Marionettes
Hours of meticulous welding, articulation and artifice leads to the ‘birth’ of a Marionette. Also called ‘manikins’, ‘puppets’, ‘living dolls’, or ‘fireflies’ - the latter in reference to their creator - these constructs are the invention of a noble and ranking member of the Society of Immortal Visions , Count Radomir Dragavei. Though once created as a uniform form, each marionette is now created with slight differences - some even resembling different humanoid species - but the thin gold seams between plates of their artificial skin is a giveaway to their man-made origins.
Despite their humanoid appearance, marionettes lack many of the traits that cause friction between workers and leaders. They have no need for breaks or food, and they lack the ability to resent or argue with their masters - though the latter trait does make them poor judges of character, making certain jobs such as law enforcement and guards a poor fit for marionettes without proper supervision.
Marionettes are both a mechanical and magical marvel, fueled by a core that activates the otherwise dormant construct. Their construction is such that they are able to sustain some damage and recover from it over time, like a long-term mending enchantment or a mechanical process of filling in damage with liquid metal. Their construction, even the metals they are constructed with, also insulate them from electricity, making them resilient to shocks and arcs from some other machinery that has been created by the Society of Immortal Visions. Despite all these benefits, as with any power source, a marionette will slowly lose its magical essence over time, leading to its body becoming inanimate.
As the designs of these constructs improved, so did their possible roles. One such role became that of a soldier or guardian, a thought that drew the interest of many who see the prospect of an unsleeping, vigilant guard to be beneficial, both as a sign of status and one of utility. Due to the increasingly modular design of the marionettes, they can be modified to make them more or less durable depending on their function. This process usually requires a trained artificer from the Society or Dragesti where they are made, but allows these constructs to be constructed in a way that would simulate the effect of light, medium, or heavy armors.
Free Will?
Inscribed at the core of each marionette are the laws by which all of their kind obey. These laws ensure adherence to laws of the land and prevent them from turning on their master. In some cases, they may even be written to cause them to feel attachment or love for their creator or owner. These laws keep the marionettes in line, but it is stressed by both the Visionaries and their inventor that marionettes have no sense of self-consciousness and that any situation in which one is believed to have expressed independent thought or action is either a trick of the mind or a fault in the artifice of the construct which may be handled through disposal and reconstruction of the individual construct.
Designs
While a few marionettes have been created with unique designs, the majority remain within a few general models.
The “custodian” model was the first model designed by Count Radomir Dragavei. These were built as an alternative to golems and are believed to have taken some inspiration from the dwarven constructs still found within the Gloamfire Ashlands, but with a more manageable size and build. These “custodians” were generally used as servants and laborers, but evolved in design to act as soldiers and guardians. They have a limited range of commands and intelligence, more useful for general labor than conversation or complex actions.
“Handler” models followed the custodians when a demand for a more complex, intelligent design was expressed. Handlers are not made for the heavy labor that their predecessors are capable of, but are created with a greater potential for intelligent actions, ability to retain information and blend in with the environment to be available at a moment’s notice. These models are purposefully made to look the most humanoid, sometimes mistaken for real people, though they still have the golden seams when looked upon closely. These models have been the most common sold to nobility or given directly from Count Dragavei himself as gifts to act as servants, majordomos, and keepers of homes.
“Thespians” are the first model created by the Society of Immortal Visions with the assistance of Count Dragavei in powering their construction. Unlike the other models of marionettes, these only have the purpose of acting as entertainers and have no designed potential for combat or defense. The unique design created by visionary Olivia Mocanu is capable of greater range of motion at the sacrifice of durability, creative design and “thought”, and are outfitted with another Society invention that has begun to be known as “puppet strings” which allow them great mobility in seeming defiance of any natural law of motion. While few of these have been seen outside of Şeval, where the Society resides, they have become quite a spectacle within the city as a new source of entertainment for the masses.
Access & Availability
Each marionette is expensive, usually sold or granted to nobility by their inventor, but within the County of Dragmire these constructs have been mixed in with guards and laborers. As each year goes by, the process of mass manufacturing of the chassis or bodies of these constructs becomes more reliable and more make it into the world. However, the majority of marionettes remain within either Dragavei Castle, Dragesti, or Şeval.
Invention
According to their inventor, the vision that led to these creations evolved in part from the medical application of prosthetics and was such to create the perfect servant and a tireless workforce capable of enduring the strain and dangers the common peasant cannot. With these expendable constructs working the more dangerous labor jobs, fewer injuries were bound to occur.
One part of this discovery that has not been studied outside of Castle Dragavei or select parts of the Society's workshops is the power source at the heart of each of the constructs. This invention has been kept secret since its inception by Count Dragavei, and each construct is delivered with the express warning that tampering with the device in any invasive way such as to study the power source or the details of its inner workings without his permission would be likely to cause irreparable harm to the one attempting such a thing.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing process is kept in varying stages of secrecy. The construction of the mechanical workings is the most well known, but is only done within the town of Dragesti or Şeval. The further in to the mechanics of what makes the constructs animate, the less is known of the process. One noticeable, yet likely unrelated point of interest has been the coincidental correlation between the increased construction of these automatons and the noticeable interest House Dragavei has had in the prospects of its vassal, House Otrava.
Social Impact
The impact has been varied across different jobs that have been taken. For soldiers, the custodians are often seen as a positive as they are never sleeping watchers that can be relied on to do their jobs without rest. Laborers have had a less accepting reaction to their implementation. While they are capable of doing more dangerous jobs and going in to hazardous conditions without as much risk, they have also taken jobs and possible income from commoners to do so. In the domain of one Baron Grozav this has caused a number of fishers and dockworkers to take a note from the city of Şeval and attempt to form a guild in order to keep work flowing fairly.
Outside of the custodian models, there are fewer affected by the usage of the marionettes. Some servants may have been let go, but more likely those handlers kept by nobles are also seen as a status symbol rather than a replacement for humanoid servants.
Alternate Names:
- manikin
- living doll
- puppet
- firefly
Example of a Custodian model
Example of a Handler model
Example of a Thespian model
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