Clockworker's Doll

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The Clockworker's Doll was one of the vessels of sin, inhabited by the "Demon of Sloth". Margarita Blankenheim was among its most prominent reincarnations, infamous for causing the Toragay Epidemic.

History

Creation

In March of EC 136, the mage I.R. crafted the Clockworker's Doll at Gine Workshop in Lasaland, Asmodean in the Beelzenian Empire based on Eve Moonlit's appearance. Afterward, the mage gave the doll to Mikulia Greeonio as a plaything and the "Demon of Sloth" residing in her,^[1] Eve Moonlit, moved into the doll as her new vessel soon after.^[2] Later that year, I.R. recollected the doll and departed with it.^[3]

Flower of the Plateau

Sometime after the death of Mikulia, the Clockworker's Doll's hypnosis was activated, hypnotizing Eve into believing she was her former vessel's persona. The fake Mikulia later settled in Calgaround, Elphegort in EC 141.^[4] Afterward, the popular florist married Earl Gilbert Calgaround in EC 147, killing any connections to her past she encountered, before poisoning her husband with Gift in EC 151.^[5] Sometime after, Eve reawakened from her slumber and the hypnosis ended. The Doll was later returned to I.R.'s possession.^[6]

Phantom Thief Platonic

Sometime during the early EC 300s, the Doll's hypnosis was activated again, hypnotizing Eve into believing she was the daughter of the Calgaround Family.^[7] After the girl ran away from home, she came under the tutelage of an old thief and became the infamous "Phantom Thief Platonic". While employed by AB-CIR to retrieve vessels of sin in EC 325, Platonic ended up captured by Elluka Clockworker for some time before escaping and returning home to Calgaround in August of that year.^[8] Eventually, Eve reawakened from her slumber and the hypnosis ended. The doll was later reacquired by AB-CIR.^[9]

Story of Evil

In EC 482, Abyss I.R. gave the doll to Queen Prim as part of their alliance in Marlon. In EC 505, Prim brought the doll to Castle Hedgehog. During the battle with King Kyle's armies, Prim kept the vessel with her in Heartbeat Clocktower, stroking its head. She later invoked the Demon of Sloth's power to have one of the vessel of Pride's hand mirrors she possessed control the Demon of Lust and have it repossess Kyle.

Prim was killed by her daughter, Ney, immediately after, dropping the doll and halting its invoked power. Afterward, Kyle brought the glass to Lioness Castle and it was subsequently sealed by Elluka Clockworker and Gumillia. Soon after, Abyss I.R. took the glass along with the other vessels of sin assembled at the castle and removed their seals.^[10]

Toragay Epidemic

In EC 593, Julia Abelard replaced the stillborn corpse of Margarita Felix with the Doll, hypnotizing Eve into believing she was the child.^[11] Growing up as a member of the Felix Family in Toragay, Margarita later married Marquis Kaspar Blankenheim in June, EC 608. Learning of her husband's blatant philandering and wistful spending habits, Margarita fell into a depression.^[12] After joining Père Noël as Third Sleep Princess,^[13] Margarita was experimented with Gift while testing her "sleep medicine" on her husband and father.^[14]

Once she finally developed the airborne Sixth Gift, Margarita released the poison upon her hometown.^[15] Suffering from the resurging memories of Eve's past incarnations, Margarita developed a Seventh Gift at Mayor Julia Abelard's mansion in Calgaround. When confronted by Elluka Clockworker and Gumillia, Margarita ingested her concoction and, unlocking her memories, died.^[16]

After Eve's consciousness reawakened, the Doll traveled to the Millennium Tree Forest and confronted Elluka in the guise of Margarita, inviting her to a private talk at her long abandoned home. The two then conversed about her true identity before Elluka grappled the doll by its neck and interrogated Eve regarding her motives. Afterward, Elluka invoked the Swap Technique, drawing out Eve's soul from the doll into her own as the two silently battled for fifteen minutes.^[17]

Dark Star Scandal

At some point, the soul of Irina Clockworker was placed inside the doll by Ma.^[18] In EC 978, the Doll ended up on the S.S. Titanis and was delivered by Seth Twiright to Nemesis Sudou, who subsequently left it behind at her house.^[19] The Doll was then located by Postman and delivered to Ma. Later on, Ma gave the Doll to Gallerian Marlon and the judge believed it to be his real daughter, Michelle.^[20] As the doll was confined to a room in Gallerian's mansion,^[21] Adam Moonlit facilitated communication between the judge and the doll.^[22]

After the completion of Evil's Theater in December of EC 982, the doll was transferred there.^[23] The doll was later summoned back to Gallerian's mansion by Adam during the Leviantan Civil War in August of EC 983. Gallerian later comforted the doll until his death;^[24] as the mansion burned around them, the doll became severely burned.^[25]

