ARCHIVES OF THE DIVIDED CONTINENTS
Volume 10: Time Measurement and Days & Nights in Bastion
1. Global Time in Bastion: The Millennium Clock
Across all domains and heavens, time is universally tracked by The Millennium Clock—a colossal cosmic timepiece created by the Makers.
The 24-Hour Elemental Cycle: The daily cycle is divided into four 6-hour Elemental Phases named after the four elements in the order of their creation:
Earth: Hours 1–6 (equivalent to 12:00 AM – 6:00 AM)
Water: Hours 7–12 (equivalent to 6:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Wind: Hours 13–18 (equivalent to 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM)
Fire: Hours 19–24 (equivalent to 6:00 PM – 12:00 AM)
Day Halves (Lunar Halves): The clock splits the 24-hour day into two 12-hour segments:
Half-Moon: The first 12 hours (encompassing the Earth and Water phases). For instance, 12:00 half-moon-earth corresponds to 12:00 AM.
Full-Moon: The second 12 hours (encompassing the Wind and Fire phases). For instance, 12:00 full-moon-wind corresponds to 12:00 PM / Noon.
Long-Term Calendar & The 1,000-Year Chime: The Millennium Clock functions as a long-term calendar, tracking years (such as 1999 AGS—After the Gods' Slumber) and centuries. Once every 1,000 years, the clock chimes to signal the descent of the sleeping Makers (Lord L and Lord D) to Underhaven.
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2. Time in Luminos: The Domain of Eternal Day
Luminos (the Land of Mortals) exists in a state of eternal day with no natural nighttime.
Light Sources: Luminos is illuminated by Ambient Luminescence (a glowing sky where atmospheric particles emit light) and Core Radiance (the ground glowing from the liquid light mantle below).
The Shadowless World: Because light radiates omnidirectionally from all 360 degrees, there are no natural shadows anywhere in Luminos—shadows can only be created artificially using the fire element.
Tracking Time: Without a natural sunset, civilizations in Luminos regulate work shifts, transcontinental shipping, and factory output directly by the Millennium Clock's 24-hour elemental phases.
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3. Time in Unlighted: The Domain of Eternal Night
Unlighted (the Land of Shades) exists in eternal night with no natural daytime. Time and workdays are simulated using mechanical infrastructure built by The Mechanic:
The Sunclock (Simulated Workday): A mechanical satellite that orbits Bastion on a Solar Battery Orbit, absorbing light while passing over Luminos and mechanically opening like a lantern over Unlighted. It emits a non-blinding light for 8 hours before shutting down for 16 hours, simulating a standard 8-hour workday for factories, transit, and commerce.
The Weekly Lunar Cycle (8 Artificial Moons): Unlighted's calendar week is tracked by 8 artificial moons orbiting in satellite rings. The number of shining moons indicates the day of the week:
Monday: 0 moons (the darkest day)
Tuesday: 1 moon | Wednesday: 2 moons | Thursday: 3 moons | Friday: 4 moons | Saturday: 5 moons
Sunday: All 8 moons shine (providing maximum brightness, during which "Lunar Siphons" harvest condensed moonlight to refine into Lunar-Coke fuel).
The Sunclock and 8 Artificial Moons shine simultaneously. Both orbit Bastion. The difference is that the Sunclock only shines for 8 hours, and after that, the 8 moons only remain shining for 16 hours. But there is a specific number of moons that shine each day.
Why is it that even having the sunclock and the 8 artificial moons the eternal night identity of Unlighted stays the same?
Dark Energy (Murk) Atmospheric Physics: Unlighted's atmosphere is saturated with Pure Dark Energy (Murk), whose physical properties are Absorption, Condensation, Density, and Stasis. Murk actively swallows photons, preventing light from scattering across the atmosphere
Photonic Attenuation & Spotlight Effect: Even with all 8 moons active, the combined light reaches only 1/50,000th of Luminos daylight. Additionally, the Sunclock does not generate a blue sky; it projects a cool-spectrum, directional spotlight over urban centers, leaving the upper sky a black void and wilderness in total darkness
The 16-Hour Daily Shutdown: The Sunclock satellite operates for only 8 hours, the remaining 16 hours of every day reverts the entire domain to moonlit or void-black darkness (such as Mondays, when 0 moons shine)
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4. Time in Underhaven: The Subterranean Thermodynamic Cycle
Unlike the static surface domains, the subterranean realm of Underhaven possesses a natural 12-hour day and 12-hour night cycle.
The "Breathing" Mantles (Thermodynamic Pulse): Underhaven lies along the Convergence Rim, where the liquid light core and crystallized dark core grind together. Driven by the conscious heavens of Lux and Murk, the cores "breathe" in an alternating rhythm:
Underhaven Day (12 Hours): The liquid light mantle actively expands, flooding the subterranean atmosphere with radiant light and kinetic warmth.
Underhaven Night (12 Hours): The crystallized dark mantle actively contracts and absorbs the light, cooling the cavern and creating night.
Preventing Planetary Cataclysm: This 12-hour oscillating expansion and contraction acts as a pressure valve that prevents a continent-shattering Resonance Clash between the grinding cores.
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*End of Archive Volume 10