Timekeeping

From: TTrotsky_at_aol.com
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 19:34:25 -0400 (EDT)

Glen Bailey:
<< My question has to do with telling time in Glorantha, especially  in the Ralios region. I asked this in the RM mailing list as  a general question and learned that water clocks have been  around for a long time. Are they, or any other time device,  operating in Glorantha?>>

      Some time ago I did some research for a campaign set in a Rennaisance fantasy world (as it happened, I never got around to running it). According to my notes, mechanical clocks were first invented in the RW in the mid 14th century. So its plausible they might exist in the West or other sophisticated societies (unlikely to include Ralios IMO). However, even these clocks were only about as accurate as sundials for the first hundred years or so, and couldn't tell time down to the minute for another century after that - which, as it happened was when my campaign was set.

     Of course, Glorantha ain't the RW, but we know from GoG that the Mostali have clocks that can tell the time with 'split-minute' accuracy, a clear indication that human societies would find this a remarkable acheivement. I'd guess the Lunars have water-clocks since the RW versions were devised around the 2nd century as far as I recall. But I'd also guess that they aren't very accurate by modern standards. IMO you wouldn't find anything that can tell the time with more than half-hour accuracy out in the wilds of Ralios.

     In all fairness, I should add that almost everything I've ever posted on this Digest has subsequently been proved wrong by someone else ;-)       

 From: ilium_at_juno.com (Stephen P Martin)  Date: Sat, 03 May 1997 19:27:10 EDT
 Subject: Greg on Magic in Glorantha     

Steve Martin (quoting Greg):  

<<Rune Spells: These all require some standard environmental settings to
 work. Sunspear cannot work when the sun is down. Thunderbolt (blasting  down from the clouds) cannot work without dense clouds in the sky. Also,  ALL Rune Magic requires that the individual conform to cult ideals for  the spells to work. A gentle, non-lethal Humakti would lose access to his  divine magic.>>

     I'd always assumed this to be the case anyway.  

<<Divine Intervention is far less accessible than in the RuneQuest game,
 and cannot be used as a generalized "wish" spell. The gods can only do  what they do. Transporting folks from a disaster is not what most of them  can do.>>

     DI doesn't exist in my campaign. Does this count as 'far less accessible'? :-)    

 All hail the Reaching Moon

      Trotsky

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