Awakening

Later on, a black box containing Adam was put inside the doll. Sometime later, the Clockworker's Doll awakened and began to sing the Clockwork Lullaby.^[26] After the clock tower broke down and Gear transferred the Marlon Spoon's power to the doll in EC 990, she dubbed herself the "Master of the Court" and directed the theater inhabitants to find the Golden Key while convicting intruders to death through her "trials".^[27] In EC 999, Adam burst out of the doll's abdomen.^[28]

World's End

After the destruction of the Third Period in EC 999, Michaela summoned all seven vessels together for Allen Avadonia.^[29] Eve Moonlit left her vessel some time after and Michaela later gave the vessel to Hänsel to reseal the Sleep Princess. Hänsel later headed with the doll to Toragay before coming across Allen and Clarith, showing the doll and the damage it had sustained to the boy. Once he arrived at Toragay, Hänsel sealed Eve and her Eighth Gift in the doll.^[30]

Hänsel later brought the doll with him to Enbizaka, Jakoku and released some of the Gift sealed inside to put the defense attorney in the USE Dark Star Bureau courtroom to sleep. He then discreetly propped up the doll on the defense desk while throwing his voice as "Michelle" to trick Gallerian Marlon.^[31] After the Master of the Hellish Yard dropped Hänsel and Allen into the Grave Yard, the boy carried the doll through technological graveyard until they came across Adam, forcing him to keep the doll out of his reach.^[32]

Mechanics

Similarly to the other vessels of sin, the Doll served a container for Eve Moonlit's soul and allowed her to manipulate it to an extent. However, because it was inhabited by a human soul rather than an actual demon, the vessel was unable to possess its owner. Regardless, due to the vessel's hypnotic powers, the Doll could influence the identity Eve assumed.^[33] The magic tool also served as a soul cage, allowing the wielder to trap another's independent spirit within it at their leisure.^[34]

The Clockworker's Doll was capable of projecting a powerful hypnosis around itself, allowing anyone observing it to believe it was a human girl with Eve Moonlit's visage. The hypnosis was strong enough to remain unnoticed by even skilled mages. Likewise, it also affected Eve, forcing her into a slumber while a new conscious self developed in its place. The Doll also seemed to be capable of allowing the consciousness to retain any memories of the person it was based on, assuming such memories existed.

The hypnosis had the capability to simulate basic human gestures, such as eating, touching, moving, and talking for all affected individuals. However, it was unable to cause the consciousness to feel tired or sleep and therefore was unable to be turned off by the unaware user. However, the consciousness could regain the subconscious memories of past incarnations; a catalyst unlocking said memories, such as the Seventh Gift, also held the potential to reawaken Eve.^[35]

The Doll itself had a hidden compartment around its stomach area, allowing it to store and transport small items safely.^[36] Although largely made of sturdy Nechuha wood, the Doll's legs were made of softer material and were therefore more likely to be damaged. It was also rather life-like in appearance, despite being only around 70 centimeters in height.^[37] Unlike the rest of the vessels of sin, the Clockworker's Doll was unable to kill a demon contractor or due to the "Demon of Sloth's" true nature. The Doll was also able to "awaken", manifesting in a human form.^[38]

Unlike the Demons of Sin, Eve was unable to inhabit her vessel naturally, facilitating this with the swap technique.^[39] Regardless, she was the source of both her own magical power and that of Sloth.^[40] In order to suppress Eve, she had be sealed in her original vessel.^[41] Fixated on her own appearance,^[42] Eve influenced the appearance of any of her human vessels she inhabited to share her visage; similarly, she chose the Clockworker's Doll as her preferred vessel due to it being crafted in her image.^[43]

Eve could speak directly to others via telepathy and likewise gave the ability for her human vessels to understand magical beings.^[44] Despite this, Eve showed little inclination to act upon or make "contracts" with hosts,^[45] partially due to her own inability. Instead, she preferred to passively go through her eternity, periodically assuming other identities when her vessel was invoked and occasionally causing calamities with her subconscious influence.^[46]

Users

Trivia

Conceptualization and Origin

The vessel's representative sin is derived from Sloth of the Seven Deadly Sins.
In literature, dolls often symbolize childhood and innocence.
The material the Doll is made from, Nechuha, is likely a reference to Hachune Miku; when reversed, Nechuha's characters spell ハチュネ (hachune).
Similarly, the doll's origins as a Gine Doll is likely a reference to Hachune Miku's character item, a green onion; when reversed, Gine's characters spell ネギ (negi), meaning "green onion".

Curiosities

Ironically, Margarita compares herself to a doll, perceiving herself to be used like a decoration by everyone around her and becoming obsessed with proving her independent humanity.^[47]