The Dawn Machine: Difference between revisions
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{{Character|image1 = dawnmachinegaz.png|caption1 = —UN. THE SUN. THE SUN. THE SUN. THE S—|location = The Barnsmore Gap|allegiance = [[The New Sequence]]|relationships = [[Clockwork Sun|The Clockwork Sun]] (counterpart)}}<blockquote>''"A light grows in the far south-west. It begins like a distant bonfire, but very rapidly, it becomes brighter, brighter. It looks remarkably like sunrise. Some of your crew fall to their knees: others duck behind cover or shield their eyes."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Auroral_Rupture#Event_description|Event description|Sunless Sea}}</ref></blockquote>The '''Dawn Machine''' is an artificial [[Judgement]] which lies in the southwest corner of the [[Unterzee]], within the Barnesmore Gap. | |||
==THE SUN. THE SUN. THE SUN.== | |||
{{ | <blockquote>''"The radiance to the south-west is white-gold like a Surface morning. There is warmth on your face. Your eyes water. Your skin stings and tingles. You catch a glimpse of geometries in the heart of it - complex faceted shapes that reconfigure like the wheels of an orrery -"''<ref name="look into light">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Auroral_Rupture#Interactions|Look into the light|Sunless Sea}}</ref></blockquote>A mess of elliptical rings, transformative light, and burning [[Correspondence]] sigils, the Dawn Machine is an enigmatic and malicious creation. The machine’s construction was led by [[June]] of the [[Calendar Council]];<ref>{{Citation|https://www.failbettergames.com/the-mysteries-revealed-again/|Who was the original architect of the Dawn Machine?|Failbetter Games}}''"June of the Calendar Council"''</ref> its originally intended purpose is unclear. | ||
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''' | Over time, the machine developed a will of its own and began to take control, brainwashing much of the [[Royal Navy]].<ref name=":0">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Grand_Geode|Grand Geode|Sunless Sea}} ''"A naval base, with the Royal Navy's emblems, curiously amended. Efficient, bright-eyed women and men work briskly, everywhere you look. They are singing [...] Hard-faced Royal Marines watch you carefully [...] A plaque by the docks has been defaced with orange paint, but you can still make out the original inscription: 'STATION V (ADJUNCT)'."''</ref> These were the first members of the '''[[New Sequence]]''', a group dedicated to spreading the Dawn Machine’s influence across the Neath.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Dark-Spectacled_Admiral|Sell the Memento Mori to the Royal Navy|Sunless Sea}}''"I wish I could reward you better than this, but the New Sequence strangles us like ivy. Thank you. You are a true patriot."''</ref><ref name="consult admiral">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Consult_the_Optimistic_Vice-Admiral|Consult the Optimistic Vice-Admiral|Fallen London}}''"The Vice-Admiral gazes at a map of the Upper River and smiles. "We will spread across it all, in time. The dawn knows no horizon.""''</ref> This group is based in the [[Grand Geode]], a former [[Admiralty]] outpost;<ref name=":0" /> the Machine is located behind the Geode, blocking the passage to the southwestern corner of the zee. Zailing beyond this point brings a foolish traveler into the Machine’s realm, where its influence is law.<ref name="unborn time">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Unborn_time|Story description|Sunless Sea}}</ref> | ||
== | ==Dawnburnt== | ||
<blockquote>''"Light sheets over you. Your hair crackles as if a storm were rising. You squint your eyes shut, but the radiance around you is bright enough that you see the pink of your eyelids..."''<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Auroral_Rupture#Interactions|Look around you, but not directly at the light|Sunless Sea}}</ref></blockquote>The Dawn Machine’s light does not outright kill those it touches, like true [[sunlight]] can, but its effects are far more sinister. | |||
''"The Dawn Machine' | When felt from a distance on the skin or seen by the eye, the light of the Dawn Machine causes a sense of discomfort and a sense that something is viscerally wrong. More direct or concentrated light can cause memory loss and make the viewer more suggestible.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Grand_Geode|Ask to speak with someone in authority|Sunless Sea}} ''"You saw the Commodore, and then - then there was something bright. You discussed matters of importance. You're certain of it. Teasing clues linger in your memory. A zailor asked to stay behind, and you permitted it, because - because - It'll all come clear later. Probably."''</ref><ref name="false memories">{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Icarian_Cup_(Story)|The Icarian Cup (Story)|Fallen London}} ''"After that, your memories are awash with warmth and light. [...] Something is wrong. Those thoughts weren't yours!"''</ref> Close proximity to the Dawn Machine or its offshoots for extended periods of time causes a victim to become dazzled,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/The_Icarian_Cup_(Story)|The Icarian Cup (Story)|Fallen London}} ''"[...] dull light throbbing in your [...] skull, [...] you understand. [...] Joy fills you, and a hymn springs unbidden to your lips."