On the Clockwork City Content . By Barilzar , Mage of the Seventh Order and Artificer Extraordinaire I studied at the feet of the Father of Mysteries . I learned of magic and machines from the Clockwork God . I searched for the secrets of Oblivion with the Inspiration of Craft and Sorcery . I did all this and more with the Light of Knowledge , the SI in ALMSIVI , the Wizard - Mystic of the Tribunal — Sotha Sil . As student and disciple , I spent many long years at the Magus ' s side , helping to maintain and expand his ultimate creation , the Clockwork City . Now , rumors and stories and exaggerations galore persist about the fabled complex . The purpose of this book is to neither confirm nor deny these tales . Instead , I plan to add to the mystery and the extraordinary wonder of the place . Hopefully , my old master will approve . Let ' s start with a few basic turns of the gear as I reveal a secret but wrap it in a mystery . The Clockwork City is a giant complex the size of a world , but it fits inside a glass dome no larger than a good - sized netch . Here ' s another contradiction . Sotha Sil was definitely inspired by the technology of the Dwemer , but the brass tunnels , giant gears , electrical fountains , and lightning falls are all uniquely the creation of the Magus of the Three , Finally , while it is said that the Clockwork City is a painstaking recreation of Nirn itself , quite the opposite is potentially true . The complex is the perfection of Nirn as imagined by the Clockwork God . I spent much of my apprenticeship adjusting cogs and regulating the flow of energy , but my happiest memories consist of tinkering in one of Sotha Sil ' s many workshops , fabricantoriums , and ateliers ( which is just a fancier way to say workshop , but the Magus loved to play with obscure words almost as much as the Warrior - Poet ) . I loved participating in the endless and varied experiments that were constantly being performed throughout the city . We studied everything , always looking for a new theory to test or a device to improve . " We build it because we can , " Sotha Sil told me , but what I heard him say was " We build it because it ' s fun . " Here ' s another mystery to ponder . You must humble yourself and become modest to enter the Clockwork City . Indeed , there ' s no room inside for anything larger than a shroom - beetle , but once you gain entry it ' s larger than anyone could ever fully explore . Contemplate that while the gears turn , I dare you ! The city has residents , as any city should . Some , like the fabricants , were specifically created to fulfill necessary roles . But others live within the complex as well . Sotha Sil ' s current students and disciples wander the brass tunnels , maintaining the endless series of experiments that require monitoring and constant minute adjustments . There are also those the Magus invited to become part of one experiment of another , as well as the extraneous cast - offs , lost travelers , and trapped planar explorers . I ' ve had some of the most interesting conversations ever with those I met in the Clockwork City . Finally , you have probably heard that Sotha Sil can " forge the future " using the Clockwork City . Certainly , the contrivances that spring from this well of invention will one day beat the world into a shape most pleasing to the Father of Mysteries . Beyond that , I cannot say . It is also said that the Clockwork City can be used to " reshape the world . " I won ' t reveal the meaning of that cryptic phrase , but I will confirm that those pistons pump true . Now I have my own experiments to return to . There ' s never enough time in the day !