"Supervisor Luciana's Diary Volume 3":
Date: 1E 2722(?) Gaoyang 16th.
A year has passed and Sotha Sil has not returned from Central Gear. Marius' health continued to deteriorate. He spent most of his time in his room studying or conducting alchemical experiments. I was delighted to hear that he had a rare gift for potions and tinctures. He enjoys foraging for ingredients. Of course, finding organic ingredients in the Ladis wilderness outside the city is difficult. I limited his adventures in herbalism to one hour a day. He resented it, but he was smart enough to know why he couldn't stay outside the walls of the Brass Fortress for long.
The machine told me that Marius' condition was getting worse day by day. I hope King Set shows up soon.
Date: 1E 2724 (?) 5th of the second month of Bud.
Three years have passed, and there is still no sign of Sotha Sil. Other Clockwork Apostles told me it could be decades or centuries before he returns. Obviously, Marius and I didn't have that much time.
Nonetheless, we have long since settled into a comfortable daily routine. While I tended to the affairs of the fortress and helped tame some of Ladis's machines, Marius tinkered with his flasks and alembics—working for the glory of Sotha Sil. He kept pestering me to replace my flesh-and-blood body with a prosthetic one, saying the brass hand would help improve the accuracy of sensitive measurements. I kept telling him "maybe next year" but wasn't sure how long that would last. He was strong-willed, even like a bull. I can't imagine where he got this kind of personality.
His experiments continue to astound. To everyone's surprise, he developed a conservative treatment that slowed his heartbeat to a quarter of its natural rate without any apparent side effects. Cyborg estimates that this may increase his life expectancy at a corresponding rate. But (just like without a medical expectation report), once again, nothing is certain. Sotha Sil's direct intervention remains his best chance of recovery. If the Clockwork God doesn't come out of seclusion soon, I'm afraid I'll have to take matters into my own hands.
Date: 1E 2728 (?) Muyang 14th.
Marius turns sixteen today. At least I think sixteen. Time flows in strange ways in Clockwork City. We headed to the top of the Clockwork Temple to celebrate. I had to carry him on my back most of the way because he had lost his stamina for long distances.
I had never actually been to the top of a tower before. The wide view (over the city) is for poets and lovers—I am neither. I spent my time in the dusty streets and brightly lit corridors of the temple—avoiding the pristine vastness of the city. But something moved me deeply as I watched Marius marvel at the spiral moldings made by Set sliding along the glass of the orb, and the harsh desert stretching out on the miniature model of Ladis below. . I truly consider this city my home—more home than Cyrodiil ever was. Now I know I will never return to Tamriel. I will live and die in the Clockwork City.
Date: 1E 2730 (?) 22nd of the second month of Bud
The situation developed rapidly. This morning I found Marius slumped next to his alchemy table - barely responsive. I moved him to bed, summoned the most famous clinicians and a few mechs to attend to him, and prepared to head to the central gear.
More senior apostles urged me to think things over, but patience was a luxury I could no longer afford. Only Sotha Sil can save Marius. If I could wake King Seth from his dream, I know he would take the necessary steps to save my son. May King Seth bless these honest workers. I have to go now.
"The Diary of Regulator Luciana Volume 4":
Date: 1E 2750 (?) 31st of the month of Suya.
I'm not sure why I'm writing this. I wrote this diary for Marius, but now he is dead. It has been more than twenty years. It is said that time brings solace and eases pain. But my grief is deeper now than ever.
Busy. Order. These help. I threw myself into the work—organizing the Apostles into a stronger, leaner, more efficient organization. I fought crime, published a paper on Marius's alchemical experiments, and focused on my magical skills; but these accomplishments were far from filling the gaping hole left by the loss of my son.
For years I never told anyone what happened in the center gear. People are right to be afraid to talk about this topic. Because even now, twenty years later, my anger still burns hot.
Betrayal - that's the only word I can think of. I passed through the central gear at the fastest speed, destroying all the hostile mechanical bodies, mechanical structures, and mechanical traps that stood between me and King Set. Upon arriving at the Alignment Throne, I found Sotha Sil sitting on the steps leading to his throne of power. He didn't even look up.
"I know why you came," he said.
I was so naive, I smiled like a child and ran towards him. "Great," I cried. "We must act quickly. Marius is dying."
But Sotha Sil did not stand up. He didn't even look me in the eye. "I'm sorry," he said, "I can't give you what you seek."
I was speechless for a moment, trying to understand what he was talking about. I just repeated like an idiot, thinking he didn't hear: "Marius is dying. We need to get back to see him as soon as possible!"
He stood up, pressed his lips together, and finally said, "I'm sorry." This was his only answer.
We stood there quietly, as if time had stopped. Finally, I shook my head and whispered, "I don't understand. My body was ruined and you healed me. Marius only had his heart to mend (which you couldn't)."
Seth came over and put a brass hand on my shoulder, "You misunderstood. I have the ability to cure Marius, but the reality of the situation makes it impossible (this is your fate, Luciana ). Luciana, my condolences are with you."
I looked up and saw tears in his eyes. I felt a huge anger rising from my heart. I picked up the hammer, raised it above my head, and King Set whispered a banishment spell that sent me flying back to the surface.
Marius died two days later. Sotha Hill remains with Central Gear to this day.
Other Apostles offered platitudes of comfort, like the words I gave to the grieving parents of my men in the Imperial Legion after they died in battle. "This is his era." "He lived an excellent and glorious life." etc. But in my heart, I will never forgive Sotha Sil. forever. I will still serve as overseer of the apostles. I will always protect the city I love and maintain the order and tradition of the group. But my worship of the clockwork god has dried up.
This is the last entry in my diary. Those who choose to read this journal need only know this: "Sotha Sil gives and takes without negotiation or mercy." Don’t mistake his interest for empathy. Don’t mistake his assistance for a genuine act of kindness. Some people were saved. Others were sacrificed. This is the Clockwork City."
