The Nick of Time

All is not well on the island of Chronologica. Although the
average citizen is not quite able to place a finger, or paw, on
the problem, every resident of the island has a sense that
something in the daily order of their lives is not quite right.
Mr Tempus Fugit knows, of course, for nothing happens on
the island without his knowledge. Or that is how things have
always worked until now, at least, since, the Great Phantom
Clock is bleeding time, and Mr Fugit has been unable to
fathom why.
His pride in knowing every little detail that transpires in
Chronologica is perhaps Mr Fugit’s one greatest weakness,
however, for it has allowed his confidence in his mastery of
the island’s inner workings to grow into something bordering
in a belief in his own omnipotence. Although not truly a god,
Mr Fugit does have a divine instrument in his custody in
the form of a certain timekeeping trinket. Unfortunately for
Mr Fugit, someone that does have a spark of divinity recently
managed to slip by the island’s defences. Aware that her
father’s pocket watch was somewhere on an island he had
described as a paradise, Magister Tick’s daughter, Second
Spell, recently came looking for the heirloom with the hopes
of recovering it. What she found instead was an industrial
hellscape that trapped her in the enervating vapours which
gather together to form the Great Phantom Clock.
Initially tasked by Mr Fugit himself with surreptitiously
investigating the strange distortion of seconds, the player
characters will need to follow a trail of clues that lead to
a young empyrean trapped in the time vortex that fuels
the Great Phantom Clock. Although freeing her solves
the immediate problem affecting the island, it also opens
up a new dilemma. Can the heroes find the source of the
disturbance before synchronicity with the ticking of the
Great Phantom Clock renders them unable to? And will
they aid Second Spell in recovering her father’s pocket
watch? While doing so will mean going back on their word
and turning against their employer, successfully aiding her
will also free Chronologica from the grip of a tyrant. A win-
win all round, surely?

Digging for Dirt

Chronologica is a large island full of ancient and wondrous
mechanisms that, if not already subsumed, are rapidly
being enclosed by new industrial buildings. The sprawling
City of Clocks has grown to encompass the island and
everything in it, spawning new locations even as they
swallowed the old. There is a map and even a guidebook
to help visitors get around, and the guidebook even has a
recommended order of prominent locations to visits. At
least, it says recommended, but if visitors deviate from the
‘recommended’ order, they soon find that they’ve broken
one of the many codes they signed up to when they arrived
on the island.
This adventure focusses on a number of key locations and
non-player characters that are intrinsic to the events of this
adventure. Chronologica and the city it hosts are vast and
rambling, however. Lacking a complete copy of the City of
Clock’s Comprehensive Archive of Buildings and Locations
(CABAL), Gamesmasters should feel free to include any
number of additional places and personages that add to the
overall narrative.

Beneath the Pelt

It started as a second every once in a while. A momentary
pause of the ghostly clock’s hand that brought a frown to
the faces of the island’s inhabitants and caused Mr Fugit
to pause in his unceasing works. Then more seconds began
to lapse, each one causing fresh disharmony in the island’s
meticulously timed mechanisms. Unable to find the source of
the disturbance himself, Mr Fugit has called in the best help
he can find to rectify the problem. If the problem cannot be
fixed, the Master fears the dissonance caused by the hiccups
in time will eventually derail many of the mechanisms that
keep the island and its populace functioning.
Unknown to Mr Fugit, the loss of seconds in the Great
Phantom Clock began occurring shortly after Second
Spell became trapped by its vapours. As the daughter of
Magister Tick, she is usually able to step outside of normal
time and observe the world without anyone even knowing
she is nearby, which is exactly how she managed to slip
onto the island. Her search for her father’s pocket watch
took her too close to the time-syphoning vapours that fuel
Chronologica’s ghostly clock. The mist reached out and
latched on to Second Spell as a new source of fuel, trapping
her in an ethereal existence somewhere between normal
time and the time phase that she uses to travel around—
something Second Spell likes to call Tick Time. Whenever
the clock steals a little bit of Tick Time, it loses a second or
two of its own Phantom Time, which subsequently causes a
glitch in the unceasing operation of the island’s rhythm. And
the more it syphons, the greater problem is growing.
Second Spell has attempted to use Tick Time to escape
the clock’s clutches on three separate occasions, each at a
different location where she thought it might increase her
chances of slipping free of the timepiece’s grip. Every time
she did so, however, the Great Phantom Clock syphoned off
the energy with devastating results to the surrounding area.
Aware that remaining phased is the one thing stopping her
falling into the rhythm of the island’s clock and becoming
further trapped, Second Spell has been left in something of
a quandary.
It is these three occurrences that Mr Fugit will send the
heroes to investigate. Unfortunately for Mr Fugit, the
inspection of these three events will key Second Spell into
the fact that a certain group of investigators have become
aware of her presence. Desperate to escape the enervation
she is suffering at the hands of the Great Phantom Clock
by any means, she will reveal her presence to the player
characters at this point and beseech them for help. It’s
at this point that the heroes will need to make a choice
between honouring their contract or freeing Second Spell,
and eventually Chronologica, of the Governor’s grip.

