List: Ages of Stormlight Characters

[Kurkistan he/him]

Here's some (paraphrased) info on seasons:

 

Source:

 

• Seasons on Roshar are based around the storms (ie long lighter storms in the winter, short stronger storms in the summer) rather than time or temperature
• Temperature stays fairly constant because of the lack of an axial tilt
• Despite not having traditional seasons they have the concept of seasons which must have come from somewhere else (read as: cosmere shenanigans)

 

EDIT: @Weiry

 

You are correct.

Edited January 27, 2014 by Kurkistan

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

So hours/minutes had already been taken into account when you said "A Roshar year is 1.1 Earth years"?

 

My mistake, when I saw that I was thinking "year = revolution around sun"

1 Rosharan year does equal 1 revolution around Roshar's sun. This can be determined on Roshar by using astronomy.

Edited January 27, 2014 by PeterAhlstrom

[Meg]

The Era of Solitude started 4500 years ago. So applying "EoS" to the current calendar is not correct.

That doesn't mean it is not technically wrong. It is technically wrong. At some point starting around 4500 years ago, after the Heralds told them they had won, people did use the EoS calendar counting from the date of Aharietiam. Around 1173 years ago, they stopped using the EoS calendar, at least in the East. The EoS calendar may still be in use some places in Roshar.

@ Peter: Thank you very much. I mentioned this problem here and I'm glad that you clarified this now.

@ how to term the calender: I'd suggest either Modern Vorin Calendar or Rosharan Eastern Calendar.

again @ Peter: Now I've got to think about the TWoK-timeline again. I've thought about how long it took from Kaladin's arriving on the Shattered Plains until the end of TWoK and came up with 3 to 3,5 months here. It's not about dates, only about the time that went by. I'd be glad if you would give me a hint if I'm totally wrong or not.

And then: I think I remember that you once said that the dates/years given at the chapter beginnings (for example: "Five years ago") are not nearly accurate. Is this so? For every given date? I ask because:

-- Chapter 1 says: "Five years later" (after Gavilar's death)

-- Chapter 2 says: "Eight month later"

-- Chapter 47 + 51 say: "One year ago"

Chapter 1, 47 and 51 happen on the very same day. So my question is: Is the information "Eight months later" and the information "One year ago" accurate?

Sorry to bother you, but I'm "chewing" on this problem for around a year now.

edit: Or did you hit at those three chapters in your earlier post?

This would mean that Chapter 50 happens two months after Kaladin's arrival on the Shattered Plains, wouldn't it?

Edited January 27, 2014 by Meg

[dyring]

I don´t see such a big problem with a 55 year old(using that number despite we now knowing it isnt absolutely correct;) who´s been keeping in shape being fit and able to fight. In particular using a shardplate. There are people in the 55-60 range who have stunning physices(thats spell ways wrong I think;)). as long as he´s been lucky with not getting any bad injuries, and the shardplate have prolly helped some with that.

 

Dalinar does mention that inside shardplate there is no diff between himself and Adolin, but out of it his age would make a huge difference (when he borrow´s adolins glove)

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

And then: I think I remember that you once said that the dates/years given at the chapter beginnings (for example: "Five years ago") are not nearly accurate. Is this so? For every given date? I ask because:

-- Chapter 1 says: "Five years later" (after Gavilar's death)

-- Chapter 2 says: "Eight month later"

-- Chapter 47 + 51 say: "One year ago"

Chapter 1, 47 and 51 happen on the very same day. So my question is: Is the information "Eight months later" and the information "One year ago" accurate?

The timestamps are imprecise on purpose. If it says "X years ago" that is generally accurate to within 25% of a year. Same goes for "X and a half years ago." If it says "X months ago" that would be generally accurate to within 50% of a month.

 

Kaladin's sense of the passage of time also gets screwed up as a bridgeman.

Edited January 27, 2014 by PeterAhlstrom

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

Just a question the gravity and other factors affect the average life span of a Rosharian?

 

Sadeas and maybe Dalinar are in his 50'(50/55) and still are fighting, what looks a little odd to me. 

