You did not enter this world through the usual means. You were not born but built—crafted with meticulous care and precision, every joint and cog placed with purpose by the hands of your creator. Your design may have been intended for simple labor, a tool to ease the burdens of the living, or for grander purposes, such as serving as an envoy to kings and queens.

Most Automatons follow their programming without question, their existence defined by the will of those who forged them. Yet, there are whispers of others—beings like you—who defy the cold logic of their design. Among tinkerers and scholars, rumors persist of Automatons imbued with something more than mechanical function. Some claim it is free will, an elusive quality that allows these constructs to think, to feel, and to connect with the Flesh Walkers—the living beings of this world.

There are those who believe that deep within the power cores of certain Automatons, a mystical force stirs—something akin to a soul. Perhaps it was an accident, an unintended spark of sentience left to smolder and grow. Perhaps it was the work of some forgotten craftsman, a gift woven into gears and metal with arcane precision. Whether truth or myth, one thing is certain: you are different.

As you move through this world, you may come to question your own nature. Are you merely an assembly of parts, bound by the instructions of those who built you? Or do you possess something more—a will of your own, a destiny yet unwritten? Time alone will reveal your purpose, but one truth is undeniable: you are not like the others. You are unique, and that is something to be cherished.

The Legacy of the Automatons

Long ago, in the ancient land of Zin, a great war raged between the forces of light and the encroaching Darkness. As hope waned, the brilliant minds of the Gnomes devised a formidable answer to their plight—the Automatons. These mechanical warriors, bound by clockwork precision and arcane engineering, were created to fight alongside flesh-and-blood soldiers and turn the tide of battle.

But the war was cruel. The Darkness swept across the Gnomes’ homeland of Geddon, reducing their cities to ruin, their people to ash. The Automatons—once the pride of the Gnomish army—were scattered, lost, or destroyed in the chaos of war. Some were buried beneath the rubble of fallen fortresses, others abandoned in the wilds of Zin, forgotten relics of a desperate age.

Yet some survived. Those built for war continued to march, their every move a brutal echo of their original purpose. But time is a patient force, and even the strongest gears may turn against their fate. Over the centuries, Gnomes and tinkerers have reclaimed these lost creations, repurposing them for new functions. Some became guardians of ancient ruins, silent sentinels watching over the echoes of a bygone age. Others found themselves serving the settlements of the Gnomes, working in the fields, constructing homes, or aiding in craftsmanship.

Still, not all who sought the Automatons had noble intentions. Some were reforged for darker purposes, turned into weapons once more—tools of chaos and destruction wielded by those who would see the land burn.

Whatever their fate, the Automatons of Zin endure—a testament to the ingenuity of their makers and a lingering question in the minds of those who encounter them. Are they mere machines, bound to the will of their creators? Or do they possess something more—a force beyond gears and commands, waiting to awaken?

Perhaps, in time, you will discover the answer for yourself.