Station VIII

"There are some things we were not meant to know, they say. But you wouldn't be down here if you took that seriously." Beyond this point lie spoilers for Fallen London, Sunless Sea, Sunless Skies, or Mask of the Rose. This may include midgame or minor Fate-locked content. Proceed with caution. You can find out more about our spoiler policy here.

"Factory VIII is a monstrosity of brick and glass, its towering walls and high up windows lending it the air of a prison. The factory does not produce the foul coal stench of those in London, instead it emits bright clouds of pungent scents – which occasionally bring passers-by to tears."

The Station for Factory VIII, or Station VIII, is a chemical factory located in the Hinterlands. It is the fifth station of the Great Hellbound Railway, not the eighth as its name would imply. Confusing? The Hinterlands are generally that way.

Brick and Glass

"Station VIII may not be a place to linger, unless you have a particular interest in industrial manufacturing."

Unfiltered emotion.

Station VIII is home to Factory VIII, a facility within a massive brick building for the production of emotion-inducing substances. The factory's smokestacks spew colorful fumes, which cause emotional reactions in those exposed. In the factory's courtyard is a huge dirigible mast rigged with alarms; the Masters dock here to visit and check up on the factory. The surrounding area is sparsely populated, with only a single pub and scattered housing for workers.

The nature of Factory VIII's exports are kept secret. It ships products to London regularly, so the arrival of the Great Hellbound Railway was welcomed. However, this caused the factory's couriers to strike, fearing replacement.

The Secrets of Factory VIII

"The Overseer keeps his desk locked, but that presents little obstacle. You do almost miss the second concealed drawer, however, in which you find his diary. The entries are terse. Either he has a subscription to a cellar, or he meets Mr Wines on a monthly basis. 'Iron' appears once, several months ago. Yesterday, 'Fires' is crossed out."

"The room is cramped. There's space for a swivel seat before a brass console covered in buttons and levers. To the right of the console are several folders – filled with encryption keys and messaging protocols. The spines are marked with roman numerals: II, III, IV, V, VI, VII. The folders are chained to the desk; you cannot easily liberate them. The absence of Folder I suggests the rationale behind the security."

Factory VIII is managed by the Blithesome Overseer, a jovial but high-strung man who meets with the Masters regularly. His job involves documenting the viability of Factory VIII's products, as well as their potential markets; he even samples some himself. His private office is full of geography books and newspapers detailing world events, such as the ongoing women's suffrage movement. It is implied that Factory VIII's chemicals are being used to influence the politics of the Surface, and that the Masters are involved in this scheme.

Station III

A room within the factory marked "Communications" has a console for contacting recipients marked with Roman numerals I through VII, possibly the other numbered Stations. Curiously, the folder of codes for contacting "I" appears stolen, so the other folders are chained down. The room also has a periscope for viewing the Roof of the Neath, as well as London's farway skyline.

One of the rooms in Station VIII is boarded up and covered in warning signs. This room is much older than the rest of the factory; it may have been the first room built. Within is a desk heavily damaged by something resembling a "giant bird:" perhaps a Curator? A workbench nearby has a liquid suspended between two vibrating pieces of metal: feeling the metal's pulse induces the disturbingly specific feeling of tearing out someone's throat. Notes indicate this room was used to develop "purified vindictiveness," with limited success; whomever conducted these experiments considered consulting Mr Wines for improvements.

Imports and Exports

"'How about this one?' Pinnock digs his nose into a pile of scraps. 'Interested in 'startled and overjoyed to have returned from death'? Getting rare, that is.'"

Feeling special?

A door marked "Special Extracts" leads to a laboratory within Factory VIII. Here, scientists experiment to create extracts of emotion from items sourced by Pinnock, otherwise known as the Shivering Relicker's Rattus Faber. These objects carry sentimental ties to emotional events, such as a ribbon from a dress bought to celebrate achieving justice, or a trinket associated with experiencing Neathy phenomena for the first time. Some of the latter items have become rather rare, as decades have passed since the Fall of London.

The following are examples of Factory VIII's products:

A Bag of Station VIII 'Humbugs.'

• Halcyonic Tonic induces optimism and happiness. This sweet substance is a valuable commodity for powers of the Surface, who seek to placate their restless citizens.

• Station VIII 'Humbugs' are candies flavored with derision and denial. They taste terrible, but are quite moreish.

• The name of Crystallised Euphoria suggests its effects. It can be extracted from the relief associated with a person's first return from death.

• Oil of Companionship has self-explanatory effects. It can be derived from the joy of hearing one's cat speak for the first time.

• Salve of Righteousness inspires strong confidence and joy. It can be derived from the vindication of one's faith, such as when witnessing devils for the first time.

• Distillation of Retribution is a mixture that can be derived from the feeling of achieving justice. It may be refined further into Discriminating Aconite, a poison that only kills those who "deserve" its effects. The label of every bottle of Aconite simply reads: "You know what you did."