Valannor

Recipe:

- Powdered charcoal mixed with water

- Connection x3

- Life x3

- Growth x2

- Strength x1

- Balance x2

- Endurance x3

- Grace x2

- Order x3
 

- Intelligence Vessel: The ‘brain’ of the automaton; it is often placed in the head region, though it is not uncommon for animati to be made with their cerebral module closer to the gear-heart. This module is necessary for any greater mental function of the automaton, and without it they cannot bear any distinct sense of awareness or intelligence. Automatons built without a cerebral module would bear intellect resembling that of an olog and would suffer from short-term memory loss; in addition, they would struggle to respond to external stimuli granted by their other modules. This module takes the shape of a wyrd organ of folding vessels, and the more folds or ‘wrinkles’ there are to the module, the more intelligent the automaton shall be - capped at the intelligence of a normal descendant. 

- Visual Module: The eyes of the automaton, placed most commonly on the head. It is not unheard of for an automaton to have more than two functioning eyes, though should these be placed facing different directions, it would result in the automaton’s vision being fragmented and leave them with poor hand-eye coordination. These are made by alchemically treating hollowed glass and filling the interior with alchemic lifeblood. The eyes must then be plugged into the cerebral module, though if the automaton lacks one they may be connected to the heart, albeit at the cost of poorly processing visual information gained by the eye. 

- Voice Module: The voice-box of the automaton, allowing for proper verbal communication. It is designed similarly to a notebox, filled with various cords, strings, and pins which can be plucked to produce sounds; the more complex the voice box, the more complexity the voice may have, but the more fragile the module will be. While the voice module can come close to replicating that of a human, it will never sound fully organic, having either a strange instrumental tune or a more gritty and coarse one. 

- Audio Module: The hearing module of the automaton, allowing them to receive auditory input. These modules consist of a thin layer of filament made from treating leather with alchemical lifeblood; they are often placed in the head where the ears would be, though creative liberty with their location may be taken. That said, they are incredibly fragile and can be easily torn if the automaton’s interior is exposed, rendering the automaton effectively deaf if destroyed. 

- Obedience Vessel: An optional module which an alchemist may install within their construct, binding the automaton’s will to their own. This is achieved by taking 20 milliliters of blood and injecting it directly into the automaton's stores of lifeblood. This cannot be any blood; it must be the blood of the individual the creator wishes the automaton to owe obedience to. While this does not prevent the automaton from forming other allegiances and relationships, it will solidify their loyalty to their creator, preventing them from causing outright harm or acting against their master’s directives and orders in ill faith. It is possible for an automaton to have multiple masters, though the first and largest sum of deposited blood will always take priority, with each lower number subsequently following.

- If one desires to swap out the obedience vessel of an Automaton to replace it with one of their own, they require informed OOC consent from the Automaton to do so, given the extreme level of control an obedience vessel offers over the persona. 

- T5 Automatons are always distinctly humanoid in shape, though they may have complimentary aesthetics depending on the whim of their maker. These aesthetics cannot grant any extraordinary function; (i.e. talons can only be as sharp as regular knives).

- Animii Crafters can add things onto their creations, be it something as simple as making a finger open up to be a pen, to something as having a spring loaded blade come from their wrist. It should be noted that these gadgets should make sense and incorporate some realism (for example, there’s no way an automaton can have a greatsword loaded in their arm, discreetly). In addition, one must consider weight and possible complications to the creation. One example of this would be mounting some sort of massive crossbow, which would -- if attached to the arm or back -- hinder some movement.  

- Anything added to an automaton must be balanced and accommodated; a more brawny automaton would require larger legs and would thus be slower, hunched over, etc. Extra appendages and limbs would disperse the automaton’s strength equally through each limb; an automaton with three arms would have 1/3 of their base strength in each arm. 

- Capabilities granted by modules cannot exceed that of descendant capacity; an automaton cannot hear better than a regular descendant with an auditory module. 

- The material an automaton is made from must be in-organic or dead. Most commonly automatons are made from steel, but some may have tufts of dead fur or other materials accentuating them. That said, they should not be made entirely from dead materials (i.e. wood), as these would likely rot away and expose the automaton’s interior. 

- Automaton plating cannot be too dense, and most can only possess a maximum 2mm of thickness before being weighed down; this means that roughly 4 heavy jabs from a sword, or 3 swings of a mace could puncture and dent the automaton plate respectively, leaving its interior liable to damage. For reference, this is no thicker than that of most typical armors. Heavier materials, such as carbarium, would likely need to be even thinner should the automaton hope to move, with the amount of force necessary being determined by the material in question.

