Dawn Office

Overview	Episode 1

Dawn Office
Type	Associate Office
Locations	Nest V
Leaders	Salvador
Members	Yuna Philip
Parent	Liu Association
Related	Zwei Association Wedge Office
Appearances	Library Of Ruina

“	That gramps still hasn't changed after so many years.	”
–Roland, Dawn Office Episode I, Post-Battle

Dawn Office is a small but wealthy Grade 4 Office and an associate Office of the Liu Association. Run by Salvador, a veteran Fixer, the Office is located in V Corp's Nest.

Dawn Office is the fifth Office to be invited as the Library's Guests..

Composition

Character	Description
Salvador	A veteran Fixer whose age is a sign of experience rather than feebleness, Salvador is the Operator of Dawn Office and a former Zwei Fixer. The entire Office's design and decorum is made to his comfort. He wears a Zweihänder on his back, a remnant of his days with the Zwei Association, but he uses a different sword made by Stigma Workshop in combat.
Yuna	A resourceful, no-nonsense Fixer skilled in the ways of combat. Yuna is reliable both on and off the battlefield, as useful in a fight as she is in running the operations of Dawn Office. In combat, she uses a cello case containing mechanical appendages which strike at her opponents for her, made by Stigma Workshop.
Philip	A young Grade 5 Fixer and the least experienced member of the Dawn Office. Philip is a somewhat unstable young man, but he holds much potential. He deeply respects both his master Salvador and his seonbae (senior) Yuna, and he also has a romantic interest in Yuna. He wields a sword made by Stigma Workshop during combat, with the sheath on his belt.

Story

Episode 1

Pre-Battle

Yuna recounts the case of the 'Thousand Needles'

The episode starts off inside Dawn Office as Salvador compliments the ssanghwa-cha Philip has brewed while lamenting the news he has received from an old friend. When Philip asks about this, Salvador reveals that the "old friend" is his former colleague Walter, director of Zwei South Section 6, and the news is of Walter's evident death in the Library. He also clarifies that he saw Walter as less of a friend and more of an incompetent fool.

Yesterday's Promise is the perpetrator of the 'Thousand Needles'

Yuna interrupts them as she enters, complaining about the smell of ssanghwa-cha. She and Philip greet each other, while Salvador takes the opportunity to praise Philip some more for both his skill as a Fixer and at brewing tea. Yuna mentions the particularly messy request she has just completed, the "Thousand Needles", perpetrated by Yesterday's Promise, remarking that the incident can only be explained by the existence of magic. Despite her success and Salvador's praise, Yuna is still concerned by their Office's high rent. Salvador brushes this off, showing the others that the Zwei Association has assigned them a new Urban Plague-class request which will pay enough to secure their financials for the next three months; this request is none other than the Library.

Philip is hesitant, as the case is his first Urban Plague, but Salvador tells him to treat it as a "learning experience". Yuna and Salvador banter over holding a party at Salvador's house if they succeed on the mission, and hearing this news makes Philip uncomfortable. After Yuna leaves for her final preparations, Salvador approaches Philip, noticing Philip's concern on certain topics, and intends to meet Philip after the job is finished to clear up his concerns.

Back in the Library, Roland is surprised by the appearance of Salvador, the "gramps" who he knew in the past. He mentions Salvador's past as a veteran of the Smoke War, though he concludes that Salvador is no longer as successful. Angela comments that Salvador is still doing better than Roland was, to Roland's annoyance.

After entering the Library, Yuna is surprised by how "slick" it is. Philip compares it to a factory they raided as part of a previous request, the "Midnight Pancreas Burgers", bringing up unwanted memories disgusting both Salvador and Yuna. They are then greeted by Angela. Salvador returns the greeting politely, but makes it clear that they have come to kill her and warns her that she will only face retribution for all the blood shed due to her actions. Angela counters that the same is true of Salvador and promptly leaves.

