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Inveigling the Clockwork Apostles

Author: 
A Helpful Citizen

Getting into the Brass Fortress from out in the Radius means getting into the good graces of the Clockwork Apostles. Trust me, if they're not on your side? You're cranked. That being said, they're not the easiest group to understand. The Apostles aren't chasing the glory of their ancestors or the thrill of battle. They don't burden themselves with thoughts of war, or famine, or disease. In fact, they rarely burden themselves at all, getting factotums to do everything but wipe their-- but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at what they do care about.

Sotha Sil is not only the god of the Apostles, but their mentor of sorts. The relationship is rather like needy students with a particularly distant teacher. The Apostles always seem to be seeking his approval on whatever project they're working on, though I doubt they'll ever get it. Their God of Mysteries keeps to himself more often than not.

All of the Apostles work towards one goal, something they call Nirn-Ensuing, or Tamriel Final, or Second Nirn, so on and so forth. If you want to bore yourself with the details, give the Sermons of Sotha Sil a read. And then another read. And then a third read so you can actually understand any of it, if you happen to be so inclined. All I know is that they're not so fond of this world, and they're trying to make it better. Somehow.

Now you would think that making the world better would include what could generally be recognized as acts of generosity, or at least basic human kindness. You would be wrong on that account. You see, the perfect Nirn doesn't really include things like feeding the hungry or sheltering the sick. It does involve making a scrap ton of machines. For some reason.

So, to get in good with the Apostles you have to help them conduct their experiments of gods know what. This means demonstrating a knack with magic, machines, or probably both. If you don't have those skills handy I suggest you listen closely for some other opportunity. The Clockwork Apostles are not above asking for favors, especially if it's for a task they think beneath them. Sure, they might not have the easiest or most wholesome requests in mind, but I suggest you take the chance while it's available.

A Study of Fabricants

Author: 
Endilaril

By Endilaril, Naturalist

The possibly-futile quest to find my place as a naturalist stranded in a world of the unnatural has led me to a dangerous field of study. And trust me when I tell you of its danger, for my past observations have taken me to quite hazardous locales. I've studied the fearsome senche-tigers lurking with the green depths of Grahtwood. I've followed tracks of the deadly behemoth through the poison swamps of Murkmire. I've researched the horrid frost trolls prowling the icy mists of Eastmarch's mountains. So believe me when I tell you that the fabricants of Clockwork City are some of the most dangerous creatures I have ever attempted to observe.

A fabricant is unique to the biome of Clockwork City, and I thank Auri-El every day that they are not able to spread their evil throughout Tamriel. These unwholesome creatures of beast and machine stalk the plains and ravines of this counterfeit world's wasteland. They come in many gruesome variants, and all present dangers to the unwary traveler. And make no mistake, they will kill any intruder on sight.

The verminous fabricant is unlike any creature I have seen before. It may be smaller than many monstrous beings in Tamriel, but it's also quick. This fast and agile creature attacks with metal claws resembling small scythes, and a pointed horn protrudes from its snout. Its lithe form means that it is able to follow you into smaller spaces, and trust me when I say that these creatures are relentless in their hunt.

The nix-hound fabricant is far more familiar, though I still shudder when I feel its lifeless, glassy eyes upon me. It's covered in brass, its back leg replaced entirely with metal limbs. Its gouging snout now has the edge of a blade. Given time, this creature will build up energy to produce a scalding beam. I've seen flesh melt and mer die after being struck by it.

The beetle fabricant was obviously modeled after the thunderbug, though why Sotha Sil thought that this already dangerous creature needed metallic updates I'll never know. Each of its scuttling legs has been replaced by metal limbs, and its lightning attacks seem to have a greater force than I have ever seen in nature. Like its other counterparts, this creature is aggressive, and will attack on sight. All caution should be taken if you see this monster in the wild.

