The Dawn Machine

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## The Dawn Machine

The Dawn Machine. Time will die. The Chain will end.

### Related

The Clockwork Sun (counterpart)

> *"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."*
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The **Dawn Machine** is an artificial Judgement which lies in the southwest corner of the Unterzee, within the Barnesmore Gap.

## Dawnburnt

> *"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 -"*
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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; 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. These were the first of the **New Sequence**, a group dedicated to spreading the Dawn Machine’s influence across the Neath. This group is based in the Grand Geode, a former Admiralty outpost; 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.

## Dawnlight

> *"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..."*
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The Dawn Machine’s light (which we will colloquially refer to as "dawnlight") 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, dawnlight causes a sense of discomfort and a sense that something is viscerally wrong. More direct or concentrated dawnlight can cause memory loss and make the viewer more suggestible. Close proximity to dawnlight for extended periods of time causes a victim to become dazzled, undergoing the physical and mental changes that can permanently turn them into a member of the New Sequence.

Dawnlight is not only generated by the Machine itself; it is also emitted from **Elements of Dawn**, which are mere pieces of the Machine. Some creatures that have been overwhelmingly influenced by the Machine’s light, such as Dawn Flukes, can generate and emit dawnlight on their own.

## Deeper Workings

> *"Worm-fates crawl on your skin. The Machine is sick. Its hatred threads your veins. Time will die. The Chain will end."*
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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. 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.

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. 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.

## References

*Special thanks to Elyk11 for contributions and drafting.*

2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Look into the light, *Sunless Sea*
3. ↑ Who was the original architect of the Dawn Machine?, *Failbetter Games*
4. ↑ Sell the Memento Mori to the Royal Navy, *Sunless Sea*
5. ↑ Consult the Optimistic Vice-Admiral, *Fallen London*
6. ↑ Grand Geode, *Sunless Sea*
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Story description, *Sunless Sea*
8. ↑ Look around you, but not directly at the light, *Sunless Sea*
9. ↑ Dawn's fingers, *Sunless Sea*
10. ↑ Ask to speak with someone in authority, *Sunless Sea*
11. ↑ The Icarian Cup (Story), *Fallen London* *"After that, your memories are awash with warmth and light. [...] Something is wrong. Those thoughts weren't yours!"*
12. ↑ 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."*
13. ↑ 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."*
14. ↑ Cross the bridge (2), *Sunless Sea*
15. ↑ Element of Dawn, *Fallen London*
16. ↑ Send some of your crew to harvest the Fluke, *Sunless Sea*
17. ↑ Fetch a piece of the fluke to study, *Sunless Sea*
18. ↑ Ask the Commodore for a defence against sunlight for Aestival, *Sunless Sea*
19. ↑ Bread and Salt, *Sunless Sea*
20. ↑ Contact February, *Fallen London*
21. ↑ Give the Fathomking an Element of Dawn , *Sunless Sea*