Work Text:
736 PCE
- Seraphina au Raa is born.[01]
- Ephriam ti Horn retires from the legion.[02]
- Trigg ti Nakamura and his sister Holiday graduate from boot camp and are assigned to Legio XIII Dracones.[02]
February:
- Darrow and Eo get married.[03]
August:
Sunday, August 06:
- Narol detects a gas pocket and tells Darrow to stop drilling and wait for an inspection team to give the all clear.[03; 04]
- Darrow burns his hand while climbing down to scan the pocket himself but managing to make up for lost time.
- Darrow returns to his home in Lambda township, where Eo treats his burns before the laureltide feast that evening.
Monday, August 07:
- Eo sneaks Darrow into the Lykos Bubble Garden after the Laurel is awarded to Gamma yet again.[05]
- Darrow and Eo are arrested by Ugly Dan while sneaking out of the Bubble Garden.
Thursday, August 10:
- Darrow and Eo are brought out into the Lykos Common and whipped in front of ArchGovernor Augustus.[06]
- Eo sings the forbidden song and is condemned to immediate execution.
- Eo reveals her pregnancy to Dio and instructs her to hide the crib in her room from Darrow.
Friday, August 11:
- Darrow sneaks out and buries Eo's body in the Bubble Garden.[07]
- Narol pulls Darrow's feet during the hanging.
- Narol jams the cameras and buries Darrow in an unmarked tunnel for the Sons of Ares.
Saturday, August 12:
- Harmony and Ralph bring Darrow to Dancer, who reveals that Mars has been habitable for generations.[07]
- Dancer tells Darrow the history of the Society and the mission the Sons of Ares have planned for him.
- Dancer and Harmony take Darrow to Mickey’s shop and convince the Carver to accept the job of making Darrow a Gold.[07]
Sunday, August 13:
- Darrow has two heart attacks during his first surgery and slips into a coma.[08]
Monday, August 14-Saturday, August 26
- Eo's father commits suicide.[09]
Sunday, August 27
- Darrow awakens from his post-surgery coma.[08]
September:
Tuesday, September 19:
- Mickey completes the final operation in Darrow’s carving.[10]
November
Tuesday, November 14:
- As they say their goodbyes on his last night in the shop, Darrow warns Mickey to be kind to Evey or else.[10; 11]
Wednesday, November 15:
- Darrow leaves Mickey's shop and begins training with Matteo to learn Gold culture and behavior.[10; 11]
Thursday, November 16:
- Darrow demands that Dancer let him keep his real name instead of using the cover identity of Caius au Andromedus.[12]
Thursday, November 30:
- Sons of Ares hackers change the name listed in the Board of Quality Control’s records to Darrow au Andromedus.[13]
December:
Friday, December 01:
- Matteo takes Darrow horseback riding in Ishtar, where Darrow meets Mustang for the first time.[13]
737 PCE
February:
Wednesday, February 07:
- Darrow takes the Institute’s admissions test, and briefly encounters Cassius and Mustang as he leaves the testing facility.[10]
April:
Sunday, April 01:
- The Board of Quality Control interviews Darrow to determine if he cheated on his admissions test.[14]
Sunday, April 29:
- Darrow recieves the results of his Quality Control evaluation confirming he did not cheat on the admissions test.[14]
Monday, April 30:
- Darrow receives his exam scores and learns that he missed only one question on the entire test.[14]
December:
- Tiran of Lagalos is born.[15]
Friday, December 07:
- Darrow leaves Yorkton for The Institute and meets Julian and Sevro on the shuttle to the school.[10]
- Darrow is drafted into House Mars after Nero au Augustus's opening address.
Saturday, December 08:
- The Passage occurs.[16]
- Fitchner tells the surviving House Mars students the purpose of The Passage.
Sunday, December 09:
- Fitchner takes the students of House Mars on a jogging tour of their House’s territory during orientation.[17]
- Fitchner explains the objectives of the Institute during dinner, as well as what sort of behavior will not be permissible.
Monday, December 10:
- The war games begin. When House Mars cannot agree on a single leader, the class fractures into four main factions.[18]
Wednesday, December 12:
- The Jackal leads House Pluto in retreating to the tunnels below their castle when their fortress is attacked by House Vulcan.[19]
- The Jackal collapses the tunnel to eliminate their attackers, trapping his House underground.
Thursday, December 13:
- Vixus captures a Ceres student as the first slave of the game.[20]
Friday, December 14:
- Roque advises Darrow to talk with Titus and heal the division within House Mars after Vixus attacks Lea and steals her food.[21]
Saturday, December 15:
- Darrow tries to talk to Vixus while Titus is out, only for Titus to return early.[22]
- Darrow beats Vixus and flees Castle Mars with the rest of his allies.
