A Tour of Brabazon Workworld

A Tour of Brabazon Workworld
Category	Story Event
Type	Story
Data ID	281876

This article is a stub. You can help Sunless Skies Wiki by expanding it.

A Tour of Brabazon Workworld is a Sunless Skies Story Event.

Story description[]

"Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock(Tour)"

Trigger conditions[]

On World ≥ 1
Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≥ 1
Area: Limbo
Frequency: Always (100%)

Interactions[]

Actions	Requirements	Effects
Admire the rugs "Our first stop on the tour is the Brabazon Rug Weaving Workshop." The Overseer beams, and gestures for you to enter a building larger than any other on the street.	Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≥ 96 and ≤ 100	A tableau An attractive young worker leaps up to greet you. "This workshop was built thanks to the generosity of Lady T____r. Please admire our beautiful handcrafted rugs and weavings – exported for sale in London! Workers here gain skills that can support them for the rest of their days." The group of workers nods and smiles at you. One stands to better display their work. Another thanks you for your visit. The youth is the last to see you out. "Perhaps I'll see you elsewhere in Albion." Brabazon Tour End(BrabazonWorld) -10 x Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock	Admire the rugs You've seen rugs like this in countless homes. They are cheap, within the means of all but the poorest families.	The handiwork is competent. Their predominant colours are black and gold – the Empress' favourites. Lions are popular designs, and unicorns, and crowns. How patriotic.
	Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≥ 96 and ≤ 100		Smile at the workers A simple act of human warmth.	They smile back, and their smiles are as stiff and rehearsed as the line the youth delivered. The tour moves on.
Visit the glass workers "A fascinating aspect of Brabazon is the mutually beneficial relationship between the place and its workers." The Overseer makes a sweeping gesture. "Make note of this smog. I'll explain more, inside."	Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≥ 81 and ≤ 90	A demonstration The building you enter is heated by vast furnaces and ovens. Workers are blowing molten glass. "The smog prevents much of the Sun's heat from reaching Brabazon. Without factories such as this, Brabazon would freeze. The workers keep the factories alive, the factories heat the workworld, and it becomes a pleasant place to live. Here, work enriches life." Brabazon Tour End(GlassBlower) Several of the group coo in admiration. One man boasts about his Brabazon glass collection. A young lady in gaudy finery turns to you. "My parents paid for the main furnace to ensure that the poor would never go without. What did you fund?" -10 x Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock +2 x Salon-Stewed Gossip	Confess you are not one of the donors You are a locomotive captain: traversing the Wilderness, defeating horrors, delivering goods. But perhaps one day, you will engage in charitable endeavours.	The young lady blushes. "So dangerous! So romantic. That sounds much more fun. Is it difficult? Perhaps my parents will buy me a locomotive..." She seems bored for much of the rest of the tour. It seems the thrills of your profession outweigh the charm of inherited virtue.
	Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≥ 81 and ≤ 90		Declare you paid for the roof over your very heads You don't like to boast, for acts of charity are their own reward. But you are responsible for the workers' protection from the elements.	The lead Overseer frowns, but does not bother to correct you. The young lady seems crest-fallen. "I suppose that is quite useful..." Her bright smile is abrupt. "That means you're very wealthy. Are you married? My brother is highly eligible. He's met Her Renewed Majesty, you know."
Sneak away from the group This tour offers only those aspects of Brabazon deemed suitable for tourists. To see anything real of the place, you're going to have to explore unsupervised.	Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≥ 20 and ≤ 90 Brabazon Tour End ≥ 1	Easy! The guides are focused on moving the tour along. No one notices you slipping away down an alley. -20 x Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock Triggers event: The Backstreets of Brabazon Workworld
Peer through the window at the hour-refiners "Please line up here... That's it." The Overseer indicates alongside a long, low window. It has been recently cleaned to a shine. "Inside, hard-working souls refine raw hours imported from the Reach. After this process they may be spun in hour-looms and put to use." He taps his carriage clock, as an example.	Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≥ 70 and ≤ 80	Making time The refinery is a clamouring, roaring space of long benches, sweating workers, and rolling smoke. The overseer explains. "The geodes containing the hours are cracked open, and the fibrous strands of salt-like time are separated with small chisels and saws." Men and women do the former work; children the latter. "The filaments are then passed through a series of furnaces to remove impurities, which are in turn brushed away in an indigo slush. The slush is raked, to ensure not even a stray minute is lost. "Once the seconds and minutes and hours are extracted, they are 'seasoned': taken from a very high temperature to a very low one, and back. After this, the tangled clumps – the colour of the sky just before dawn or after dusk – are carded and wound onto spools in long filaments." The overseer raps sharply on the window. As one, the nearby workers look up, smile, and wave. Brabazon Tour End(HourSpinner) -20 x Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock	Hurry off after the rest of the tour They have moved on swiftly. If you are separated from the tour, you might not be able to find your way back.	The lead Overseer is all concern and smiles when you rejoin the group. Given his care now, it is odd he didn't check you were still with them when they moved on. Perhaps what matters is only what can be reported back.
	Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≥ 70 and ≤ 80		Linger and watch, after the tour moves on What do they do when they haven't got an audience?	Seconds after your group has moved on, a worker in the middle of the front row leaps from her seat. She pulls on the striped blazer that had been hidden on her lap and dashes from the room. She is replaced by another: grey and exhausted. No one looks up.