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Auroral_Rupture|Look into the light|Sunless Sea}} ''"There is warmth on your face. Your eyes water. Your skin stings and tingles. You catch a glimpse of geometries in the heart of it - complex faceted shapes that reconfigure like the wheels of an orrery - "''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/An_Exceptional_Story:_The_Stag_and_the_Shark|An Exceptional Story: The Stag and the Shark|Fallen London}} ''"[...] a corona of light appears around its perimeter [...] Something pulses behind your eyes. [...] you close them, you see only light."''</ref> undergoing the physical and mental changes that can permanently turn them into a member of the [[New Sequence]].<ref name="dawn's fingers">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Unborn_time|Dawn's fingers|Sunless Sea}}''"We found you drifting," the Sequencer is saying. You blink. He slaps you on the shoulder. "You were blessed, my friend. Welcome home."''</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Unborn_time|Unborn time|Sunless Sea}} ''"The Dawn Machine's roots extend here, into a luminous, impossible space. You breathe gold. You think light."''</ref> | ||
'''Elements of Dawn''', which are mere pieces of the Machine,<ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Element_of_Dawn|Element of Dawn|Fallen London}}</ref> emit the same hypnotizing light.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Corridors_of_Frostfound#Story_description|Cross the bridge (2)|Sunless Sea}}</ref> Some creatures that have been overwhelmingly influenced by the Machine’s light, such as [[Flukes#Dawn Flukes|Dawn Flukes]], can generate and emit this light on their own.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Dawn_Fluke|Send some of your crew to harvest the Fluke|Sunless Sea}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Dawn_Fluke|Fetch a piece of the fluke to study|Sunless Sea}}</ref> | |||
==The Chain Will End== | |||
<blockquote>''"Worm-fates crawl on your skin. The Machine is sick. Its hatred threads your veins. Time will die. The Chain will end."''<ref name="unborn time" /></blockquote>The Dawn Machine’s original purpose under the [[Admiralty]] and [[June]] is still a mystery; it might even be working exactly as intended. Regardless, the Machine has shown a will of its own and a disturbing number of unnaturally powerful abilities. | |||
It seems that the Dawn Machine now aims to destroy the hierarchy of the [[Judgements]] entirely, and replace it with a system of its own.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Unborn_time|Dawn's fingers|Sunless Sea}} ''"Worm-fates crawl on your skin. The Machine is sick. Its hatred threads your veins. Time will die. The Chain will end."''</ref> It wishes for time to die and the Great Chain to end, and to implement a new system of reality - thus, a New Sequence. It is an enemy of the [[Bazaar]], and seeks to restrict its power as one of the first steps to a full implementation of its ideals. It is also willing to help subvert the power of the [[Sun]], possibly for its own gain.<ref name="aestival">{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Grand_Geode|Ask the Commodore for a defence against sunlight for Aestival|Sunless Sea}}</ref> | |||
Some Sequencers have chosen to leave the Machine of their own volition while remaining golden-eyed, implying that those that remain loyal to the machine do so out of a sincere belief in its goals.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/Carnelian_Exile#Speak_to_the_Carnelian_Exile|Bread and Salt|Sunless Sea}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|https://fallenlondon.wiki/wiki/Contact_February|Contact February|Fallen London}}</ref> But more concerningly, as seen with the likes of the [[Flukes|Dawn Flukes]], it seems like the Machine may be able to influence beings more powerful than humans - or that it may have no limit to its influence at all.<ref>{{Citation|https://sunlesssea.miraheze.org/wiki/The_Fathomking%27s_Answer|Give the Fathomking an Element of Dawn |Sunless Sea}}</ref> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references /> | ''Special thanks to Elyk11 for contributions and drafting.'' | ||
{{Scroll box|text=<references/>}} | |||
[[Category:Places]] | [[Category:Places]] | ||
[[Category:Nonhuman]] | [[Category:Nonhuman]] | ||
[[Category:Characters]] | [[Category:Characters]] | ||
Latest revision as of 20:53, 5 February 2025
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NOTICE: Beyond this point lie SPOILERS regarding the DAWN MACHINE. There is much here that YOU, YES YOU may want to LEARN. DO PROCEED PROCEED PROCEED PROCEED NOW. You can find out more about our spoiler policy HERE. |
"A light grows in the far south-west. It begins like a distant bonfire, but very rapidly, it becomes brighter, brighter. It looks remarkably like sunrise. Some of your crew fall to their knees: others duck behind cover or shield their eyes."[1]
The Dawn Machine is an artificial Judgement which lies in the southwest corner of the Unterzee, within the Barnesmore Gap.
