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Clock of Doom
Clock of Doom
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type:
Mechanical timer; intimidation device
rarity:
rare
material:
blackened iron case; brass geartrain; enamel hazard dial; tempered bell
dimensions:
14 × 10 × 6 cm
weight:
1.2 kg
origin:
power:
mainspring; twin balance wheels
legality:
Restricted under Harbor Wardens; seizure on sight in negotiation halls
Clock of Doom is a spring-wound countdown timer engineered to project escalating chimes and pressure tones during high-stakes dealings on and around Vesper Quay. It appears in ledger audits, hush contracts, and coercive meets tied to the Silver Ledger, the Counting House, and rivals within the Gutter Syndic. Field use is reported near the Slickstone Arches where time windows ride the tide.
Description
- Case: Compact iron body with a front hazard dial marked in red quints; side keys for wind and bell select.
- Face: Enamel scale with luminous hash marks; center window reveals twin balances and a creeping seconds ring.
- Bell: Internal tempered bell with baffled ports that open progressively as time drops.
- Ports: Rear plate with two threaded sockets used to mount signal flags, flare wicks, or a Smoke Ampoule coupler.
- Safeties: Flip guard over the strike lever; slip-stop pawl to prevent accidental fast-run when jostled in crowds.
- Carry: Wrapped in felt with a waxed strap; often rides with a Cipher Deck and Lockplate Key in audit kits.
Type / Category
- Category: Mechanical timer; signaling and psychological operations tool.
- Roles: Deadline marker; negotiation pressure device; synchronized signal for pier teams.
- Users: Brokers within the Silver Ledger, Harbor Wardens under Ilex Marr, and enforcers aligned to the Gutter Syndic.
Stats / Effects
- Run Time: 1–30 minutes selectable; accuracy ±10 seconds per 10 minutes after bump or spray.
- Escalation Tones: Low pulse at 50%, rapid ticks at 80%, continuous rise tone at 95%, final strike peal at 100%.
- Presence Effect: Creatures in close earshot make steadiness checks at disadvantage during the final minute; allies who rehearsed the count gain advantage on coordinated moves.
- Signal Ports: Accepts wick, flag, or dust vial attachments; triggers on final strike for visual cue or smoke burst.
- Wet Tolerance: Functions after brief spray; prolonged dunk stalls the whisker spring until dried.
- Tamper Tell: Forced back-wind blackens the hazard dial edge; wardens log this as intent under quay rules.
Usage / Crafting / Requirements
- Operation: Wind mainspring; set dial; arm strike; set bell baffles; optionally fit a Smoke Ampoule or flag stem to a port.
- Team Sync: Pair with a Cipher Deck time slip so counters at the Counting House note start and expected closure.
- Crafting: Requires fine-cut geartrain, twin balances, enamel dial, tempered bell; assembly by quay machinists with registry under the Silver Ledger.
- Restrictions: Harbor Wardens in Vesper Quay treat active use during public trading as a disruption offense; confiscation likely.
- Maintenance: Oil pivots sparingly; replace bell felt; check pawl bite after rough handling near the Slickstone Arches.
Lore / Background
- Origin: Developed after the Lantern Truce to time short audit windows and pier closures without raising blades.
- Reputation: Nicknamed by runners who claim the rising tone makes hands shake worse than a drawn Glasswire Dagger.
- Notables: Brokers like Scillia Doge use muted-bell variants for counter rooms; operatives such as Sable Thurne field the sealed-port type for fogged handoffs.
- Incidents: A stalled bell during a shelf gale at Breaker’s Shelf led to a mistimed pull; wardens blamed grit from kelp dust and fined the keeper.
- Superstition: Some crews believe the final peal agitates a nearby Brine Wraith; wardens dismiss it, but few ring out under squall.
Image Gallery
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A deadline meet on Vesper Quay as the hazard dial enters the red
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Wardens logging a timed seizure under Ilex Marr’s oversight
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Syndic pressure play during a fogged handoff near the Slickstone Arches
Related Characters / Mobs / Scenes
- Characters: Sable Thurne, Scillia Doge, Ilex Marr, Syndic Cutout
- Mobs: Hall Guard, Brine Wraith, Quay Rat
- Scenes: Vesper Quay, Slickstone Arches, Counting House, Gutter Syndic, Breaker’s Shelf
Variants
- Audit Bell: Reduced-volume bell and heavier balances for counter rooms at the Counting House; favored by the Silver Ledger.
- Pier Baffle Model: Waterproofed case, sealed ports, and loud final peal for open-air use along Vesper Quay.
- Syndic Blackface: Matte-black dial with silent last-10-second tick and bright flare port; traced to smugglers tied to the Gutter Syndic.