Sunday, September 23, 2018

The Time-Between

Day was not always divided into two. Now, there is just day and night. But before, there were three. The day, the night, and the time between. Something, or someone, took it away. The full day was a magic number of hour; 36, a sacred number, unlike the base and pathetic 24. It is our missing time.

The middle time was unlike day or night. There was light enough to see, just as it is clear enough at the dawn and dusk before the sun is visible or disappearing from the horizon, but stars are few in the sky and the twin moons of Allwonder have not risen. Instead, the sky is brilliant with striking reds and oranges, light blues, and the moving colors of the lights of the north. These great membranes of pure magic dance across the sky and horizon with their own weather patterns and secret ways. This time of the once three part day was the time of magic and arcane energies. The eldest types of creatures, the elves and dragons, would do magic during this time. It is this missing part of the day that gives elves their longing, and the dragons their long slumbers; you use the day to take care of your base, animal physical needs, the night to rest or meditate, and the third time to create your great magics. With it missing, something is missing from their lives. Of course, humans being a young race, have no such longing for a time before the Gods conquered the world and created them.

But the third time is still around a little bit; just before the dawn and just after the dusk. It's the reason magic recharges during this time. Creatures of law usually have their magic come back at the first light, and creatures of chaos have their powers returning when the cursed sun finally sets to allow night to rule again. Magic without alignment may recharge at both times, or when the ambient magic from both times bleeds into them. The farther north and south you go; the more the day is dominated by one time of day. To travel in another direction entirely perhaps may lead you to a land where the day is dominated by the third time, a nearly limitless time of magic and mysticism. Perhaps someone can find where the third time went, and bring it back.

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like an excellent, almost-off-the-cuff explanation for a new player as to why magic recharges when it does. Flawless. Does this mean that wizards that travel to the polar regions might be without spells for up to a whole month?

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    1. Yes; or they could be supercharged with magic as they are bathed in the light of the third-time. It was implied that the fantasy worlds equivalent of Aurora Borealis was one of the those magical membranes dancing with their own weather patterns. Maybe if you go north or south enough, you'll find a place where it's always the third time.

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