Watches and Bells

© RDD Wilkin / Spilled Ale Studios

Ramshackle tracks time by counting watches and bells in a similar fashion to how shifts are arranged on sailing vessels. The following system assumes a 24-hour day. If you decide to place Ramshackle in a world with an unusual day-night cycle, you’ll need to make some changes.

• Each 24 hour period is split into 6 watches of 4 hours each.

• 1st watch: 4am.

• 2nd watch: 8am.

• 3rd watch: Noon.

• 4th watch: 4pm.

• 5th watch: 8pm.

• 6th watch: Midnight.

• Each watch is further divided into 8 half-hour segments called bells. Keepers in the city’s three bellhouses track time using 30-minute hourglasses, ringing the bells every time the sands run through.

• If a citizen of Ramshackle wanted to arrange a meeting to take place at 5 in the afternoon, they would specify that the meeting is at “2nd bell of the 4th watch”. Or they might say “4th watch, 2nd bell”. Both are considered correct usage.