Post-Battle

Roland continues to reflect on encountering - and fighting - his old acquaintance Salvador. Angela is surprised that Roland talks so familiarly about the "gramps" despite Salvador not recognizing him at all. Roland brushes off the question, hypothesizing that Salvador may have simply forgot him out of the many people that he presumably knows, or his old age is affecting his memory. Angela asks why Roland didn't bother reconnecting with Salvador. He tells her it's to avoid the awkwardness of reconnecting with him only to have to immediately end their relationship, one way or another. Angela approves of Roland's approach to relationships; Roland pointedly tells her to always expect betrayal, even from the closest places.

Background

Dawn Office may be small, but that doesn't take away from its Fixers' competence. Each of its Fixers is skilled enough to handle Urban Legend-grade requests on their own, which is no easy feat. Furthermore, its Fixers cooperate well with each other and have a harmonious, almost familial relationship. The sole problem of its small size is that Dawn Office does not receive as many large requests, which can limit its financial state due to the high costs of operating in a Nest.

The Operator of Dawn Office, Salvador, is a former member of the Zwei Association and a veteran of the Smoke War, a hotshot Fixer who has settled down some in his old age. The entire Office space is styled after Salvador's preferences, with a rustic but sophisticated feel created by antique furniture and the aroma of ssanghwa-cha.

Dawn Office's specialty is direct combat, somewhat ironically given the defensive style of Salvador's former workplace. Since combat strength alone does not solve every situation, Dawn Office often partners with other Offices for support. Its closest and most frequent partner is the Wedge Office, making the two sister Offices. This is also partially because of the long-lasting friendship between Salvador and Oscar, the Operator of Wedge Office. Salvador trusts them such that he instructs Philip to seek out Wedge Office for aid should any circumstances befall him.

Key Page stories

Salvador’s Page

Case Name: ‘Thousand Needles’ Serial Code: DN-00113 Grade: Urban Legend Date of Occurrence: XXXX/XX/21 Description: This document is a compilation of relevant information on the case of the Thousand Needles, which occurred in the Backstreets of District 22. While a clear conclusion on this case has yet to be made, it is speculated to be a case of the Distortion based on the apparent inability to confirm the cause or analyze the composition. Case Report: Entity A-01, the first apparent source of the incident, was wandering the Backstreets of District 22 before swelling up and exploding. Numerous needles were dispersed upon the explosion, flying in all directions. The needles which stuck onto building walls caused the site of impact to melt and crack; when a human was struck with one of the needles, they were transformed into A-02, going through the same bizarre process of detonation A-01 did. The orange symbol on the nape of A-01’s neck was also found on the needles discharged from its body. When I arrived at the scene after taking the request, the bits of flesh scattered around the streets began to merge into one giant body using a brainstem focus resonator, becoming a 3-meter-tall (~10ft) mass that I will refer to as A-03. A-03 began throwing large needles, the length of which varied from 1 to 3 meters. Unlike the small needles fired from the explosion of A-01 or A-02 that could only leave small dents on building structures, the giant needles flung by A-03 caused buildings to helplessly melt. In addition, local residents who stared into the entity’s eyes or holes in its body soon produced a boiling sound before turning into A-02, so I had to forbid people from observing it closely. A-01 visited OO Office to give a request four days prior to the incident. (Refer to <Audio Transcript of Testimony from a Fixer of OO Office>) Judging by what they said, such as “Made a deal with the devil”, and “Terrible things will happen if I break the contract”, it is speculated that ‘Yesterday's Promise’ is behind the incident. Audio Transcript of Testimony from a Fixer of OO Office File Name: #S-0012-XXXX/XX/23 I’m fine. Can I just talk like this? ……Oh, okay. Got it. When was it… A person visited our Office last Wednesday, if my memory serves me right. They introduced themself as an ordinary resident of the Backstreets of District 22, and said they urgently needed help. There were huge bags under their eyes, and their hair was a tangled mess. Their eyes were lifeless and blurry, and there was some sort of symbol on their neck, as if they’d been attacked by a Stigma Workshop product… The desperation was palpable. They couldn’t even walk straight, and they were straining to approach me with their awkward steps. I managed to calm them down, and they said… I’m sorry. I’m not sure how I should explain it… In short, they made a contract with a devilish person of some kind, and they’re scared that they might break the contract, so they were now asking us to take care of the devil so it can’t kill them as punishment. I still don’t get what that was about, even though I’m talking about it. To be frank… I just couldn’t understand what they were saying. Not just because their level of knowledge and manner of speech was lamentably inferior, no. All they uttered was a series of simple words, but the splendid images delivered in those hysteric words they let out like they were possessed by something, I can’t dare try to describe them… They kept saying confusing things like ‘Will skewer people's heads and make a necklace out of them to offer to it.’ ‘They keep getting closer. They're multiplying in numbers. They're approaching from inside me.’ All with a mysteriously bright glint in their eyes. Oh, our Office records counseling with our clients by principle. You’ll see how confusing the whole situation was if you give this file a listen. Don’t worry, we record them with the client’s consent and everything, so there’s nothing illegal about this. (Refer to <Evidence 5-1: OO Office Counseling Audio Recording>.) But what can I do, really. The whole deal with the devil thing just sounds too unrealistic. I honestly thought they were lying, so I made up an excuse to turn them away.