Viewing these amalgamations of natural and unnatural, one has to ask why these creatures were created. And created they were, by the Clockwork God himself. Why would Sotha Sil willingly choose to bring about such monsters into the existence of Nirn? My research has led me to believe that few are courageous enough to ask him.

Perhaps they are simply an experiment gone wrong, or guards to protect his precious experiments. Whatever their reason for existence, fabricants remain a very real threat within the walls of this world-prison. I will continue to study their existence to best know how to avoid, escape, and perhaps even put an end to their miserable existence. I very much doubt the absentee Father of Mysteries will even notice my attempts to undo the madness he has wrought in his own city.

Residential Logistics Log

Author: 
Anonymous

Living Residents of Clockwork City (Fortress and Region 6) - 176

Place of residency:
Brass Fortress: 112
Ventral Terminus: 2
Mnemonic Planisphere: 2
Everwound Wellspring: 25
Radius: 35

Resident Satisfaction Rating (Log 16788): Compiled by AIOS

Wealth disparity increased by 7% over period of analysis. Recommend increasing access to raw goods by commensurate amount. Root cause primarily psychological. High-wealth sample array displays ambition and dissatisfaction ranks in excess of 15. Potential interpersonal hostility rating increased to "moderate."

Occurrence of constabulary malfeasance remains at unsafe levels. Recommend ancillary surveys to determine mental fitness of all constables.

Nutrition rating within acceptable norms. Net effect of taste on resident satisfaction remains negative. Recommend increasing salt inclusion by 3% over next analysis period.

Copulation and morbidity rate returning to sustainable norms. Paste-additives proving effective.

Apostle innovation and publication-rate increased by 4% over analysis period. Daylight extension likely cause. Recommend adding another twelve minutes to daylight cycles to test hypothesis.

Factotum Model Registry

Author: 
Anonymous

Factotum series 1 - discontinued

Factotum series 2 - discontinued

Factotum series 3 - discontinued

Factotum series 4 - discontinued

Factotum series 5 - discontinued

Factotum series 6 - discontinued

Factotum series 7 - current generation. 946 partitions active. 6400 partitions stored.

Improvement Notes:

1. Increased ambulatory speed and coordination. Stair navigation greatly improved.

2. Further reduced occurrence of memory-regression episodes.

3. Installed anterior storage compartments.

4. Field of view increased by 20%

5. Enhanced facial recognition and expression comprehension aptitude.

6. Increased vocabulary by 670 words.

7. Further amplified threat recognition and reaction speed.

The Fabricated Fauna of Clockwork

Author: 
Endilaril

By Endilaril, Naturalist

Oh, how I longed for the lush landscapes and diverse wildlife that make up Tamriel. How did I not appreciate it before? The green fields of Auridon, the deep woods of Valenwood. Skyrim's majestic mountains, topped with snow. The dangerous beauty of Black Marsh. How I missed it all, reduced was I to this city of brass, surrounded by barren wastelands.

Or so I thought, for quite the longest time. My life's work was not the study of machines or people, but rather the animals that surround us every day. I despaired when I first came to Clockwork City, thinking my career as a revered naturalist had come to an end. But all I had to do was look a little harder, and eventually I found new species to study, ones made of metal and gears rather than flesh and sinew.

I've compiled a list of the more memorable species of "creatures" found within the city, if I may be so bold to call them that. Their appearance certainly mimics their more natural counterparts, and strangely enough so does their behavior. What their creators had in mind, I do not know. They seem to hold little function, but rather add life into this barren land.

Brassilisk

The brassilisk is created from interconnected brass squares, exposed copper wiring allowing for its snakelike movement. Popular as a pet, you'll often see them following the quick footsteps of young scholars. A rather lovely and most prized model mimics the leathery wings of the sep adder. This creature comes in a variety of colors, and while it may display aggressive behavior it is not equipped to attack others.

