Chapter Summaries

Elliot learned that the Fog Horn Fraternity was a workers’ mutual aid alliance with supernatural resources but no current threat to the factory. Vanessa, Dorothea, and Allen went to seek factory work and left with jobs, planning to scout for a base and follow up on the Fraternity’s address.

• Jin told the Fog Horn Fraternity that Vanessa was the legendary Wheelchair Gambling God, and the members kept their distance from her group.
• Elliot learned that the Fraternity relied on the Holy Scripture and Fog Whistle, and decided to focus on the New Nobility instead.
• Vanessa, Dorothea, and Allen went to the factory to apply for work, where they were given tests and assigned jobs.
• Dorothea accepted a bookkeeping position paying seventy Leo a week, while Allen took a Factory Guard job paying fifty Leo a week.
• Vanessa and her companions left the factory intending to scout the sewers and Canal District for a base and check the address from the Fog Horn Fraternity.

Elliot visited three rival factory owners in the Hearthfire District and revealed that he intended to force them to cooperate with him. He threatened to use legislation and generous worker benefits to ruin their businesses unless they swore loyalty and helped him manage the district’s factories.

• Elliot summoned Conrad and arranged to visit the three factory owners at their factories.
• Elliot inspected the factory equipment and questioned the owners about its layout, maintenance, and operations.
• Elliot accused the owners of breaking the law and had Conrad announce a proposed wage cap that would make their current wages unlawful if passed.
• Elliot warned that he could use legal and other means to destroy their businesses.
• Elliot threatened to offer workers extensive benefits and demanded that the owners swear loyalty and help him manage the factories in the Hearthfire District.

Elliot secured the allegiance of three factory owners and ordered them to place their factories under his control while implementing worker-support plans. As Elliot gained control of the Hearthfire District, the Difference Engine processed a Card marked [Path · Doubt], declaring that He had taken the second step.

• The three factory owners pledged allegiance to Elliot, believing his protection could save their businesses and give them influence.
• Conrad told the men they had to prove their worth, and one offered their influence in the Hearthfire Chamber of Commerce.
• Elliot ordered the factories transferred to his control and demanded machinery improvements be documented, then ordered dormitories and canteens built despite the owners' objections.
• Elliot said he wanted to make the Hearthfire District his foundation and promised libraries and schools, then left the factory with Conrad following him.
• At Duke Sterling's residence, Evan installed the Difference Engine Core and confirmed that the machine operated without errors.
• As Elliot left the factory, the Difference Engine's push rod sent an untouched Card into a slot, and its brass code wheels displayed [Path · Doubt] before declaring that He had taken the second step.

Eleanor Bennett transferred to frontline work at the Night Watch Bureau and dismissed reports about V, Wheelchair Gambling God, and the Wild Dog Gang as low-priority or erroneous. Meanwhile, [The Thinker] struggled to process an anomaly as the Sterling Family’s Difference Engine drew in [Path · Doubt], leaving technicians with a report that world computation had collapsed.

• Eleanor Bennett was assigned to the Hearthfire District and told to sort Difference Engine reports for C-4 Group before going on assignments.
• Eleanor found a wanted file for V, Wheelchair Gambling God, and discarded it because its danger rating was ordinary level.
• Eleanor discovered a report linking the Wild Dog Gang to the New Scandinavia theater gas explosion, decided the report was a Difference Engine error, and threw it away.
• After Eleanor left, [The Thinker] and the Sterling Family’s Difference Engine showed abnormal fluctuations as [Path · Doubt] was drawn into the card slot.
• The technicians received a report stating that capture had failed because world computation logic had collapsed around an unparseable anomaly.

After visiting the factory, Elliot learned that the Fourth Prince, Crawford, was using the Frostmoon Uprising and Elliot’s plans for factory workers to attack him at a Salon. Sidney urged Elliot to attend and offered to help, while Elliot left for Duke Sterling’s mansion determined to learn more and strengthen the Hearthfire District.

• Sidney’s messenger redirected Elliot to the Third Prince’s Palace, where Sidney and Holly were discussing a military situation over a sand table.
• Sidney told Elliot that Crawford was holding a Salon to accuse him of organizing another workers’ uprising because of his factory plans.
• Elliot denied being disloyal or organizing an uprising, and Sidney explained that the accusation was a pretext for attacking him as Sidney’s associate.
• Sidney proposed that they use violence if they could not win the argument, and he offered to handle Crawford while Elliot dealt with the other nobles.
• Elliot left the Palace puzzled by the claim that he had organized the Frostmoon Uprising and resolved to learn more, speed construction in the Hearthfire District, and ask the old duke for advice.
• Elliot’s carriage arrived at Duke Sterling’s mansion.

