Mechanik
A seven-foot-tall suit of walking iron bursts through the
warehouse wall, sending the Dog Street Cutters into disarray.
With a blast of steam from its boiler, the powered armor
lashes out with the hook block of the hauling crane mounted
on its left shoulder, scattering the gang’s members in every
direction. The tinny, high-pitched laughter of Dubbin the
Gobber echoes from deep within the armor. “Not so small
anymore, am I?”
Corporal Denton Hurst huddles behind the mangled chassis of the incapacitated Steamjacks. Bullets pinging off the Mule’s hull let him know that the Scharde (Cryxian) pirates have a bead on his position, and he can hear their captain calling for a cannon to take aim. He takes a blind shot over the ’jack with his pistol and tightens the last clamp on his pneumatic patch. With a quick prayer to Ascendant Corben, the corporal watches the pressure gauge of the ’jack’s boiler begin to climb.
Magus Cordelia MacLinn holds her breath and urges her hand to keep steady as she guides her etching tool across the surface of the runeplate on her workbench. This final, critical stroke will be the difference between a runeplate worth thousands of crowns and a fancy, not to mention costly, bit of junk—if she’s lucky. She looks across the workshop to the corner where Magus Brunder used to work. The steamworks’ custodian had scrubbed the stones for two full hours yesterday but still hadn’t managed to pick all the bits of shrapnel out of them. Foolish Brunder. At least she wouldn’t have to warn him about his sloppy head serifs again.
Whether they are skilled engineers or talented bodgers, mechaniks can apply quick fixes to damaged machines, much like combat medics patch up wounded soldiers to keep them fighting. There isn’t a nation in western Immoren that doesn’t have a great need for talented field mechaniks, but those who are unwilling or unable to find employment in the military are always welcome in the many mercenary companies that employ aging Steamjacks in constant need of vital maintenance, or in the industrial bourgs of cities that rely on laborjacks and massive steam engines to keep the wheels of industry turning.
Experts of the quick fix, mechaniks specialize in tearing down and rebuilding machines of all types. They are problem solvers with a talent for keeping the most clapped-out and run-down devices functioning, including the weapons and equipment of their comrades in arms. Most are driven to constantly tinker with some new—or, in many cases, old—bit of Mechankia, whether trying to improve on the design or simply attempting to get it in working order again.
Their inquisitive nature and stubborn approach to fixing things leads most mechaniks to keep broken Firearms, bits of Steamjacks, and other miscellaneous components rattling around the bottom of their toolkits. Most have the skill to completely repair the stuff, if only they were willing to dedicate the time and funds to do so, but for many of them, continuing to cobble odd bits into makeshift parts and fix what they can day after day is not only easier, but more satisfying.
KEEPING THE WORLD RUNNING
Since the advent of Mechankia, these wondrous machines
have needed sturdy individuals to keep them operational.
Mechaniks filled this need by applying engineering and
machinist principles to the complex and sometimes delicate
components of advanced mechanikal devices.
As a group, mechaniks are bursting with ideas for how to improve existing devices and constantly daydreaming about the latest mechanikal inventions. Because most mechaniks are obsessed with discovering more Mechankia, scrounging for new and useful parts, and creating new contraptions, being tied down to a single workshop can wear down even the most enthusiastic of them. As a result, some leave the comfort of a steady position in a steamworks factory in search of fortune or new challenges; others take to the road to meet other mechaniks and see devices they’d never see otherwise.
Corporal Denton Hurst huddles behind the mangled chassis of the incapacitated Steamjacks. Bullets pinging off the Mule’s hull let him know that the Scharde (Cryxian) pirates have a bead on his position, and he can hear their captain calling for a cannon to take aim. He takes a blind shot over the ’jack with his pistol and tightens the last clamp on his pneumatic patch. With a quick prayer to Ascendant Corben, the corporal watches the pressure gauge of the ’jack’s boiler begin to climb.
Magus Cordelia MacLinn holds her breath and urges her hand to keep steady as she guides her etching tool across the surface of the runeplate on her workbench. This final, critical stroke will be the difference between a runeplate worth thousands of crowns and a fancy, not to mention costly, bit of junk—if she’s lucky. She looks across the workshop to the corner where Magus Brunder used to work. The steamworks’ custodian had scrubbed the stones for two full hours yesterday but still hadn’t managed to pick all the bits of shrapnel out of them. Foolish Brunder. At least she wouldn’t have to warn him about his sloppy head serifs again.
Whether they are skilled engineers or talented bodgers, mechaniks can apply quick fixes to damaged machines, much like combat medics patch up wounded soldiers to keep them fighting. There isn’t a nation in western Immoren that doesn’t have a great need for talented field mechaniks, but those who are unwilling or unable to find employment in the military are always welcome in the many mercenary companies that employ aging Steamjacks in constant need of vital maintenance, or in the industrial bourgs of cities that rely on laborjacks and massive steam engines to keep the wheels of industry turning.
QUICK WITS AND STUBBORN DISPOSITIONS
Experts of the quick fix, mechaniks specialize in tearing down and rebuilding machines of all types. They are problem solvers with a talent for keeping the most clapped-out and run-down devices functioning, including the weapons and equipment of their comrades in arms. Most are driven to constantly tinker with some new—or, in many cases, old—bit of Mechankia, whether trying to improve on the design or simply attempting to get it in working order again.
Their inquisitive nature and stubborn approach to fixing things leads most mechaniks to keep broken Firearms, bits of Steamjacks, and other miscellaneous components rattling around the bottom of their toolkits. Most have the skill to completely repair the stuff, if only they were willing to dedicate the time and funds to do so, but for many of them, continuing to cobble odd bits into makeshift parts and fix what they can day after day is not only easier, but more satisfying.
KEEPING THE WORLD RUNNING
Since the advent of Mechankia, these wondrous machines
have needed sturdy individuals to keep them operational.
Mechaniks filled this need by applying engineering and
machinist principles to the complex and sometimes delicate
components of advanced mechanikal devices.
As a group, mechaniks are bursting with ideas for how to improve existing devices and constantly daydreaming about the latest mechanikal inventions. Because most mechaniks are obsessed with discovering more Mechankia, scrounging for new and useful parts, and creating new contraptions, being tied down to a single workshop can wear down even the most enthusiastic of them. As a result, some leave the comfort of a steady position in a steamworks factory in search of fortune or new challenges; others take to the road to meet other mechaniks and see devices they’d never see otherwise.
Mechanik Archetypes (subclasses)
| Name | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Combat Mechanik | Whether handling a traditional weapon, swinging a heavy ’jack wrench, or bodging a piece of hardware back together, combat mechaniks keep their allies in fighting form. | IK Req |
| Ironhead | The ironhead is a prime example of a mechanik who uses technology to overcome any obstacle. | IK Req |
| Arcane Mechanik | Bridging the gap between machines and magic, arcane mechaniks are arcanists with a penchant for mechanikal engineering. | IK Req |
| Arcanist Mechanik | A mechanik who blends magic and engineering | Borderlands |
| Rhulic Mechanik | A sturdy pragmatist who commands steamjacks | Borderlands |