Fugit’s Fugue

Why doesn’t Mr Fugit know what’s happening? He does.
Sort of. His intimate connection to every cog and clockwork
function of the island means he can get to the source of any
spanner that appears in the works very quickly. Except this
one. For him, trying to solve this particular problem has
been like grasping at overly greased spindles.
With very few variables to interpret, his cognitive mind
has worked to the understanding that the simplest solution
is likely the answer. (This theory is often called Pancho’s
Shaver elsewhere in the world after the fluffy dog who tried
all sorts of lotions and potions to soothe his itchy skin, only
to eventually resort to a razor and find out he was actually
covered in fleas.) Very few other beings have as fine an
understanding of the flow of time and the order it brings
as Tempus Fugit, and only one of those individuals has
previously visited Chronologica. This has led Mr Fugit to
calculate that Magister Tick—or someone or something
in his service—is causing the ripples that are rocking the
clock. Fugit has also intuited that his and his minions’
synchronicity with the Great Phantom Clock (which Second
Spell calls Phantom Time) is stopping them from seeing
past the problem.
Not willing to face Magister Tick personally or risk
ownership of his pocket watch and mastery of the island, Mr
Fugit has reached out to the best help he can find to solve
the issue. As they’ll be newcomers, the investigators also
won’t be synchronised with the island’s governing timepiece
either. Not right away at least. Always playing his cogs
close to his chest, Mr Fugit endeavors to keep the player
characters in the dark about his intuitions. Still, it’s entirely
feasible that they will be suspicious over their presence on
the island. No one ever receives an invite to the island, after
all, and there are plenty of rumours of animals visiting the
place only to never be heard from again. As a clockwork
being with a god’s timepiece to hand, trying to read Mr
Fugit’s intent or emotions is no easy task, however, putting
all such attempts at disadvantage.

Unrelenting Control

Mr Fugit likes everything working to a plan. His plan.
While he certainly won’t make the player characters privy
to his schemes, he is willing to take a number of steps to
keep them focussed, which includes sending his minions
in to make a point or force them down a particular path.
In any case, he can always blame the actions of mechanical
underlings on the fact that the slipping of time has driven
them haywire.
If the player characters begin poking their snouts into any of
the island’s affairs outside of the locations and individuals
connected with the investigation, he will rapidly escalate
from verbal warnings and the presence of the walrus twins
as physical intimidation, to eventually telling the brothers
to slap a few chops with their flippers to get the message
across. Stay out of Fugit’s business.

Life Without the Master

As the heroes investigate the time distortion and its effects
continue to get worse, little indicators of how life for the
islanders could be without Mr Fugit dominating their every
waking moment begin to slip through.
Every inhabitant of the island has a fixed, neutral
expression. They never display any outward happiness,
sadness, joy, or displeasure. There are no wishes or
dreams outside of carrying out their daily allotted tasks,
their whole life ordered and guided by the constantly
ticking clock and their own place in the island’s daily
functioning. As the Great Phantom Clock gets held up
for longer than a second or two, however, so too does
the expression of the islanders change from momentary
confusion in the odd brief second of its stalling to joy
and wonderment in the longer pauses.
Everything moves at roughly the same pace on the
island. This is written into the soil and carefully
regulated by the clock’s tick-tock. Even the birds in
the sky keep the same sedate speed as those on the
ground below them. As the clock’s pauses grow longer
and more frequent, however, this control lessens. Dogs
begin running and frolicking, birds begin wheeling and
soaring, and other folks jump and skip with glee.

You had all heard the stories, of course, but none of them really
prepared you for the moment you set eyes upon Chronologica The
slowly revolving mountains immediately drew the eye, inspiring
a sense of wonderment that soon became subdued as you noticed
the buildings and manufacturing plants striving to claim almost
every inch of the island
The clang, stench, and rhythmic pulse of industry roll over you
like a palpable wave as you take it all in, the churning and
buzzing of the waters to either side of the ship only adding to the
mechanised grandiosity of the scene Floating above it all and
keeping the industrial rhythm synchronised is the Great Phantom
Clock, the steady ticking of its hands audible above even the
buzzing of the seas and the incessant noise of fabrication
It isn’t long before the docks and jetties that the Buzzing Bay
protects come into view, the mechanically powered oars that drove
your ship across the waters stowing themselves away as the vessel
berths with immaculate precision Two blocky, mechanical beings
dressed in matching outfits await you on the wharf, their square
forms flanked by a pair of surly-looking bears whose wicked
talons and oversized ears twitch with impatience Surely it’s your
imagination, but it almost feels as if your own heart starts beating
to the rhythm of the ghostly clock almost as soon as your foot
lands on the dock…

