Arakival

Arakival, more commonly known as "Stormknights" or "Metal Men", are a remnant of the lost Blackmoor civilization. They're an anthropomorphic android manufactured for garrison, reconnaissance, and military operations. They're typically found near an old Blackmoor research facility or factory, which will likely be well hidden, and they will guard fearlessly.

Arakival are usually non-violent outside a particular territory line which may not be obvious; they are obeying ancient programs of defence so their actions seem chaotic and terrifying to those unfortunate enough to encounter them. They defend their lairs with a single-minded intensity, but if a victim manages to cross the territorial line, they will turn away to return to a defence position.

Very little is known of Arakival and their lairs, as they are almost never encountered. The Shadow Elves of Aengmor have ancient records dating back to their surface days that speak of 'metal men' that occupied the territory where they discovered the Blackmoor device that caused the destruction and formation of the Broken Lands. Beyond this there has been no further encounters in the Known World, likely Arakival would be encountered in more remote regions far away from civilization.

Arakival appear to be humanoids in intricate steel armour. The nature of their design, which is modular, gives them a similar piecemeal appearance to medieval full plate and as a result most consider them living beings. Their face is marked by a long visor that glows, their optical sensors. They communicate through radio transmissions and rarely speak, if they do it will be in a stilted unrecognisable foreign tongue. (The language barrier cannot be broken through magical means, as the method by which they store their language is not accessible to spells such as comprehend languages.)

Combat: Arakival fight in combat units, usually numbering 6-10 soldiers and one commander. The commander is indistinguishable from the soldiers; any single-classed fighter or character with appropriate combat/tactic proficiency can pick him out with a successful skill check. (For a fighter, base 10% chance with +5% for every level of experience.) Arakival will fight until they receive a command to return to base, take 50% casualties, or their commander is slain.

Arakival are extremely tough in combat. They are immune to all normal weapons except crushing because of the resilience of their armour. Silver and cold iron has no extra effect; magical weapons do regular damage. Any blow has a 15% chance of giving the attacker a 1d4+1 electrical shock if using a metal weapon. They are immune to all illusion, sleep, charm, and hold spells, and enjoy magical resistance due to magical components used in their construction. Fire and cold attacks cause half-damage, electrical attacks either do half-damage or on a successful save heal an equivalent amount of hit points.

Arakival can learn to fight with any weapon, but they are usually equipped with a fulmasec (70%), a flamer (20%), or a slinger (10%).

A fulmasec appears to be an adamantite rod with grips at the centre, but can alter into a number of weapons. It can extend and retract to form a quarterstaff, a large axe blade extends from one end to form a poleaxe, a point extends from the same end to make a spear, and the opposite end has prongs so it can shoot a lightning bolt doing 6d6 points of electrical damage. A typical fulmasec has 32-50 (30+2d10) charges, each weapon transformation consumes one charge, and a lightning bolt costs three charges. Fulmasecs are typically recharged at the Arakival's base; they can also be magically recharged as a regular rod, but with a -2 penalty to their saving throw due to their technological nature. This is the only Arakival weapon that are used to replicate attack forms, the other weapons are too specialized to learn new techniques.

A flamer appears to be a short hollow rod that is affixed underneath the Arakival's right arm, with a short rubber tube that leads to a large cylindrical tank on its back. As its name suggests, it fires a cone of flame 20 feet long and 10 feet wide at the base, doing 5d6 points of damage, save vs. breath weapon for half-damage. A tank contains 2-20 (2d10) shots of fuel, which if preserved is equivalent to potion of fiery burning.

A slinger is a short hollow rod that is affixed on the lower forearm of the Arakival's right arm, with a side cartridge that is removable. The slinger uses compressed air to fire a bead of force at a target, with a maximum range of 120'. A cartridge holds 10 beads of force in a meticulously cushioned rack, a called shot to the slinger has a 50% chance of rupturing the cartridge and causing all the beads to explode.

Greater Arakival are extremely rare and very powerful; they are only produced for specific complex tasks. Their armour is composed of an adamantite alloy and they are both stronger and larger.

