[Dargon-writers-list] Time Discussion

[William Donahue]

White, John wrote:
>>From:  Jim Owens
>>
>>
>>
>>>We went through this on the list like 3 years ago. One idea that we 
>>>floated was that timekeeping was (secret?) skill that involved adding or 
>>>removing sand from an hourglass (bellglass) each day. That would be 
>>>something that would be worth doing in larger cities. Smaller places 
>>>would just wing it, or not have a bell at all.
>>
>>And, of course, the really great thing about standards is that there are so many 
>>to choose from! It is canon that there are clocks -- poorly maintained and 
>>mysterious, but clocks nonetheless. Further, outlying villages could just listen 
>>for the distant bells of Dargon and ring when they hear them chime. I expect 
>>there will be many different standards we can choose from!
> 
> 
> Unless "modern" clocks in Baranur are far more capable than anything we have
> (besides computers) even today, clocks cannot tell bells: clocks must be based
> on regular cycles (i.e. gears, water/sand dropping at a constant rate) and the
> cycle of time in Baranur is, as we've said, 365 days and nights long.  Anyone
> using a clock is going to be telling very idiosyncratic time ... possibly time
> that is only useful to themselves (i.e. a scientist doing experiments and using
> a clepsydra to regularize/formalize their work).
> 
> Aside from the short period in the early days when we had not yet standardized
> on bells, they *are* our current standard - that's one of the basic checks when 
> a story is critted (eliminating minutes/seconds/hours, and as much as possible,
> exact measurements of time).  The issue is confusing enough without trying
> to indicate that there are further standards to use.  As much as it is possible
> (and yes, there's a huge leeway still present), the variable bell *is* standard,
> fixed in canon, and what we use.
> 

I think what Jim meant by standards was different methods of measuring 
the bell intervals, not standards that differ from the bell intervals.

L