Theo R Cwithin
I cast "Baconstorm!"
There could be a Clockwork Rule, like Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, that determines how clockworks interact with the citizenry. Then as the infection slowly commandeers more and more clockworks, it can be something that is increasingly obvious.
The infection would be almost unnoticeable at first (the lamplighters are a half minute late each night), then a little noticeable (a clockwork constable strangely fails to save a child rundown by a carriage), and increasingly more obvious as clockworks start disobeying and eventually harming the citizens. In this way, the Rule provides a "baseline" for the PCs to measure against-- how far the infection has progressed, and how far it has to go.
As for where the infection comes from, I vote for "infernal spammers"
The infection would be almost unnoticeable at first (the lamplighters are a half minute late each night), then a little noticeable (a clockwork constable strangely fails to save a child rundown by a carriage), and increasingly more obvious as clockworks start disobeying and eventually harming the citizens. In this way, the Rule provides a "baseline" for the PCs to measure against-- how far the infection has progressed, and how far it has to go.
As for where the infection comes from, I vote for "infernal spammers"

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