Dr. Estrella du Clockhand
Full Name: Estrella du Clockhand
Titles: Doctor, Brain Specialist
Ship: The Liliana (Airship)
Status: Active
Spoiler: The Crystal Conspiracy
This section reveals events from “The Crystal Conspiracy”.
Description
Dr. du Clockhand was described in The Blood of Giants as a dark-haired woman who wore thick glasses and a buttoned-up lab coat. She carried a large leather bag with handles over her shoulder, which contained medical supplies including a small jar of smelling salts.
Conflict noted: In The Fight for Rislandia, she is described as "a slim blonde woman in a laboratory coat." This contradicts the dark-haired description given in The Blood of Giants. Both descriptions are recorded here pending author clarification.
In both books she wore a laboratory coat and carried a bag of supplies. In The Fight for Rislandia she was also seen pushing a cart of scientific instruments and beakers, and arrived at the warehouse carrying large bags of scientific equipment.
She was described as kind and compassionate, though she was not a combat medic by training and did not expect to face battle conditions during the Zenwey mission.
Background
Prior to the expedition, Dr. du Clockhand worked at the Gretoria Asylum as one of a dozen brain specialists. She had been treating Marina du Willet for a couple of weeks before the Zenwey mission departed, and her treatment of Marina's addiction symptoms was described as effective. She had long dreamed of traveling aboard an airship and volunteered to join the expedition across the Golgmarsh Ocean when the opportunity arose. She also maintained a hospital within the city, and during the events of The Fight for Rislandia expressed worry about prisoners and patients at her hospital who had not been evacuated.
Role in The Blood of Giants
Joining the Mission
Dr. du Clockhand introduced herself to Harkerpal by her full name upon joining the crew, stating: "I am Dr. Estrella du Clockhand, one of a dozen specialists in brain science here at the Gretoria Asylum." She also introduced herself to the crew at large: "I'm Dr. Estrella du Clockhand. I'll be joining you as a medic on this journey." She initially addressed Zaira von Monocle as "Captain" before being corrected by Harkerpal. She requested a blood sample from the narrator early in the voyage and agreed to keep Marina stable aboard the airship.
Dr. du Clockhand was assigned quarters adjacent to Marina's room and remained close to Marina at all times. She was observed seated in the mess late at night with Marina, drinking tea, and was described as kind to Marina despite Marina's association with the Wyranth Empire.
Aboard the Liliana
During the airship battle, Dr. du Clockhand became very pale and tense, covering her face with her hands. She struggled to climb the rope ladders and felt trapped below deck during the fighting. Despite her distress, she tended to many wounds sustained in the battle. She noted plainly: "I'm not usually a combat medic, and we didn't expect to be in the middle of battles on this mission." When the ship sputtered unexpectedly, she slid out of her chair while attempting to fetch tea for the narrator.
The Zenwey Expedition
On the ground in Zenwey, Dr. du Clockhand traveled with Baron Theodore von Monocle and the commandos. She daintily lowered herself to sit by the fire during rest periods and sat beside the narrator during the kava ceremony. She identified a vaccine when Seeva mimed an injection, stating simply: "A vaccine."
She informed Zaira that the last vial of giant's blood had broken in Marina's pack during their walk, and she advocated moving quickly to obtain information from Juiyan. She interceded to protect Marina from undue stress and agreed to rest at Juiyan's castle. She went after Marina when Marina stepped away from the group.
Capture and Captivity Among the Nightmen
During the Nightmen's inspection, Dr. du Clockhand was taken away second, after Marina. She was heard screaming during the abduction and sounded afraid when seized; she was grabbed and bound by the warriors. While in captivity, she worked for a seamstress approximately a block from Rhys's estate and was able to meet with Marina on occasion. The narrator considered her situation relatively safe. She was later spotted by the narrator in the crowd at the square.
Escape and the Desert Battle
During the escape attempt, Dr. du Clockhand wasted no time boarding the transport ship when ordered. She laughed when the glider tilted downward, but when the floor blew out she hung by a thread on the glider's wall fabric, her feet dangling over a small ledge at the edge of the craft. She was rescued when the narrator and Ethan von Lantern pulled her to safety.
She used smelling salts from her bag to wake the narrator after the narrator was knocked out. During the ground battle in the desert, she was kept with the narrator and the infirm Rhys, helping ease Rhys into a seated position. She was shaking throughout the fighting and asked whether they would make it. After a commando died from an explosive bag, she buried her face in Rhys's chest. She screamed when Corporal Fox was shot and fell, and backed away when a Nightman began cutting through the roof.
