Meka

Legacy

Early in the God’s War, a thousand years ago, the Ancients faced creatures of Teknogy and Necrosy called Dreadnaughts. Crafted by the Dread Host, they were and remain nigh unstoppable forces of destruction, though their original purposes no longer remain as an essential, and they serve these days mostly to protect areas and animals.

In response, much later on, the Bright or Shadow hosts sought to create a counter to these beings, a way of fighting them and many of the abominations that had been in use in those days. A change in fortunes caused the efforts to be abandoned, but not before some prototypes were created – early versions, built to be able to operate within the Host without making the Ancient peoples uneasy. The abandonment left them, about a 100 in total, maybe a few more, in their many places around the world and without the final spark of activation.

Beginning around 32 years ago, however, they began to appear; always singly, in odd places and odd spaces. In a state of what we are told is called tabula rasa, they are as if children, and they learn and grow in knowledge in the same way as other peoples, though they do not change in form. They do not change, except in minor ways noted below, at all. They emerge from the soil, as if pushed up from within it, encased in collapsible tubes that are sealed until touched by one of the peoples, where it opens and the Meka essentially “imprints” as the child of those who find them. They must learn everything from scratch, and have no inherent skills or knowledge, and are sometimes called Clockwork people, for they are very much alike to the constructs we can make now, but far more advanced.

This is not a great thing; Meka were never quite finished, and so have limited spans of time in which they can be functional before they eventually cease to function and the motivating force that drives them is released. On the other hand, that motivating force enters the Cycle once they awaken, and they can indeed be resurrected and reincarnated and will eventually move beyond their strange and peculiar origins.

Meka must rest, they must engage in the world, and they are ultimately just considered to be people, because aside from their origins and appearance, they are people. It is said that Paria and Melane have an interest in them, and Vulcana is also known to have intervened on their behalf – the first one known, a young Meka, was defended while still a comparative child that was brought before the Seneschal of Sibola by the presence of Vulcana herself, and it is said the stone where she stood is still scorched.

Meka are constructed of ancient materials, without the ability to be replaced by most, but the underlying miasmata that empowers them gives them some capacity to effect self-repair for a period of roughly 99 years, after which they will fail completely within the next 30 or so years, passing on.

The best known Meka is the Vanguard D’nym, aka The Bloody Maid. She is a Null, however, Meka can have different affinities and axioms, just like anyone else, and it was this that truly helped them to be seen as people. Vulcana’s Pet, the Meka self-named Murderbot, is a Cleric in service to her, after all.

Although Meka are included under Semihumans, they are not such themselves. They are Constructs, motivated by a planar force.

Tradition

Meka are artificial people who imprint and recall indefinitely the face and person they first encounter. They have an incredible memory, though often seem to be easily distracted, despite paying attention. Because of the tabula rasa, they will pick up much of the heritage and values of those who find them. A significant number of them (of the 23 known so far, 17 total) have a strong tendency to enter into service professions where they are able to take care of people. This may be as a butler or maid, most commonly, but also physic and scribe, to name very few of the many options they tend towards.

As noted previously, some do choose adventuring. But, just like people, they have minds, wills, destinies, and fates of their own, and must tread their thread in their own way. This can be rather notable because as a whole, Meka have a strong tendency to develop certain personality quirks that can impact the way they respond to the world around them, in much the same way that their initial encounter can do so.

Meka cannot produce children, however, and this is said to be part of why D’nym became a Vanguard after having been a maid for several years.

Perspective

Meka learn the Values of their imprinted “parent” or those who raise them if different. They terrify some imprinted parents.

Mot Meka are fascinated by everything in the world around them, though they do tend toward picking certain things that are of special interest to them. Meka can be single minded.

One thing that many are curious about is what happens when a Meka falls in love. As noted previously, when they encounter someone they tend to adopt a form that is not seen as threatening. When a Meka does fall in love, however, they tend to shift that form to be as pleasing as they can to the aesthetic tastes of the person they fall in love with, and to incite interest, though they are not able to adjust much beyond a limited chest area and waist contraction in their bodies. This has led to some complaining that they cannot adjust themselves to meet the interests enough, as there are functional limitations on the degree of change, and they cannot change their features. More than a few have wondered how other people can “get so big!”, but they will blush slightly and not answer what it is that they are referring to precisely. Height is a common aspect among Humans, but not so much among the other peoples.

