KKC Theory Wiki

One Day in Temerant Equals One Year in the Fae, Tracked by Lunar Cycles

fringe mechanism · popularity 76 · 1 source thread

Time runs at one Temerant day per Fae year, with figures like Ludis trapped in the Fae across each 72-day lunar cycle.

About: The Fae, The Moon

Also involves: Kvothe, Felurian, Tehlu, Iax, Ludis, Perial

The theory§

Built on Temerant's 72.3-day lunar cycle, this theory proposes that one day in Temerant equals one year in the Fae, and that a single figure, identified across the moon's phases as Ludis and Perial, is pulled into the Fae and released in step with the cycle. From new moon to full, roughly 36 days, the figure is trapped; the second half of the cycle marks the return. The ratio is anchored by Kvothe's stay with Felurian, which felt to him like no more than a year despite spanning some three Fae days, taken to equal about 1.5 years, and by Felurian's wry toast to 'birthdays, depending.' Tehlu-story timing details are fitted to a 36-day trapped interval. The calendar arithmetic is weakened by the span being eleven days rather than seven, and the same time-ratio is used elsewhere to test, and ultimately reject, the idea that Kvothe could be Bast's father, since his total Fae time is far too short.

Evidence§

  • Temerant's moon cycle is 72.3 days. This would suggest 36 days from full moon to new moon, the amount of time Ludis would be trapped each cycle
    Establishes the lunar cycle and the 36-day trapped interval the theory rests on. — u/chainsawx72
  • My theory is that one day on Temerant equals one year in the fae. I can only say I've done a lot of math, and this is the number that makes sense.
    States the core claim: the day-to-year time ratio. — u/chainsawx72
  • Kvothe's three days would equal 1.5 years: … “I’m sure it couldn’t have been more than a year. . . .”
    Anchors the ratio in Kvothe's Felurian stay feeling like under a year. — u/chainsawx72
  • Kvothe would've missed exactly one or two birthdays, depending. … “Well then, happy birthday.” He lifted his glass to me. “Or birthdays, depending.”
    Felurian's 'birthdays, depending' toast fitted to the 1.5-year span. — u/chainsawx72
  • If Perial is Ludis, she would've been stuck in the fae for 36 Temerant days, returning on the first day of the sixth span. (five weeks * seven day weeks = 35 days) … So everyone gathered together on the first day of the seventh span
    Applies the 36-day interval to Tehlu-story span timing. — u/chainsawx72
  • One minor issue is that a span/week in Temerant is 11 days, not 7, so your calculation here is slightly off
    CounterCounter: span is 11 days, breaking the calendar arithmetic. — u/gtkrug
  • the fact we can see stars through the shadow of the moon in 3 pieces of artwork that Pat himself approved makes me think that the moon may actually be perpetually phasing in and out of the fae except when it is full in the mortal world
    CounterCounter/refine: art suggests continuous phasing, not a half-cycle trapped/return split. — u/Sandal-Hat
  • Kvothe could spend no more than about 180 Temerant days in the Fae (90 fae years). No way to be Bast's dad :(
    CounterUses the same ratio to reject Kvothe-as-Bast's-father; his Fae time is too short. — u/czechancestry

Book refs: WMF

Tier reasoning§

tier unchanged; calendar math countered in-thread

Contributors§

Source threads§