THE WATCHMAKER'S MAID

Parin was looking forward to talking to Glax, actually. And that made things easier for him.

Lord Arsaces, of the Nessos family, had been the Rhytosian ambassador who had embarked for Valya on the Argos II. In Valya, Arsaces learned many secrets of the weather, and also about the local gods, Chronos and Nix. 

He taught about Chronos in his academy next to the Sun and Moon Temple of Nikros, the Rhytosian capital. Parin's father studied there and was one of Arsaces' most ardent disciples. 

The master watchmaker also made machines and mechanical clocks more refined than anything the Steam People had brought to Stygia. His services were appreciated by all the cities that, in the time of Empress Urania, had adhered to public clocks, a boon that helped take notice of the sacred cycles of the earth.

However, it didn't take long for religious persecution to occur.