Yan-Zhe Calendar

The Yan-Zhe Calendar is one of the earliest calendars on Azeroth. It is a Pandaren Calendar. The calendar dates back to the reign of the Emperor Yan-Zhe, who saw the importance in observing years through four seasons, instead of in a lunisolar fashion. The Calendar was originally updated by every Emperor, but came to a halt after the end of Emperor Shaohao's reign. Recently, groups such as The Imperial Academy have employed their scholars to tirelessly update the calendar, and restore its former glory.

This calendar post-dates the rule of Mogu Emperors, and the Mogu were believed to have used a lunisolar system.

This calendar will be used as a way of remembrance, and an easier tool for Pandaren scholars interested in looking back on the history of the Pandaren Empire and the events afterwards. The timeline in whole, expands over twelve thousand years, and not all important dates may be recorded here. Scholars are advised to add their own dates, in an effort to grow this calendar.

'''Note: This calendar is very much still in progress, and currently has only been developed to the end of Emperor Shaohao's rule! Thanks for your consideration.'''

The Yan-Zhe Dynasty (~40 Y.Z. - 63 Y.Z.)
The first ruling dynasty of Pandaria.

Yan-Zhe
The first Emperor of Pandaria, Yan-Zhe, was a faithful ruler, who divided the land into various provinces, via farming regions. He is believed to have been a monk, and was highly interested in the traditions of the Monk being kept alive. After his death, around the year 63 Y.Z., his name was given to the Yan-Zhe River, which is considered the largest river in Azeroth and provides fertile land to most of the Valley of Four Winds. He had no descendants.

The Thunderpaw Dynasty (63 Y.Z. - 730 Y.Z.)
The second ruling dynasty of Pandaria, and one of the longest ruling dynasties.

Ping Thunderpaw (63 Y.Z. - 102 Y.Z.)
The first of the dynasty, Ping Thunderpaw was a renowned military general and companion to Yan-Zhe during his later years, and was considered the heir to all of Pandaria. He poured immense efforts into the protection of Pandaria, employing a new warrior social class, known as the Wardancer. These elite soldiers fought to protect and guard Pandaren citizens, and are considered the group that birthed the Shado-Pan. Emperor Shaohao was highly inspired by Ping, whilst creating the Shado-Pan Order.

Ping Thunderpaw II (103 Y.Z. - 153 Y.Z.)
One of Ping's Children ascended to the throne in 103 Y.Z., Ping II's accomplishments are considered quite minor. He performed various repairs on the Serpent's Spine and bolstered the ranks of the Wardancers.

Hai Thunderpaw (153 Y.Z. - 220 Y.Z.)
One of the longest rulers in the history of the Pandaren Emperor, and also one of the youngest to ascend to the throne. Hai Thunderpaw was Ping II's nephew, and was selected in a charter created by Ping II before his death to ensure his legacy. Hai was known as 'The Young Emperor' and the 'The Sea Emperor' due to his efforts to boost the fishing trade in Pandaria.

Jian Thunderpaw (220 Y.Z. - 239 Y.Z.)
Jian Thunderpaw was Hai Thunderpaw's son. He created a number of charters to balance the social classes.

Jian Thunderpaw III (270 Y.Z. - 301 Y.Z.)
Jian III balanced economic trade, and stomped out various blackmarkets in the Veiled Stair.

Jian Thunderpaw V (349 Y.Z. - 490 Y.Z.)
Jian V was invested in promoting herbal medicines among the people, and created apothecary shops across Pandaria, sponsored by his court.

Shu Thunderpaw (490 Y.Z. - 424 Y.Z.)
The first female Emperor of Pandaria, Shu was noted to be one of the kindest emperors and most stylish in Pandaria. Her style created a highly desired trade in silk, and silk worm farms sprung up across Pandaria. She nearly ran the Court bankrupt, with her interests in donating money to the poor. Luckily, donations to the court poured in from the various merchants across Pandaria.

She notably married Xi Mudpaw, a peasant. This earned her the title 'Shu the Good'.

Yu Thunderpaw (424 Y.Z. - 474 Y.Z.)
Yu Thunderpaw, or The Jade Emperor, promoted the Jade industry, and had a massive palace built for him, known as the 'Jade Palace' on an island near Pandaria. The home did not stand the test of time, or the sea, and the Jade Emperor was washed away with it. There's a common nursery rhyme for young Pandaren Children named after Yu because of it, 'Yu of the Sea'.