By Invitation Only

The player characters have been invited to Chronologica
by Mr Fugit, who has heard of their prowess and problem-
solving capabilities from their previous exploits. Having
delivered the offer of employment, the perky pentadrone
called Pentupuladratus, or Pentup for short, has escorted
the player characters to Chronologica aboard Mr Fugit’s
sleek and wondrous private vessel, the Timekeeper.
Other than the odd friendly sea turtle or curious whale, the
journey to the mechanical island goes like clockwork. The
Timekeeper will be sailing again in a few hours, so Pentup
leaves the player characters in the capable hands of two
quadrone heralds and their surly drop bear escorts. Then
it’s just a laborious briefing on the Edicts of Righteous
Action that govern the actions of all citizens and visitors
of Chronologica and a quick signature to say they’ve
understood, no exceptions. Nothing to worry about here
as long as they don’t plan on breaking the rules. Which of
course they don’t, right? After that, the heroes are taken to
Mr Fugit’s estate in a coach pulled by mechanical horses
that never go faster than a saunter.
Although named the Governor’s Palace, the functional
building is anything but palatial, seeming more workshop
than grand residence where both the façade and interior
are concerned. The sterile interior is a maze-like network
of chrome-plated and copper-clad corridors connected by
irising doors made of overlapping cast iron lined with lead.
Mr Fugit’s audience hall is both the physical and
mechanical heart of the palace, in the one place that
provides oversight and control of the building’s—and many
of the island’s—various activities and functions. Control
panels, dials, and tubes filled with neon gases take the place
of trophies, tapestries, and thrones inside this room.
A marvel of mechanical engineering himself, Mr Fugit
constantly prowls the room, adjusting knobs and dials on
panels and listening at brass tubes as he ‘entertains’ his new
employees. He also gets straight to business, as time is now
pressing. And if there is one thing that Mr Fugit cannot
abide, it is the urgency that time imposes when it begins
slipping away.

Synchronising Functions

The player characters’ own internal rhythms begin to be
synchronised by the Great Phantom Clock as soon as they set
foot on Chronologica. Throughout the next 24 hours, each
8 hours they spend on this mechanical marvel will impose
one of the island’s special rules. This initially begins with the
Time Management special rule and progresses through to
Machines Take Heart. For example, a player character can
use the benefit described under Time Management during
their first 8 hours on Chronologica but is not subject to No
Running! until 1 second after the 8 hours has passed, at
which point they are now under the effects of both the Time
Management and No Running! special rule, and so on. That
said, player characters who are caught using the Dash action
during the first 8 hours will soon find that they have broken
one of the more serious requirements of the ERA document
they recently signed up to.
Time to synchronisation isn’t just measured in the ticking of
a clock, however, for the actions the player characters take
can also speed up the harmonisation process. Each player
should keep a record of how many hours have passed for
their character on the island in terms of synchronicity. The
GM should also provide a list of actions and activities that
will push this timer forward at an increased rate. A sample
list of activities that can affect the timer and the time that
gets added are presented here, although GMs are free to
add or remove items from this list both before and during
the adventure as events progress.

• Special Rules (30 minutes). Making use of the benefits
  of the Time Management and Machines Have Heart
  special rule ties the player character much more closely to
  the clock governing them.
  
• Magical Healing from an Islander (30 minutes).
  Receiving any sort of magical healing from a resident of
  Chronologica suffuses the hero with energy linked to
  the clock.
  
• Spellcasting (1 hour). Casting a spell of level 4 or
  higher draws more magical energy from the island, tying
  the character more intimately with its workings.
  
• Long Rest (4 hours). Taking an extended time to rest
  and recuperate on the island allows the Great Phantom
  Clock to take greater control. The time added is in
  addition to the time required for the long rest, so 12
  hours in total.
  
• Vicinity of the Great Phantom Clock (See
  Description). Every 5 minutes spent within 100 feet
  of the Great Phantom Clock is equivalent to 1 hour of
  synchronisation. Of course, the player characters need
  to spend some time here to find and free Second Spell…
  

A player character that has gathered a full 24 hours of
synchronisation is completely harmonised with the ticking
of the Great Phantom Clock. This means they are not only
fully affected by Chronologica’s special rules but are now so
in synch that they cannot interact with Second Spell in her
time phase.

Facts of the Matter

Despite being formed of whirring cogs and overlapping
metalwork, the precision engineering of Mr Fugit’s
component parts means that he barely makes a sound when
he moves. Always calm, always composed, ever business-like,
the Master of Chronologica takes as much time as he needs
to describe his requirements, occasionally pausing to check
his pocket watch as he manoeuvres around the room and
delivers his terms. With the mechanical spider that carries his
heart occasionally heard in the background, never seen but
always there, Mr Fugit offers the following information:

• The Great Phantom Clock is irregularly losing time,
  although this is happening with increasing frequency.
  
