Cloister Duration
D.One’s Reconstruction
[This section preserves these posts.]
[SPOILER: Cloister’s duration can be made to fit in the story if Xykon’s level is between 21 and 47. If his level is outside that range, it becomes questionable how Cloister is supposed to fit.]
In order for the casting of Cloister give us any meaningful information about Xykon’s level, we must analyze the boundary situations:
a) The casting of Cloyster affecting Haley is Xykon’s first casting, right after the fall of Azure City [“FAC”]; or
b) The casting of Cloister affecting Haley happened right before they left the city.
We know, from #532, that 16 weeks passed since the FAC, so situation (a) has an estimate of Xykon’s level 16 higher than situation (b).
Analyzing from 532
[SPOILER: 5-6 weeks between #532 and #893.]
The Oracle is said to be two days away from AC (but this I couldn’t find the exact reference about). +2 DAYS
Haley implies in #573 (same day as #581) one week has passed since the Oracle. +7 DAYS
#601 states that there’s been 8 days since #581 (last time we get any sort of indicative Haley is still under Cloyster effect). Cloyster might or might not have expired during this time, because and she wouldn’t be detected because she was in Pete’s “everything-proof” room. +8 DAYS
I couldn’t find how many days passed between the fight in Greysky City and the day V makes the splices’ deal, Roy is resurrected, etc (#623 until #670).
#678 happens two days after the day V makes the splices’ deal, Roy is resurrected. +2 DAYS
#682 has Roy saying they’ll travel north the first few days with the caravan until the first oasis. They arrive at the first oasis at #687, and the wiki notes that as three days after leaving Sandsedge, but, besides a few being more than one, and probably not a full week, I don’t know why a few equals three.
They take six days searching in the desert according to #692. +6 DAYS
#698 states that they’ll take 4 days to the nearest border of the desert (in Eviltopia), which is conveniently close to The Empire of Blood, so #710 may be 4 days after #698. +4 DAYS
#717 is morning while #716 (which is in the same day as #710) was night, and Ganji teleported, so, #717 is one day after #716. +1 DAY
#817 happens three days after #717. +3 DAYS
In #817, Tarquin states they will take 2 days to arruve at the canyon. Durkon also stated in #835 that V stayed in the demiplane for 2 days. V also states in the same strip they will take another day to reach where Roy is, so #836 is three days after #817. +3 DAYS
#836 happens in the same day as #893, when Haley is contacted.
So, we have 36 days, plus possibly 3 days between #682 and #687, plus some time beetween #601 and #623 (which doesn’t seem to be a long time).
Thus, we have about 5 to 6 weeks between #532 and #893. That’s too few weeks to believe Xykon had cast Cloister just prior to Haley’s departure. On the other hand, if the casting of Cloister affecting Haley was cast on the day AC fell, that would show a duration of 21 to 22 weeks, indicative of a Xykon whose level was, ate the time of casting, 22.
There are some uncertainties on some points, but they would change this number to 21 or 23, probably.
Analyzing from the end of the year.
[Spoiler: The Battle (and Fall) of Azure City happens at day 9 of the year.]
#302 until #316 was southern new year’s eve.
#317 until #323 is “january 1st” (first day of the year) of the southern calendar.
#322 states that it takes 2 days from AC to the entrance of the Sunken Valley. (So there’s where the 2-days AC-Oracle comes from!)
In #332, they leave the Oracle at day 3 of the year, at nightfall. That’s when Nale contacts them.
The Cliffport events (OotS x LG) happen at day 4 of the year, from #339 until #367.
#377 is three days after the Cliffport events. This is the day when Elan returns, Nale is beaten and Haley recovers her speech (those things happen at night).
Roy wakes up to find subplots solved and the LG defeated at day 8 of the year in #401. Shojo dies this day.
The Battle (and Fall) of Azure City happens at day 9 of the year, which starts at #418. That’s the day Xykon casts Cloister in AC (the first time, at least).
In #666, Roy implies (based on Belkar’s demise until the end of the year) that they are about 7 weeks from new year’s eve (which means about 8 and a half weeks from the anniversary of the Fall of Azure City).
As per my last math, Haley is contacted in #893, about 22 days after Roy is resurrected and states the 7-weeks deadline. That’s about 5 weeks before the anniversary of the FAC.
If Xykon’s had only cast Cloister the day of the fall, his level can’t be higher than 47, since in #893 it wasn’t affecting Haley anymore.
If he cast it right before she left, his level couldn’t be higher than 31, for the same reason.