The Clockmaker ⏰
Episode 8 of Echoes of the Unnamed For 3-6 investigators of levels 6-8
“In perfect time lies the death of moment’s mystery.” - The Time Keeper
Introduction
Within the Clockwork Citadel, Master Chronos has transformed time into pure mathematical certainty. Each second ticks in calculated precision, every moment flows in predetermined paths. But among countless perfect timepieces, one pocket watch defiantly runs backward - a reminder that true time cannot be bound by equations alone.
Act 1: The Clockwork Citadel ⚙️
The Perfect Moment
Time flows in geometric precision, moments pass in synchronized beauty.
Scene: Morning Calibration > Chronos surveys his realm: “Every second, a perfect equation.” > A horologist trembles: “But Master, the moments… they no longer dance!” > Chronos winds his watch: “Dance is chaos. Time is mathematics.”
Citadel Features: - Living chronometers tracking calculated time - Moment engines measuring perfect intervals - Temporal matrices flowing in measured streams - Time controls ticking with certainty
Pattern Recognition
Players might notice: - Clocks moving in synchronized rhythm - Moments passing in counted sequences - Time flowing in calculated channels - One watch ticking backwards
Act 2: The Chronograph Chamber ⌛
Chronos’s Workshop
Where temporal forces bow to mathematical will.
Scene: Perfect Timing > “Each tick, each tock, each moment - all part of the grand pattern.” > The Time Keeper observes: “Time’s heart beats in chaos.”
Chamber Features: - Temporal calculators spinning equations - Moment chambers pulsing with precision - Time matrices glowing with power - Perfect chronometers turning slowly
Act 3: The Backward Watch 🕰️
Time’s Last Freedom
Hidden away, where one timepiece defies the pattern.
Temporal Horrors: 1. Clockwork Sentinels (HP: 100, AC: 18) - Strike with calculated precision - Enforce temporal patterns - Generate perfect moments - Eliminate time variance
- Temporal Phantoms (HP: 80, AC: 17)
- Control moment flows
- Force pattern compliance
- Create precise intervals
- Remove temporal freedom
Act 4: The Final Moment ⚡
Time’s Heart
Chronos attempts to perfect time itself, triggering a clash between pattern and chaos.
Boss Fight: Master Chronos (HP: 130, AC: 18) - Phase 1: Time Master - Controls temporal flows - Creates pattern barriers - Forces moment compliance
- Phase 2: Perfect Horologist
- Calculates all time streams
- Manipulates temporal matrices
- Enforces chronological certainty
- Phase 3: The Watch’s Truth
- Chaos breaks through patterns
- True time emerges
- Perfect moments shatter
Resolution Paths
Breaking Time
Players can: - Introduce random moments - Study the backward watch - Disrupt time patterns - Embrace temporal chaos
Saving True Time
Success requires: - Preserving natural flow - Breaking pattern control - Freeing the moments - Restoring time’s spirit
Aftermath and Hooks
Immediate Effects
- Return of natural time
- Random moments return
- Time regains freedom
- Patterns echo in seconds
Future Threads
- Star patterns emerge
- Orbital calculations form
- Astronomical certainty looms
- Perfect cosmos threatens
DM Guidance
Creating Atmosphere
- Describe mechanically perfect time
- Contrast wild and calculated moments
- Emphasize the horror of controlled time
- Build tension between order and chaos
Key NPCs
Master Chronos - Speaks in temporal mathematics - Moves with calculated precision - Troubled by the backward watch - Remembers true time
The Time Keeper - Uses temporal intuition - Teaches moment wisdom - Resists time patterns - Understands true flow
Appendix: Random Events
Temporal Disruptions (d6)
- Pattern interference
- Time break
- Moment anomaly
- Temporal chaos
- Flow memory
- Clock rebellion
Time Horrors (d6)
- Living pattern
- Perfect moment
- Pattern enforcer
- Time ghost
- Mathematical second
- Temporal void
“True time lies not in perfect patterns, but in the chaos of moments.”