Elliot learned from the old duke that his Sterling surname alone could resolve ordinary problems, but that he would need to build genuine loyalty to surpass the limits of his birth. The duke explained the obsessive flaw of the Sterling Path, and Conrad described the Troy Society’s machine-centered beliefs as Elliot grew eager to investigate further.

• Elliot asked the old duke why he had been sent to resolve the Hearthfire District factory dispute, and the duke said the Sterling name itself would usually solve such problems.
• Elliot reflected on how his surname determined what he could do and understood why the original Elliot had resisted the family’s constraints.
• The old duke contrasted Elliot’s forgetfulness with the Third Prince Sidney’s ability to remember the names and histories of soldiers who later fought for him.
• Elliot decided he needed more than the authority of an heir and asked about the Difference Engine and the Sterling Path.
• The old duke revealed that the Sterling Path, [Indomitability], made its followers extremely obsessive, and warned Elliot to consider his future course before advancing.
• Conrad explained that the Troy Society sought to replace people with machines, while the Sterling Family’s Reforging Flame put greater faith in humanity.

Elliot used his new authority and the Sterling Family’s resources to launch district-wide factory reforms while planning to organize Hearthfire District workers into Believers and forge a new path beyond the Seven Holy Bloodlines. Dorothea returned exhausted from accounting for the construction projects, and Vanessa revealed she had joined the Fog Horn Fraternity.

• Elliot ordered district-wide improvements to factories, worker facilities, and freight transport, and asked Conrad to investigate Crawford’s Salon and the Hearthfire District’s Secret Societies.
• Elliot planned to use the Puppet Theater Difference Engine and Vanessa’s connections to gather Supernatural materials, then build dormitories, canteens, hospitals, and night schools to organize workers as Believers.
• Elliot resolved to turn ordinary workers into Supernatural people and create a new path outside the Seven Holy Bloodlines.
• Dorothea told Vanessa that she had spent the day doing accounts for the factories’ new construction projects, including dormitories, canteens, and a hospital.
• Vanessa announced that she had joined the Fog Horn Fraternity.

Vanessa told Dorothea how she infiltrated the Fog Horn Fraternity, whose workers followed instructions from the [Holy Scripture] in exchange for supernatural blessings. Elsa and Clara asked to join Vanessa’s faith, and Elliot agreed before discovering that [Path · Doubt] had begun ascending.

• Vanessa explained that the leaderless Fog Horn Fraternity followed instructions revealed by its [Holy Scripture], but she fled after she was unable to write during a task.
• Elsa cooked for Dorothea, then asked to join Vanessa’s sect so she could help them; Clara also asked to become a Supernatural person.
• Vanessa accepted Elsa and Clara, and Elliot approved recruiting them into the faith.
• Elliot placed Vanessa’s and Elsa’s Cards into [Conversation], then noticed that [Path · Doubt] was missing and a countdown for [Ascending] had appeared.
• Elliot wondered whether [Path · Doubt] could level up and whether believers might advance beyond their current status.

Elliot prepared for the Fourth Prince’s dinner party and decided to bring Vanessa along secretly so he could use the Stage-Play Difference Engine to observe the gathering. He left Vanessa locked in a suitcase in his carriage as he arrived at the Third Prince’s Palace.

• Vanessa failed to persuade Elsa, and Elliot suspended plans to recruit factory workers into the Esoteric Cult until the result of [Ascending] was known.
• Elliot considered having Vanessa impersonate him at the salon, but rejected the plan because she might realize what was happening, be exposed, or reveal herself with her missing fingers.
• Elliot decided to hide Vanessa in a suitcase so he could use the Difference Engine while she remained nearby.
• While Vanessa was eating, Elliot took control of her and made her climb into the suitcase, ignoring her protests that she had not finished dinner and needed the bathroom.
• Evan carried the suitcase into Elliot’s carriage, and Elliot ordered the carriage locked after arriving at the Third Prince’s Palace.

Elliot used the Third Prince’s Stage-Play Difference Engine to inspect the palace and discovered a pitch-black room containing a humanoid puppet. He sent Vanessa’s carriage to the Fourth Prince’s salon ahead of him so he could monitor the gathering through the Difference Engine before arriving himself.

