At the macro level, time in the campaign moves onward at a 1:1 pace with the real world. As sessions often only cover a day or two but sessions happen a week or more apart, game time typically catches up between sessions. Careful accounting of the days makes this possible. At the end of a session, the group can decide to freeze time in order to pick up the adventure next session. This choice triggers two consequences: no downtime activities may be played between session and a time debt is incurred. When the calendar is allowed to catch up again, a week of real time might covers months of game time.
With the passing of days in the game world, ongoing events may proceed or conclude according the judgement of the game master. For example, an incursion of primitive refugees camping near a village might cause trouble over several weeks, assimilate by taking up roles in the community and then finally resolve after a year. Likewise, the game world generates new events on a monthly and yearly basis. Some are immediately obvious to the players. Some happen beyond view unless the action intersects.
Significant fixtures of the campaign require attention for changes over time beyond ad hoc events. Most of them are noted in the following list.
- Every major settlement adjusts opportunities for spending gold for XP.
- Vendors like Benabil likely has different goods for sale and a changed budget for purchasing.
- Infrequent visitors to Slateholm may appear, such as ship called The Crimson Disgrace.
- Morgansfort may be dealing with hostile monsters or other problems at the frontier.
- The holy man Lah may be managing church activity both locally and from afar.
- Bremlai, sheriff of St. Orlan, may have changing economic conditions associated with his ability to trade valuables.
- Politics from the far-off empire might trigger edicts or visitors.