• Mr Fugit unashamedly admits that the problem has
  proven beyond his own engineering skills, so he has
  brought in the best noses in the land to sniff out the glitch.
  
• If the problem can’t be resolved, all of Chronologica will
  go haywire, wreaking untold havoc on its mechanical
  workings, infrastructure, and productivity.
  
• The player characters have 24 hours to complete their
  contract. After that, they are useless to him in terms of
  being able to deliver it. (Mr Fugit has never needed to
  study the increased synchronicity that certain actions can
  cause so is unaware that they might be worthless to him
  before this.)
  
• Unless in a life-or-death situation, during which they are
  authorised to take any action necessary, they are to cease
  their investigation and report directly to Mr Fugit as
  soon as they find the source of the problem. This last part
  of the briefing is a potential loophole for the heroes to
  exploit later in the adventure.
  

He also explains that three major occurrences have
happened as a result of the time distortions, though more
are expected as the rate increases. In the first, a section of
the whirring mechanics that protect the waters of the island
seized and exploded, sending shrapnel flying into a nearby
cove and damaging an iron golem guardian stationed there.
Next, one of the island’s ancient lochs malfunctioned a
section of canal to the east of the island, causing serious
flooding in the immediate vicinity. Then, more recently, a
group of his modrons went haywire and smashed each other
into a pile of broken metal and cogs.
He is sure that some currently hidden clue will lead to
uncovering the problem affecting the clock. As it’s the most
recent occurrence, Mr Fugit states that the player characters’
investigation should begin there and work its way backwards
through each of the events. He then supplies each of the
player characters with an amulet inscribed with a plus symbol
and an eye in each of the upper quadrants, explaining that
this trinket will allow them to communicate with the modrons
of the island. Note that it doesn’t really matter which order
the player characters tackle them in. Mr Fugit just likes to
have a clear and precise structure to everything. If they do
deviate from his instruction, however, this gives him the
perfect excuse to provide a verbal warning for ignoring his
commands—see “Unrelenting Control” on page 174 for his
escalation methods in relation to frequent disobedience.

Meaty Treats
What does Mr Fugit’s reward for the successful completion
of the investigation look like? That is left entirely up to the
Gamesmaster and the interests of their player characters.
It could be cold, hard gold, a lifetime’s supply of anise
or catnip, a particular magical item that Mr Fugit has
promised to manufacture, or simply the heroic feeling of
saving an island of diligent workers from imminent doom.
One way to examine the heroes’ requests would be to hold
an audience between them and Pentup prior to launching
into the adventure itself. Aside from delivering the invite,
the canny pentadrone is fully authorised to negotiate on Mr
Fugit’s behalf.

The site of the modron malfunction is located in the
tunnels below one of the great rotating mountains. Modron
monodrones and duodrones are employed to carry out the
continual service and maintenance that is required to keep
the vast structures turning. It takes a little over 2 hours to
reach the site of the conflict, which includes an overland
hike through the winding alleys and lanes of the sprawling
metropolis, plus a 30-minute descent into the tunnels via
service lifts and automated carts. As each of the modrons
have truesight, none of the caverns and tunnels below the
mountain are lit. There are also a few other unique features
that affect certain actions within this environment:

• The overwhelming rumbling and grinding of the giant
  mechanisms that turn the mountains means that all
  Wisdom (Perception) checks related to hearing and
  Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration
  are made at disadvantage.
  
• The friction of the mechanisms produces a fierce heat
  that can sap energy. Player characters must make
  a Constitution saving throw for every 30 minutes
  they spend in this environment, suffering a level of
  exhaustion on failure. Note that the player characters
  will need to make at least one saving throw due to the
  30-minute descent to the site of their investigation.
  

The site of the confrontation would be a bloodbath if the
workers were anything but mechanical. Metallic limbs,
broken springs, shattered cogs, and artificial eyes are splayed
everywhere throughout the rectangular chamber. The
player characters’ eternally sombre modron escort seem to
somehow become even more grim as the group approaches
the scene.
Four corridors exit the room, which includes the southerly
one the team entered from. Each of these corridors has
a notice beside it, although they are all written using the
precise symbols of the modron language. While none of the
modrons speak Common, the amulet that Mr Fugit gave
to each player character will enable a translation to take
place. The far northerly tunnel from the one they entered by
continues the service duct for this floor. Access to this floor’s
cogs lie down the easterly tunnel, while the sign for the
westerly one reads, “Power Room”.
Much of the energy needed to cause the mountains to rotate
is provided by lava continually heating water into steam.
This wouldn’t normally provide enough energy to turn
vast piles of stone, of course, so both the molten rock and
liquid are infused with raw elemental energies that increase
their output enormously. The Power Room is where this
infusion takes place, and it is this process that Second Spell
was hoping to draw on as a boost to increase her chances
of breaking free. Sadly, the resultant backlash of energy that
was released when the Great Phantom Clock syphoned off
her Tick Time drove both the modrons on shift in the Power
Room and those en route to take over haywire, causing them
to charge at each other in the central chamber and resulting
in the mechanical slaughter.
The player characters can gather some key clues by
examining the scene through Intelligence (Investigation) or
Wisdom (Perception Survival) checks:
A visual examination of the chamber proves that the
teams charged into each other. The fact that the melee
took place in this room indicates that the modrons
from the Power Room caught the relief team here. The
damage both teams have sustained clearly implies that
both sides were in a frenzy.

