Tickermen

The mysterious metal men who hail from parts unknown, given free reign across the Iron Empire to further a mysterious purpose

"What the hell were you thinking, Sacrament Sergeant?"
"S-Sir? I was asking that metal thing what its purpose here was, just like protocol deman-"
"Perhaps you're confused, Sergeant. That was one of the Tickermen. Standing Order #907 - "Do not disturb the ongoing activities of the Tickermen". Or were you asleep at the academy during that lecture?"
"But-"
"No buts. The Tickermen can enter and leave at their leisure. Just keep them out of the restricted areas."

— A conversation overheard between Ironite Guards at the gates of Damnadon

Base Racial Traits

Ability Score Modifiers: (+2 to any two ability scores): Tickermen, hailing from parts unknown, can have metallic bodies built for a variety of purposes and reasons.
Size: Tickermen are medium sized creatures, and thus gain no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Tickermen are creatures of the construct type and the Tickermen subtype, and thus have no Constitution Score(Treating it as 10 for any DCs or other statistics that rely on it). Tickermen gain no other bonuses from this type beyond what is listed in their base racial statblock, below.
Speed: Tickermen have a base land speed of 30ft.
Vision: Tickermen gain low light vision and darkvision 60ft thanks to their superbly constructed bodies.
Languages: Tickermen begin play speaking Modulo only(See Languages of Numiastra for more details). Tickermen with high INT can select from any non-secret language as a bonus language as evidence of their varied origins.
Blended Shell: Their silver-metal bodies made of materials and techniques beyond mortal understanding, the Tickermen are immune to all disease, death effects, paralysis, poison, stunning, sleep effects and rust-based attacks. They are not subject to ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain, or nonlethal damage, and are immune to any effect that requires a fortitude save unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless. However, they cannot be raised or resurrected, and gains bonus HP depending on their size(See the Construct Type for more info) as if they were one size larger. They do not eat, breathe, or sleep, and cannot heal damage on their own unless via the Craft Construct Feat or through effects such as make whole. They may still benefit from fast healing and regeneration.
Radeon Detector: Tickermen have a built in mechanical monitor device that emits audible 'ticks' in proximity to various environmental factors. Tickermen can use this detector to measure local levels of radiation, pollution, environmental corruption, necrolysis, poisons or other unnatural contaminants, technological 'noise'(Radio Signals, Etc), or any other factors currently harmful to life in the area(GM Discretion). The noise from this device intensifies the more dangerous a given area becomes, and cannot be surpressed or silenced - although the Tickermen can disable this monitoring device and re-enable it as a free action.
Minds of the Metarch: Imbued with real and true intelligence via means beyond mortal understanding, the Tickermen are not immune to mind-affecting effects as many constructs are, but gain a +4 on all saves vs mind-affecting effects and are entirely immune to any effect that would alter their memory thanks to their ability to instantly recall their memories from untainted server racks on off-planet facilities. Additionally, Tickermen can communicate with all other Tickermen within 1 mile with an Extraordinary version of Telepathy, and can commune with all electronic and mechanical devices to assess their status and various functions by spending one minute in direct contact with them. This functionality also allows the Tickermen to communicate with and detect the air traffic of radios or any devices constructed to mirror their effects(Such as Dwarven Wavecrusher Uplinks or Ironite Crystal Signals) within a 5 mile radius, and can listen in on such connections with no save. Finally, they can use their personal uplinks that connect them directly back to their mysterious homebase to access strange Satellites in Geostationary orbit to view their surrounding areas from a birds eye perspective and from topographic and environmental maps taken from orbit.
Booster Jets: Tickermen gain the Jet(120ft) Universal Monster Rule, and can as an immediate action release a burst of crushing energy from their heel-jets that destroys all difficult terrain both mundane and magical within a 20ft burst centered on themselves.