• Elliot visited Sidney to inspect the Stage-Play Difference Engine and confirmed that its nested scenery responded to his movements.
• Elliot noticed a room in Sidney’s palace that appeared completely black on the stage and pulled a humanoid puppet from the darkness.
• Elliot decided not to investigate the mysterious being further and told Evan to take the carriage carrying Vanessa to the salon without opening its box.
• Elliot explained that he would arrive late so he could observe the salon through the Difference Engine before riding there himself.
• Evan parked the carriage outside the club in the White Tower District, where the Fourth Prince’s salon was underway, and Elliot turned his attention to the gathering.

At a salon arranged to undermine Elliot, Crawford encouraged plans to obstruct the Sterling Family’s factories and resented Sidney’s support for Elliot. Sidney then arrived uninvited and challenged Crawford to talk or fight, while the gathered nobles backed away.

• Crawford listened as nobles mocked Elliot and Sidney and grew angry when he heard Sidney had welcomed Elliot at the Air Harbor.
• Crawford ordered Viscount Declan to arrange an inspection of the Sterling Family’s factories, while another noble proposed involving Parliament against Elliot’s allies.
• Crawford approved a plan to delay Elliot and target his factories, imagining Sidney would be forced to ask him for help.
• Sidney entered Crawford’s salon uninvited, dismissed his guards as powerless, and offered to talk or fight.
• Sidney invited the nobles to join in, but they retreated, prompting Crawford to glare at them.

Sidney moved to beat Crawford for insulting Elliot, but Elliot's arrival and confrontation with Crawford revealed a more personal conflict. The chapter ended with Lillian of the Rose Cross entering the Salon and leaving Elliot stunned.

• Sidney threatened to beat Crawford and his companions after they insulted Elliot, but Elliot arrived and persuaded Sidney to hold back.
• Crawford berated Elliot for interfering and threatened consequences for Elliot's factory, while Elliot mocked his plans and exposed his lack of influence.
• Crawford told Sidney that a woman he cared about had come to the Imperial Capital and then claimed she had once fallen for Elliot in New Scandinavia.
• Elliot realized Crawford was talking about Lillian of the Rose Cross, who entered the Salon and shocked him.

Elliot tried to avoid Lillian at a salon, fearing her connection to the Rose Cross and their bombing of the Theater, but she drew him into the princes’ conflict. When Crawford challenged Elliot to a duel, Sidney agreed to fight in his place, and Elliot was forced to stay as Sidney’s witness.

• Elliot recalled the Rose Cross’s bombing of the Theater and decided he wanted nothing more to do with them.
• Elliot tried to slip away from the salon, but Lillian called him over and clung to his arm.
• Lillian feigned hurt when Elliot tried to leave, but he hurried toward the door anyway.
• Crawford challenged Elliot to a duel, and Elliot nominated Sidney to fight for him.
• The Third Prince stopped Elliot and made him serve as Sidney’s witness, while Lillian hinted that Elliot had written her a love letter.

Elliot witnessed Sidney defeat Crawford in a brutal duel while Lillian probed him about the Theater explosion and offered help dealing with the Fog Horn Fraternity. Lillian’s account of the premiere left Elliot suspicious and confused, but she departed without explaining how she had apparently erased herself from the event.

• Sidney and Crawford ignored the weapons and fought hand-to-hand until Crawford fell, and Elliot declared Sidney the winner.
• Lillian asked Elliot about the Theater explosion, claiming she and the Puwei Theatre Troupe had not attended the premiere.
• Elliot suspected Lillian was testing him, but her account of the premiere seemed to contradict what he knew.
• Lillian offered the Rose Cross’s help with the Fog Horn Fraternity and told Elliot to visit its Canal District sewer base with her token.
• Elliot helped Crawford up after the duel, but Crawford rejected the attendants’ help and staggered away.

After the Salon, Elliot saw rumors spread that the princes had fought over him and the Sterling Family, not Lillian, and he left for home. Meanwhile, Vanessa endured being hidden in a suitcase until it was set down in an unfamiliar, luxurious room.

• After Crawford left, Elliot prepared to leave the Salon as Lillian briefly spoke with Sidney.
• Nobles concluded that Sidney and Crawford had dueled over Elliot and began inventing stories about Lillian pursuing him.
• Elliot silenced the gossiping nobles, refused Lillian’s offer to accompany him, and left with Evan, who went off after receiving quiet instructions.
• Vanessa remained trapped in the dark suitcase, enduring hunger and needing the toilet as it was transported.
• When the suitcase stopped in a luxurious room, Vanessa changed her face and cautiously peered outside.