- Titus sends his tribe to raid House Ceres and lay siege to its castle to keep his subordinates from having time to think for themselves.
Sunday, December 16:
- Trigg’s dragoon unit slaughters the inhabitants of the Hysperia Gardens on Octavia's orders under the influence of Zoladone.[23]
- Trigg is horrified by his actions when the Zoladone wears off and tries to kill himself.
- Holiday stops Trigg from attempting suicide and convinces him to join the Sons of Ares to atone for the blood on his hands.
Monday, December 17:
- Darrow puts the idea in Cassius’ head that Titus was the one who killed Julian in the Passage.[24]
Wednesday, December 19:
- House Pluto kills a girl and eats her legs to survive in the tunnels.[25]
Saturday, December 29:
- House Ceres tries to feed Titus’ warband bread baked around razor blades.[26]
- Titus has one of the captured Ceres students beaten by her peers with sticks.
738 PCE
- Ephraim and Trigg meet at a bar at Atlas Interplanetary Docks in Hyperion, Luna.[02]
- Octavia au Lune comissions the construction of the MoonBreaker Colossus by the Ganymede dockyards.[27]
Tuesday, January 01 - Tuesday, January 09:
- House Pluto digs their way out of the tunnels.[28]
Thursday, January 10:
- Fitchner informs Darrow that the Proctors will not intervene to stop Titus's tribe from raping House Ceres students.[28]
Friday, January 11:
- Quinn is captured and beaten by Titus's tribe on her way back from delivering a message to Antonia for Darrow.[28]
- Vixus cuts off one of Quinns ears and sends it back to Phobos Tower as a warning, thinking that she's Darrow’s girlfriend.
- Cassius is beaten with a shovel and pissed on after sneaking away to challenge Titus for Quinn's treatment.
Saturday, January 12:
- Darrow and Cassius begin scouting farther east and encounter Mustang watching them on horseback.[28]
- Darrow and Cassius are chased into a lake by House Minerva after a failed attempt to capture Mustang.
- Sevro rescues Darrow and Cassius from House Minerva's guards and reveals that he hid House Mars's standard before he left.
- Darrow, Sevro, and Cassius infiltrate Castle Minerva, steal the Minervan standard, and kidnap their cook, June.
- Darrow and Antonia's tribe dispatch Minerva's warband and force Mustang to return their castle in exchange for her standard.
- Darrow confronts a captive Titus and realizes that Titus is another carved Red like he is.[29]
Sunday, January 13:
- Darrow has Titus executed by Cassius in the courtyard of Castle Mars.[29]
Monday, January 14:
- Fitchner provides House Mars with horses as their first bounty.[29]
February:
Wednesday, February 13:
- Darrow holds a war council meeting with Cassius, Roque, Sevro, and Quinn.[30]
Thursday, February 14:
- Sevro and Darrow convince House Diana form an alliance with House Mars.[30]
Thursday, February 21:
- House Mars and House Diana conquer House Minerva's castle.[31]
- Mustang escapes with House Minerva's standard, and Darrow allows her to slip away rather than let Vixus find her.
- House Diana betrays House Mars and occupies Castle Minerva for themselves.
- Darrow sends Sevro into Castle Minerva to cause mayhem and weaken Diana’s resolve.
Sunday, February 24:
- Tamara offers Darrow ten Minervan slaves if he lifts the siege and allows House Diana to return to their castle.[32]
Monday, February 25:
- All of House Diana is captured by House Mars while trying to sneak out of Castle Minerva at night.[33]
- Lilath offers Cassius advanced supplies in exchange for Darrow and giving him a datacube from the Jackal.
- Cassius and Sevro lay siege to Castle Diana at night while Darrow returns to Castle Mars.
- Sevro fails to steal the datacube, cluing Casisus in that there's something on it that Darrow doesn’t want him to know.
- Antonia sets a trap for Darrow, killing Lea and wounding Roque.
Tuesday, February 26:
- Darrow reunites with Cassius in the morning as the latter returns from assaulting Castle Diana with Sevro.[34]
- Cassius wakes Darrow up that night claiming to have found Roque and that their friend needs help.
- Cassius and Darrow duel ionSwords over Darrow's killing of Julian in The Passage.
- Cassius stabs Darrow in the stomach and leaves him to die in the mud.
- Mustang finds Darrow after Cassius leaves and tends to his wounds.
Thursday, February 28:
- Roque returns home to Castle Mars after walking in the wilderness.[35]
March:
Monday, March 25:
- Darrow awakens from his coma and overhears Mustang humming the tune of the Reaping song.[36]
Tuesday, March 26:
- Mustang brings Darrow up to speed on what he’s missed while he was unconscious.[36]
April:
Wednesday, April 09:
- Darrow and Mustang discuss Darrow's handling of Cassius and his leadership of House Mars.[37]
Sunday, April 13:
- Mustang develops a cough over the next few days.[37]
Sunday, April 21:
- Two Oathbreakers find Mustang's cave while Darrow is out hunting.[37]
- Darrow and Mustang tie the boys to a tree at the edge of the woods and light a signal flare.