- Automatons can be made from special ST materials, though the material used should be specified on the app. The equivalent proportions should also be handed over to the ST prior to the app’s acceptance. For measurement purposes, this would equate to a full suit of armor made from said material. 

- The Gear Heart should be placed in the center of the automaton’s body so that it may distribute the lifeblood fluid more evenly throughout. 

- Modules are not microtechnology; at best they are the size of what would be a normal descendant organ. For example, the Gear Heart will always be the size of a regular human heart; the cerebral module will be no smaller than that of a regular brain, etc. 

- Modules are delicate and thus can be easily destroyed if exposed; 2 heavy blunt strikes would be enough to damage them to the point of inoperability. Automatons bleed out in around 8 emotes, unless the injury is patched. 

- Unlike normal mortals, Animii cannot clot their own wounds, as their blood is a synthetic fuel - necessitating repair to avoid bleeding out. 

Automatons must always be humanoid in shape, though they may have aesthetics which grant them no unique combative advantage. 

- Regular-sized automatons cannot be taller than uruk, nor smaller than that of a halfling. Anything larger, up to the size of an olog, would be limited to a walking pace (their movement cut by half for mechanical limits, e.g moving 2 blocks per round instead of 4) and slowed movement and mental processes, requiring another individual to guide and direct them via an obedience vessel for most tasks. They would never be able to, for example, formulate complex plans or execute complex actions. That being said, they are capable of forming personalities and engaging in dialogue as normal. 

- Automatons cannot shapeshift nor change their form dramatically on their own. 

- Automatons and Machine-spirits cannot FTB.

- Only 3 Playable Automaton CAs can be made every 3 months by a single Animii crafter, with a slot refreshing 3 months after the last was made. 

- One may only construct [1] CA Automaton per IRL week, due to the intense effort required to craft such an intricate piece of alchemical artifice. 

- Automatons do not possess any mana whatsoever, and may not learn magics which require one to hold a soul of any kind. 

Minor:

Minor overclocking is when an Animati pumps enough fluids to where they have an additional quarter (+25%) of their strength, and speed. This may only be maintained for [4] emotes straight without killing oneself, and it renders the automaton at roughly half of their physical capabilities for the rest of the RP scenario. The speed increase would allow them to move [1] block further than normal.

Major:

Major overclocking allows an Animati to have an additional half of their strength and speed (+50%), but can only do so for [2] emotes without perishing as a result. Stopping the overclock before death would render the automaton completely inert and unconscious for the rest of the RP scenario. The speed increase would allow them to move [2] more blocks than normal.

- Overclocking would not allow one to move so quickly as to outrun or dodge a crossbow bolt, or punch a hole straight through an individual’s armor. 

- Olog sized Animatii may not Overclock whatsoever. 

- Overclocking must display a tell, such as steam pouring out of the automaton’s form, the excessive whining of gears, etc. 

- Automatons may only overclock once per encounter, perishing should they do so a second time. 

- Automatons, if they should bleed out, will lose all memory of the encounter which led to their temporary demise, in line with normal death rules. They will be effectively soft-shelved until recovered and repaired by an individual with an accepted Animatii FA. PVP conflict does not apply to the destruction of the Gear Heart unless pushed for by the Automaton's side of the conflict. 

- If the Gear Heart is damaged, major memories and personality traits will be lost, at the discretion of the Automaton. 

- If the Gear Heart is outright destroyed entirely, the personality and memories of the Automaton are irrecoverable, with no possibility of repair or restoration of the original. A new heart would need to be fashioned from the remains of the gear heart, if one were made, to recover any semblance of the destroyed Automaton. The physical item will, likewise, need to be disposed of and trashed.  

Simpler in make than full-fledged Automatons, Animatii or Clockwork prosthetics operate by using an individual’s own blood mixed with alchemical lifeblood. Typical prosthetics comprise legs, arms, hands, etc. and require a miniature Gear Heart to be located at the base of the limb, alongside the usual vessels, cogs, tubes, pulleys and other components that comprise the faux muscle and alchemical nervous system of the prosthetic. It must then be surgically attached, with vessels fed into the patient’s body to draw the blood that the limb shall use to function alongside its main fluids. They may perhaps be more durable than a Descendant limb, owing to their metallic construction commonly, but they will lack sensitivity of touch compared to their fleshy counterparts - able to endure [3] blunt strikes before their internals are effectively destroyed or knocked out of place, and the limb rendered nonfunctional. Limb prosthetics may be given relatively benign upgrades or unique features, such as hollow spaces in which to store items, a quill which extends from one’s index finger, blades which spring from the knuckles, etc. 