• DC 12: The player characters pick up on claw and scuff
  marks made by the modrons charging out from the
  Power Room towards the central chamber. When linked
  to tools that have been hastily discarded in the Power
  Room and a lack of similar signs of initial violent activity
  from the relief, it seems that whatever took hold of the
  modrons first struck in the Power Room.
  
• DC 15: A close inspection reveals a pair of footprints
  scorched into the stone, almost as if a bright flash
  had seared the impression into the rock. The slender
  footprints are consistent with someone wearing slippers.
  A cursory inspection of the machine in the Power Room
  suggests that it regulates the flow of both lava and water.
  At least, that’s what the two separate feeds seems
  to indicate.
  
• DC 20: Intelligence (Investigation) only The machine
  doesn’t actually regulate the flow of lava. Ports in
  the device accept a tube containing a faintly glowing
  liquid in one of two colours, blue or red. If pressed,
  the modrons can confirm that this machine injects
  raw elemental energy into the fluids that power the
  mountain’s mechanics.
  

Using spells to divine the presence and application of magic
in the Power Room reveals that a strong transmutation effect
was released here, one so powerful, in fact, that the lingering
aura sill glows brightly. This glowing aura’s influence means
the any player character who enters the Power Room adds 1
hour to their synchronicity countdown.

Hazardous Depths
This first scene that the heroes visit is simply intended to
clue them into the fact that the current events plaguing
Chronologica are likely the result of one or more persons
either tampering with or employing powerful forces. It’s also
an insight into Mr Fugit’s own control over ancient and
mighty mechanisms that few outsiders have even seen. The
player characters can—and very much will—draw their own
conclusions and create their own theories from this basis. If
a Gamesmaster would like to add a little action, it’s entirely
feasible that a rogue purple worm or group of umber
hulks have broken into the maintenance tunnels after being
attracted by the huge pulse of magical energy.
Although eternally sombre, the modrons are exceedingly
grateful that the heroes took the time to investigate the
deaths of their comrades in their own limited capacity.
Monodrones and duodrones in particular are generally
considered as expendable automatons by the other residents
of Chronologica. If the player characters have approached
the investigation professionally and shown some compassion
to the mechanical constructs, their modron escort will
provide each party member with their choice of one potion
from the following list: climbing, gaseous form, hill giant
strength, speed, or water breathing. These are taken from the
carefully regulated stores that are maintained to help the
modrons with their maintenance duties, but they are more
than willing to face their overseer’s wrath for this small
token of appreciation.

Depending on whether they follow Mr Fugit’s stated order
of enquiry, the next place to investigate is the malfunctioning
loch towards the east of the island. If the player characters
are making their way here from the site of the modron
massacre or the Governor’s Palace, the journey takes a little
over an hour. Travelling from the Buzzing Bay explosion
requires 2 hours.
Like every other once-grand feature of Chronologica’s past,
the eastern canals have been totally enclosed by residences
and manufacturing plants. The part of the city close to the
malfunctioning loch is particularly heavily industrialised,
containing very few dwellings.
The player characters pick up on the sounds of panicked
crowds as they approach. Every so often, the ground also
trembles and the sound of falling masonry can be heard.
A thin metallic line of modron constables backed up by
grouchy drop bears is currently providing a living cordon
keeping residents and workers away from the vicinity of the
loch. Flashing the amulets that Mr Fugit gave them allows
the player characters to slip past the police barrier without
incident. The constable in charge, a tridrone named
Sergeant Notibulum, explains that two steeds are rampaging
through the area. Not only are they trampling through
buildings, but their noxious breath also seems to be freezing
people in place.
The canal has flooded an area roughly 300 feet by 300 feet
in size. The water is no deeper than the sole of a shoe at the
extremities but deepens knee-high within 150 feet of the
canal. Movement in this inner zone is considered difficult
terrain. The canal itself is a 10-foot-wide strip of water that
crosses the area centrally. Unless using one of the three
bridges that span the canal here to stay clear of the water,
moving through the canal requires a character to swim.
Anyone so much as dipping a toe in the water adds 1 hour
to their synchronisation timer.
Two gorgons are currently rampaging around the area.
They were employed as simple mechanical beasts of burden
until recently, their slow-paced lives involving nothing more
than pulling barges to and fro at a very sedate pace, thank
you very much. Then, a few days ago, Second Spell arrived
here and attempted to divert the flow of the canal into an
old storm drain. This sluice would eventually spill into the
depths of the Great Factory and flood the furnaces there,
which she had hoped would vanquish the Great Phantom
Clock. Unfortunately, her attempt at using Tick Time here
instead caused the culvert of the loch to jam open and
the water of the canal to speed through it, flooding the
surrounding area. The two mechanical oxen pulling barges
at the time were submerged below the water. In a similar
fashion to the surge of energy at the modron massacre site,
the resultant backlash of energy suffused the two beasts of
burden with transmutative energy, slowly warping them
into the gorgons. Just recently, shortly before the heroes
arrived in fact, they broke free of their watery graves and
began tearing through the vicinity. It’s a good job the player
characters turned up at this exact moment…
Uniquely, the gorgons’ petrifying breath seems to have
a lesser effect on those player characters least in synch
with the island’s beat than those closest to harmonisation.
Any player character still within the first 8 hours of their
synchronisation timer gains advantage on their Constitution
saving throw versus either of these gorgons’ petrifying gas.
The area can be investigated properly once the gorgons
are dispatched and the flooding waters are dispersed.
A successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Intelligence
(Investigation) check will allow a player character to force
the culvert shut or repairs it enough to make it operable.
The opposite loch can then be operated to enable the excess
water to drain away.
Once the waters are drained, a DC 15 Intelligence
(Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check reveals a small
pair of handprints on the mechanism that operates the loch.
If the player characters have already been there, the hands
are imprinted in the same manner as the footprints at the
site of the modron deaths. Further magical examination
via detect magic or similar means reveals a similar powerful
transmutation aura lingering here.