Monday, April 22:
- Darrow and Mustang abandon their cave and head deeper into the woods.[37]
- Darrow hums the Reaping song while Mustang sleeps.
Tuesday, April 23:
- Darrow sings the Reaping song for Mustang when she says she wishes she knew the words.[37]
Wednesday, April 24:
- Fitchner meets with Darrow, giving him medicine for Mustang and informing him of the Proctors' cheating.[37]
May:
Wednesday, May 01:
- Mustang and Darrow set off to the north once her fever finally fades.[37]
Monday, May 06:
- Darrow and Mustang capture Milia au Trachus and her friend Dax before recruiting them to his army.[37]
Monday, May 13:
- Darrow and Mustang observe a battle between Houses Jupiter and Mars at the edge of the River Metas.[37]
- Darrow's army blocks the bridge across the river during the night with fallen trees.
Tuesday, May 14:
- Darrow's army abushes and frees a group of slaves from House Mars sent to clear the bridge in the morning.[37]
- Darrow sneaks back into Castle Mars at night to leave his mark on every door he can find.
- Darrow's army creates a burning slingblade along the hillside as a signal to Sevro while as Darrow leaves the castle.
Wednesday, May 15-Thursday, May 16:
- Darrow and Mustang train their army, hunt wolves, and observe House Ceres’s defenses.[37]
Friday, May 17:
- Darrow's army spends the day practicing with their newly constructed battering ram.[37]
- Darrow’s army digs tunnels under the snow around Castle Ceres at night and lies in wait until morning.
Saturday, May 18:
- Darrow’s Army emerges from the snow and captures House Ceres.[37]
- Tactus attempts to rape Nyla.
Sunday, May 19:
- Darrow has Tactus whipped for attempting to rape Nyla, then lets himself be whipped to share the punishment.[37]
Monday, May 20:
- Darrow and Mustang organize the army into six squads of three scouts each.[37]
- The scouts fan out from House Ceres at night.
Tuesday, May 21:
- Darrow’s army begins marching south after the scouts in the morning.[37]
Wednesday, May 22:
- Darrow's army passes the conquered Castle Juno on their march south.[38]
- Darrow's scouts bring news of Lilath and House Pluto scouts along the edge of the Greatwoods to the east.
Thursday, May 23:
- Darrow's army has their first encounter with House Apollo and its Primus, Novas.[39]
- Darrow’s army weakens the ice of the river around their camp at dusk.
- Novas's soldeirs attempt a sneak attack at night, but lose their horses in the river because of the weakened ice.
Saturday, May 24:
- Darrow’s army continues south along the river Argos.[37]
Monday, May 27:
- The commanders of Darrow’s army share details of their lives outside the Institute while sitting around the campfire.[40]
- Pax regales the group with stories of his escapades in the Obsidian Agoge, including his feelings for Helga.
Tuesday, May 28:
- Darrow discovers in the morning that his army's horses have been cut loose.[40]
- Darrow discovers that the army's cooking pots and food supply have all been sabotaged when they set up camp at night.
- Darrow is led into a trap by Proctor Apollo, but is saved by Sevro.
- Darrow tells his commanders about the Proctors' cheating after convincing them all to remove their rings.
Wednesday, May 29:
- Darrow’s army begins attacking House Apollo’s holdings.[37]
June:
Tuesday, June 04:
- Darrow's army eliminates House Apollo while Darrow and his commanders are distracting the Proctors.[37]
Wednesday, June 05:
- Darrow and Fitchner converse in the Apollo war room in the morning.[37]
- Darrow realizes that Fitchner is Sevro’s father.
- Darrow knocks Fitchner unconscious before stealing the Proctor's gravBoots and leading his army toward Castle Jupiter.
Saturday, June 08:
- Darrow's army raids the ruins of abandoned castles as they march toward Castle Jupiter.[37]
Sunday, June 09:
- Darrow’s army reaches Castle Jupiter and begins laying siege to the fortress.[37]
Monday, June 10:
- Darrow's army takes the outer fortifications of Castle Jupiter.[41]
Tuesday, June 11:
- The defenders of Castle Jupiter surrender to Darrow’s army on the condition that they not be enslaved.[41]
- Darrow and The Jackal have their first face to face, and The Jackal cuts off his own hand.
- The Proctors abduct Mustang and take her up to Olympus.
- The Jackal escapes with the help of Proctor Apollo and murders Pax.
- Darrow kills Proctor Apollo and invades Olympus with his army to rescue Mustang.