Aftermath
Following the battle, Dr. du Clockhand returned to the ship and assumed full duties as ship's doctor. She dressed the narrator's wound and changed the dressing daily to prevent infection, checked on the narrator every few hours, and recommended bed rest during the voyage away from the Nightmen City. She did not allow visitors during the narrator's first couple of days of recovery. She also changed Zaira's shoulder bandages regularly and allowed Zaira out of bed rest after several days.
Role in The Fight for Rislandia
Early Events and the War Room
In The Fight for Rislandia, Dr. du Clockhand was present in the war room and offered Talyen von Cravat a cup of water. She addressed Baron Theodore von Monocle formally as "sir." She had previously been held in captivity along with the narrator, James Gentry, and Ethan von Lantern.
She expressed concern about prisoners and patients at her hospital who had not been evacuated, stating: "I wonder what happened to the prisoners and patients at my hospital."
Research and the Counter-Serum
Dr. du Clockhand planned to head to her facilities within the city to produce a cure for Wyranth serum withdrawal madness, and worked with Rhys toward this end. She pushed a cart of scientific instruments and beakers and later arrived at the warehouse with Marina du Willet and Rhys, all carrying large bags of scientific equipment. She stated her intention to conclude her research aboard the airship. She appeared from the bowels of the airship and sat next to Zaira by the bonfire during a rest period.
She protested against blowing up the facility, arguing that Rhys could produce a cure. She moved carefully from cover to examine the mine laboratory, describing it as "quite a laboratory."
Medical Duties Aboard the Liliana
Dr. du Clockhand continued to serve as doctor aboard the Liliana throughout the campaign. Lieutenant Colwell advised Zaira to see her about an ear wound to prevent infection, and Zaira went to Dr. du Clockhand to have the wound dressed after giving orders on the bridge. She was sent for by Ensign Glen Matthews to attend to Colwell after he hit his head; she used smelling salts to revive him, gave him something for the pain, and wrapped his head. She also ordered Private Forster Hudson to receive medical attention on Zaira's orders.
The Ambush Mission and Crash Aftermath
Dr. du Clockhand was part of the mission party to ambush Wyranth forces. During the mission she revived a Wyranth driver with smelling salts, helped hold the Wyranth down during the counter-serum injection, and checked his pulse after he went limp. Zaira von Monocle helped her to her feet at one point during the action.
Following a crash, Dr. du Clockhand knelt next to the protagonist, assisted her to a seated position, and told her she had been gravely injured and to take it slow, calling her stubborn for trying to sit up quickly. She scuffled through her bag to find a canteen and pushed it to Zaira's lips, telling her not to move so much and noting she had been without water for several hours. She remarked "Von Monocle luck" as if it were a fact of life. She did not give Zaira a clean bill of health but acknowledged her mental faculty was intact and that she was right given the circumstances, and jutted up from her crouch when Zaira pushed to her feet, gripping one of Zaira's arms as if she were liable to fall.
She was not among the first doctors to see Zaira during recovery, as she had to attend to wounded on the battlefield between Cliffside Castle and the city. She later used a stethoscope to check Zaira's breathing, told her to take it easy for a few more days, laughed with her, and referred to her as "Baronette."
Departure with Marina and Rhys
Dr. du Clockhand departed with Marina du Willet to find Rhys, stating: "I would like to take Commander Willet here and find Rhys." She was subsequently found by Marina and returned aboard the Liliana with the group, carrying large bags of scientific equipment alongside Marina and Rhys.
Role in The Iron Wedding
By the time of the events depicted in The Iron Wedding, Dr. du Clockhand remained a member of the Liliana crew. She had recently married a man named Trevor and was expecting a child at the time of Zaira von Monocle's farewell visit.
"Dr. du Clockhand beamed proudly to let me know she had a baby on the way."
Her farewell with Zaira was filled with tears, smiles, congratulations, and condolences. She reminded Zaira of their shared experiences of trips across continents, strange creatures, and adventure.
Spoiler: The Crystal Conspiracy
This section reveals events from “The Crystal Conspiracy”.
Personality and Traits
Dr. du Clockhand was compassionate and intelligent, described as kind even toward those with complicated backgrounds such as Marina du Willet. She was unaccustomed to violence and found combat deeply traumatic, becoming visibly pale and shaken during battles. Despite this, she fulfilled her medical duties conscientiously under difficult conditions. She was enthusiastic about the prospect of airship travel before the mission's dangers became apparent. She was also scientifically driven, collaborating with Rhys on a cure for Wyranth serum withdrawal madness and advocating for the preservation of laboratory facilities that could advance that research.