Skeevaton

Though I do not delight in speculation, the rumored origins of this creature do fascinate me. The skeevaton takes the form of a copper mouse. It possesses no legs, traveling by a rotating ball fitted within its middle. In a city filled to the brim with mechanizations of all kinds, what could be more inconspicuous? The legend goes that its inventor created the skeevaton with the purpose of spying on his or her fellow scholars. Something to keep in mind the next time you see one of them staring up at you from the alleyway.

Seht's Dovah-Fly

This mechanical insect that flutters through the stagnant city air is thought to be a collaboration of two ill-fated lovers. Once again, I'm not usually one for rumor, but this story does have quite the emotional appeal. Two apprentices fell in love, but were forced to never see each other because of a long standing feud between their lectors. Seht's Dovah-Fly was created as a messenger, delivering communications between them. So impressed were their masters by this elegant creation that they set their feud aside and allowed the apprentices to collaborate on future projects. A delightful tale I must admit, whether it be true or not.

The Factotum's Secret Voice

Author: 
Lector Tidras Dran

By Lector Tidras Dran, Clockwork Apostle

Even in this shrine to knowledge and blasphemous inquiry, some subjects remain taboo. I spent all my long years as a Clockwork Apostle pushing against those boundaries - desperate to see our order truly live its creed: inquiry without limits. In most cases, I endured little more than sighs and grumbles from my superiors. But one topic in particular earns me forceful and genuine condemnation: my exploration of the factotum's inner voice.

The order's relationship with fabricants and factotums has always been prickly. On one hand, we must understand some critical aspects of these creatures' make-up. Their nature and materials informed the creation of our own enhancements. The synthesis of flesh and engineering remains one of our greatest achievements and most enduring traditions. However, delving too deep into the creatures' subroutines and manufacture starts to look less and less like inquiry, and more and more like hubris. Lifting Sotha Sil's skirts, as it were.

For my part, I have always been endlessly fascinated by the factotum's voice and behavior. While the factotums perform multitudinous different tasks, they remain linked by their appearance, voice, and confusing (some would say "troubling") verbal artifacts.

When exodromals meet a factotum for the first time, they often ask, "whose voice is that?" Truthfully, no one knows (aside for Lord Seht, of course.) I've spent countless days in the Archivox researching Lord Seht's past. I even got special dispensation to visit the Mnemonic Planisphere once. I'm confident that the truth of the factotum's voice lies somewhere in Lord Seht's personal history.

Most apostles avoid talking about it, with some notable exceptions, (my friend, Associate Zanon, for example.) If engaged privately, however, apostles will offer one of three major theories. Some believe the voice is that of Sotha Sil's mother. Others think it's the voice of a lost lover. Then, still others (myself included) believe it's the voice of Sotha Sil's sister.

The first and most compelling piece of evidence can be found in the Elegiac Replication - a personal memorial of sorts that Lord Seht built in the Radius long ago. One of the memorial plaques refers to a "Sotha Nall." It states that this Sotha Nall possessed a "soul that deserved transcendence" - implying a life beyond natural limitations. Nall's face bears a clear resemblance to that of the Clockwork God, indicating that she was a close family member. Her garb does not appear matronly, and her posture does not conform to any psycho-artistic trends that would indicate motherly affection. Additionally, I've seen more than a few references to the fact that Sotha Sil was not an only child. Taken together, I think this makes a clear case for Sotha Nall as sister.

Naturally, this leads to all kinds of uncomfortable questions about what a soul's "transcendence" means in this context. Does some aspect of Nall's animus exist inside the brass laborers we find all over the city? I would say "no" if not for the verbal artifacts.