Wednesday, June 12:
- Mustang takes half of Darrow’s army to attack the Jackal’s forces after Olympus is secured.[41]
- Fitchner is brought up from Castle Apollo's dungeon and reveals that Mustang is the Jackal’s twin sister.
- Darrow returns to Castle Mars to take command of his old house.
- Cassius declares a blood feud with Darrow over the death of Julian.
- Darrow returns to Olympus to await the Augustus twins' arrival.
- Mustang arrives with Nyla and Milia, carrying her brother bound and naked as she presents him to Darrow.
Thursday, June 13:
- The school administrators arrive on Olympus to conduct the graduation ceremony.[42]
- Nero offers Darrow a position as a Lancer to House Augustus in exchange for his silence regarding Nero's cheating.
Friday, June 14-Sunday, June 30:
- Lorn au Arcos begins training Darrow in the Willow Way.[43]
July - November:
- Mustang and Roque spend the summer in Area enjoying the Opera and other arts.[44]
- Darrow is given a tour of Mars by his new employer due to his status as Augustus' favorite Lancer after Leto.[45]
- Nero au Augustus visits Mercury to negotiate a trade deal with the Votum family.[46]
- Scorpio au Votum feeds Nero lion meat at dinner during his visit in response to Nero catching a desert gazelle.
- A month after Nero's visit, Darrow is sent to deliver an empty box of grapes with the note "work in progress."
December:
- Harmony murders a group of vacationing Gold senators and breaks away from the Sons of Ares.[47]
- The Sons of Ares headquarters on Mars is raided by a lurcher squad after Harmony leaves for Luna.
- Fitchner rescues the Sons of Ares from the lurchers at the cost of revealing his identity to Dancer.
Sources
[01] Darrow notes in Morning Star chapter 41 that Seraphina au Raa looks like she might be eight years old. However, a few sentences later he refers to her as a six-year-old. Iron Gold chapter 33 indicates that she has graduated from the Institute by the fall of 753 PCE, since Dark Age establishes that her death occurs in January 754, while her father’s death was in November 753. Which means that she has to be at least 17 at the time of Iron Gold. Unless Light Bringer gives us a definitive answer, I’m going to assume that she was approximately seven in 743 PCE, and Darrow was confused about her age because of how Golds of the Rim are taller compared to those of the Core. Back
[02] Iron Gold chapter 06 establishes that Ephraim is 46 years old in 753 PCE, and he mentions that he blames the Society’s Legions for “stealing a quarter” of his life. 46 divided by 4 is 11.5. He joined the Rising in 743 after Trigg’s death per Morning Star and mentions in IG chapter 06 that he walked away from it after 3 years. IG chapter 07 establishes that Ephraim joined the Legions when he was sixteen, which seems to be standard minimum age for military enlistment in both the Republic and Society military, as IG chapter 16 establishes that Rhonna enlisted in the Free Legions when she was sixteen. IG chapter 30 indicates that boot camp lasted for 3 years, as Rhonna states that she trained to be a Drachenjager pilot for three years, and Darrow indicated in chapter 27 that he brought her on as a Lancer right after she finished training before she could see combat in her first unit assignment.
Combined with the seven years Ephraim spent as a freelancer after deserting the Sons of Ares, there’s a 17-year window for Ephraim’s service to the Legion. 10 years seems like a reasonable length of time for a minimum period of service in the Legions since it's a nice, whole, even number, and it makes more sense for that type of contract to be in groups of 10 rather than 11. And IG chapter 14 establishes that Ephraim had been out of the Legion for two years when he first met Trigg, while Trigg had been in for two. This would mean that Ephraim, who IG chapter 18 establishes was born in 707 PCE, was 31 years old when he and Trigg first met. This would be consistent with how Dark Age chapter 37 establishes that Ephraim and Trigg had already started dating by 739 PCE. It also fits with Holiday's comment that "Eph didn't know about Trigg and me, that we were with the Sons and all." Which implies that Trigg had already joined the Sons of Ares before he met Ephraim. Back
