Endless Glass

An ornate hour glass enchanted to keep running even upside down.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Each glass was custom made, with the frame, glass, and even the colour of the sand all tailored to the client’s preferences. Some, designed to use in rituals, were extremely large so that they were easily visible across a room, while others stood only a foot tall. Great care was taken to ensure that they provided a highly accurate view of time, with marks on the sides showing fractions of a glass.
The spells woven into these hourglasses ensure that the top of the sand remains level as it flows from the upper to lower bulb. The sand continues to flow regardless of which angle the hourglass is at, but the hourglass will try to right itself unless held at an angle.

The amount of sand in each glass had little impact on the accuracy of the timekeeping as the spells on the device ensured that the sand flowed at an appropriate rate. Despite this the creators of the glasses took great care in measuring the sand to an incredibly accurate degree.

One downside to an endless glass is that they have no means of tracking time over a period longer than an hour. As a result a watcher is normally needed to mark how many times the glass has reset to the beginning of the hour. During rituals this is typically marked by the ringing of a gong. On ships a chalkboard is commonly used to count hours and days, with the ringing of a bell used to announce each new hour.

History

These hour glasses were created to aid in magical rituals that require precise timing. First developed in the second age they were considered unreasonably expensive for all but the colleges of magic and sea vessels that travelled between continents. Even the extortionate prices charged by the clockmakers of Ironhammer halls were considered more affordable by nobles and other wealthy individuals.

Significance

Aside from their use in rituals these were also a vital tool for navigating the ocean when there were no landmarks to work with. Originally they were significant;y more accurate than the clocks and watches produced by the Ironhammers, and they didn't suffer from the motion of a ship of at sea. Eventually the clockmakers improved their craft (and dropped their prices enough) to directly compete with the glasses and these magical tools became a less common sight at sea.

Item type

Magical

Manufacturer

Colleges of Magic

The fractions marked on the sides of the bulbs vary from glass to glass as they were made to the clients' specifications. Some have only quarter marks, but others having markings down to a hundredth of a glass.
Most glasses were designed so that the bulb could rotate freely. The sand would have moved through the glass properly regardless of whether the bulb turned over, but having the glass right itself at the end of each hour was considered a good visual signal for those who might otherwise be distracted.