Relationships
- Marina du Willet: Dr. du Clockhand had been treating Marina's giant's blood addiction for several weeks before the Zenwey expedition and continued to monitor her throughout both missions. Marina was officially a ward of Dr. du Clockhand during the Zenwey voyage. She was described as kind to Marina and interceded on Marina's behalf to reduce stress. She informed Zaira when Marina's last vial of giant's blood was lost, and later departed with Marina to find Rhys during the events of The Fight for Rislandia.
- Zaira von Monocle: Dr. du Clockhand served under Zaira's command as part of both expedition parties, initially mistaking Zaira's rank during the Zenwey mission. She provided Zaira with post-battle medical care across both books, including regular bandage changes, enforced bed rest, and treatment of an ear wound. She referred to Zaira as "Baronette" and addressed her with evident familiarity by the events of The Fight for Rislandia. Their farewell in The Iron Wedding was an emotional one, marked by tears, smiles, congratulations, and condolences, with Dr. du Clockhand recalling their shared adventures.
Spoiler: The Crystal Conspiracy
This section reveals events from “The Crystal Conspiracy”.
- Harkerpal: Harkerpal corrected Dr. du Clockhand when she addressed Zaira as "Captain" during the Zenwey expedition.
- Ethan von Lantern: Ethan assisted in pulling Dr. du Clockhand to safety after the glider's floor blew out during the Zenwey mission. Both were later held in captivity together during the events of The Fight for Rislandia.
- James Gentry: Dr. du Clockhand was held in captivity alongside James during the events of The Fight for Rislandia.
- Baron Theodore von Monocle: Dr. du Clockhand addressed him formally as "sir" and traveled with him and the commandos during the Zenwey expedition.
- Lieutenant Colwell: Dr. du Clockhand treated Colwell after he hit his head, reviving him with smelling salts, giving him something for the pain, and wrapping his head.
- Private Forster Hudson: Zaira ordered Hudson to be escorted to Dr. du Clockhand for medical attention during the events of The Fight for Rislandia.
- Talyen von Cravat: Dr. du Clockhand offered Talyen a cup of water in the war room.
In A History of Rislandia
A History of Rislandia includes Dr. Estrella du Clockhand among its catalogue of notable figures associated with the Zenwey Expedition and the broader conflict of the era. The sourcebook groups her in a list of exemplary "Doctors and Scientists" of Rislandia, citing her by name as a representative of that professional class.
Social Class
According to A History of Rislandia, Dr. du Clockhand is identified as a member of the gentry class in Rislandian society. The novel-based account on this page notes that she bore the name of a noble, which is consistent with this classification, but the sourcebook makes her gentry standing explicit as a social-historical fact rather than an inference from her name.
Motivation for Joining the Liliana
The sourcebook states that Dr. du Clockhand joined the Liliana crew specifically to study the effects of giant's blood, framing her participation in the Zenwey Expedition as scientifically motivated. The novel-based account on this page records that she volunteered because she had long dreamed of airship travel. These accounts are not necessarily irreconcilable — both a scientific purpose and personal enthusiasm could have driven her decision — but the sourcebook's framing emphasises professional research intent rather than personal adventure, and readers should note the difference in emphasis.
Limits of Her Treatment of Marina
According to A History of Rislandia, Dr. du Clockhand could only manage the symptoms of Marina du Willet's giant's blood addiction; she could not cure it. This is presented as a historical fact about the state of medical knowledge at the time. The novel-based account on this page describes her treatment as "effective" and references her later collaboration with Rhys on a counter-serum, which aligns with the sourcebook's implication that a true cure required further research beyond her individual capacity.
Captivity Among the Nightmen
The sourcebook records that Dr. du Clockhand was enslaved to a seamstress in the Nightmen City during the expedition's captivity phase. This is consistent with the novel-based account on this page, which notes she worked for a seamstress approximately a block from Rhys's estate, but the sourcebook uses the word enslaved explicitly, lending a stronger historical characterisation to her situation than the novels' phrasing.
Character Summary
A History of Rislandia summarises Dr. du Clockhand in its own words as "compassionate, intelligent, and unaccustomed to violence" — language that mirrors the novel-based account on this page's personality section closely and appears to confirm that this characterisation has authorial endorsement at the level of the in-universe historical record.