[03] Back when the first novel released, Pierce posted a piece of Society propaganda art on his Facebook page captioned “736 PCE.” Meanwhile Iron Gold chapter 60 establishes that in 753 PCE, Darrow’s hanging was “seventeen years ago.” Red Rising chapter 01 establishes that Eo waited until Darrow was 16 "before slipping that cord around her finger," which indicates that she and Darrow got married shortly after Darrow's 16th birthday. We don't know about how long formal courtships among lowReds typically last, but given the short life expectancy in the mines and how Red pregnancies only last for five months, i would imagine it wouldn't take more than a month between Darrow's birthday and his wedding. Pierce stated in a 2018 Q&A interview with Daily Express that Darrow’s birthday is January 28th, meaning that Darrow and Eo would've gotten married in either the last days of January or sometime in February. The latter is supported by the fact that RR chapter 01 also mentions that Darrow and Eo were married for six months when she died, and Morning Star chapter 39 establishes that mid-July 743 PCE has been “nearly seven years” since Dancer and Darrow first met. In RR chapter 10, Dancer establishes that Golds have made generations “dependent on the seventh day of each new Earth month”, implying that Laureltide is most likely held on the seventh of the month. So these details indicate that Darrow and Eo married in early February 736 and the novel began in early August. Back
[04] Dancer’s comment in Red Rising chapter 10 about monies and handouts being given to make generations depend on the seventh day of each Earth month suggests that the laurels are awarded on the 7th of the month when they’re given out. Chapter 03 establishes that the laurels are given out just after midnight, which would put the beginning of the novel on August 6th. Iron Gold chapter 50 confirms that October 17th, 753 PCE is a Tuesday. This is most likely a meta-reference to the novels’ original planned release in late 2017, as October 17th, 2017 is also a Tuesday. So we can extrapolate from there that 752 PCE was a leap year, meaning that so were the years 748, 744, 740, and 736. Calculating days of the week backwards confirms that August 6th, 736 PCE would be a Sunday. Back
[05] Red Rising chapter 03 establishes that the laurel is given out just after midnight, while Eo asks Darrow to watch the sunrise with her in chapter 04 when they sneak into the bubble garden. Back
[06] Darrow establishes in Red Rising chapter 05 that he and Eo spent 3 days in cells before being dragged out to be whipped. Back
[07] Red Rising chapter 06 establishes that it’s nighttime the same day when Darrow goes to take Eo’s body down, but that "a nightshift is working their final hours" when he reaches the bubble garden, indicating that it's after midnight when the burial occurred, while Darrow’s hanging is stated to occurr at 9am the next morning. Chapter 08 then establishes that it’s daytime when Darrow is brought to the Sons of Ares base, and that Uncle Narol “did the work of a ghost” by using a jammer to discreetly remove Darrow’s body from the gallows during the night. In chapter 10, Darrow mentions looking at the night sky for the first time when he travels with Harmony and Dancer to Mickey’s shop, indicating that the carving begins the day after he’s recruited from the mines and two days after his hanging. Back
[08] Red Rising chapter 11 establishes that Darrow had a heart attack two times during his first surgery and slipped into a coma for two weeks. Back
[09] Golden Son chapter 49 establishes that Eo’s father committed suicide not long after Darrow’s hanging. Back
[10] Morning Star chapter 59 establishes that the death of Octavia occurred four months after July 743. MS Chapter 65 has Cassius leave several weeks later, referred to by Darrow as “almost six years to the day” since they first met. Dark Age chapter 18 establishes that the Battle of the Ladon begins on the first Friday of January 754 PCE, by which point the maps indicate the Solar War is in its 11th year. This means that the Ash Lord’s counterattack on Luna mentioned in Iron Gold chapter 18 takes place in January 744 PCE, which indicates that Cassius’ departure and Darrow’s reunion with Pax take place in December 743 PCE.
The reference to Cassius leaving “almost six years to the day” since he and Darrow first met is almost certainly referring to when they properly met at the Institute, rather than their brief interaction after the entrance exam, because the date Darrow is mentioning would be in December 737 PCE. Darrow mentions in IG chapter 10 that by 753 it has been 16 years since he killed Julian in the passage, but in RR chapter 16, he didn’t even receive his score results for the exam until 2 months after taking it. Dancer’s comment in RR chapter 10 about Golds making generations “dependent on the seventh day of each new Earth month” suggests that Darrow arrived at the Institute on December 7th, 737 PCE.
According to Cassius in Red Rising chapter 33, he’s “known for over a year that Julian was meant to die” when he confronts Darrow, specifically stating that he knew because Julian had “made a mess of his test.” RR chapters 25 and 30 establish that by the time Darrow and Cassius have this conversation, they’ve been at the Institute for just over two months. This puts the date of Cassius’ confrontation with Darrow over Julian’s death sometime in late February 738, which means that the test has to occur sometime in February 737 PCE. Assuming that the logic of Dancer’s comment about the 7th day of each Earth month means that the exam is held on February 7th, 737.