Special Ops Arakival have the same adaptation abilities as their brethren but they have a base 60% chance to do so, and are typically prepared with a variety of skills and combat tactics to fight specific enemies. (Such as an invading party of adventurers.) A small fraction (10%) of these Arakival will also have independent power units and can operate without base power for months or years. They also have the potential to become fully sentient and independent of the central computer, such an occurrence is DM's discretion, based on its encounters and experience.

Guardian Arakival are built to guard a specific region, and are simply very large and powerful, lacking the adaptation abilities (see below) and greater intelligence. They can attack with their fists and fire an electrical charge from their eye. They're typically found at the entrance to an Arakival base, and are formidable enough to keep even giants well away.

Arakival are frightening in they are quick to adapt new fighting methods and styles they observe. Arakival have a base 20% chance of acquiring THAC0, weapon proficiency, or combat tactics of any enemy forces, with a bonus of 10% for every Arakival who witnesses the technique. The commander of the unit must still be functioning for this to work. Any unit that returns to their lair will download their acquired skills into the main computer, which will allow any factory unit to produce new Arakival with these skills automatically.

Arakival always collect destroyed units if they can; they were programmed for maximum efficiency and collection of basic parts for recycling. If they are unable to retrieve a body the central computer will issue a self-destruct to it which will render it and any weapons it carried to molten slag one turn later. (Any individual within ten feet of the body will suffer 3d6 points of damage from the self-destruct.) A dispel magic cast upon either the body or weapons will prevent the self-destruction.

Arakival can operate for about a week continuously; they have a move of 30 in regards to overland movement because they do not need rest. All Arakival are equipped with static-electricity collectors that allow them to recharge continuously in storm-like conditions, thus earning their nickname as this activity causes electricity to arc and sparkle across their chassis. If they are unable to return to base they will either enter a dormant state until a rescue unit can arrive, or they will self-destruct.

Habitat/Society: Arakival are very similar to golems, they are an artificial construct that has no real habitat or place in nature. Unlike a golem, however, Arakival are commanded by a central computer system that will be the heart of their lair. This central computer is well guarded by Arakival and various security systems.

The central computer borders close to full sentience, although it will usually (75%) be following ancient directives which would make little sense. 25% of those found, however, will have taken initiative and will likely be more reactive and deadly in tactics. The latter may choose to capture intruders and interrogate them rather than slay them outright. Clever characters that convince the central computer that the nation and people it served are long dead may cause a feedback loop that will destroy it. Or, the computer may simply accept this and create it's own directives. (Which could be very bad indeed.)

The motivations of Arakival's are enigmatic; the few reported encounters have shown them to be territorial but uninterested in expansion. Sometimes this can change, however, if the central computer decides to pursue a course of conquest. If the central computer of any Arakival lair is destroyed all Arakival will self-destruct, unless another Arakival base is nearby and the central computer there can override them. It may be possible to bargain or even ally with a particularly smart Arakival central computer, but they will be reluctant to join in any military alliances because of their dependency on their base for power and ancient coding which left such matters to human diplomats of Blackmoor.

Ecology: Arakival are not natural creatures, and play little part in the ecology of the region they inhabit. They do not need to eat or drink to survive; they receive power from their base reactor. (Some of the bases rely on geothermal or solar power; others are more exotic, dependent upon lightning storms or tidal waves.)

Arakival are manufactured by base facilities set up to create units, they are typically produced as combat units, bases with facilities in good condition typically produce units at a rate of ten a month. A typical base will have 40-150 Arakival units total; most of these will be dispersed over a wide region for scouting and garrison duty. Parts and repair are often in short supply, which means Arakival may be sent out on expeditions to retrieve metal, magical items, and even raw ore.

Most Arakival bases are isolated enough that they rarely need to adapt their attack techniques; any contact with adventurers will cause a wide variety of adaptations to form. A central computer may start altering the appearance and abilities of its Arakival to match any forms it has seen. (Which may be very unnerving to adventurers who return to see Arakival clones of themselves and their abilities.) So long as parts and materials are available, there is no theoretical limit to the amount of adaptation possible.