Measurements

From Wikimalia

Current revision

Glossary of common measurements

| a.	arg	 	| gr.	great-		| qt.	quathum 	| tk.	tok		|
| b. barand    	| gs.	gransel 	| qv.	quavek		| tkk.	tuk		|
| cc.	cuciv	 	| gt.	grant		| r.	rand		| tl.	toll		|
| cp.  candlepower/cup	| gx.	grandex		| rd.	randex		| tm.	trithum		|
| cr.	crown	 	| lt.	lightok		| rt.	ranten		| tn.	throne		|
| cu.	curand	 	| ob.	orbrand		| sc. standard commodity| tr.	trirand		|
| cv.	civrand	 	| og.	orgran		| sr.	squarand	| tt.	tenthum		|
| cy.	cycle	 	| or.	orand		| st.	squathum	| ttn.	tenthrone	|
| dm.	diam	 	| ot.	orthum		| su.	sunthum		| tu.	trade unit	|
| do.	domain	 	| pi.	pirand		| ta.  tollangle	| tv. 	terminal veloc.	|
| dr.	drop	 	| pr.	press		| tb.	thumble		| uu.	universal unit	|
| e.	ek	 	| ps.	pass		| tc.	tenciv		| v.	vek		|
| f.	fae	 	| px. 	primodex	| te.	thumek		| wa.	watch		|
| g.	gran	 	| qe.	quarek		| th.	thum		| wk.	week		|
| gpt. gran per toll  	| qr.	quarand		| ti.	tik		| wp.	waterpress	|

Abbr. of misc. terms

b. 	Volume     barand   

Catch-all abbreviation for a measurement with many uses. Its abbreviation stands for 'barand' officially, whose dimensions can be morphed to make a standard box, barrel, board, boulder, bale and bushel. It is 10,000 cubic thums of volume and/or 40 crowns of weight. (Any commodity that fits this volume AND weight is a 'standard' commodity or sc.)

cpd.	Pay rate   crowns per day
cps.	Pressure   crowns wt. per squathum or half-presses.
gpt.	Velocity   grans per toll.
sol.	Velocity   speed of light.
tv.	Velocity   terminal velocity or ?X? gpt.

TIME

1 cycle/cy.

• RL => 12 years.
• The length of the cycle of life as recognized by the Gods.
• The length of time it takes Ortias to orbit Primordiax.

1 pass/ps.

• RL => 1 year.
• The length of time from the shortest day to the shortest day with the passing of all seasons in between.
• The length of time it takes Primordiax to orbit Stratos.

1 season/sn.

• RL => 91.25 days, 1/4th year, approximately 3 months.
• The length of time it takes Athene to orbit Primordiax.

1 month/mo.

• RL => 30.4 days. 1/12th of a 365-day year.
• Amount of time it takes Ortias to rotate on its axis.

1 week/wk.

• RL => 7 days.
• The length of time it takes Gemane to shift 1 watch.
• Equal to 2 Athenean watches.

1 day/d.

• RL => 1 day. 24 hours. 1440 minutes. 86,400 seconds.
• 24 tolls = 1 day.
• 1440 toks = 1 day.
• 86,400 tiks = 1 day.
• The length of time it takes Athene and Primodiax to rotate on their axes.

1 toll/tl.

• RL => 1 hour.
• 2 watches, 60 toks, 3600 tiks
• The length of time it took the King's Herald to relay a message to the captains at each city gate in the capital city of King Rand.
• Time required for a stationary heavenly body to arc 15 eks through the sky.

1 watch/wa.

• RL => 30 minutes.
• The amount of time it appears to take one moon to travel 7.5 eks/degrees through the sky.

1 lightok/lt.

• RL => 8 minutes.
• The time it takes light to travel from Stratos to Primodiax, which exactly equals the amount of time it takes for the sun to appear to travel two of its own diameters across the sky.
• 8 toks.

1 tok/tk.

• RL => 1 minute.
• 60 tiks = 1 tok.
• 60 toks = 1 toll.
• The longest time Rokgar Stonefist ever spoke at once. Thus the word 'talk' and 'tok' may share some trulloc etymological ancestor.

1 tik/ti.

• RL => 1 second.
• 60 tiks = 1 tok.

1 tuk/tkk.

• RL => 1/3 second.
• Many trade jokes are made about the abbreviation for the word tuk being as long as the word itself, and that it is one of the longest abbreviations used, while representing the smallest measurable amount of time.

DISTANCE

1 tenthum/tt.

• RL => Approximately 1/10 inch
• 1/10 thum.
• Also a 'snip', for the length of Rand's thumbnail clippings.
  