RR chapters 13 and 15 establish that Darrow spent 3 months training with Matteo before he took the test, putting his departure from Mickey’s shop in November 736. RR chapter 12 states that he left two months after his final surgery, putting the completion of Darrow’s carving in September 736. Back
[11] Red Rising chapter 12 establishes that “Mickey’s dancers are going full tilt tonight” when he speaks to Mickey about being kinder to Evey on his last day at the shop, indicating that he moved out the following day. There’s no indication of how soon Darrow began his training with Matteo after leaving Mickey’s shop, but in the absence of additional details, my gut tells me the Sons of Ares would’ve wanted to get started on preparing him for the Institute’s entrance test as quickly as possible. Back
[12] Red Rising chapter 13 establishes that Dancer tries to rename Darrow the day after he begins training with Matteo. Back
[13] Red Rising chapter 14 establishes that it took the Sons of Ares hackers 2 weeks after Darrow insisted on keeping his name to change the Board of Quality Control’s records to reflect that, and that Matto took him horseback riding in Ishtar the following day. Back
[14] Red Rising chapter 16 establishes that the admissions test was “two months prior” but the time the Board of Quality Control arrives to interview Darrow. He receives his results for the Board’s inquiry into whether he cheated four weeks later, and when he receives his exam score it’s still “two months after I took the damn thing.” If Darrow took the test on February 7th, 737, the only way that this makes sense would be if the Board interviewed Darrow at the beginning of April, and he received the interview results and test scores at the end of the month. This fits, because if the Board interviewed him on April 1st, then 4 weeks later would be April 29th, meaning Darrow would’ve received his test scores on April 30th. Back
[15] Iron Gold chapter 05 establishes that Tiran “becomes sixteen in just a few months.” IG chapter 23 establishes that this scene takes place in September 753 PCE, as Lyria has been on Luna for at least a week as of October 16th, 753 following a three-week voyage from Mars after the death of her family. Back
[16] Red Rising chapter 16 establishes that it’s night time when he flies to the Institute to begin the Draft, and chapter 19 reveals that the Passage occurs just after midnight, as Fitchner states that it’s 1 A.M. when he explains the rules of the Passage to Darrow and Julian. Back
[17] Fitchner tells his students in Red Rising chapter 20 after the Passage that orientation is tomorrow. Back
[18] Red Rising chapter 22 establishes that the war games properly begin the morning after orientation. Back
[19] Sevro explains in Red Rising chapter 38 that House Vulcan “blitzed Pluto on the third day”, during which the Jackal took control of his Institute House and trapped his classmates in the tunnels beneath their castle. Back
[20] Red Rising chapter 23 establishes that it took 4 days for House Mars to splinter into four tribes, and that his attempt at reconciliation with Titus’ that precipitated his tribe’s exile from House Mars took place on the sixth day of the war games. Back
[21] Red Rising chapter 24 establishes that Titus began raiding House Ceres “from the sixth day onward,” in order to keep his tribe distracted from the resources that Darrow and Cassius possess. Back
[22] Red Rising chapter 24 establishes that the conversation where Darrow gives Cassius the idea that Titus killed Julian occurred “on our eighth day in the Institute.” Back
[23] Dark Age chapter 21 features Pax recounting the incident that drove Trigg to join the Sons of Ares and providing the exact date the incident occurred. Back
[24] Red Rising chapter 24 establishes that the conversation where Darrow gives Cassius the idea that Titus killed Julian occurred “on our eighth day in the Institute.” Back
[25] The Jackal mentions in Morning Star chapter 63 that “it was a week before we killed a girl and ate her legs to survive” following House Pluto trapping themselves inside the tunnels. Back
[26] Red Rising chapter 24 establishes that the incident where House Ceres attempts to feed him razorblades hidden inside bread occurred “on the twentieth morning of the Institute,” and that Titus’ retaliation of having the Ceres girl he lassoed from the walls beaten by her fellow slaves occurred “just before night falls.” Back
[27] Dark Age chapter 80 reveals that the moonBreaker that will one day be known as the Morning Star was commissioned by Octavia “four years before the Vanguard was stolen.” The Vanguard was taken by Darrow at the end of the Summit gala in Golden Son. Morning Star chapter 37 reveals that Darrow’s escape after 12 months in captivity following the end of the previous novel was in March 743 PCE, putting the end of Golden Son in March 742. GS chapter 51 establishes that the Iron Rain occurred “a few weeks” before Darrow’s Triumph, and that House Bellona controlled Mars for a month prior to the Iron Rain. This lines up with how GS chapter 25 reveals that the Sovereign’s forces got to Mars ahead of them, which would’ve taken approximately three weeks given that GS chapter 04 states that the voyage from Mars to Luna for the summit took that long. All of this puts the Iron Rain in late February 742 and the Summit in early January, which is consistent with Mustang’s reference to the gala as “last year” in MS chapter 42. This means that the construction of the Morning Star was commissioned in 738 PCE. Back
