All studies of this period are complicated by the numerous systems of dating in common use. A brief guide to comparison follows.

Papal Years

The Church of the Guilded Dagon was wont, in its official documents, to refer to a year by the currently reigning pontiff; the accepted form was "the third year of the reign of Pope Thiestes," though terser notation of the form "3 Sennis" is not uncommon. Despite this being the official church policy, in practice, many members of the church were in the habit of using the Septarchal dating system for most business.

Septarchal Calendry

By convention, years in the Septarchy were dated from the Treaty of Lunesdale, in which the seven states were permanantly and officially organized into an empire. Months were roughly lunar, recalibrated slightly to provide for a uniform numbering scheme across solar years. This system replaced the earlier "Quiet Era" notation pioneered by High Emperor Barakis in -514 SE.

The best records place the death of Septarch Quintillian at the 217th year of the Septarchy (informally, 217 Septarchal, or 217 SE), or 731 QE.

Pulotu Chronography

The Pulotu dating scheme remains somewhat mystifying. What little we know of it comes from the testimony of exiles such as Cid Highwind. Without exception, these exiles had not reached positions of sufficient authority to be entrusted with the secrets of the Chronographers. Indeed, it is suspected that few if any outside the hereditary line of Elder Chronographers was ever granted knowledge of the whole system.

That said, some things remain beyond question. It is known that months in the Pulotu calendar were strictly lunar, beginning and ending at the new moon. The full moon was often a day of special significance, typically a minor feast day.

Years were approximately equal in length to a solar year, though there was considerable variation. The shortest attested year is 4291 (-92 Septarchal), which lasted for only three days. A year began upon the declaration of the chief Chronographer, and was given a number at that time. Though records are fragmentary, it appears that year numbers were unique. As time passed, these numbers seem to have been generally, but not strictly, decreasing. When asked about the motivation behind this numbering system, Cid Highwind commented, "Ahh... I asked about that once. All they said was that it would make sense in the end." A fringe, but persistant, theory states that Pulotu Chronography was in reality a massive hoax designed to confuse and dismay outsiders.

Translating between Pulotian and Septarchal years is, naturally, problematic, though it is known that Pulotian year 45 was declared on the eve of Septarch Quintillian's death, and lasted for at least three Septarchal years.

A Final Note

Though these were the most prevalent dating schemes of the day, various regions enjoyed their own, minor calendars, rendering the decisive dating of many important events problematic. All of these notations were officially abolished by the Floating Congress upon its rise to power, as part of the Temporal Decency Act.

—Thaddeus Rhagfarnllyd