Slightly more complex and intricate prosthetics include the likes of eyes, hearing aids and jaws. In the case of jaws, they tend to be the simpler of the two, as they are largely one piece of metal with what little articulation they require being done by the primary vessels. They are prone to rusting, and should they be severely damaged, one’s blood would continue to flow until the broken section was plugged or repaired. They provide no boost to one’s biting strength, and largely function as a mundane jaw. They will likely also impose a lisp or speech impediment of some sort. Eyes are made functionally the same as Visual Modules, and may be inserted into the empty eye socket and kept in place with vessels to perform an identical function - with some Animii crafters choosing to have a metal housing about the eye socket to lend it a sturdier nature. Eyes are particularly fragile, and can easily be strained by whiplash or blunt trauma to the head, causing them to shatter and potentially damage the user. Should it crack or leak, the eye will quickly cease to function and the wearer may feel dizzy as a result of spilling alchemic fluids, albeit there is likely nothing more to come of it beyond loss of sight.  Disorienting effects and sudden light changes will also blind the eye for [1] emote, in addition to the base duration of the blinding effect. Hearing is also capable of being restored via the creation of a small prosthetic that must be secured to the ear to function. Although able to restore hearing, they are prone to breaking from trauma, and cause tinnitus-like symptoms with prolonged use.

Finally, the most complex prosthetics are for voice boxes and lungs - both of which impose graver detriments on the host than simpler prosthetics. Voice boxes would be built and installed much akin to an Animatii’s Voice Module, exposed to the open air as metal overtakes flesh. The voice of the individual would then be akin to an automaton’s, and as they speak, the pins would rapidly extend out of the throat and one would see, if exposed, the vocal cords pluck and twang to form speech - prompting one to cover up the prosthetic, if they were ashamed of it. Lungs would be primitive, leather or metal-cloth sacks kept in operation with a miniature gear heart, resulting in a consistent ticking and wheezing as one breathes - and due to their inefficient and primitive nature, they’d be left with only half their usual stamina. 

- While these prosthetics are made of machinery, and indeed may be made in many styles, they are not sci-fi level augmentations, nor is that aesthetic possible under the LoTC tech-lock. 

- Limbs are considered Tier 2 Prosthetics, Jaws and Eyes Tier 3, and Lungs or Voice Boxes Tier 4. 

- All prosthetics lack the ability to repair themselves if damaged, and shattered vessels do not clot the blood on their own, requiring repair by an automaton crafter. 

- Limbs will never exceed the maximum strength of one’s race, and lack the capability to overclock at all. 

- Limbs and Jaws require [3] blunt hits to be rendered destroyed and inoperable, while Voice Boxes, Eyes, and Lungs require [1] to be shattered and destroyed. 

- All prosthetics are, in some way or form, inferior to the original it replaces. Limbs lack touch sensitivity and hold dulled sensation, organs have vastly decreased function, etc.

- Prosthetics cannot be the heart, brain, prostate, liver, kidneys, intestines, type of gland, stomach, or anything else that would be utterly vital to the function of an individual. Any further prosthetics may be written and added to this lore piece via a lore addition piece. 

- Heavily magical CAs such as Epiphytes, Azdrazi and Sorvians, or those with regenerative properties like Vargyr and Siliti may not have Animii prosthetics, as their bodies would reject them. 

- Animatii prosthetics are incompatible with all enchantments, such as Vehement Smithing artificery. Full limbs or prosthetics with upgrades require an ST signature, while eyes and other smaller prosthetics may merely be player signed.  

- Animatii prosthetics require OOC consent to be implanted onto an individual, and should the individual not desire it, their body would violently reject the given prosthetic or implant. 

Composed of the examples listed in the first and second tier of Animatii Creations, these are relatively benign and flavorful creations with little combative value, and rarely any more practical value than their mundane counterparts. Examples would include a folding wrench, a screwdriver that twists itself, more complex music boxes which could play small symphonies or arrangements, or Animatii backpacks which host arms and appendages to grasp objects or aid in the repair of other clockworks. These cannot be weaponized whatsoever, and may not be used to create repeating crossbows or similarly ludicrous things. 