[28] Red Rising chapter 25 establishes that Darrow and Cassius’ first conversation with Fitchner occurs at night “thirty days into the Institute.” Darrow sends Quinn to deliver a message to Antonia “the next morning,” while he and Roque go to the supply cache during the day, and “return to our fort by early morning” to discover that Quinn had been captured and Cassius pissed on. Cassius and Darrow continue searching east for other Houses later that day, and House Minerva’s invasion of Castle Mars occurs that night, with Darrow executing Titus the following morning. By the time of the battle, Mustang has already heard of her brother’s reputation and his moniker as The Jackal, meaning that it had to have occurred prior to Darrow’s encounter with House Minerva. Which would also be consistent with Sevro’s comment in chapter 38 that the Boneriders were underground for “nearly a month before they dug their way out.” Back
[29] Red Rising chapters 28 and 29 establish that House Mars celebrates their victory at night after Darrow drives off House Minerva, with Titus’ execution being held the following morning. The end of chapter 29 has the Proctors give House Mars horses “the next morning.” Back
[30] Red Rising chapter 30 establishes that a month passes after the end of chapter 29 before Darrow approaches House Diana for an alliance. Darrow mentions seeing “two horses on a hill, silhouetted against the setting sun behind the bubbleRoof” as he and Sevro set out from Castle Mars, and establishes that they leave the highlands behind for the foothills of House Diana’s territory in the morning. Back
[31] Red Rising chapter 31 establishes that the defeat of House Minerva takes place a week after Darrow allies with House Diana. Back
[32] Red Rising chapter 32 establishes that Tamara and House Diana took Castle Minerva after the battle and were under siege by House Mars for four days before she tried to barter with Darrow to allow her House to return to their Castle. Back
[33] Red Rising chapter 32 establishes that House Diana tried to escape from Castle Minerva on the fifth night after they took it over, and it's still night when Darrow sends Cassius to capture Castle Diana. Back
[34] Darrow is woken in the middle of the night while Cassius is gone and waits outside until morning for Cassius returns following Antonia’s attempted coup. Red Rising chapter 33 establishes that Cassius wakes him in the middle of the night the day after the attempted coup to duel him over Julian’s death. Back
[35] Morning Star chapter 50 establishes that Roque retured to Castle Mars after three days of walking following Antonia's attempted coup. Back
[36] Red Rising chapter 34 establishes that as of the morning after he overhears Mustang singing the Reaping song, it has been four weeks since Cassius left him for dead. Back
[37] Darrow mentions in Red Rising chapter 34 that he spends multiple weeks traveling through the woods with Mustang, and when preparing for the takeover of House Ceres in chapter 36, he mentions that House Minerva fell months ago, indicating that at least 4 weeks (approximately a month) passed after he woke up four weeks after Cassius stabbed him. However, the fall of Ceres can’t be more than two months after Darrow wakes up, as chapters 33 and 34 establish that winter started shortly after Cassius left him for dead, and when he returns to Castle Mars in chapter 44, he mentions that it’s spring. Chapter 40 establishes that the weather at the Institute is artificially controlled by the proctors, implicitly to emulate the seasons on Earth as part of the school’s intended lessons. Morning Star chapters 24, 33, and 37 establish that the storming of Olympus was “five years ago” by the time Darrow encountered Proctor Mercury on Asgard in late June/early July 743. And since Darrow is pretty specific throughout MS on how long it’s been since key events in the first novel like his first meetings with Dancer and Cassius, this means that the storming of Olympus had to have occurred sometime in June 738.
Red Rising chapter 20 establishes that the Institute is experiencing summer weather at the time of orientation, and still has summer weather when Darrow first encounters House Minerva over thirty days later in chapter 26. But chapter 30 establishes that by the time Darrow travels to visit House Diana, the weather has shifted to autumn. Meanwhile chapter 33 mentions “an early winter snow” as Darrow and Cassius leave the castle before the latter stabs the former and leaves him for dead, and chapter 34 establishes that winter has arrived by the time Darrow wakes up four weeks later. This puts the change between seasons earlier in the calendar month, which would be consistent with the importance placed on the 7th of each month in chapter 10. Given that chapter 20 establishes that the Institute is meant to last approximately ten months, it makes logical sense that if autumn in the Institute only lasts a month, then the other seasons would last three each, with summer’s time being divided up between the beginning and the end of the school year.
Chapter 42 explicitly states that “Winter is ended” by the time Darrow rescues Mustang from Olympus, and that he sees the first of the flowers blossoming outside. Based on the weather changes in chapter 40, this would put the fall of Castle Jupiter and the storming of Olympus in mid-June. Chapter 40 establishes that it took Darrow four days to get from Castle Apollo to Castle Jupiter, and three days of siege before the Jackal let them inside. Chapter 40 establishes that the snow began melting shortly before they reached the burnt and broken castles on either side of the River Argos. Based on their travel time and the map of the Institute at the front of the book, this would put that event on the third day of the march to Castle Jupiter. If we assume that the snow melting occurred on June 7th, this would put the fall of Castle Apollo on June 4th, as chapter 39 establishes that Fitchner’s visit that prompted Darrow to attack Castle Jupiter occurred the morning after Castle Apollo was captured.