There are, however, some further checks to be made that
will certainly add to any theories being posited:

• DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom
  (Perception): A barely visible storm drain can be
  discerned just beneath the lip of the canal’s edge once
  the waters recede. Currently shut, all signs indicate
  that it was intended to be operated from the loch
  mechanism, although the components to allow this
  appear to have been removed.
  
• DC 20 Intelligence (History) or Charisma
  (Persuasion): A successful test when questioning
  the constables over the purpose of the storm drain or
  canvassing the scared workers for information reveals
  that it was sealed to protect the furnaces that provide
  power for the Great Factory. Either check can be
  reduced to DC 15 if the storm drain has already been
  spotted. The Charisma (Persuasion) check can be
  reduced to DC 15 if the player characters carry the
  potion rewards from the modrons under the mountains
  or DC 12 if they’ve also spotted the storm drain.
  

After the gorgons are dealt with and the flood waters recede,
even the drop bears begrudgingly acknowledge that the
player characters are making their lives easier, and word
soon spreads. Because of this, future social interactions
with any drop bears employed as guards on the island gain
advantage. Ultimately, this means that most drop bears
under contract for Mr Fugit will assume the actions of the
player characters are beneficial, so they will rarely intervene
from here on out unless given good cause to do so (such
as Mr Fugit directly ordering them to provide some death
from above to the player characters). The new arrivals are
poking around in the sewers? Mr Fugit must have said it’s
ok. The investigative team would like to check how secure
the Great Factory is? That’s ok with us!
Additionally, as a thank you for saving the nearby Finest
Threads textile factory from being reduced to rubble by
the mechanical beasts, its owner, Temerity Gauge, provides
the player characters with a pristine engineering toolkit. The
high-quality tools in this precision toolset allow the player
character using them to add their proficiency bonus to
skill checks when undertaking engineering tasks. Anyone
already proficient with an engineering toolkit instead gains
advantage on such checks.

The third site to investigate, and potentially the last on the
list for the player characters, is the bay that was covered
in shrapnel when part of the whirring blades protecting
Chronologica exploded. The detonation occurred as a result
of Second Spell making her first attempt to leave the island
and break free of the Great Phantom Clock’s effects. Using
Tick Time to bring the churning waters to a standstill, she
attempted to teleport away and almost succeeded until
the clock intervened. The drain on Second Spell warped
her magic, drawing everything metallic towards her then
releasing it in an explosive blast. The resultant explosion of
mechanical components damaged a nearby iron golem. It
had been dragged down a nearby cliff by the initial magnetic
pull of the warped magic, with the whole experience
shredding its carapace, damaging its structure, and trapping
it in the cove. It currently shelters in a depression under the
cliff, making it impossible to spot from above on the cliff as
it sits further towards the sea than the hollow the golem is
taking refuge in below.
Journeying to the cove from the loch incident requires 3
hours. If the player characters travel here from the revolving
mountain or the Governor’s Palace, only 2 hours are needed.
No matter where they approach from, the maddened
iron golem attacks as soon as the player characters set
foot on the cove or escarpment surrounding it. Because
of the damage to its structure, the iron golem’s immunity
to bludgeoning, piecing, and slashing from nonmagical
sources not made with adamantine weapons is reduced to
resistance. It also only has 150 hit points remaining after the
pummelling it has received. In addition to its normal attack
modes, the iron golem also has a rock-throwing ability equal
to that of a fire giant.
A full study of the area can be undertaken once the golem
has been dealt with. Looking out to sea confirms that an
area some 50 feet in diameter remains free of the frothing
water that indicates the deadly cogs hiding below. Further
Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) checks
can deduce additional information:

• DC 10: The spread of destruction and shrapnel caused
  by the exploding cogs emanates from one spot close to
  the water’s edge. Moving to the centre of the emanation
  and sifting through the sand a little uncovers two
  familiar footprints made of glass where the grains have
  been fused.
  