When faced with a query that requires higher cognition, factotums often recite a non sequitur in two parts - brief statements that have a loose connection to one another but no discernible connection to the larger conversation. These non sequiturs (also known as "verbal artifacts") tend to be simple recitations of household "scenes." They refer to overturned pots, rain on glass, boots by the fire, and so on. Occasionally they stray into more personal terrain, like the complexion of an old woman's hands, or the sound of someone weeping. Then, once in a very great while, they will say something genuinely troubling statements like "burning beds - screaming" or "collapsed roof - crushed child." Factotums that say things like that tend to be recalled to the Pneumatic Forge in short order and taken out of circulation indefinitely. But this of course begs the question: where are these verbal artifacts coming from? Are they Sotha Nall's memories? Or some vital sub-function that enhances empathic responses to the concerns of living residents? Though it pains me to consider it, I believe the evidence points to the former rather than the latter. As everyone knows, the False Prince called Mehrunes Dagon, destroyed Sotha Sil's ancestral home of Ald Sotha when our lord was still a youth - leaving him as the sole survivor. Scenes of fire and death may well have been Sotha Nall's final and most traumatic memories.

I hope it's not true. I hope all these various observations are the product of simple coincidence. But, as scholars, we must acknowledge the possibility that these machines have a deeper and more troubling history than we realize. As I said before, I take my role as an iconoclast seriously. But In this case, perhaps it's best if we never know the truth.

Catalogue of Afflictions in the City

Author: 
Anonymous

To the alienist, the ability - or inability - of a living mind to cope with stimuli and deprivation is of the utmost interest. How is it that some minds endure when others fail? What manifests in the aftermath of those outcomes? How can those manifestations be identified and altered? The workings of our own minds are as much a mystery as the workings of the material world, and it is no less dangerous to neglect their care than it is to mistreat the corporeal self.

While Clockwork City is a facsimile of Nirn in many ways, it is not a duplication. Many of the rules that govern the world simply do not apply to this realm, and things often taken for granted in the terrestrial world are found to be of vital importance to an individual's sanity when they are suddenly found scarce. Here I will outline a number of the most common afflictions to develop in previously well-adjusted individuals now inhabiting the Clockwork City.

Cyclical Inert Ingestion - Compulsive craving and ingestion of non-nutritious and sometimes harmful materials. It is not unusual for inhabitants and visitors in Clockwork City to experience a palate fatigue for the nutrient paste produced within the Brass Fortress, despite its inoffensive taste and complete nutritional profile. This often causes these individuals to experiment with consuming unusual substances for relief from that fatigue or because of a fallacious belief about the benefits of ingesting the substance that they have developed a taste for. In many cases this condition may safely go untreated, though some individuals' compulsions pose a significant danger to their health and those patients should be remanded to the Asylum Sanctorium for a more controlled therapeutic environment.

Magnusomnic Melancholy - Connections between mortal beings and the stellar bodies are well established, though fraught with superstition and apocrypha. Our relationship with the sun is of particular relevance to the psyche. From simple moodiness and doldrums in the long nights of winter to the violent, frenzied aversion of victims of vampirism, exposure to the sun has a noticeable effect on the mental health of many races, so its complete absence from Clockwork City is trying on most individuals. Lethargy, irregular sleep patterns, dark thoughts or impulses, and a general malaise are all signs that your patient could be suffering from solar deprivation. See volumes on treatment regarding variations of light conjuration and simulated sunlight.

Encapsulation Syndrome - A particularly insidious affliction similar to the acute fear of being trapped commonly observed in the terrestrial world. Individuals used to living their lives under the open sky are sometimes disconcerted by the easily demarcated boundaries of Sotha Sil's heavens. They begin to feel an inescapable sense of confinement that creates ever-present feelings of anxiety and agitation. These mounting pressures will push them to breaking point if left unresolved and should be considered a priority for treatment.

Minisculation Terrors - The terrors can be defined as bouts of irrational panic and paranoia that the victims are shrinking. It is unclear whether these episodes are a side effect of transitioning into this realm, or a pathological reaction to the experience of being miniaturized. Patients tend to describe peculiarities in their perception, ranging from a vague sense of things just being a little off, to vertigo, to delusional claims of evidence. For example, one such patient cited that they were now unable to reach an object they had placed on a high shelf the day before. Often these claims are a result of misremembered details, such as forgetting that they were wearing thick heeled shoes, though there is at least one recorded case of legitimate uncontrolled shrinking, so be diligent in investigating these claims.