Chapter 38 establishes that following the incident where Proctor Apollo tried to throw Darrow to a bear at night, Darrow’s army attacked House Apollo’s holdings for a week as they got closer to the castle, putting Darrow and Sevro’s reunion at night on May 28th. Based on the references in chapter 37 to the passage of time and various landmarks on the Institute map, it would’ve taken approximately 7 days for them to travel from Castle Ceres to the edge of the woods surrounding Castle Apollo. This puts Darrow’s departure from Castle Ceres on May 21st, exactly three months after the fall of Castle Minerva. Chapter 36 establishes that the scouts set out the night before, after Darrow organized the army, which occurred the day after Tactus was whipped for trying to rape Nyla the previous night after capturing Castle Ceres. This puts the fall of House Ceres on May 18th.
Red Rising chapter 36 establishes that they spent a full day before the attack on Castle Ceres practicing with the battering ram, and then snuck as close as they could the night before before burying themselves in the snow. Chapter 36 establishes that Castle Ceres seems to have more soldiers awake at night then during the day, indicating that Darrow and Mustang observed Castle Ceres for at least two days beforehand so they could note the difference between the defenses at night versus during the day, and to have time to train their new recruits by hunting wolves. They would’ve started the morning or night after freeing Pax and the other eleven slaves from House Mars, as chapter 35 establishes that Darrow infiltrated Castle Mars the night after that battle. The day before that battle was spent watching House Mars and Jupiter battle it out. Darrow’s narration says that it took them a week to gather ten oathbreakers, and Milia’s group was only recruited “on the sixth night of setting obnoxiously large fires” after Darrow and Mustang set off to the north, which started “a week after I inject Mustang and her fever fades.”
Chapter 34 establishes that he sang the reaping song to her the night before Fitchner gave him the knifeRing back and told him about Apollo’s cheating. Darrow sang to her the night after the two oathbreakers ambushed Mustang in the cave while Darrow was out hunting, which occurred the week after she began to fall ill with her cough. Adding all that up would put Mustang developing a cough around April 14th at the latest, which fits with how Darrow says that Mustang “stalks with me through the woods during the next weeks” before she criticizes his leadership of House Mars while they’re out hunting. Back
[38] Red Rising chapter 37 establishes that Darrow’s army passed Castle Juno “at nightfall on the second day of our move south.” Back
[39] Red Rising chapter 37 establishes that Pax and others in the army used axes to weaken the ice of the river “at dusk” after their encounter with Novas, indicating that they met the Apollo Primus the day after they passed castle Juno. Back
[40] Red Rising chapter 37 establishes that Pax talks about his childhood the night before Darrow’s encounter with Proctor Apollo and the bear, and Tactus reports the loss of their horses the next morning on the day of the bear incident. Back
[41] Red Rising chapter 41 establishes that the fall of Olympus takes place at night on the third day of their siege of Castle Jupiter (with the day they arrived presumably being the first day of the siege), and chapter 43 establishes that it’s morning when Darrow returns to Castle Mars after conquering Olympus. Chapter 40 mentions that the outer fortifications of Castle Jupiter were taken in a day, and assuming that part of the first day of the siege was taken up by travel time to reach the castle would mean that the outer fortifications fell on the second day of the siege, the day before Darrow stormed Olympus. Back
[42] Red Rising chapter 34 establishes that the public camera feeds of the Institute are on a 12-hour delay for editing purposes, meaning that news of Darrow's victory over Olympus would've gone public at night. Chapter 44 establishes that it's daytime when the shuttles come to take the students from the Institute, meaning that the shuttles' arrival would've been at least the day after Mustang delivered her brother to Darrow. Back
[43] In Golden Son chapter 11, Darrow states that he trained with Lorn from “the weeks after the Institute to the days before the Academy,” indicating that his training with Lorn began at least two weeks after the end of the Institute. Back
[44] Darrow says in Golden Son chapter 04 that “it seems so long ago that he took me on a tour of Mars to show me our domains.” From a logical standpoint, this kind of tour is the sort of thing that would occur earlier in Darrow’s career as a Lancer, rather than a year or more later. Back
[45] Iron Gold chapter 03 mentions that Virginia has a book of poetry by Mary Shelly that Roque gave her “during their summer of opera and art in Agea, after the Institute.” Back
[46] Dark Age takes place in 754 PCE, and chapter 34 features Cicero au Votum telling the story of the first time he met Darrow, saying “I think it was sixteen years ago. Just after the Institute. One of his first missions.” Back
[47] Golden Son chapter 46 establishes that Harmony broke away from the Sons of Ares "about a year" after Darrow left for the Institute. Back