1 quathum/qt.

• RL => 1/4 inch.
• 1/4 thum, or quarter-thum.
  

1 thum/th.

• RL => Approximately 1 inch.
• The length of Rand's thumbnail. 1/10 rand.
  

1 quarand/qr.

• RL => Approximately 2.5 inches.
• 1/4 rand.
• 4 quarands = 1 rand.
• Archaic dwarven: 'gard' and ironically, a 'thumb'.
  

1 orand/or.

• RL => Approximately 2.875 inches ( 2 + 7/8 in.).
• 2.875 thums = 2&7/8 thums.
• The diameter of an orbrand (circular rand).
  

1 trirand/tr.

• RL => Approximately 3.33 inches or 10/3 inches.
• 3 trirands = 1 rand.
• Archaic talayi measurement, also called an 'ath'.
  

1 civrand/cv.

• RL => Approximately 5 inches.
• 2 civrands = 1 rand.
• Also called halfrand, demirand, semirand, hemirand.
  

1 rand/r.

• RL => Approximately 10 inches.
• Length of Rand's Rod of Command.
• 10 thumbs = 1 rand.
  

1 tenciv/tc.

• RL => 50 inches = 4'2".
• 5 rands.
  

1 ranten/rt.

• RL => Approximately 100 inches = 8'4"
• 10 rands = 1 ranten.
• Also called a span.
  

1 randex/rd.

• RL => Approximately 1,000 inches = 83'4".
• 100 rands = 10 ranten = 1 randex.
• Also called 'stone's throw'.
  

1 gran/g.

• RL => Approximately 1 kilometer (4,166.66 feet).
• Traditional noble land grant was a 1x1 square of this unit.
• 5000 rand = 1 gran.
  

1 grandex/gx.

• RL => Approximately 100 kilometers.
• 100 gran = 1 grandex.
• 100,000 rands.
  

1 primodex

• RL => The planet's equatorial diameter. 7,926.28 miles
• 462,300,537.6 thums = 46,230,053.76 rands = 46,230.05376 grans = 462.3 grandexes.
• Smallest basic unit of celestial measurement.
  

1 sunthum/su.

• RL => a.u., or astronomical unit. The distance from the center of the sun to the center of the earth, although this system is under fire from proponents of a sun-to-FIRST-planet unit of measurement, which yields surprising results.
• The distance from Stratos's center to the first planet of the system.
  

1 lightpass/lp.

• RL => 1 lightyear.
• You do the conversion. It makes me cry.
  

WEIGHT

1 tenthrone/ttn.

• RL => 10 tons = 20,000 pounds.
• 10 thrones = 10,000 crowns.
• Also called a 'trade ton', typically used by seamen as a standard cargo measurement or displacement value.

1 throne/tn.

• RL => 1 ton = 2,000 pounds.
• 1,000 crowns.
• The weight of King Rand's Unification Throne.
• Also called a 'tonne'.

1 thud/no abbr. (Archaic)

• RL => 288 pounds.
• 144 crowns weight.
• An 11-weight, or 'thuduaten' to the ancient trullocs.
• Thudweight is still occasionally substituted for 1/4 throne, despite the inaccuracy.

1 barand/b.

• RL => 80 pounds, approximate weight of 10 gallons of water.
• 40 crowns, 400 diams.
• Also refers to fluid volume of 10,000 cubic thums of water.
• Also referred to as a 'barrel' and a 'board', (see Volume).

1 crown/cr.

• RL => Approximately 2 pounds.
• The weight of King Rand the Unifier's crown.
• 10 diams = 1 crown.
• Weight of a perfect randrod.

1 diam/dm.

• RL => Approximately 1/5th of a pound.
• 1/10 of a crown.
• The weight of Queen Lexi's engagement ring.

1 fae/f.

• RL => Aproximately 1/50th of a pound or .32 oz. or 1/3 oz.
• 1/100 of a crown.
• Archaic dryad, the weight of a fairyslipper flower.

CURRENCY

Triad: Universal unit of currency. = ?tu The Triad is a round, reeded edge platinum coin with a thin four-faceted gem cut to represent a three-sided pyramid set in the coin's center, so that both sides appear identical. Each face of the pyramid represents one of the three Kingdoms of the Alliance. The emerald chip base of the pyramid represents the Aether, whose worship is shared by all.

Imperial law makes it a treasonable offense to create any currency unit with an equal or greater value than a triad, without Imperial Dispensation.