- All inventions, without an MArt, must be strictly mundane and non-combative in nature; serving as benign, flavorful additions to roleplay more than they do as weapons of war or similarly harmful things. With an MArt, more lee-way is allowed, but things such as guns or modern technologies remain beyond the scope of Animatii, in line with LoTC tech-lock.

Commonplace within workshops and the homes of those affluent in the clockwork artifice of Animatii are servants, drones, and clockwork critters which serve a variety of different purposes, defined in the 2nd to 4th tiers of Automata. In the case of critters, able to be made around the size of a Golden Retriever at the largest, they may take a freeform design of one’s choosing within reason, such as spiders which help weave clothing, messenger birds, companions such as rats, or metallic dogs to help carry objects about. Tier 3 Pets abide by all of LoTC’s rules on pets in combat, should they be used for such, and should their vessels or tubing be cut they would bleed out within [5] emotes, with their limbs and components able to be destroyed in [2] blunt strikes, or [4] harsh slashing strikes. Animatii mounts such as horses are also included in this tier, their components requiring [3] blunt strikes to destroy, or [6] harsh slashing strikes, and [5] emotes to bleed out, and may only be used in any way which a mundane horse would be allowed to in combat. 

NPC servants, such as humanoid automatons or sapient work benches, are entirely benign and non-combative in nature. They may be used as butlers to make or ferry food around one’s home, NPC crew on a naval ship, and other similarly flavorful purposes. 

- Both Servants & Pets are unable to transfer information between owners, or be used to metagame whatsoever.

- Tier 3 Animii companions follow all rules for pets in combat, and may not exceed the size of a Golden Retriever. They are relatively fragile, owing to their smaller size and more primitive minds, and will otherwise act much as a mundane critter would. 

- One cannot use many multiples of a pet or mount to accomplish a feat that would require Smoggers to perform, such as moving a colossal house with a horde of Animatii buffalo.

-Piercing attacks capable of penetrating armor, such as a crossbow bolt, count as [2] slashing strikes.

-Every [2] slashing strikes is to be considered the equivalent of [1] blunt strike. Meaning one may destroy a combat pet's limb by harshly striking it twice with a greatsword, and once with a hammer.

-The destruction of the pet's head prior to its bleeding out results in its loss of intelligence, awareness and combat capability, due to its loss of intelligence and sensory modules.

-Destruction of its Geartheart results in instant death.

- Functionally, Machine Spirits are identical to standard Automatons unless otherwise specified, such as the mechanics of their Gear Hearts and revival. 

- Machine Spirit Husks must be signed by the ST for authenticity, and placed as physical builds within the world. Should a Machine Spirit run out of husks and die, they would be Hard-PKed irrevocably, unable to return to life by any means. 

- Machine Spirits may not be subject to an Obedience Vessel, such unable to control the will of the Descendant soul. 

- The husk must be structurally sound and made at least moderately Humanoid in nature - though it may be grotesque in nature. Exceptionally unique Husks or ones that bear unique functions may be made via an MArt. 

- Requires blood initially to make the heart, and then the main fluid once they transition into an automaton.

- Voidal Magic users will weaken the coil, and if they get damaged -- they will need to adhere to their respective weaknesses. This can be rp'd as Machine spirits being able to feel with their bodies, and if they were to be hurt, they feel pain. While voidal magi are capable of being machine spirits, it does not come without its detriments. 

- Magic users that are nonvoidal are allowed so long as the fact that their body no longer has lifeforce, or genus will not stop them from being able to use the magic. One must still rp the respective downsides, stated in their respective lore pieces. Deity magic is wholly incompatible with Machine Spirits unless otherwise stated, due to Garumdir's hold upon the soul of Machine Spirits. 

- While maintenance is required for all, mages that would suffer physical degradation will need more maintenance to make sure their bodies do not completely fail. This will be through oiling and repairing, even replacing parts, or generating more fluids. The reason why mages are more prone to repairs is due to the voidal atrophy withering their bodies.

- Due to the expense and toil of making the body, it will take two weeks to fully complete one frame, though helpers can lower the time to a week. 

- Requires OOC consent from the person to convert them into a Machine Spirit. If consent is not given, the soul could reject going to the coil. 

- Requires a CA.