Ping Thunderpaw III (544 Y.Z. - 554 Y.Z.)
An entire reconstruction of both towers of the Gate of the Setting Sun was performed during this Ping III's rule, which boasted the economy and created a booming mining business in quaries across Pandaria.

Mei Thunderpaw (554 Y.Z. - 610 Y.Z.)
The second female to ascend to the Throne, Mei Thunderpaw was a strong leader who coined the phrase:

'' "Hope is the sun behind a stormy sky.  Ever in the heart, but veiled to the eye." ''

This became the motto for the Thunderpaw Dynasty, and was engraved on coins, medallions, and tombstones.

Xin Wo Yin Thunderpaw (644 Y.Z. - 669 Y.Z.)
One of the most intelligent scholars, and emperors of all of Pandaria. He promoted the use of calligraphy, and encouraged arithmetic and writing to be learned by every young Pandaren child. He opened some of the first Monk academies, which were primarily places of meditation and school work at that time. He is credited with the honorary title of the 'First Lorewalker' by modern lorewalkers.

Thunderpaw Refuge at the Tian Monastery was one of the schools he created across Pandaria. A massive statue of him was created, at Thunderpaw Overlook, also in Tian Monastery.

Chin Thunderpaw (701 - 730 Y.Z.)
Chin Thunderpaw was a merciless ruler, and sought to bring the Pandaren back to their former horrid past. He created charters to force slavery, drove the Court bankrupt, sold priceless artifacts to the blackmarkets, and destroyed beautiful artwork and cultural pieces across Pandaria. His actions did not last long, and the citizens of the Pandaren Empire grew furious. A massive revolt, lasting over a century began. This revolt became known as The Hundred Year Revolt.

The Hundred Year Revolt (730 Y.Z. - 834 Y.Z.)
The Hundred Year Revolt was a one hundred thirty four year long revolt, which stemmed from a poor age of leadership by Chin Thunderpaw. Several more Thunderpaw Emperors attempted to rise up, but many were assasinated violently by the people.

Lo Thunderpaw (~749 Y.Z.)
Lo Thunderpaw proclaimed he would rid the people of their troubles, but was assasinated after a month on the Throne. The people were still enraged that could be so betrayed by Thunderpaws, and vowed they would never trust a Thunderpaw again.

Gao-Zhang Thunderpaw (~809 Y.Z. - ~811 Y.Z.)
The people were still enraged even eighty years after Chin's slavery acts. Another Thunderpaw rose up, trusted by the people for another two years, before he was assasinated as well. This was the last of the Thunderpaw Emperors.

The Hozen Act (September 4th, 830 Y.Z.)
The Hozen Act of 830 Y.Z. was a charter created by the first Hozen Monkey King, and the Revolt Leaders during the final stages of the revolt. With every Thunderpaw dead, the Hozen built a very firm alliance with the Pandaren.

Rikktik
Emperor Rikktik was the first Hozen Emperor of the Pandaren Emperor, and was beloved by his people. He was the Monkey King of the Mountain Hozen for a short period, before being appointed Emperor. He created various acts of diplomacy, building a booming trade of fruit between Pandaren and Hozen. The Empire was finally recovering after a bloody century of revolts, and could finally rest. Unfortunately, the Hozen were not a very cleanly group of people, and they introduced the Pandaren to a slew of new diseases, which killed thousands of Pandaren.

'Hozen Fever' (837 Y.Z. - 851 Y.Z.)
One of the most violent and deadly fevers the Pandaren had ever experienced, the Hozen's dirty nature had created multiple diseases among the much more cleanly Pandaren. The Rikktik Fever swept from much of the Valley of the Four Winds, the Kun Lai Summit, and the Jade Forest. Despite Thunderpaw Methods of medicine, the people were far to stubborn, calling anyone who used the medicine a traitor. This only caused the fever to spread worse, killing one third (1/3) of Pandaren society.

Symptoms

 * Gangrene of extremities such as paws, lips, ears, and the tips of the nose.
 * High Fever (102F-105F degrees)
 * Cramps
 * Graying of Fur
 * Swelling of Hands and Legs.

The Pearlfin Dynasty (848 Y.Z. - 910 Y.Z.)
The Pearlfin Tribe sought to the cure the diseases of the Pandaren, their oldest ally. The Pearlfin cured thousands upon thousands of Pandaren with their advnced medicine. The Pandaren began to have a slight mistrust for the Mountain Hozen, and allowed the Jinyu leaders to take the throne for a period.