Throne: Mitralon, Askardic currency. = 5,000tu? The Throne is a platinum octagonal shaped coin whose slightly raised border is decorated like the edge of a royal crown. Its prime face is embossed with an ornate throne. The obverse of the coin bears a falcon with its wings stretched and bejewelled talons extended. Crown: Mitralon, Askardic currency. = 1,000tu? The Crown is a gold octagonal shaped coin whose slightly raised border is decorated like the edge of a royal crown. The prime face is embossed with Rand's Crown. The obverse of the coin bears a falcon with its wings stretched and talons extended.

Scepter: Mitralon], Askardic currency = 100tu? The Scepter is a silver octagonal shaped coin whose slightly raised border is decorated like the edge of a royal crown. Its prime face is embossed with three scepters, the symbol of the Triad. The obverse of the coin bears a falcon with its wings stretched and talons extended.

Sickle: Mitralon], Askardic currency = 5tu? The Sickle is a nickel octagonal shaped coin whose slightly raised border is decorated like the edge of a royal crown. Its prime face is embossed with crossed sickles, their blades parallel to the edge. The obverse of the coin bears a falcon with its wings stretched and talons extended.

Sathu: Katavyan], Trojan currency. The Sathu is a round gold coin with a reeded edge. Its obverse face is decorated with an enormous stone temple rising out of the jungle.

Uni: 1tu?

Drocta: Ta'Raekhet, Chemerian currency. The Drocta is a heavy round silver coin adorned on its obverse face with a large desert scarab. The carapace of the scarab is plated to faintly refract light in a rainbow of hues. The coin has a thick, smooth edge.

The Trade Unit, or t.u., is the uu of economics, and is roughly equal to a penny, and a mere fraction of the value of a triad. It could be defined as the value of a cubic thum/inch of tin, for argument's sake. All coinage thereafter incorporated has an intrensic trade value that is a multiple of 1 t.u., so a 'nickel' has a value of 5tu, or perhaps a crown has a value of 100tu. Nothing in the game costs less than 1tu, unless it costs zul/zero. There are no fractions of the t.u., so the very cheapest/smallest resource must have a value of 1tu or more.

AREA

1 trithum/tm.

• Equilateral triangle with 1-thum sides.
• Archaic talayi standard.

1 squathum/st.

• RL => 1 square inch.
• 1 square thum.

1 squarand/sr.

• 1 square rand = 100 square thums.
• Also called a boardrand, used in measuring lumber.

1 orbrand/ob.

• 1 circular rand.
• Said to have been the diameter of Rand's wrists.

1 grant/gt.

• 1 square gran = 1,000,000 squarands.
• typical noble land grant package.

1 orgran/og.

• 1 circular gran.
• The range Rand's trebuchets were said to fire.

VOLUME

1 drop/dr.

• RL => 1 cubic 1/10 inch. Approximately a friggin' drop.
• 1 cubic tenthum.

1 orthum

• RL => 1 inch sphere. Approximately 1 TSP or 1/? TBPS.
• Sphere with a diameter of 1 thum.

1 thumble/tb.

• RL => cubic inch. Approximately 2 TBSP. 1/10 pint = 1 cuthum/ct. = 1 cubic thum = 4 orthums.
• 1,000 cubic tenthums.
• 'thumble' and 'cuthum' are used interchangeably, but tradition uses the thumble as a fluid measure only.

1 cuciv/cc.

• RL => 125 cubic inches. Approx. 1/8gal, 1 pint or 2 cups.
• 1 cubic civrand = 125 cuthums

1 cup/cp.

• RL => 1 cup, 1/2pint, 1/16thgal, 2.5inch cube, 22 cubic in.
• 1 cup.
• 10 cuthums/thumbles.

1 curand/cu.

• RL => 1,000 cubic inches. Approximately 1 gallon or 50 cups.
• 1 cubic rand, 1,000 cuthums.

1 pyrand/pi. (Archaic)

• Perfect 4 sided pyramid with a squarand base.
• Volume that would fill the above pyramid.

1 pythum (Archaic)

• Perfect 4 sided pyramid with a squathum base.
• Volume that would fill the above pyramid.

1 barand/b.

• RL => 10,000 cubic inches, approximately 10 gallons.
• 10,000 thumbles, 10 curands.
• Also called a barrel, the volume to fill a 2-rand cube.
• 100x100x1-thum 'board'.
• 20x25x20-thum 'box'.
• 10x50x20-thum 'bale' or 'bundle'.
• 12.5x40x20-thum 'basket' or' 'bushel'.
• Any 10,000-cuthum non-standard shape is a standard 'bag'.
• 40 crowns = weight of 10,000 cuthums water, or 'boulder'.

1 gransel/gs.