Stigmas

Meka are constructs and have peculiar bodies that can be unnerving to many people. They are also more well known as servants, and so will sometimes be ignored – as they tend to prefer to be underestimated, this is not always annoying, but it can be because it is constant and can get in the way of achieving goals.

Appearance

Meka bodies are jointed with peculiar ball and socket combinations that are found at all joints, though still often limited in their range of motion by the assorted elements that pass through them and in some coverings that hide the joints or perhaps protect them. Those bodies are also carved and etched in metallic, faintly iridescent, softly luminous, intricate spiraling patterns from mid-upper arm and mid-shin to collarbone. These patterns thus far are unique to each one and are startlingly beautiful. Two Meka, side by side, will be remarkably similar, like siblings, but not identical. They do not appear to grow or age. They often have a warm, skin like substance that they exude around their hands, feet, and shoulders to head area.

They appear genderless with soft but not quite delicate features, hair to just below their shoulders, smooth bangs, and mostly hairless bodies. Their hair does not grow – once cut, it remains in that form and never gets longer. They have almond shaped eyes, with some of them having the epicanthic folds found among some peoples. They have slightly upturned, roundish tipped noses, with perfectly round nostrils. Their ears are slightly higher than normal set on their heads. They have slightly pointed chins below evenly proportioned lips. They remain the same height and weight, as well. They cannot see in color, only seeing the world in shades of Black, White, or Gray.

On initial contact with a person, they may shift form slightly through an autognosic process that responds in a manner to make them seem less dangerous. Their Gnosis systems are set to operate in a way that makes them seek to be underestimated, especially by hostile actors. While several have remained fairly neutral, and some have acquired a masculine set (especially around Aztlan), most tend to acquire a feminine set (especially around Sibola and Durango). This does not affect them directly, merely in the way that others interact with them, and has been known to change on occasion.

A disassembled one revealed not only exceptionally fine clockwork parts, but also a strange combination of a reactive fibrous material that was very tough, and their skeletons are not quite the same as people, but more dense, and filled with a flid that is red on the right side and blue on the left, some believe to transport materials to remove the toxins the fibrous material builds up within it, much like we do muscles. All have a series of two swirled color spheres, about 3 inches in diameter, located at heart and brain, that thrum and throb and pulse with power of an unknown, dimensional sort. I am compelled to note that the Meka so treated was able to reassemble herself and address the Destiny of those who brought us this information. She in turn informed us that the spheres contained their Gnosis systems. These are, essentially, the mind and soul of a Meka.

Qualities

Beginning around 32 years ago, Meka began to appear; always singly, in odd places and odd spaces. In a state of what we are told is called tabula rasa, they are as if children, and they learn and grow in knowledge in the same way as other peoples, though they do not change in form. They do not change, except in minor ways noted below, at all. They emerge from the soil, as if pushed up from within it, encased in collapsible tubes that are sealed until touched by one of the peoples, where it opens and the Meka essentially “imprints” as the child of those who find them. They must learn everything from scratch, and have no inherent skills or knowledge, and are sometimes called Clockwork people, for they are very much alike to the constructs we can make now, but far more advanced. This is not a great thing; Meka were never quite finished, and so have limited spans of time in which they can be functional before they eventually cease to function and the motivating force that drives them is released. On the other hand, that motivating force enters the Cycle once they awaken, and they can indeed be resurrected and reincarnated and will eventually move beyond their strange and peculiar origins.

Special

They do not drink water or any other beverage, though this is more because they cannot process it than anything else. Meka do need to breathe, and are seemingly unaffected by diseases, but their sensitive systems are still prone to many assorted harms.

As a result, Meka do not need to eat and have Immunity to Disease and Poison,

Some Meka have appeared missing limbs, eyes, ears, and other things. As with other people, they make adaptations and rely on assistive tools in such cases. The general thinking is that these are the results of damage sustained in the centuries since they were first created, or that they were unfinished or in testing.

Meka sleep by becoming immobile, and do not respond to stimulus until the time they have internally set for such is up. There is no known thing that can bring a Meka out of rest prior to that set time.

Meka must shut down for specific times in order to receive the benefits of Short or Long rests.

Trait

You gain both Advantage on Rolls to avoid raging, and you have the ability to stop as a bonus action on any given turn.

Talent

You gain two proficiency slots.

Tell

You have Weakness to Lightning damage.

Notes