Lu-Temmdo (848 Y.Z. - 860 Y.Z.)
The Elder Sage of the Jinyu at the time, Lu-Temmdo ascended to the Throne and created a continental standard for medicine and relief. The Pandaren grew immune to Hozen illnesses, and began to trust the Hozen again, slowly but surely. Lu-Temmedo attempted to regularize bathing, and created several bath houses around Pandaria for Pandaren and Hozen to bathe at.

Rassharom (860 Y.Z. - 910 Y.Z.)
The Emperor, Rassharom, was a careful one. He listened closely to the Waterspeakers for advice on any affair he took, and did not trust the Hozen. During his reign, he accomplished scholarly and cultural objectives. The maurading Forest Hozen rose up, bolstering their ranks and lashing out against the Jinyu. They were jealous that two Jinyu had been on the throne, and thought that another Monkey King deserved the title.

Rassharom responded by outlawing the Hozen, and a brutal war broke out, the Hozen terrorized the Pandaren for a period, before being stamped out, and then a massive age of conflict arose.

The Pearlfin-Slingtail War (902 Y.Z. - ~966 Y.Z.)
The Pearlfin-Slingtail War was a conflict involving the Pearlfin Jinyu and the Slingtail Hozen. This conflict was considered one of the bloodiest in the history of Pandaria, even bloodier than the Thunderpaw revolts that had commenced nearly a century earlier. The Wardancers of the Pandaren had to pick sides, and the citizens were frightened their empire would be torn apart by the Hozen and Jinyu.

The Pearlfin
The Pearlfin Jinyu were aided for the first part of the war by the Wardancers, by order of Emperor Rassharom. A decade after Rassharom's death in 910 Y.Z., many Wardancers split.

The Slingtail
The Slingtail Hozen continued to protest, and fight. Their primitive warfare was no match for the Jinyu when they fought against each other near the Jinyu's water-based villages, but did have several successful victories when the Jinyu moved forward into Hozen territory.

The Year of Two Empires (980 Y.Z.)
After the conflicts had cooled, two Pandaren Empires rose, each supporting different sides. Known as the Northern Pandaren Empire, which supported the Slingtail Hozen, and the Southern Pandaren Empire which supported the Jinyu. No conflicts arose, but the ideas fizzled out, because no notable leaders could be discerned.

The Lost Age (~981 Y.Z. - ~1703 Y.Z.)
The Lost Age was a terrible period for the Pandaren Empire, when it seemingly fell apart. Several Emperors arose, but the state of the empire declined, and the morale of the people was low. Many felt that their empire had fallen apart, but many courts still existed and the Wardancers still worked. Several more Slingtail and Hozen skirmishes occurred, but no one felt inclined to side with either force, and no Emperor could control the people by this age.

Due to the lack of culture, society, and even leadership, this era was known as 'The Lost Age'. Many scholars are still trying to discern what exactly occurred in this period, as very few records were produced, and the calendar was not continued by any Emperor for this period.

The Golden Age (~ 1703 Y.Z. - 1952 Y.Z.)
The Golden Age was when the Pandaren finally had decided to rebuild their empire. Several Emperors rose up, and culture flourished in Pandaria. Many relics, temples, palaces, and other buildings that are seen in Pandaria today were built or reconstructed in this period.

The Shang Dynasty (~1703 Y.Z. - 1760 Y.Z.)
The Shang Dynasty was the first ruling dynasty of The Golden Age, and was considered to be the finest of the three dynasties that rose up during this time period.

Wu Shang (~1703 Y.Z. - 1732 Y.Z.)
The first ruling emperor of the Shang Dynasty, he rebuilt the Shrine of Seven Stars and the Shrine of Two Moons.

Wu Shang II (1732 Y.Z. - 1800 Y.Z.)
The second ruling emperor of the Shang Dynasty, noted for his immense efforts to begin trade in markets such as Halfhill and across the Valley of Four Winds again.

The Xing Dynasty (1800 Y.Z. - 1920 Y.Z.)
The Xing Dynasty was credited with their diplomatic and charismatic way of leadership, which slowly began to create a more relaxed mindset in the people. The Xing Dynasty was the first entirely female dynasty in the Pandaren Empire.

Lianne Xing (1800 Y.Z. - 1839 Y.Z.)
Lianne Xing, the third female Pandaren Emperor, in the nearly two thousand years of its existence. Lianne Xing brought back the fashion sense of Shu Thunderpaw, popularizing silk robes among men and women. She credited several publications about silk wear, and nearly every market across Pandaria stated that Lianne had bought her famous dresses there. Lianne popularized the usage of fans and umbrellas.