I've been wondering that myself. On the other hand though, not every 50 year old on earth is weak/sick/handicapped in any way. I find it plausible that someone, especially someone who's been a physically healthy warrior for most of their life, would still be strong and warriorlike at 55. Although I would expect him to weaker than he was at 20 or 30.

This is addressed specifically by Dalinar and Adolin in WoK. Dalinar loses his gauntlet and Adolin donates his own because while Dalinar is a great warrior, it is only because of his Shardplate that he is able to play ball with the youngsters. It's on the walk back from the Tower.

[Chaos he/him]

Yeah, us wiki people need to discuss this. EoS is not at all appropriate. Of course, Peter, it'd be much easier if you told us the name of the current calendar

EDIT: Does this new year convention correspond with the rise or fall of the Hierocracy? As in, is it a primarily Vorin convention?

Edited January 28, 2014 by Chaos

[Swimmingly he/him]

I suggest regional calendar: BE(planetary signifier) for Before Event and PE(planet SIG.) for Post Event

[Cromptj he/him]

How about CRE. Current Roshar era.

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

Of course, Peter, it'd be much easier if you told us the name of the current calendar

EDIT: Does this new year convention correspond with the rise or fall of the Hierocracy? As in, is it a primarily Vorin convention?

When something has not been canonized in print, Brandon often wants to avoid a definitive answer in case something has a good reason to change in the next book.

[WeiryWriter he/him]

I don't think that would work because the Era of Solitude is the current Roshar era.  That didn't change (or at least I don't think it did, Kabsal refers to the modern era as the Era of Solitude at least) it's just that in the East at least they stopped using the EoS calender. 

[Chaos he/him]

When something has not been canonized in print, Brandon often wants to avoid a definitive answer in case something has a good reason to change in the next book.

This is entirely reasonable, but you can't blame me for trying

[Cromptj he/him]

Current Alethi Calendar? CAC

[WeiryWriter he/him]

Current Alethi Calendar? CAC

 

It's more than just Alethkar though.  It's also used in other places, at least it is in Kharbranth.  Which makes me think it is a Vorin thing. 

[hoser he/him]

Current Alethi Calendar? CAC

 

 

It's more than just Alethkar though.  It's also used in other places, at least it is in Kharbranth.  Which makes me think it is a Vorin thing. 

Current Dystopian Calendar? CDC

 

Seriously, though, people change calendars in response to a triumph:  Julian, Christian.

 

The possible triggers we know about:

• Aharietam: "triumph" over the voidbringers.  Heralds.  4500 years previous. not ~1170 years previous.
• Recreance: Radiants betray mankind.  Not likely because too long ago, not a triumph.  Probably the same reasoning applies to the fall of the Silver kingdoms and the abandonment of Urithiru
• Rise of the Hierocracy:  possible, but they might have wanted to trace back to Aharietam to bolster legitimacy
• Sunmaker's Reign: seems possible, do we know any dates around this?
• Something we know nothing about: most likely
• Shattering of the Shattered Plains:  not a triumph, timing is wrong if coincides with the fall of Natanatan
• Scouring of Aimia: Not enough of a triumph
• Fall of Natanatan: Several centuries before: not a triumph, timing is wrong.

Without knowing the trigger for the calendar change, it seems difficult to guess the name.  If the rise of the Sunmaker is about the right time, then that is about the only thing we can guess:  Sunmaker Era?

[Cromptj he/him]

A bit off topic but do we know if the Heraldic Epochs ended at the Aharietam or at the Recreance?

[Chrono she/her]

I'm guessing at Aharietam. I currently do not have my copy on me, but I think Kabsal says that the Heralds left after Aharietam and left behind the KR to watch the people. The Recreance was some later event. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Aether he/him]

It ended then. The following era, the "Era of Solitude" is called as such because the humans are alone (no more heralds).