• DC 12: The explosion must have happened after
  a powerful force drew everything from the nearby
  surroundings into that central spot, including the
  cogwheels under the sea. Large impact marks along the
  cliff face suggest this magnetic force was also strong
  enough to pull the golem over the cliff before the
  detonation happened.
  

Using detect magic to aid the search reveals the same
transmutation aura present at the other sites, only this time
it is also interlaced with conjuration magic.
A message appears in the sand shortly after the player
characters end their search, as if some giant stamp had
placed it there in between them blinking. One short, simple
word. HELP.

Having become aware that the player characters are looking
for her through the course of their investigations, Second
Spell uses the messages in the sand to describe her plight
and appeal to them for help. If another one of the sites serves
as the location of the player characters’ investigations, she
will instead use an alternative method of communication.
This might involve forming words with the mechanical
innards of the slain modrons at the revolving mountain,
for instance, or smearing them into the grime of factory
windows surrounding the damaged loch.
Briefly explaining that she is slightly out of phase with
their own passage of time, Second Spell asks if she can
temporarily bring the player characters into her temporal
effect so that they can better converse. If they agree, being
shifted into the purgatory that Second Spell is trapped in
feels like being endlessly squeezed into an extremely thin
line. The player characters must attempt a DC 15 Wisdom
saving throw as they cross into Second Spell’s time phase.
On failure, they suffer disadvantage on all ability checks for
1 minute. Any of the heroes that have reached 24 hours on
their synchronisation timer will be unable to enter Second
Spell’s time phase. The conversation that follows happens
in the blink of an eye for anyone left behind. If everyone has
reached synchronisation, the entire discussion takes place
through messages in the sand, which likely gets a bit tedious
and frustrating for both parties.
Once she is face-to-face with the heroes, Second Spell takes
some time to describe exactly who she is and what her
purpose is on the island. Although she initially only intended
to seek her father’s pocket watch, she now hopes to bring an
end to Mr Fugit’s cruel regime and stop the Great Phantom
Clock from stealing time for good. She’s been into the Great
Factory and seen the merciless conditions that Mr Fugit
uses as a life sentence for those who disobey him. She also
remembers her father’s tales of the marvellous paradise the
island used to be. She is sure that freeing the residents and
mechanisms from the Governor’s grip will eventually allow
the isle to return to something of its former paradise. She
asks the player characters to free her from the limbo she
is trapped in and help her recover her father’s timepiece,
which must be how Mr Fugit retains such complete control
over the regulation of everything on the island. There’s also
the fact that leaving her trapped in her current situation
will leave her at the mercy of the Great Phantom Clock’s
draining touch. She theorises that this won’t only be the
death of her but could potentially cause the destruction of
the island too. And no one wants that. Do they?
She explains that the best way of freeing her would be to
reattempt her plan at flooding the furnaces below the Great
Factory. This will extinguish the fires whose toxic fumes
fuel the Great Phantom Clock and free her from its deadly
grip. All the player characters need to do is gather enough
components to reconnect the storm drain to its override
mechanism on the loch’s control panel. They will need to
be quick once they begin the repairs, however, as it will not
take long for Mr Fugit to discover their actions and head
to intercept them. Although they won’t be able to see her,
Second Spell assures the player characters that she will be
on hand to step in and help contend with Mr Fugit as soon
as she is free of the clock’s grasp.
A tremor shakes the island as the player characters blink
back into their normal phase, and a cold blast of air sends
sand hissing outwards from their location on the beach, the
static charge of its touch leaving their skin tingling and hair
standing on end. It appears that the Great Phantom Clock
has once again feasted on Second Spell’s energy.

