The Shape of Lifetimers
“Mort” and other books featuring Death’s domain talk about the lifetimers, or the hourglasses that show how much time mortals have to live. Each hourglass has its own unique shape. Based on characters’ traits and personalities, I’ve come up with a few ideas for what details might be on each lifetimer.
If you want to add your own headcanons about the hourglasses that weren’t described here, feel free!
Susan Sto Helit: Hers looks normal at a glance. It has ordinary wooden bases with white sand. But look closer, and one will see the Omega symbol between her first and last name, and a small scythe attached on the side. Her sand drained typically as any average human’s before the events of Soul Music, but as time went on and she used her inherited powers, she became a little less human and so did her flow of sand. Her name is engraved at the bottom in a silver Gothic script.
Samuel Vimes: His hourglass has a plain oak wood base and a tiny copper Commander’s badge next to his name. His sands have turned gray due to all the cigars he’s smoked. Before he met Sybil, Vimes’s hourglass was draining much faster, but it seems to have slowed down considerably. His lifetimer is beginning to take on an unusual warped shape due to Death’s many near-Vimes experiences. Sam Vimes’s name is engraved on the bottom in a simple script, etched in copper like his badge.
Rincewind: His hourglass is described in the books as a creation a glassblower might have made with hiccups. It’s too odd to comprehend since the Gods are always toying with his fate. On the top base it says “wizzard,” just like his hat. There are tiny stars etched into the glass, and at times they glitter. Over time, stamps from the places he’s been have appeared over his lifetimer. About the only feature left from its original shape is Rincewind’s name, which has been etched in golden Old Morporkian (1), a standard font for wizards.
Twoflower: His hourglass has a red base, and golden sands. The actual glass and flow of sand has been distorted and resembles a curvy modern art piece, due to the many times he cheated death by simply being optimistic enough. Various stickers are on the top and bottom bases, each one a place he went during his travels. An engraving of an Agatean butterfly nests on a chrysanthemum at the end of his name, which is written entirely in his native pictograms.
Moist von Lipwig: Lipwig’s hourglass has a golden base, clear glass and gold colored sand. There are the likenesses of tiny glass rings, stamps, and envelopes carved into his glass. Death knew the end of Albert Spangler was not the end of Moist, because there was quite a lot of sand left for him. The sands in Moist’s lifetimer fall in a corkscrew pattern rather than falling straight. His name is engraved in New Tsortian (2).
Havelock Vetinari: His hourglass is covered in his favorite color. There is black tinted glass, a black base and black sands, which have a peculiar tendency to slow down at times. If one looks closely, they can find his family motto engraved on the back, just behind his name, all in a plain, yet menacing font he tends to use for memos. The changing nature of his sands makes it difficult to predict when he will reach his end.
Sybil Ramkin: Since she is of noble birth, the base of her hourglass is silver, and sands are pure white. There are dragon motifs carved into the glass. Her name is engraved into the bottom base in neat, curly letters. On either side are small carvings of dragon wings. Time passes for her in a steady, easy flow, but it’s suggested that she’ll never be too far behind Sir Samuel.
Adora Belle Dearheart: The base of her hourglass is gray, and her actual sands are an even darker gray. It seems drab at first, until one looks closer to find the runes used as chem for some of the Golems in her trust, and a line of Clacks code that reads “GNU John Dearheart.” Her name is engraved in a simple sans serif script, with a stiletto heel next to the very end.
Carrot Ironfoundersson: He has quite an impressive hourglass, one fit for the rumored true heir to the Ankh Morpork throne. There’s a mahogany base, clear glass, and pure white sand. Carrot’s name is engraved in gold cursive lettering, and next to it is a very polished, definitely copper mini-Captain’s badge from the City Watch. As part of the generation of new Disc heroes, his sands are not expected to run out any time soon.
Ponder Stibbons: For a wizard’s lifetimer, it is remarkably less shiny than the others, with significantly less gold stars and Ankh stones. The base is green, the same color as Ponder’s robe, and the sands are a very light tan found at beaches everywhere. The lettering of his name is still in Old Morporkian but in black, and written much more precise than other wizards. On the back of the hourglass are the words “Rocket Wizard” in the same script. There are square roots etched into the glass. Various gears adorn the top and bottom bases.
Mustrum Ridcully: His hourglass appears to be larger than others, due to his larger than life personality. The base is solid oak, just like his staff, and there is a mini crossbow attached to the right side. Various sigils are carved into the wood and glassware, along with twinkling golden stars along the base. His name is written in the traditional wizard’s font, entirely in capital letters. The flow of the sparkling red sand in his hourglass goes almost unnaturally straight due to his direct nature, but it does not appear to be going quickly, suggesting he will have the longest life of any Archchancellor in history.
Old English
Times New Roman