THE SUN. THE SUN. THE SUN.[edit]
"The radiance to the south-west is white-gold like a Surface morning. There is warmth on your face. Your eyes water. Your skin stings and tingles. You catch a glimpse of geometries in the heart of it - complex faceted shapes that reconfigure like the wheels of an orrery -"[2]
A mess of elliptical rings, transformative light, and burning Correspondence sigils, the Dawn Machine is an enigmatic and malicious creation. The machine’s construction was led by June of the Calendar Council;[3] its originally intended purpose is unclear.
Over time, the machine developed a will of its own and began to take control, brainwashing much of the Royal Navy.[4] These were the first members of the New Sequence, a group dedicated to spreading the Dawn Machine’s influence across the Neath.[5][6] This group is based in the Grand Geode, a former Admiralty outpost;[4] the Machine is located behind the Geode, blocking the passage to the southwestern corner of the zee. Zailing beyond this point brings a foolish traveler into the Machine’s realm, where its influence is law.[7]
Dawnburnt[edit]
"Light sheets over you. Your hair crackles as if a storm were rising. You squint your eyes shut, but the radiance around you is bright enough that you see the pink of your eyelids..."[8]
The Dawn Machine’s light does not outright kill those it touches, like true sunlight can, but its effects are far more sinister.
When felt from a distance on the skin or seen by the eye, the light of the Dawn Machine causes a sense of discomfort and a sense that something is viscerally wrong. More direct or concentrated light can cause memory loss and make the viewer more suggestible.[9][10] Close proximity to the Dawn Machine or its offshoots for extended periods of time causes a victim to become dazzled,[11][12][13] undergoing the physical and mental changes that can permanently turn them into a member of the New Sequence.[14][15]
Elements of Dawn, which are mere pieces of the Machine,[16] emit the same hypnotizing light.[17] Some creatures that have been overwhelmingly influenced by the Machine’s light, such as Dawn Flukes, can generate and emit this light on their own.[18][19]
The Chain Will End[edit]
"Worm-fates crawl on your skin. The Machine is sick. Its hatred threads your veins. Time will die. The Chain will end."[7]
The Dawn Machine’s original purpose under the Admiralty and June is still a mystery; it might even be working exactly as intended. Regardless, the Machine has shown a will of its own and a disturbing number of unnaturally powerful abilities.
It seems that the Dawn Machine now aims to destroy the hierarchy of the Judgements entirely, and replace it with a system of its own.[20] It wishes for time to die and the Great Chain to end, and to implement a new system of reality - thus, a New Sequence. It is an enemy of the Bazaar, and seeks to restrict its power as one of the first steps to a full implementation of its ideals. It is also willing to help subvert the power of the Sun, possibly for its own gain.[21]
Some Sequencers have chosen to leave the Machine of their own volition while remaining golden-eyed, implying that those that remain loyal to the machine do so out of a sincere belief in its goals.[22][23] But more concerningly, as seen with the likes of the Dawn Flukes, it seems like the Machine may be able to influence beings more powerful than humans - or that it may have no limit to its influence at all.[24]
References[edit]
Special thanks to Elyk11 for contributions and drafting.
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