Gathering the components to reassemble the mechanism for
the storm drain is a fairly straightforward affair. The player
characters can make a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation)
or Wisdom (Insight) check to determine exactly what they
need, then either salvage the parts from detritus discarded
from the factories, recover them from the inner workings
of the fallen iron golem, or ask their modron allies at the
mountain to gather them up.
Due to the fact that it happened in a different phase,
Mr Fugit has not been privy to the player characters’
conversation with Second Spell. Thanks to the recent
tremor and momentary pause in the Great Phantom Clock,
however, he is aware that another incident of some kind
recently occurred. Drawing the conclusion that this was
likely the result of his most recent employees’ investigations,
he is currently watching them like a hawk through his
extensive spy network and city-wide snooping devices.
The player characters can pick up on little signs of this
with a DC 20 Dexterity (Stealth) or Wisdom (Perception)
check. On a success, they begin to notice little things such
as mechanical crows flitting between perches to shadow
their movements, a cleaning modron always conveniently
sweeping litter near their location, or even the glowing
red eyes of clockwork rats following their progress from
windows or crevices. Mr Fugit is watching. Always watching.
But there is little to do except press on.
Repairing the storm drain mechanism requires a total
of 5 successful DC 15 ability checks made using either
Intelligence or Dexterity. The checks are progressive, so
failing one doesn’t mean starting from scratch each time.
Passing each check in succession without failing any will
mean the mechanism is repaired in 5 rounds (30 seconds).
Unfortunately for the heroes, Mr Fugit will make his
entrance on the second round immediately after the second
successful check made as part of their repair work.

Mr Fugit arrives in a fury with his two beefiest minions in
tow. Giving the player characters the benefit of the doubt
that it was relevant to their investigation as they gathered
components, he immediately understood their plans as soon
as they started repairing the storm drain’s mechanism.
One of the player characters will need to continue the repair
work while the rest hold Mr Fugit and the walrus twins,
Rusty and Benji, at bay. As the mechanism connects the
storm drain to the loch’s control panel, the player character
undertaking the repairs will need to start at either the storm
drain or control panel and make small movements towards
the opposite end of the mechanism between successful
checks. This movement can be made as part of a repair
check, so it doesn’t interrupt the player character’s attempts,
but it does allow Mr Fugit to attempt ingenious ways to
try to hinder or stop their progress temporarily. The player
character undertaking repairs may want to start at the storm
drain end first, which avoids the need to make a comedic
saunter for the operating lever on the loch’s control panel
once the task is complete. No running, remember!
Mr Fugit is a tough customer, one made even more so by
the hired muscle he has brought along to back him up.
Thankfully, the player characters will only need to keep
him at bay for 5 rounds before Second Spell is free and she
phases in to back them up. This includes the 3 additional
rounds needed to finish repairs and the 2 rounds it will take
for the canal water to reach the Great Factory’s furnaces.
Mr Fugit roars in fury once the lever is pulled, then rages
again as the Great Phantom Clock wavers and dissipates.
His shout at the clock’s dispersal is echoed across the city
only the residents are cheering with glee! Three things
happen as soon as the Great Phantom Clock dissolves:
Second Spell immediately phases into existence at the
player characters’ location. They didn’t really think she
wasn’t going to show, did they?
The Great Phantom Clock’s rhythmic hold over the
island is shattered, freeing everyone on it from the
special rules that have been governing them.
Mr Fugit comes to the realisation that his time is up.
Immediately understanding that time has slipped from
his grasp, the great Tempus Fugit makes one last effort to
overcome his foes before deciding that escape is the better
part of valour. It’s been said all along that Mr Fugit is no
fool. His careful control of access to the island includes
incorporating a loophole that allows him to whisk himself
away should he need to in a hurry. His marvellous ship,
the Timekeeper, doesn’t just serve as a transport for his
chosen emissary. It also acts as the terminus for a very
precise funnel between the impenetrable dome and itself
that provides him with an emergency exit should he need to
get away in a hurry—which is exactly what he uses it for as
soon as he realises he is outmatched, roughly 2 rounds after
Second Spell’s entrance.

Almost all of the islanders are ecstatic at being freed from
the mercy of the Great Phantom Clock and Mr Fugit’s
dictatorship. The workers that were locked away in the
factories blink as they step into the sunlight once again, their
faces a picture of shock at their sudden freedom. Children
and adults alike gallop through the streets, shouting with
joy at being able to run at last. The cats and dogs who had
been so restrained because of their inability to race now give
chase to the sounds of barking and hissing.
It doesn’t take long for word to spread that it was the
player characters who freed the island from Mr Fugit’s
domination. The islanders still have much to sort out,
including how they will now govern themselves, but they all
pitch together to ensure that the player characters are given
fair reward for their deeds.
Second Spell also thanks the player characters and offers
to take them to any place of their choosing. Although they
have defeated Mr Fugit, he escaped with her father’s pocket
watch, which has already proven to be a dangerous tool in
his mechanical hands. She intends to track him down and
recover the timepiece. Having asked so much of the heroes
already, Second Spell leaves it unsaid but she would dearly
love for the player characters to accompany her on further
adventures. The battle for Chronologica’s freedom may be
over, but Tempus Fugit is still at large. Who knows what
nefarious plans he will already be hatching!

EXPERIENCE
After everything they have faced, the player
characters should also have earned more than
enough XP to gain a level. Even without the
other dangers they have faced, confronting
Mr Fugit and winning the day is certainly
worthy of a level advancement.