Obsessive Focus and Fixation - Particularly common among apostles. Sometimes our colleagues must be saved from themselves. Clockwork City was designed with freedom from distraction in mind. It is a place of contemplation and learning, and sometimes the example Lord Sotha Sil sets is adhered to too closely by his followers. We are not gods. We cannot withdraw into our studies indefinitely and tirelessly without consequence. It may be necessary to intervene in the studies of an apostle who has developed an unhealthy obsession with their research. Fixated patients have been known to neglect sleep, forget to eat, shun all contact with others, and in some cases literally work themselves to death. As such, we are granted the authority to remand such cases to Asylum Sanctorium at our discretion.

Corporeal Odium - Self-loathing, specifically of one's physical form. Outside of Clockwork City it was primarily observed in kingdoms where one's physical features or biological heritage play a significant role in an individual's societal worth. It is also a fairly common trait among possessing spirits. This condition is on the rise among Clockwork Apostles who believe their enhancements represent an ideal that their native flesh fails to live up to. Reckless augmentation, self-mutilation, and emotional volatility are all warning signs that an apostle's desire for alteration has become an unhealthy obsession and the patient should likely be remanded to the Asylum Sanctorium for psycho-spiritual realignment.

Realms of the Clockwork City: The Radius

Author: 
Provost Varil Arvel

The magnificent and awe-inspiring creation of Lord Seht is so much more than just a haven for the Father of Mysteries. Innumerable secure chambers, manufactories, laboratories, and terrariums house the objects of his experimentation, to be discovered and studied by the most diligent of his devoted Apostles.

Within this series of volumes, I shall describe in brief some of the more well-known of Lord Seht's minor realms within the Clockwork City. Know that this is far from an exhaustive list, for the breadth of the City may well be infinite within this seemingly finite space.

Most familiar to denizens of the Brass Fortress is the realm known as the Radius. This stretch of fabricated wilderness stretches from the walls of the Fortress out to the periphery of the Clockwork City, and is home to an artificial ecology that was deemed by Lord Seht to be as familiar and soothing to denizens of Tamriel as could be crafted.

Primus, note the fabricant flora that sprouts from the metallic soil, its bark and leaves reflecting light in perfect quantities. It is true that very little grows within the Clockwork City, limited to dedicated projects such as the Wellspring or as transient fungi brought in by itinerant and accidental visitors. It is therefore necessary that many of the creatures one will encounter in the Radius are predatory. Fabricant beasts, designed to emulate the form and function of their Tamrielic counterparts, are indeed alive and constructed of an amalgam of grown flesh and metallic grafts. A wise Apostle avoids the most brute and hulking of these creatures, for they require sustenance apart from that which their soul gem matrices supply.

Secundus, behold the accumulation of shimmering lubricants that pool within the lowlands and gullies of the Radius. This slurry is a mixture of machine grease, the humours and fluids of fabricant and Apostle alike, and a myriad of substances churned out by the incalculable amount of factories beneath the surface. The lubricants flow and are collected in basins across the Radius, to be drawn into automated cleaning facilities and pumped back into the devices that distribute them to necessary environments. Most of the lubricants in the Radius collect in the Mire Mechanica, presumably Lord Seht's approximation of Tamrielic swamps.

Tertius, the Radius is home to one of the numerous weather regulation and fluid treatment facilities in the Clockwork City. Our proximity to it ensures that we experience neither extreme heat nor cold, and that there is always sufficient clean water to ingest. Nevertheless, the delicate balance of fabricant, man, and mer demands that the Brass Fortress carefully consider its population and intake requirements.

Of course, the Radius is only one of many realms within the Clockwork City. In our next volume, we shall touch upon some of the more unusual experiments conducted by the Father of Mysteries, as well as conjecture into the reasons for their existence.