Hu Xing (1839 Y.Z. - 1890 Y.Z.)
Hu Xing, the fourth female Pandaren Emperor, and the second Emperor of the Xing Dynasty, was credited with her interest in the August Celestials. She not only popularized the Celestials, but rebuilt the Temple of the Red Crane and the Temple of the White Tiger. Many refer to her as The Hope Emperor, for Chi-Ji, the Red Crane, embodies the hope of Pandaria.

Luli Xing (1890 Y.Z. - 1920 Y.Z.)
Luli Xing ascended to the throne when she was ten, and refurbished the entire royal court system at eleven. She was considered a prodigy among the people, and the Sweet Heart of the Empire. A rumor stated that when diplomats and guests would come to visit her, she'd sit in the throne and play on her lute. She was a very playful young emperor, and as she grew up, she was a dignified woman. She died of Hozen Fever at the age of forty, despite the work of dozens to cure her.

The Ku Dynasty  (1920 Y.Z. - 1952 Y.Z.)
The Ku Dynasty was the finally dynasty of The Golden Age of Pandaria.

Ku (1920 Y.Z. - 1952 Y.Z.)
Emperor Ku was ruled by his fears. He believed that the mogu would return. Through the haze of his paranoia, he saw treachery behind every smile, a scheme behind every vow of devotion, and cunning traps in the calm prophecies of the jinyu waterspeakers. Later, he had a maze built beneath his palace, with a safe room at the center. The next time his fear gripped him, Ku fled for it, shut the door, and waited for the terror to subside. It never did. The maze had been so cleverly constructed that the emperor had forgotten the way out.

Search parties sometimes heard him calling, but years passed. Occasionally, an explorer went into the maze and ran out screaming, wild with terror, for Ku's time in the dark had twisted him into something appalling to behold. Soon, a cub named Li Tao chased his bandicoon kit into the maze. He soon realized he was being followed. Even though he was too frightened to look, little Li Tao still understood that here was someone even more frightened than he was. So he reached back and led the poor emperor out of the maze.

Shaohao, the Last Emperor (1952 Y.Z. - 1980 Y.Z.)
Shaohao was the last Emperor of Pandaria, and for good reason. He ended the dynasties of Pandaria, and enacted dozens of charters to ensure there wouldn't be another emperor for thousands of years.

Coronation (January 1, 1952 Y.Z.)
Shaohao studied at Tian Monastery. He was crowned 10,000 years ago. Following tradition, he sought the counsel of the great Waterspeaker of the jinyu who, instead of good news, delivered him a terrible prophecy: a kingdom of sorcerers was calling forth a host of demons from a great well, green fire rained from the skies, and the world's continents will soon be shattered.

The Sha (1968 Y.Z.)
Shaohao meditated for three days and three nights, for the counsel of the Jade Serpent was unclear. How could one purge oneself of all doubt? Weary of waiting, Shaohao's travelling companion the Monkey King whittled a strange grimacing visage out of bamboo. He urged the Emperor to place the mask of doubt on his face. While mischief was the Monkey King's motivation, the mask worked - As Shaohao pulled the mask away, his doubts took on a physical form. For seven hours they fought, until the Sha of Doubt was buried. And from now on, Shaohao finally knew what must be done, and his journey to purge his negative emotions begun. He traveled to each temple of the August Celestials, purging himself with the help of the Monkey King and the August Celestials, imprisoning the Sha of Doubt, Despair, Anger, Fear, Hatred, and Violence beneath the ground. But he held on to one vice - the Sha of Pride.

Emperor Shaohao's pride cloaked Pandaria in mists as he thought they were better than the rest of the world and they could solve their own problems. But for ten thousand years, they stagnated, their doubts and fears buried in the land, rising up to fester whenever they allowed them. Thus Pride is the most insidious of sha and more dangerous than all the others combined.

Shado-Pan (1969 Y.Z.)
After defeating the sha, Shaohao established the Shado-Pan to continue to watch and protect against the sha menace. The Emperor was forever changed, and as he set forth of the final leg of his adventure, he was a creature of faith, courage, patience, love, and peace, a creature of pure light. At the dusk of the final day, the sky was bathed in green fire, and the very ground trembled in terror. But the Emperor was not afraid. His mind was clear of any doubt or despair. He feasted and he sang as the sky tore open. Seeing fear and doubt in his subjects' eyes, Shaohao told them that one should live each day to its fullest, and sleep each night with the peace of a mind unburdened.