• RL => Approximately 1 cubic kilometer.
• 1 cubic gran.
• "Grantsell", "Grandsale", (archaic) it is a noble land grant that included a vertical gran dimension to the property package, giving (or selling) sovereign air rights above a property. This right included the option to pay a royal fee to enter a petition to name a star in zenith over a given gransel. Virtually every petition was accepted when royal coffers were drained, even if the same star was named twice or more. This could often cause feuds between neighboring properties, and many episodes of "Star Wars" were resolved in courts or in blood.

ANGLE

1 ek/e.

• RL => A single circumferential degree. (see temperature)
• 4 toks of the celestial clock.

1 thumek/te.

• RL => 36 circumferential degrees.
• 1/10 of an orbrand (circular rand).

1 quarek/qe.

• RL => 90 circumferential degrees.
• 1/4 of an orbrand (circular rand).

1 watch/wa.

• RL => 7.5 degrees or 1/48th of a circle.
• 7.5 eks, the angle in the sky that any single moon appears to move in a half-toll.

1 tollangle/ta.

• RL => 15 degrees, 1/24th of a circle.
• 15 eks, the angle in the sky that any single moon appears to move in one toll.

1 domain/do.

• RL => 30 degrees, 1/12th of a circle.
• Angle formed by the width of a triadiacal constellation.
• 2 tollangles.

Notes: The hihn method measures in archaic divisions of a circle based on the diameter of the moons, dividing the circle into complex but aesthetically pleasing units.

PRESSURE

Expressed as weight(or other force)/area.

1 press/pr.

• RL => 2 psi.
• 1 crown per square thum = 2 pounds/square inch.
• Measure of force.

1 waterpress/wp.

• RL => 7.2 psi, = amount of force per foot of depth underwater, per square inch.
• 3.6 crowns of pressure/squathum for each rand of depth.

VELOCITY

Velocity: expressed as distance/time, such as 10 rands/tik, etc., or GPT = grans per toll. The current velocity barrier is Terminal velocity, which no humanoid has ever traveled without harm. It is the fastest known speed for a falling object.

ENERGY

1 ???/?

• MEASURE OF AETHER?

1 vek/v.

• RL => 1 volt, measurement of electricity.

1 quavek/qv.

• RL => 1/4 volt, measurement of electricity.

1 arg/a.

• RL => 1 ampere or amp.

1 candlepower/cp

• RL => 5 watts of light, measurement of light intensity.

1 ek/e.

• RL => 1 degree celsius, measure of heat.

The boiling point of water is 100 eks. Water freezes at 0 eks. The average body temperature of a human is 177.5 eks. 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit is 555.55 eks. Conversion: Fahrenheit-eks, multiply by 5/9, 55.55% or .5555.

NUMBERS

Numbers: (Below is the archaic numeral system that was discarded. Rather than see it abandoned utterly, I've borrowed elements from it as an 'alphabet' for the measurement vocabulary. It seemed a shame not to use it.)

Prime	      Base	Pi			Thu
1            0 = zul	0 = zul			0 = zul
2            1 = ona	3.142 = onapi = pi	1 = thuona = 1
3            2 = dua	6.285 = duapi = 2pi	2 = thudua = 2
5            3 = tri	9.428	tripi = 3pi	3 = thutri = 3
7            4 = fos	etc.			4 = thufos = 5
11           5 = civ				5 = thuciv = 8
13           6 = sis				6 = thusis = 13
17           7 = jev				7 = thujev = 21
19           8 = oct				8 = thuoct = 34
23           9 = nin				9 = thunin = 55
29          10 = onaten			10= thuonaten = 89
31          20 = duaten			11= thuduaten = 144
37          30 = triten				etc.
41          40 = fosten
47          50 = civten
53          60 = sisten
57          70 = jevten
59          80 = octen
61          90 = ninten

         100 = ona dex (hundred = dex)
       1,000 = ona tow (thousand = tow)
      10,000 = ona ton (ten thousand = ton)
     100,000 = ona dextow (hundred thousand = dextow)
   1,000,000 = ona towtow (million = towtow)
1,000,000,000 = ona tonton (billion = tonton)

Combinations:

          11 = onaten-ona
          12 = onaten-dua
          21 = duaten-ona
         137 = ona dex onaten-jev
       4,255 = fos tow, duadex civten-civ
      76,438 = jevten-sis tow, fos dex triten-oct
     245,019 = dua dex fosten-civ tow, onaten-nin
   8,614,792 = oct towtow, sis dex onaten-fos tow, jev dex ninten-dua

OOC Note: "This numbering system is considered the "archaic" method of numbering (similar to RL Roman numerals). We considered using this numbering system for the entire game, but decided it would be too alien and too cumbersome in the long run."