[Meg]

The possible triggers we know about:

• Aharietam: "triumph" over the voidbringers.  Heralds.  4500 years previous. not ~1170 years previous.
• Recreance: Radiants betray mankind.  Not likely because too long ago, not a triumph.  Probably the same reasoning applies to the fall of the Silver kingdoms and the abandonment of Urithiru
• Rise of the Hierocracy:  possible, but they might have wanted to trace back to Aharietam to bolster legitimacy
• Sunmaker's Reign: seems possible, do we know any dates around this?
• Something we know nothing about: most likely
• Shattering of the Shattered Plains:  not a triumph, timing is wrong if coincides with the fall of Natanatan
• Scouring of Aimia: Not enough of a triumph
• Fall of Natanatan: Several centuries before: not a triumph, timing is wrong.

Without knowing the trigger for the calendar change, it seems difficult to guess the name.  If the rise of the Sunmaker is about the right time, then that is about the only thing we can guess:  Sunmaker Era?

Some information about the history:

 

... that Kharbranth had been founded way back into the shadowdays, years before the Last Desolation. That would make it old indeed. Thousands of years old, created before the terrors of the Hierocracy, long before—even—the Recreance.

TWoK Chapter 3

 

So this says: Shadowdays - Aharietiam - Recreance - Hierocracy - Sunmaker - Gavilar

 

Looked at another way, those phantom commands to “unify” sounded a great deal like what the Hierocracy had said when it had tried to conquer the world five centuries before.

TWoK Chapter 26, emphasizes mine

And the Hierocracy happened some five centuries prior to TWoK.

 

"... Shallan, the devotaries—at their core—are still classical Vorinism. That means the Hierocracy and the fall of the Lost Radiants are our shame."

TWoK Chapter 45

This quote isn't really 'on topic' but it seems to say that the Hierocracy and the Recreance correlate. I wondered before if the beginning/upcoming of the Hierocracy wouldn't have been the trigger of the Recreance. But this -- surely -- is only an idea of mine.

Unfortunately I couldn't find when the Sunmaker destroyed the Hierocracy.

 

[Dalinar] was quoting the Sunmaker, the last Alethi king to unite the highprinces. Gavilar had once revered his name.

TWoK Chapter 24

And that the Sunmaker was young, 17 years, when he started his conquest (TWoK Chapter 29), which was the destruction of the Hierocracy.

Then:

 

Together, [Dalinar] and his brother had reunited Alethkar’s warring highprinces after centuries of strife.

TWoK Chapter 12

It seems that posterior to Sunmaker's reign Alethkar once more disintegrated and "after centuries" Dalinar and Gavilar were the first to re-unite the ten Highprinces of Aletkhar.

May be this helps a bit.

[Chlehrma]

“moment. The day is ours.”

“We win again!” Sadeas said triumphantly. “Dalinar, once in a while, it appears that senile old brain of yours can come up with a good idea or two!”

“We’re the same age, Sadeas.”

Excerpt From: Sanderson, Brandon. “The Way of Kings.” Tom Doherty Associates, 2010. iBooks.

This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=376229549

Looks like Dalinar is between 49 and 51 since Sadeas is 50. "Same age" would represent a birth date within 499 days of the other. So Dalinar is 50 plus or minus up to 499 days. This means Navani is 50 plus or minus 499 days plus 3 rosharan months.

[Swimmingly he/him]

Or within a couple of years.

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

"the same age" is approximate.

[Cromptj he/him]

How about this as a placeholder: Elaborately Acronymed Stormlight archive Year. EASY

[Chlehrma]

"the same age" is approximate.

Narrows it down! So Dalinar is definitely not 50...

“Adolin was a young man in his twenties and Dalinar an aging man in his fifties”

Excerpt From: Sanderson, Brandon. “The Way of Kings.” Tom Doherty Associates, 2010. iBooks.

This material may be protected by copyright.

So we now know for certain he is between 51 and 59...which means Navani is between 51 and 60...

Additional age related information is that he courted Navani in their youth and that, after Galivar started courting her, he avoided her for two decades, then met his wife, Shhshhshhh. Adolin is 24, so assuming he was born the same year as the wedding and not prior to, then Dalinar is X+44 years. (X being the age at time of courting and 44 being Adolin's age plus the two decades he spent ducking Navani.) So if this is accurate, then he must have started courting Navani when he was 15 or younger in order to be within his fifth decade. This would make him 59.

[AerionBFII he/him]

Thanks for the hard work this has been eating at me