Vanessa escaped from the suitcase, found a lavish hotel meal prepared for her, and brought the leftovers home to share with Dorothea, Allen, Clara, and Elsa. Elliot then asked Conrad about the theater explosion, learning that the Churches had sealed the investigation and that the Rose Troupe had not attended the premiere.

• Vanessa opened the suitcase, explored the empty building, and found a luxurious washroom and dining room.
• Vanessa ate the hotel feast and carried its leftovers back to the Hearthfire District, believing the Lord had paid for them.
• Dorothea questioned Vanessa about the food, but the group happily shared the meal she brought home.
• Elliot revealed that he had arranged the hotel feast as a thank-you gift for Vanessa.
• Elliot asked Conrad about the theater explosion, and Conrad said the Seven Great Churches had classified the matter and announced it as a gas explosion.
• Conrad told Elliot that the Rose Troupe had stayed at the hotel because Lillian was ill and had not attended the premiere.

Elliot learned that official records claimed the Rose Troupe never performed at the theater, despite survivors remembering Lillian transforming amid the explosions. He sought another witness and found Flora in the Dream World, where he noticed her scars had diminished and asked whether it affected her strength.

• Conrad told Elliot that the Trenchard family’s investigation placed the Rose Troupe at the hotel, while the Seven Great Churches and the Night Watch Bureau had stopped investigating.
• Elliot asked Vanessa, Dorothea, and Allen about the theater attack, and Allen recalled Lillian dancing through the flames before transforming into a less human-looking being.
• Vanessa ruled out the Ascension Society, and Elliot questioned why Rose Cross had risked exposing Lillian to kill Garrett before deciding to consult another survivor.
• Elliot met Flora in the Dream World, where he noticed her face had fewer scars and asked whether their healing would affect her strength.

Flora’s account of the theater explosion led Elliot to suspect that the Rose Cross had altered witnesses’ memories, though he could not explain why the Seven Orthodox Churches had suppressed the incident. The next morning, Elliot found Vanessa, Dorothea, and Allen assigned to investigate murders tied to the Fog Horn Fraternity, recalling Lillian’s offer to help control the group.

• Flora told Elliot that her [Relic], [Mourning Poems], had foretold the Theater’s ruin, but she remembered neither Lillian performing nor the Rose Cross’s actions.
• Elliot realized Flora remembered Sutton’s explosion while pursuing Vanessa, suggesting that the Rose Cross and its assassination attempt had been erased from witnesses’ memories.
• Elliot questioned how the Rose Cross’s apparent memory-altering power could have escaped the notice of the Seven Orthodox Churches.
• The next morning, Elliot found Vanessa’s Card occupied by an event alongside Dorothea’s and Allen’s Cards.
• Elliot read that Allen had been ordered to investigate two nights of family massacres targeting members of the Fog Horn Fraternity, and remembered Lillian’s offer to help control them.

Allen told Vanessa, Dorothea, Elsa, and Clara about a series of family massacres in the Hearthfire District, and the group went to inspect the first crime scene. They entered the victims’ house, where the bodies had not yet been moved.

• Allen explained that Fango, his wife, child, and parents had been found stabbed to death, with the dagger in Fango’s hand and no signs of resistance.
• Vanessa agreed to investigate, and Elsa revealed that she could sense lingering obsessions from corpses after a Sacrifice.
• Allen said another family had been murdered the previous day and that both families belonged to the Fog Horn Fraternity, prompting a lockdown in the Hearthfire District.
• The four went to Fango’s house, where Factory Guard members were keeping watch and the bodies remained inside.

Vanessa, Dorothea, Elsa, and Allen investigated a family’s murder and found evidence that Fango killed his relatives before repeatedly trying to kill himself. Vanessa detected a Supernatural influence on Fango’s body, and Allen asked Elsa if she could hear what the dead were saying.

• Vanessa, Dorothea, Elsa, and Allen examined the house, where an elderly couple had been killed at the dining table.
• Dorothea reconstructed how the couple continued eating for several minutes after their throats were cut.
• Vanessa found that Fango’s body was the only one showing anything unusual with [Spirit Vision].
• Dorothea reconstructed how Fango killed his family, then stabbed himself repeatedly until he died.
• Allen said Fango had been close to his family and suspected a Supernatural influence; Vanessa confirmed that his body and the blood gave off a faint white glow.
• Allen asked Elsa whether she could hear what the bodies were saying.