Factotum Classification - Log 233

Author: 
Proctor Neimos

By Proctor Neimos, Apostle of Sotha Sil

Given the unprecedented reveal of the seventh advancement of the factotum model, my attempt to give individualized names to each unit has been deemed "unnecessary and unreliable" by the Congress of Calibration. I have now been tasked to only identify groups of units that perform similar functions. I have to admit, this only further shows a sad misunderstanding of the unique personality each unit so clearly expresses. Still, I must abide by the ruling of the council. And so here I shall list the name and brief description of each factotum subgroup for future reference.

Clockwork Registrar: This singular unit is able to access all residential records within Clockwork City. It also maintains all documentation within the Brass Fortress archives, the extent of which none but Lord Seht knows. I find this unit to be direct and to the point, making it very efficient to work with.

Clockwork Clinician: Though few in number, these clinicians have been purposed for a variety of post-mortem tasks. Their most prominent ability allows them their cognitive archival process and data retention of the recently deceased. This has been used for a variety of occasions, most notably with questioning Proctor Nevyn on several incomplete thermodynamic equations. I find this unit to be a more comforting presence, but often impatient when delayed.

Clockwork Facilitator: A newer, singular unit introduced to the Brass Fortress, it has nonetheless proved to be a liaison to Lord Seht's own experiments. Currently its only function is to recruit combatants to battle a creation known as the Imperfect, said to be one of Clockwork's most dangerous creations. From what I can gather, this unit will continue to create tasks based on the "greater good" of Clockwork City. I find this unit to be more boisterous than its counterparts.

Commerce Delegate: These units have multiple functions to aid residents with purchases. Though the Clockwork Apostles do not regulate commerce, my suggestion to lease these units to local guilds has been met with approval and is currently undergoing negotiations. I find these units to be friendly and lighthearted compared to many other factotums.

Currency Steward: Continuing with the need for help with the residential currency system, these units have access to all banking records and regulations. They have helped decrease the "errors" often found in their less reliable, and often merely greedy, organic counterparts. I find these units to be serious, grim, and very reliable.

Cuisine Administrator: Though any resident can work a nutrient dispenser, these units have several functions related to cooking. The consensus of their successful meals has been noted to perhaps be biased by the local population, given the bland daily diet of most Brass Fortress residents. Nonetheless, all meals generated have been deemed perfectly safe for consumption by the Clockwork Apostles. I find these units to be almost coddling in their affections.

I will continue these rudimentary and functional classifications for factotums within the Brass Fortress. Further preparation is needed before I can begin my research on the more combat focused units, as our means to place them in standby has been unsuccessful for several generations. May the gears align in my favor.

Excerpts From Fabricated Flora: A Study

Author: 
Acolyte Kelviv

Almost without exception the native flora of Clockwork City are fully synthetic imitations of their terrestrial analogues, but there is one growth within the Halls of Regulation that remains a mystery. The "Ironstalk Mushroom," as they have come to be known, often sprout in the dark, dank tunnels of the Halls. My dissections of several specimens lead me to believe that these organisms are fully organic, but their anatomy and suitability to their unlikely environment implies that they were designed with a purpose.

 

These fungi hungrily absorb minerals, alchemical remnants, and even corrosive materials with seemingly no ill effects on their physiology. Some have speculated that this is simply happenstance, that some Tamrielic spores were introduced to the halls by exodromal, took root, and thrived. That sort of dismissive justification is simply lazy, in my opinion. To off-handedly assume that Sotha Sil would not introduce a wholly organic creation to his grand design, if it served his purposes, is a discredit to his genius.

 

I theorize that the Ironstalk Mushroom sprung from a need to purify pollutants from the Halls of Regulation that proved detrimental, or at least impractical for a machine to address. We occupy a world created with meticulous precision and care. It may be acceptable to dismiss the unknown as whim, or fate, or chance on Nirn, but in the Clockwork City there is only the Grand Schema. Here, there is always a greater explanation to the workings of the world.