Watch the rock-breaking The tour leader adopts a noble frown. "Unfortunately, not all work on Brabazon can be creatively fulfilling. We also produce raw components, like gravel and aggregates."	Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≥ 56 and ≤ 60	The ring of hammers You have looped back to a yard near the Bit Between. The second Overseer is already there. Men and women – hard with muscle, bright with sweat – are breaking rocks with sledgehammers. They wear vests and breeches, with cloth masks to keep out the worst of the dust. "We equip our workers with safety gear, just in case prolonged exertion in this air might prove unpleasant. As you can see, the regular exercise ensures they are strong and healthy. Many leave Brabazon with athletic inclinations, and pursue fitness as a profession." Brabazon Tour End(RockBreaking) A stout gentleman with a monocle sidles up to you. "This whole place is just marvellous, eh? Kept busy while paying off debts. Given new skills and education. Simply marvellous." -10 x Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock	Agree Why not? Marvellous! The very word!	He nods vigorously, his chins bouncing. "We could do more though, don't you think?" His brow furrows mightily. "Perhaps a library. A theatre would be too... louche."
			Equivocate Well, on one hand, yes. And on the other hand, no. And on the third hand—	His eyebrow rises so far that his monocle falls. "There's always something better – that's easy to say. And do you have any suggestions for, exactly, what?" He swells with hurt pride. "I donate what I can, and I come to this ghastly place to ensure it's well spent. What more do you want?"
			State that you are repulsed by the whole thing And you have had enough of this farce of a tour!	The man frowns. "You're wrong, of course." He nods sagely. "Yes, they must spend some of their years here. But what would they do with those years otherwise? Squander them, suffer and die." His expression is condescending. "Better the improving conditions of honest work, don't you think?" You refrain from punching him in the smile.
Complete the tour of Brabazon Workworld "It's important we return in plenty of time, so I'm afraid we'll have to end the tour here." The lead Overseer circles the group, shepherding the huddle through the doors, back to the Bit Between.	Brabazon Tour End ≤ 0 Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≤ 55 [Your carriage clock's ticks are loud. You have used up half your time]	Tour's end The second Overseer takes a head count – a poor one, for she double counts twice before giving up. Nevertheless she signals her partner to go ahead. "I hope you appreciated our little tour; and we shall pass your thanks onto the workers of Brabazon. Perhaps, when they've paid off their debts, you'll see them again!" The Overseer shakes the hands of the most prominent donors. "Of course, this entire endeavour is thanks to your generosity," he murmurs to them. While the group preens, he collects the carriage clocks. Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock = 0 [The carriage clock is silent] On World = 0 On the Tour = 0 Triggers event: A Quiet Request
Finish the tour of Brabazon Workworld "It's important we return in plenty of time, so I'm afraid we'll have to end the tour here." The lead Overseer circles the group, shepherding the huddle through the doors, back to the Bit Between.	Brabazon Tour End ≥ 1 Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≤ 55 [Your carriage clock's ticks are loud. You have used up half your time]	The second Overseer takes a head count – a poor one, for she double counts twice before giving up. Nevertheless she signals her partner to go ahead. "I hope you appreciated our little tour; and we shall pass your thanks onto the workers of Brabazon. Perhaps, when they've paid off their debts and have earned enough to leave, you'll see them again." The Overseer shakes the hands of a couple of the most prominent donors. "Of course, this whole place exists because of your generosity. We are finally self-funding, but could not have done it without you." While the group preens, he starts collecting the carriage clocks. On World = 0 Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock = 0 [The carriage clock is silent] On the Tour = 0 Triggers event: The Bit Between
Investigate the rogue hours trade Your initial enquiries suggest someone is restoring hours to the workforce. As your group passed a hovel, a youth retreated into it. Had he noticed you? You pursue.	Royal Horological Office Assignment = 300 [on the Brabazon Workworld] Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock ≥ 56 [Your carriage clock's ticks are loud. You have used up half your time]	Out of hours employment A group of sooty youths guards their loom protectively. "Please, Inspector. You've seen how things are. We're spending the best years of our lives working here. We just wants a few of 'em back." Royal Horological Office Assignment = 0 [to return to the London office for new orders] Completed a Horologist Assignment = (1 to 100) Horological Assignment – Brabazon = 1 +1 x Royal Horological Office -10 x Time as Measured by a Carriage Clock +250 x Sovereign	Turn a blind eye The workworlds give little enough back by choice.	The urchins exchange a look. They are unused to kindness, and aren't sure how to receive it. Ultimately, one thanks you, and declares you "all right." The others nod, as if this was as as good as a medal. They happily show you their ingenious homemade loom, assembled from pilfered parts from other machines. All too soon you have to leave, to rejoin the tour before it moves on. -5 x The Strength of the Sun +1 x Condemned Experiment
			Turn a blind eye... for a price... Perhaps a few of their pilfered hours would be a good incentive to not report this.	The urchins exchange a look. They expected as much, even if they hoped for better. You arrange a location to collect the hours while they find a better hiding place for their loom. You quickly head outside, to rejoin the tour before it moves on. +5 x Barrel of Unseasoned Hours -5 x The Strength of the Sun
			Report the unlicensed loom There can be no exceptions, only examples.	You quickly head outside, to rejoin the tour before it moves on. When you deliver your report, examples are quickly made of the urchins. Their homemade loom is smashed, and the terms of their debts extended by ten years each. By the time they leave the workworld, they are likely to be gnarled, white-haired warnings to others. +5 x The Strength of the Sun

Links[]

Links In[]

Preparations for the Workworld, The Backstreets of Brabazon Workworld

Links Out[]

The Bit Between, A Quiet Request, The Backstreets of Brabazon Workworld

Template:Navbox story events