MY THOUGHTS ON THE COUNTDOWN CLOCK THING:
First, the countdown clock is fairly new, seeing as it has only appeared in Mumbo's video that was released today and in Joe Hills livestream today. (I checked False, Scar, and Hypno's videos and the countdown clock wasn't in their videos at all). So, this machine was built recently.
Second, there was a lot of creepy and encrypted text surrounding the machine, these being:
• H*****C****B****B****S****
• When the countdown ends, it begins
• Insert name, be a part of change
• You are invited to the change over
• *C*H*A*N*G*E* *I*S* *C*O*M*I*N*G*
From all these clues, we can tell that A) A group or someone who refers to themselves as a plural made this (hence the give US your name). B) An event called the 'Change Over' will begin when the countdown ends. And C), the beginning of the encrypted message means HermitCraft (idk about the B****B****S**** part though).
I have 3 predictions on what is happening here, and the first involves the Watchers from the EVO Smp. I believe that the Watchers are either after the Hermits as a whole, or are just after Grian.
• The Watchers are multiple beings (again, the 'give US your name' thing).
• The Watchers have been known to use creepy and encrypted text before.
• The countdown clock is right next to Grian's barge, and the Watchers have had a history of going after Grian.
• Also the fact that Grian is technically a Watcher.
• The countdown clock doesn't fit the Watcher's color scheme, and doesn't include Bedrock or Obsidian like many of their builds typically do
• The Watchers aren't technically canon in Hermitcraft (but that could change!).
My second prediction is that Grumbot is planning something (evil).
• Grumbot has also been known to give weird messages.
• Again, the countdown clock is next to Grian's barge and Grian was one of Grumbot's dad's.
• For the same reason as above, Mumbo was the first one to find the countdown clock.
• The color palette of the countdown clock doesn't not fit with Grumbot.
• Grumbot was stable last we saw.
• Grumbot hasn't been known to show a lot of aggression.
My last prediction involves the button from the beginning of season 7. Either Grumbot or someone else is planning on bringing the button back, or something even more sinister.
• The color palette of the countdown clock almost completely matches the palette of the button (there is some variation).
• The countdown system is also eerily similar to the button's.
• AGAIN, the countdown clock is next to Grian's barge, and Grian was the hermit who collected all of the colors from the button first.
• The whole fire and brimstone thing around the countdown clock is reminiscent of the button exploding.
• The button is dead (exploded, but I don't know if that really matters).
• The button isn't sentient (compared to the first two options)
Whatever may be happening with the countdown clock, I'm excited to see what happens next! Let me know your thoughts and theories, or if I mistakenly got a fact wrong. Thank you!