Cultural Bits from Dirulea circa 1430s

As I worked my way through editing the first pass of the Shadowman project, I began collecting various bits of cultural information that dropped into the story. Here's the first of what I hope to be several dumps of strange cultural oddities flowing forth from the project:

Sayings

King’s Coat – trans. What the hell? A very old local saying common among people of the common class and dissenters from the king. King Edward III was well known for having extravagant coats made of platinum, gems and the like when his subjects withered under one of the worst droughts of recorded history.
For the love of Jenks -- Rae'lan local hero similar usage to "for Pete's Sake." Jenks Filhaenny lived in southern Rae'Lan and successfully managed pacts between Rae'Lan and Scrattston to unite against Dirulea in the early days of takeover. During those times, Scrattston was interested in Dirulean alliance due to trade route possibilities, but Jenks managed to open more commerce between the northern and southern clans and end centuries' long feuds between the two peoples of the island.
The Sticks -- "Yah. Los inna wood. Sun settin. Hungry wolves at yer heels. Inna Sticks." To a city person, like Nigel (in his youth), The Sticks can be a pretty scary place. So comparing things to the sticks sets a pretty vivid image in most citydwellers' minds.
Ain't got squid - trans. ain't got shit. There are lots of small useless squid that come up in the fishing nets of fishermen in Portsmouth bay. They're very plentiful and useless. So if a fisherman ain't got squid, he's having a very bad day indeed.
Sweete Marion -- Heroine and martyr from countless Na'Claadi tales. Marion was a gypsy that stood against Dirulean (in older versions Scraeton) forces in order to protect children from their cruelties. She sacrificed her body to their perversions so that they would leave the children alone. A Venereal Disease, Marion's Mark, is also attributed to her resulting in a series of painful red lesions around the genitalia said to resemble lash marks from a whip or scourge. It is a disease that only manifests in males, leaving females as dormant carriers.

Cultural things

Elven Glowstone -- activated by Shishelae Neraia Faen. Chant words and rub stone's surface.
Red Pox – Venereal Disease affecting only women. Though to be curable with high doses of Mercury, but actually goes into periods of dormancy. Eventually leads to death. Symptoms include, fever, redness of the eyes, heavily bleeding wounds (due to thinned blood and damaged clotting mechanism), and splotchy red patches of skin. Men can act as carriers.
Clockstopper -- slang for bomb. Usually crude gunpowder bombs, they got their name for their notoriously short fuses and high explosive power. so the story goes a clockstopper went off once and blew out the clock mechanism four blocks away from the concussion.
Baldruican Mace-It was popular two hundred years ago before Black Iron was fully applied in armors. This particular Baldruican mace had at least one broken spine, but the other three jutted with rusty anger at ninety degree angles from each other. Part pick, part mace and now mixed with rust, completely deadly.
Springtime in Dirulea - cadet knights from Cardriff come up to down for R&R--kind of wreck the place for a 5 days
Some Herbs: wortsblood, bonnetgrave, starling nettle, asp gall

Acid Water: Traditionally served in a cold iron cup.
The Moonsong -- An Elven ship captured by the Diruleans in the 1420s and refit as a cargo vessel. Loaded with magic light rocks
McSweeney's Dagger -- fat single edge nearly a foot long backed in brass with a deeply cut and sharpened clip as well as a solid but nicked s-curve crossbar

Telling Time

12AM - 2AM: Dark Watch (Maritime)

12AM - 3AM 2nd Watch (Military)
12AM - 4AM: Deadman's watch

2AM - 4AM: Bleak Watch (Maritime)

3AM - 6AM: 3rd Watch (Military)

4AM - 6AM: Crow's Watch (Maritime)
4AM - 8AM: Shadow Watch

6AM - 9AM: 4th Watch (Military)
8AM - 12PM: Dawn Rise

9AM - 12PM: 5th Watch (Military)

12PM - 3PM: 6th Watch (Military)
12PM - 4PM: Midday watch

3PM - 6PM: 7th Watch (Military)
4PM - 8PM: Dusk Fall

6PM - 9PM: 8th Watch (Military)

8PM - 12AM: Darkman's Watch

9PM - 12AM: First Watch (Military)

Months (days per month)
1 Frostblade (30)
2 Knightsdeath (30)
3 Knightsbirth (30)
4 Flowerguard (30)
5 Risingguard (35)
6 Wardawn (35)
7 Midsummer (35)
8 Firestroke (35)
9 Redleaf (30)
10 Fallenguard (30)
11 Barrenwood (30)
12 Torchlight (30)

Days

1. Vecks

2. Aenner

3. Morden

4. Laertz

5. Sylvie