[UA] Re: The Metal Eaters (was Steampunk)

[rex monday]

Spoiler warning: If you are in my gaming group, don't read this (That's you, 
J.)


Wow, I'm really getting into this idea. I'll have to include it in my next 
campaign. This would be great plot to put the Sleepers in.

This mechanomancer is starting to get noisy. He's maybe running an auto shop 
(I've got the beginnings of a truly surreal used car commercial in my head 
right now) or selling his creations to art galleries.They silence the 
clockworker, and scrap all his creations they can find, thinking that one or 
two getting away won't be too bad. Unfortunately, the one clockwork they 
forgot about was the Lonely Lunchbox. In fact, in itself, it's not all that 
impressive. It was an early expiriment that Mr. Clockworker used to play 
around with some concepts on reproduction. Now, the fact that it's only real 
instructions are to self-replicate (shades of the golem here) and the fact 
that is his last remaining magickal legacy mean trouble. It begins obeying 
it's command protocols, busily remaking the scrapyard it calls home. Soon, 
it will be found and this will be an event so loud it may rouse the sleeping 
tiger to greater violence than the OU has seen in decades, maybe centuries.

There is an alternate twist that I'd include because I'm nuts about 
evolution theory and mutation. Since, the little guys run down over time, 
the lunchboxes take on flaws during their lifetimes. Every once in a while, 
the flaw is one that can be passed down to the next generation. Sometimes 
this flaw helps the new Lunchbox in it's mission to "eat" and reproduce. 
Voila! A microcosm of evolution is born. I like the idea of the characters 
walking up to the edge of a gorge where there used to be a junk yard. Now it 
is a primordial jungle of metal! Maybe not completely UA in mood, but I'm 
going for a bit more on the weird side than on the grim and dirty side this 
time around.

-rex monday

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