Closed Fission Circuit: Powered by highly experimental and incredibly dangerous reactors powered via means beyond mortal comprehension, Tickermen reactors emit unfathomable amounts of energy to power their frames - and have universal ports on their hands and fingers to allow them to power to any technological system, weapon, or machine(Restoring a variable number of charges or functionality over time). This unique power source gives Tickermen the ability to once per combat automatically counterspell or destroy a damaging AoE effect that includes them within its radius. Especially large AoE effects may only be blunted in their immediate surroundings(GM Discretion). However, these reactors also cause them to detonate when reduced to 0HP - erupting in a 120ft radius that deals 1d10 untyped damage per HD they possessed in life(DC 30 Fortitude Save for half) and leaves the entire area severely irradiated for one month's time.
Mutable Core: Tickermen, at the dawn of each day and 1/day as an immediate action, can alter their type to any other type, gaining the senses of that type and being treated as that type for all other effects. This does not remove any bonuses or penalties gained from the construct type. Additionally, they gain Knowledge(Engineering) and Intimidate as Class skills and gain a racial +2 to both. Tickermen auto-succeed skill checks to repair themselves and are treated as having the Craft Construct feat for this purpose.
Class IV Cleansing Core: Tickermen can, by remaining in an area or by remaining in contact with an affected creature, gradually remove pollutants, poisons, and contaminants from the soil or the body of the creature in question. The more potent the effect, the longer the Tickermen must spend carefully absorbing it into their system to be isolated and destroyed - with most average poisons taking on average one to several hours of contact to remove, during which time their onset/effects are halted. Certain contaminants may be too powerful or resilient for an individual Tickermen to handle. Multiple Tickermen working in concert increase the efficacy of this ability exponentially.
Emergency Core Vent: Tickermen can, once per minute as a standard action that does not provoke Attacks of Opportunity, release a 15ft cone or 30ft line of burning plasma that forces all creatures caught within its radius to succeed at a Reflex Save(DC based on highest mental stat) or take 1d6 points of Fire and Electricity damage per HD the Tickermen possesses(Treated as whichever damage type is most beneficial). Additionally, damaged creatures must make an identical fortitude save or be exposed to Low Radiation. These arm-mounted vents, even between useages, can still function as cutting torches to allow them to cut through metal and other materials with time and effort.
Threefold Circuit: Tickermen, as a full-round action, can vent their Fission Cores and create either a Fire, Air, or Water Elemental of varying levels(Starting at Small and increasing in category for every 3HD they possess) that serves as an ally until recalled as a full-round action or until destroyed, whichever comes first. This elemental, if destroyed, returns to the Tickermen's core and deals 1d8 points of untyped damage per category of the elemental to the Tickermen. They may only have one elemental in action in this way at a time, and if the elemental is out when the Tickermen perishes, it upgrades in one category to a maximum of Elder and begins attacking indiscriminately. Once an elemental created in this way has been destroyed, this ability cannot be used again for 1 hour. The tickermen can communicate with the elemental created in this manner telepathically. The elemental(s) created in this manner are the same individuals each time they are summoned, and while allied to the Tickermen are not slavishly obedient and may grow disloyal or hateful if used and killed repeatedly or treated like animals.
Plasma Infusion: Tickermen, as an immediate action when a Fire or Electricity descriptor spell, supernatural ability, or other applicable effect(GM Discretion) is activated within 120ft of themselves, can give the spell both the Fire and Electricity descriptors, doing whichever damage type is more beneficial and preventing all affected creatures from applying resistance or immunities to the effect's damage unless they are resistant or immune to both damage types. Additionally, they may apply one of the following effects to the affected spell:

