakening, tournaments begin, sect recruitment season
→ Climate (High Realm): Beautiful spring weather, outdoor cultivation preferred
→ Climate (Lower Realm): Warming rapidly, ash storms from volcanic activity
→ Cultural: Young cultivators tested, competitions, talent scouting
MONTH 3: ASHBLOOMSpring Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: March-April
→ Significance: Flowering season, peaceful month, brief respite
→ Climate (High Realm): Peak spring, festivals, most pleasant month
→ Climate (Lower Realm): "Pleasant" by Lower Realm standards—only occasionally deadly
→ Cultural: Rare blossoming plants appear, monster mating season (avoid certain areas)
MONTH 4: SCORCHWINDSummer Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: April-May
→ Significance: Heat building, training intensifies, endurance work begins
→ Climate (High Realm): Early summer, comfortable warmth
→ Climate (Lower Realm): Heat building, volcanic vents more active
→ Cultural: Training ramps up, preparation for brutal summer ahead
→ STORY NOTE: JAYDE ESCAPED ON DAY 21 OF THIS MONTH
MONTH 5: BLAZEPEAKSummer Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: May-June
→ Significance: HOTTEST MONTH, endurance trials, forge-work peaks
→ Climate (High Realm): Peak summer, but still comfortable with preparation
→ Climate (Lower Realm): Brutal heat, ashfall increases, lava flows visible
→ Cultural: Heat easier to channel for forging, many cultivators seclude indoors
→ Danger: Extreme in Lower Realm—many die from heat exposure
MONTH 6: INFERNORESTSummer Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: June-July
→ Significance: Late summer, harvest preparation begins
→ Climate (High Realm): Late summer warmth, preparations for autumn
→ Climate (Lower Realm): Heat continues but slightly less intense than Blazepeak
→ Cultural: Brief lull before autumn activity, stockpiling begins
MONTH 7: CINDERFALLAutumn Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: July-August
→ Significance: Cooling begins, HUNT SEASON OFFICIALLY OPENS
→ Climate (High Realm): Beautiful autumn, leaves changing, comfortable
→ Climate (Lower Realm): Cooling begins, ash storms are less frequent
→ Cultural: Resource gathering intensifies, beast pelts in prime condition
→ Danger: Beasts fattening for winter—more aggressive
MONTH 8: FLAMEFADEAutumn Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: August-September
→ Significance: HARVEST TIME, peak resource gathering month
→ Climate (High Realm): Harvest festivals, abundance celebrated
→ Climate (Lower Realm): Temperatures dropping noticeably, storms return
→ Cultural: Critical gathering period, resource stockpiling essential for survival
→ Danger: Increased competition for resources, clan raids intensify
MONTH 9: EMBERWANEAutumn Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: September-October
→ Significance: Winter preparation, final resource gathering, contracts finalized
→ Climate (High Realm): Cool but pleasant, final preparations
→ Climate (Lower Realm): Cold approaching, first frost appears
→ Cultural: Last chance to gather before winter, desperation setting in
→ Danger: High—raids increase as clans secure winter supplies
MONTH 10: FROSTFORGEWinter Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: October-November
→ Significance: First frost, FORGING SEASON BEGINS, indoor cultivation
→ Climate (High Realm): Cool winter, forging season popular indoors
→ Climate (Lower Realm): Cold, ash-snow (mixture of snow and ash), brutal winds
→ Cultural: Refinement season, weapon forging, pill crafting
→ Danger: High in Lower Realm—many freeze or starve
→ STORY NOTE: CURRENT MONTH (DAY 27) IN CHAPTER 81
MONTH 11: VOIDMARCHWinter Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: November-December
→ Significance: COLDEST MONTH, survival challenges, endurance cultivation
→ Climate (High Realm): Cold but manageable, cozy indoor season
→ Climate (Lower Realm): COLDEST MONTH—frequent blizzards, volcanic ash mixed with snow
→ Cultural: Survival mode, indoor training only, seclusion common
→ Danger: EXTREME—deadliest month of the year in Lower Realm
MONTH 12: ASHWHISPERWinter Season | 30 Days
→ Equivalent: December-January
→ Significance: Final month, reflection, year-end ceremonies, quiet contemplation
→ Climate (High Realm): Late winter, anticipation of spring
→ Climate (Lower Realm): Still cold, but end in sight, winter storms less frequent
→ Cultural: Reflection month, year-end ceremonies, preparation for Void Days
→ Danger: Still dangerous but slightly less deadly than Voidmarch
→ Resources: Stockpiles depleted, desperation—spring can't come soon enough
THE VOID DAYSBetween Years | 5 Days
→ Timing: Between Ashwhisper 30 and Emberrise 1
→ Significance: Time "outside normal flow," celebration/mourning of Cataclysm
→ High Realm: Grand festivals, no work, drinking, gambling, celebration
→ Mid Realm: Mixed—some celebrate, some mourn, most rest
→ Lower Realm: Survival doesn't pause, but occasional clan truces observed
→ Tradition: Slavery contracts don't count these days (slaves get 5 "free" days per year)
→ Cultural Belief: Aging "doesn't count," cultivation breakthroughs paused, legal contracts freeze
SEASONAL SUMMARY:
Spring (Emberrise, Sparkfall, Ashbloom):
• Renewal season, cultivation begins, tournaments, and recruitment
• Lower Realm: "Less deadly" season, storms decrease
• High Realm: Beautiful, perfect cultivation weather
Summer (Scorchwind, Blazepeak, Infernorest):
• Endurance season, intense heat, forge-work peaks
• Lower Realm: Brutal heat, volcanic activity increases, many deaths
• High Realm: Warm but comfortable, outdoor training
Autumn (Cinderfall, Flamefade, Emberwane):
• Harvest season, hunt season opens, resource gathering critical
• Lower Realm: Desperate stockpiling for winter survival
• High Realm: Festivals, abundance, comfortable weather
Winter (Frostforge, Voidmarch, Ashwhisper):
• Survival season, forging/refinement indoors, coldest months
• Lower Realm: DEADLIEST SEASON—freezing, starvation, extreme danger
• High Realm: Cold but manageable, indoor cultivation popular
📅 Date Format
Full Date: [Day] [Month Name], [Year AZI]
Examples:
• 15 Scorchwind, 9938 AZI (formal)
• Scorchwind 15, '38 (casual, current century understood)
• Day 15, Fourth Month (very formal/ancient texts)
AZI = After Zartonesh Invasion (standard era notation)
• Current year: 9,938 AZI
• Counts from the end of the Fourth Zartonesh Invasion (10,000 years ago)
• Next invasion cycle approaching (within 10 years) Seasons by Realm
High Realm:
• Spring: Mild, beautiful, cultivation breakthrough season
• Summer: Warm but comfortable, outdoor training
• Autumn: Harvest festivals, resource gathering
• Winter: Cool but manageable, forging/refinement season
Mid Realm:
• Spring: Unpredictable—can be mild or harsh
• Summer: Hot, but bearable with preparation
• Autumn: Best season—temperate, productive
• Winter: Harsh, requires shelter and resources
Lower Realm:
• Spring: "Less deadly" season, storms decrease
• Summer: Brutal heat, volcanic activity increases
• Autumn: Brief respite before winter
• Winter: Extremely harsh—many die from cold, starvation, monsters
• Current Year: 9,938 AZI
Significance:
• 10,000 years since the Fourth (and last) Zartonesh Invasion