Yuna’s Page

Audio Transcript of Testimony from District 22 Resident 1 File Name: #S-0019-XXXX/XX/25 (Omitted) I think it was last Monday. Dery said something strange to me. They told me they made a contract with someone and they’re scared that they might break it. They said they don’t know what horrifying penalty they’ll have to face upon breaking the contract. I tried to calm them down, saying they should be fine as long as they don’t actually breach the contract, but Dery got ticked off and complained that it’s unfair how they’re supposed to comply with unfavorable terms hidden in the fine print. Then they broke into tears, saying they’re doomed anyway. They apparently agreed to do three tasks in exchange for gaining power. (Omitted) Audio Transcript of Testimony from District 22 Resident 2 File Name: #S-0021-XXXX/XX/25 Do I have to recall that messed up memory…? …Alright. If it’s necessary to prevent another incident from happening… I guess there’s no choice. You can record it, sure. I don’t remember everything that happened, actually. That day was just like any other, except Dery showed up in the streets after going missing for a few days, looking awfully gaunt… Other than that, the weather was normal, and the streets were the same as always. I know, that’s when the incident started… Dery was walking the street as they mumbled something, but they didn’t seem to be heading to a specific destination. It’s like they were staring off into space and forcibly dragging their feet along. They said strange things like something… keeps coming, or boiling; they were always a bit of a weirdo, so that didn’t bother me too much. But then… Dery’s body began swelling up. All I could think at that moment was how funny they looked, expanded like a balloon. The scene was that unrealistic. Maybe it was the shock of confronting an unbelievable situation paralyzing the human brain, or the brain beginning to believe that it’s only a dream and marveling at the scene, but I was just standing still and staring at what was going on. “Am I really in reality?” But before I could gather myself up, the incident happened. Dery’s body blew up and weird needles went. Mrs. Madrid, who was standing in front of me, was struck with one of the needles. And her body swelled up and exploded into a shower of needles, just like Dery did. I luckily managed to get away without getting hit by any needles. I ran right to this Office without turning back once… And now… Now… I don’t think I can get back there. I wonder if anyone else lived… If my friend Mijin’s alright… If my house is fine… I’m curious, but I just can’t go back—I can’t do it… What do I do… I don’t wanna go back to… (The interviewee’s breath became coarse and unstable afterwards; the recording was suspended as it was deemed that the interview could no longer proceed.)

Battle Symbols

There is one Battle Symbol related to this guest group; see their reception page for more details.

Trivia

Ssanghwa-cha is a traditional Korean tea. Roland elaborates further on the tea in the Library Of Ruina Art Book and claims that "it's awesome with soft-boiled egg yolk."

Gallery

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  Salvador

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  Yuna

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  Philip

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  Dawn Office background