• All targets damaged must make a fortitude save against the spell's DC or be affected by Low Radiation.
• All targets must make an identical save against a Glitterdust Effect on top of the spell's normal effects.
• The spell is empowered as per the metamagic without increasing the casting time or spell level, but the caster must beat SR equal to 11 + the Tickermen's HD or the spell explodes centered on them(If an AoE), affects them instead(If single-target), or flies off in a random direction including them within its area(If a line-based AoE).

Basic Information

Anatomy

Much like the tickerman themselves, the anatomy of these strange metal men is almost entirely unstudied - they are believed to be wholly inorganic in a way that even the best engineers of The Iron Empire cannot match, and are fully sentient and aware in ways that The Iron Empire has never been able to or dared to reach.
Despite their metallic exteriors, they bodies are not as durable as one may think - their seemingly sheet-metal esque construction does not make them invulnerable by any means, and leaves them open to attacks and damage from plenty of mundane sources. Indeed, they almost seem cheaply made and mass-produced with little care given to their own personal survival - most critical evidence of this is their own power sources, which are believed to be constructed in such a way that upon sustaining critical damage to their frames, they break down and go critical due to faulty shielding and shoddy construction, causing cataclysmic detonations that atomize the Tickerman in question and all surrounding life.

Biological Traits

Tickermen are almost wholly uniform in their makeup - as metallic humanoids that appear to have bene made in a factory or some other mass-produced assembly line, the Tickerman appear to be metallic humanoids with two simple metallic legs and two metallic arms equipped with heat-based cutting torches and articulate grabbing claws to function as hands. They have bulky torsos covered in script and signage of a language none across Numiastra can understand that house highly advanced energy reactors, and possess almost no heads to speak of - instead possessing thin slits and smoke stacks near the top of their frames where their ocular receptors are kept and exhaust is vented from their reactor.
What little variation exists between the Tickermen, and the best clue to point to their sentience, are the custom paint-jobs that often decorate their frames - stylized depictions of various beasts both mythological and mundane are common alongside stylized flames or other bright colors painted alongside unique names or designations written in Modulo or another unknown language. This, alongside the occasional manufacturing defect, give Tickermen an oddly uniform appearance that gradually distinguish themselves over time as they make field repairs to themselves with the materials and items on hand.

Genetics and Reproduction

Tickerman have no genetics and thus cannot reproduce - where they are constructed is an utter mystery, though many Tickerman have been seen descending from the skies in such a way that has led many scholars of The Iron Empire to postulate that they originate from a land far above the planet in the Great Star Ocean that have only recently descended to Numiastra for purposes unknown.

Growth Rate & Stages

Tickermen do not grow or evolve in any capacity - they are entirely immune to rust and almost entirely resistant to wear and tear, and thus remain unchanged in appearance throughout their life.

Ecology and Habitats

Tickermen, as metallic constructs, can thrive and function in nearly every environment the lands of Numiastra has to offer.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Tickermen, as constructed beings, have no dietary needs - they do not eat or drink and thus have no need for such things.

Biological Cycle

Tickermen, as constructed beings, have no biological cycle - they are entirely immune to the passing of time and seasonal changes.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Tickermen "heads" and thus "faces" are almost nonexistent - they have simple, barely raised rectangular alcoves atop their bulky torsos where their optics and various exhaust vents are stored. Their optics generally take on the appearance of a single horizonal stripe of glass or other transparent material across their "heads", giving them a strange and alien appearance.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Tickermen, descending to the lands of Numiastra from the Great Star Ocean, can thus be found anywhere across its various islands and landmasses - though they are most commonly concentrated around the lands of The Iron Empire and any areas where The Diesel Fields have begun to spread like a cancerous corruption. They can, however, be found just about anywhere pursuing strange missions and unknown tasks given to them by an unknown master.

Average Intelligence

The Tickermen are believed to be generally sentient and as intelligent as any baseline Human, but such has hardly ever been confirmed outside of conversations many have had with them.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Tickerman, as metallic constructions of unknown make, are gifted with enhanced ocular prowess - and can see in the dark and in conditions of low-light far better than their human counterparts.

Alternate Racial Trait List:
NOT YET BUILT.

Racial Feat List:
NOT YET BUILT.

Lifespan

Immortal. However, Tickermen seem to be "recalled" once they accomplish their given purpose or task.

Conservation Status

The Tickermen are a rare sight across Numiastra that have only begun appearing in recent years and decades - they are found almost exclusively within the lands of The Iron Empire or the lands they have devastated, and occasionally some lands outside of these areas. Where they come from, whether they need protection, and who they report to are an utter mystery.

Average Height

Varies wildly, anywhere between 5ft - 8ft (1.52m - 2.44m)

Average Weight

Unknown. Varies wildly.

Average Physique

The Tickermen tend to be bulky and metallic, with smooth and sleek limbs and a small rectangular alcove with a horizontal slit for their optics to allow them to "see" from. These metallic bodies have little variation except in paint job and decoration, and thus make most Tickermen possessed of a mostly uniform appearance with only minor variations.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Tickermen bodies are often uniformly silver when they are new and fresh, and eventually gradually become stained with browns and blacks over time as they adventure across Numiastra. Many Tickermen, however, seem to enjoy decorating themselves with paint or other materials to give themselves unique appearances while others may enjoy allowing animals to nest in their frames, while others yet may enjoy cute fluffy things and dangle them from their bodies like key chains and decorative bracelets.