Station VIII

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"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."

Station VIII is a large chemical factory located in the Hinterlands.

Despite its name, it is the fifth station of the Great Hellbound Railway, not the eighth. Confusing? The Neath is generally that way...

Monstrosity of Brick and Glass

"Huge vats hang suspended from the ceiling by thick, steel chains. An array of gurgling pipes and taps draw away garish fluids into pressurised containers and retorts. Massive hammers make repetitive thumps. Steam shrieks from vents. The factory is unpleasantly loud."

Station VIII, also known as Factory VIII, is a Masters-run facility that produces a variety of emotion-inducing substances. The creation of these substances involves a variety of lengthy chemical processes which extract a specific emotion from an item suffused with sentimental value. These production methods are a closely guarded secret, protected from outside eyes by a number of surly guards who constantly patrol the factory. The aforementioned meaningful items are usually tracked down and collected by Pinnock, a resourceful Rattus Faber who also works as the partner of the Shivering Relicker.

The main floor of the factory is devoted to the mass production of simpler products. The mammoth machinery creates constant noise, and inhaling the fumes of half-processed sentiments can cause unwanted emotional reactions, forcing the workers to wear cloth masks while on the job. A separate room, filled with all manner of chemical equipment, is used to experiment with samples and produce more complex substances.

Station VIII's immediate surroundings are few: four houses that lodge the factory's workers, a small pub that's sometimes also used as a makeshift school, and a tall dirigible mast used as a landing spot for visiting Masters. The people living around the Station inadvertently interact with the colorful fumes and liquids deposited by the factory's inner workings, which induce sudden bouts of a wide variety of emotions, from joy to melancholy.

PRIVATE

"Workers wear leather aprons, with thick cloth covering their mouths and noses. They hover over flasks and flames, beakers and condensers. Surly guards patrol the gangways – protecting the method of manufacture as much as the product."

The factory is administrated by the Blithesome Overseer, a rather stressed and cautious individual with close connections to the Masters of the Bazaar. The Masters' ultimate plans for the factory's products are unclear, although some of the more accessible substances have started to make rounds in Surface markets. Additionally, it seems that Mr Wines is interested in using the Factory's products to positively influence the growing women's suffrage movement.

One of the Factory's many rooms is marked as 'Communications'; this small, cupboard-sized room contains a brass console filled with many levers and buttons that enables contact with any of London's other specialized Stations. Curiously, the folder of codes that enables contact with Station I appears to have been stolen, which has prompted the Overseer to chain the other folders to the desk. There is also a device in this room that seems to allow its user to observe London's skyline from afar.

Station VIII was originally only a single room, personally overseen by one of the Masters. They say one of the Station's earliest creations can still be found in this disused space. Touching the metallic liquid makes one's teeth reflexively gnaw, and brings out the feeling of a throat being ripped between one's jaws, suggesting that the substance might have been created from the feelings of a particular Master.

Sentiment Extraction

• 
  Fillip of Effervescence
• 
  Halcyonic Tonic
• 
  Crystallised Euphoria
• 
  Powder of Renewal
• 
  Concentrate of Self
• 
  Oil of Companionship
• 
  Salve of Righteousness
• 
  Distillation of Retribution

Factory VIII manufactures a variety of unique chemicals and substances; these are only a few examples:

• Fillip of Effervescence invokes curiosity and courage in the imbiber and is advertised to adventurers, students, and those in midlife crisis.
• Halcyonic Tonic induces joy and optimism; this sweet substance has become a valuable commodity for several Surface powers seeking to placate their restless citizens.
• The name of Crystallised Euphoria suggests its effects; it is extracted from the feelings associated with a person's first return from death.
• Powder of Renewal has the ability to restore yearning and hope, and is most effective on those with "crushed ambitions and dismissed hopes."
• Concentrate of Self reaffirms and strengthens the character and beliefs of the person that consumes it; it is produced from the sentiment of being right even when others were in doubt. It has additional applications in cooking, as adding a small quantity may intensify a dish's unique flavors.
• Oil of Companionship induces delight and camaraderie when applied to the skin, acting as a panacea for loneliness. It has become scarce over time, however, since the emotion behind it is the joy of hearing one's pet speak for the first time upon arrival in the Neath.
• Salve of Righteousness inspires a roaring confidence when applied to the skin; it is synthesized from the vindication of one's faith by witnessing certain Neathy phenomena, such as devils, for the first time. The Salve can be mixed into a less viscous and intense compound called Holy Sanguinarine Ointment, used to remove boils, warts, and untimely doubts.
• Distillation of Retribution is a heady mixture associated with the feeling of finally achieving vengeance. It may be distilled further into Discriminating Aconite, a delicate poison harmful only to those who deserve to feel its effects; the label of every bottle of Aconite simply reads "You know what you did".