Nualan Time

The planet Nuala has a twenty-five-hour day, retaining the ancient sixty-minute hour and sixty-second minute, although Nualan time-keeping appears hazy to off-worlders. It can be extremely difficult for planet visitors to keep track of time, since moonrise and moonset can vary enormously. In Amura, the hours are canonical. Elsewhere, however, the moon cycles are closely watched, and it is possible for second bell to precede first bell — or follow third bell, depending on the time of moonset. The same situation applies to moonrise.

 

Matins — First bell and the deepest point of night.

Lauds — Second bell, moonset (firstmoon)

Canonical Lauds — Between matins and starrise

Prime — Third bell, starrise (Kee)

Tierce — Fourth bell, midmorning

Sext — Fifth bell, high noon

None — Sixth bell, mid-afternoon

Vespers — Seventh bell, starset (Kee)

Compline — Eighth bell, moonrise (firstmoon)

Canonical Compline — Between starset and matins

The Nualans’ sequence also changes fractionally with the seasons. Compline and Lauds are rung at their median points during the dark of the moons.