```col-mdflexGrow=2.5===# OutlineA vast repository of the city's historical records, where the renowned scholar Professor [[person/thaddeus-gearhardt]] can be found, along with the blueprints of the Clockwork Tower. The PCs will need the blueprints to help finish the construction of the tower.> [!read-aloud] **Read Aloud** > > > > As you enter the main room of Haven's City Archives, a sense of age and wisdom permeates the area. The air is filled with the scent of old parchment and polished wood. Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves fill the grand hall, each one overloaded with documents, blueprints, scrolls, and books. The faint whisper of turning pages echoes through the grand hall, blending with the occasional hushed conversation. > When they find the Professor's office...> [!read-aloud] **Read Aloud** > > > > At the end of the hall a cluttered office becomes visible. Filled with stacks of books, half-finished clockwork contraptions, and scattered blueprints, it's a veritable hurricane of academic pursuit. At its center, behind mountains of papers, you hear the sound of someone busily scribbling notes. After a moment, an elderly man with tousled gray hair peers curiously over the wall of books lining his desk. He squints at the party through his spectacles, which are perched precariously on the end of his nose. "Oh, hello... I didn't see you there.” > # Additional Information The City Archives are managed by Professor [[person/thaddeus-gearhardt]], who over time has become the beating heart of the city's knowledge and rich history. His extensive knowledge can help the PCs find blueprints and instructions on how to fix the Clockwork Tower. Here are ways in which the PCs can convince Professor [[person/thaddeus-gearhardt]] to help them:### **Persuasion** Professor Gearhardt is a passionate scholar and generally amiable, but he values his time. Characters may need to successfully use persuasion to convince him to aid them, demonstrating that their cause aligns with his interests. A successful DC 15 Persuasion check would likely be enough to pique his interest, though if characters mention [[person/constantine-chronosmith]], the Clockwork Tower, or any related topics, they should be given advantage on the roll.### **Bribery** As a scholar, Gearhardt is more interested in knowledge than gold. Instead of traditional bribery, PCs can offer rare books, artifacts, or information that they have found during their adventures. This "intellectual bribe" could reduce the DC of the subsequent Persuasion check or eliminate the need for it altogether.### **Helping Hand** Professor Gearhardt has many projects and research lines going on at once, so the PCs could offer to assist him with some of his work. Perhaps the professor needs a rare book retrieved from the depths of the archives, or a particularly stubborn clockwork device fixed. This could take the form of a skill challenge, with successful checks leading to the professor's assistance.### **Demonstration of Skills** Professor Gearhardt appreciates practical demonstrations of knowledge and skill. If a character has relevant skills (such as Arcana, History, or proficiency with artisan's tools), they could show off these skills to impress the professor. Successfully doing so could win his favor and aid.### **Shared Goals** If the PCs can convincingly explain how their goals align with Gearhardt's own academic interests, he will be more than happy to help them. This could involve emphasizing the historical significance of their quest, the potential for new discoveries, or the direct relation to the Clockwork Tower and Chronosmith's legacy.# Documents in the Archives Below is a list of the documents that can be found in the archives:### **Chronosmith's Preliminary Sketches** This is a bound folio of Constantine's original sketches for the Clockwork Tower. While many of these ideas did not make it into the final design, they give an insight into Constantine's thought process and can be used to help understand and predict the logic behind other elements of the tower's design.### **Temporal Matrix Blueprints** Detailed diagrams outlining the construction of a complex arcane device dubbed the "Temporal Matrix". It appears to be a pivotal component of the Clockwork Tower, presumably serving as its heart, regulating the flow of temporal energies throughout the structure. If the Temporal Matrix in the Clockwork Tower is malfunctioning or incomplete, this blueprint would be instrumental in repairing or finishing it.### **Chronosmith's Personal Journals** Professor Gearhardt has managed to obtain a collection of Chronosmith's personal journals. They contain notes, musings, and a record of the inventor's struggles and successes during the tower's creation. These can provide valuable context to the PCs and help them understand Constantine's mindset, providing the reader a +2 bonus to any Intelligence-based checks made to solve or understand riddles or puzzles left behind in the tower. All journal entries are dated over 100 years ago.### **Patent for the Automaton Worker Model M.A.I.N.T.E.N.A.N.C.E.** This is the approved patent for an automaton worker designed by Chronosmith. The automaton was designed to perform various tasks, including construction and repair of complex structures like the Clockwork Tower. If the party comes across any dormant or malfunctioning automatons in the Tower, these blueprints could help repair them, possibly recruiting new allies or gaining access to otherwise unreachable areas. The date listed on the approved patent is over 100 years ago.### **Annotated Edition of the Principles of Temporal Manipulation** A book written by Chronosmith detailing the principles and theories behind manipulating time. Many notes have been scribbled in the margins by Gearhardt, providing further insight. Any character who reads this book for 1 hour receives a +2 bonus to any Intelligence-based checks to understand temporal anomalies or time-based quandaries within the Clockwork Tower.### **Design Specifications for the Clockwork Tower's Defense System** This document outlines the defense systems built into the Clockwork Tower, including traps, clockwork sentries, and potentially defensive spells. It provides valuable insight into what the party should be prepared for when entering the tower and may even hint at how to bypass or deactivate some of these defenses. This will include detailing that music, specifically the family song, can be used to bypass the traps and safely enter the Clockwork Tower.# Environmental Actions 1. **Book Barrage:** A shelf of books flies open, and a whirlwind of papers fills a 20-foot-radius sphere. The area becomes heavily obscured until initiative count 20 on the next round.2. **Knowledge Surge:** A burst of arcane energy fills a chosen PC, temporarily granting them expertise in a chosen Intelligence-based skill until the end of their next turn.3. **Clockwork Messenger:** A small clockwork bird darts out from amongst the papers, delivering a short message that serves as a clue or hint for the PCs.# NPC Professor [[person/thaddeus-gearhardt]]# plots/Story Type# Sub-Structures (Scenes)# Themes---# Structure## Exposition## Conflict## Rising Action## Climax## Falling Action## Resolution---# Components## Goals## Hooks## Stakes## Moral Quandaries## Cruel Tricks## Red Herrings---# Relations## Protagonists## Allies## Neutrals## Competitors## Adversaries---# Backdrops## Locations## Threats## Encounters## Past Events / Histories``````col-md![[plots/clockwork-tower/table-of-contents|Table of Contents]]![[~attachments/dndline.png]]**Completion Date:** <br>**Parent Plot:** **Related Characters:****Related Organizations:****Related Locations:**---### World Anvil Metadata**Id:** 5b0bd801-efeb-48d5-a19f-61935a89ad84<br>**Entity Type:** Article / plot<br>**Category:** <br>**Tags:** CT-plot```