Myths and Legends of Amalgamaria

The Arcane Clepsydras of Vale

A story of the Alamerian Aspect of Time, Tempora. Written by Celeste Beauchesne (Leiana2213)

This story pertains to a landmark within the Kingdom of Alamer, in the city of Vale.

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Since the creation of the world, time has been constant. Time turned the world to face Corhelios and Agyna. Time knew when the children were born, the plants were best harvested, and when to guide the people to sleep.

But we did not understand time. Why did she move? Why did it seem we could not finish our work before Agyna claimed her time in the sky? How do we move with time?

Time appeared to Vale, the first caster, in a dream. Time was beautiful, her hair golden, wearing robes that trailed endlessly behind her. Within a blink of an eye, she went from child to adult. Another blink, adult to elder. She smiled, and to Vale she spoke. "Bring together the Siblings, and you will show the people how to move with me."

So Vale set out to speak with the Siblings. To Herathana, Goddess of Earth, he asked "Will you speak with me, will you tell me how to move with Time?"

"I do not know how to move with Time. Time tells me to bless the land so your peoples crops may grow. Take this molding dirt as a gift for visiting me, and ask Renalia instead of me." She did not show herself, but the mountains shook with her voice.

So Vale set out to speak with Renalia, Goddess of Water. "Will you speak with me, will you tell me how to move with Time?"

Renalia rose from the Endless Sea. "I do not know how to move with Time, but she tells me when to quench the roaring anger of Ethonious when his forge burns the land. Take some water, calm your thirst, and prepare to ask him. Perhaps he knows."

To Ethonious' forge he trekked. To the God of Fire he spoke. "Will you speak to me, will you tell me how to move with Time?"

Ethonious paused in his work, checking on the Endless Embers of Life. "I do not know how to move with Time, but she tells me when the embers burn brightest and when they must dim. Perhaps Resothion knows, has learned her secrets through the whispering breeze. Take some embers with you to keep you warm as a thank you for visiting me, and ask him instead."

Vale set out again, praying to the Father and Mother for the answer. He called to the winds that rustled the leaves of the Silence. "Will you speak to me, will you tell me how to move with Time?"

A voice whispers to him as a great dragon landed. "I do not know how to move with Time. She tells me when to whisper, to blow, to roar. Perhaps Erwignan knows, he speaks with Time. Let my friend carry you to him as a reward for visiting me."

Vale rode with the dragon, flying day and night to the islands in the clouds. To the Book of Everything he spoke. "Will you speak with me, will you tell me how to move with Time?"

The Book of Everything opened and closed, pages flipped and rushed through. "You know how to move with Time. Make me two bowls, one with a hole, one without, and I will show you how you move with Time."

Vale used the moldable dirt with some water he had saved, sculpting the bowls. With air he guided with magic to flow and breathe life to dying embers, bringing the flames that licked the bowls dry. Erwignan told him to position the bowl with the hole higher than the one without, and to fill the top bowl with the water he saved from visiting Renalia.

Water began to trickle and flow from one to the other and Time appeared with a smile. "You now know how to move with me. This is a clepsydra, and it shows you as I move the world always. Make me a few more, vary the sizes of each set, and I will teach you how to read the sizes and what to teach the people."

Vale set out to make more as asked, each one marked by Time. She taught him to read the minutes, hours and days. Each one was blessed to refill themselves when emptied. Only one, the biggest was not marked.

This one represented Time as a whole. There was no beginning, and no visible end as the water level never changed in either bowl. It always flows. Vale taught the people how to read the bowls, and built a building specifically for them when constructing the great city in the sky. And so we learned how we moved with Time.