Duke Kownteau is a powerful official of the Asiatic government that dominates the solar system and dresses accordingly, favoring high-collared and elaborately embroidered silk coats in an Oriental style. He has a great deal of autonomy and, while he is unquestionably as bad and oppressive as the regime he represents, he has many independent schemes and might therefore end up serving variously as an antagonist, a patron, or both to a character posse. 

Here are a couple of mechamagical constructs, remnants of the Machine City that have survived to the modern day Clanking Ruin. They are not commonly available and represent rare and valuable, and deadly, and expensive, items retrieved from the Ruin, sometimes as considerable loss of life.

They could just as easily await discovery by explorers of the Clanking Ruin, which allows groups of players ot find, possible, fight or otherwise take control of, and return with as spoils.

The fun should not end there.

The Lunars would be very happy to commandeer such war machines, and are unlikely to take no for an answer. If they have sufficient strength, they are just as unlikely to want to pay for them.

Other powers, like Avorax, the failed Dragonewt Ascendant, might want to keep them under wraps so as to preserve the delicate status quo that maintains in Bayside, the rough and tumble community of looters, adventurers, and explorers that work the Ruin.

Similarly, the Ankeshel Collective of Sorcerers, who have a large and well-equipped, if rather unruly, army of ne'er-do-wells as a cordon between anyone and the deeper ruins, would be only too happy to relieve, beleaguered, possibly exhausted, returning explorers, of their treasures.

Other threats are also likely. Just about anybody would be happy to own such an item, even if they only wish to sell it.

The Reaver has previously been posted here. This one is commonly called the "Manticore Variant" because of the  special (and rare) bolts its shoots from its prehensile metal tail. Other variants include the Gorgon, which incorporate a plasmechanical beam generator into its tail instead, and the Dragon, which has a slashing blade affixed to the tail in place of other weapon, and can spit gouts of fire over a large area. The Reaver is not notmally fitted with a Command Matrix, and is a "Thinking" Machine, a product of the Devourer, a particular design house of mechanical monstrosity that survives to the present day Clanking Ruin. This reaver has been "retrofitted" by some enterprising, and very brave, soul. The Attuner, through the Command Matrix, can control this reaver, even, with effort, access its memories - which could go back nearly one thousand years.

The other construct is a Walking Platform. Originally contrived for the nobles and powers of the Machine City, as a conveyance that lifted them above the hoi poloi, Walking Platforms were adapted to the battlefield early in the Ten Year Siege of Zistorwal. Indeed, their ability to move through rugged terrain, carrying and protecting potent mages or warriors, was formative to the notion of creating greater and larger war-engines (perhaps we can visit them in another post).

Both these war-engines require Attunement. The process of Attunement is detailed below, and included in each engine'e write-up.

Attunement Ritual: The prospective attuner rolls on his Theurgy, Sorcery or other Magical skill to craft a ritual that will aid in his attunement of the reaver. On a success, the number of POWer dedicated to the Attunement is reduced by 1. On a special success, the POW is reduced by 2. On a critical Success, the POW is reduced by 3. Attunement does not require tis stage, but it is often advantageous to attempt it..

Attunement Roll: To Attune, a roll of POW x5 or less must be successful. If the roll is POW x5, the Attuner dedicates 5 POW to the Attunement (see Below for Dedication). Each increment of POW less that 5, reduces the dedication of POW by that number (POW x4 = 4 POW, POW x3 =3 POW, etc).

Some items, like the Reaver, require greater POWer to Attune. In this case, the amount of POW required is +3, meaning that whatever the final result of the ritual and Attunement rolls, the Dedication requires 3 more POW. So a special success on the ritual (-2 POW) and a POW x4 roll on the Attunement roll (4 POW), would be modified by +3 POW. So, -2+4+3= 5 POW Dedicated to the Attunement.

POW Dedicated to Attunement cannot be used for any other purpose in the game without breaking the Attunement. It cannot be used to cast spells, devoted to gods, etc.

CR: 1

XP: 400

Tiny plant

Alignment: Neutral

Init: +3; Senses: Tremorsense 60 ft. ; Perception: +5

AC: 16 ; Touch:14; Flat-footed: 12

HP: 9 (1d8+4)

Fort: +8; Ref:+3 ; Will:+1

Immunities: All mind-affecting effects, paralysis, polymorph, sleep, stunning.

Vulnerabilities: poison

Speed: 30 ft.

Melee: +0 bite 1d3-1 plus 1d4 acid

Ranged: +3 1d4 acid (15 ft. range, see burrow for details of the paralytic acid)

Space: 2.5 ft. Reach: 0 ft.

Special Attacks: Burrow

Stats: Str:8, Dex:16, Con:18, Int:1 , Wis:10 , Cha:4

Base Atk: +1 CMB: -2; CMD:15

Feats: None

Skills: Stealth +11

Languages: None

Environment: Any Temperate

Organization: Solitary

Treasure: Incidental

Special abilities:

Burrow (Ex) - The creatures will burrow with shocking speeds, tunneling through the soles of boots or into the feet or even body of any warm-blooded creature within 10 feet of the plant. The creature exudes a powerful paralytic acid which causes 1d4 points of damage per round, and is delivered by a standard melee attack. Furthermore, the target must make a Fort save (DC 11) or become paralyzed for 1d6 rounds, which will allow the creature to burrow up through the leg and into the torso. The creature is capable of moving only 1 foot per round, and depending on the height of the victim, it could take several rounds for the tuber to burrow into the torso. Each round of burrowing will inflict 1d6 points of damage and the target must make a Fort save (DC 13) or lose 1d3 points of Constitution. Once it reaches the torso, the damage is increased to 3d6 points of damage per round and the Constitution loss is 3d3 points per round.

Tremorsense (Ex) – This creature is sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with the ground.

Every great character needs an origin, and this is how Ronnath's daughter Cheonsa came to being.

No. Enc: 1d12
Alignment:  Neutral
Movement: 90’ (30’)
AC: 7
HD: 1
Attacks: Burrow (see description)
Damage: see description
Save: L1
Morale: N/A
Hoard Class: Incidental

CR: 10

XP: 9,600

Medium Undead

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Init: +3; Senses: Darkvision 60 ft.  ; Perception: +11

AC: 20 ; Touch: 18; Flat-footed: 15 (Dexterity +3, natural armor +2, dodge +2, other +3)

HP: 85 (10d8+40)

Fort:+4 ; Ref: +3; Will: +1

Immunity: All mind-affecting effects, bleed, death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep, stun

Weaknesses: Ultraviolet Radiation (see description)

Speed: 30 ft.

Melee: two claws +11 1d8+4, 1 bite +11, 2d6+4

Space: 5 ft. Reach: 5 ft.

Stats: Str:18, Dex:16, Con: - , Int: 16 , Wis:12 , Cha: 18

Base Atk: +7 CMB: +11; CMD: 24

Feats: Cleave, combat expertise, improved natural armor, improved natural attack, power attack,

Skills: Acrobatics +13, climb +9, disable device +8, escape artist +8, knowledge (local) +13, sense motive +6 stealth +13, swim +9, survival +6

Languages: Common, undercommon, abyssal, infernal

Environment: Ruins only

Organization: Solitary

Treasure: Incidental

Special abilities:

Blur (Sp) – This creature is able to use its psionic abilities to ‘blur’ its outline, making it more difficult to hit in combat. This will increase its AC by 3 and it can use this ability once every 5 minutes, and it lasts for 2d6 rounds.

Create Spawn (Su) – Any humanoid killed by one of these beasts and not consumed will undergo a strange metamorphosis which requires exactly 72 hours to complete. The creature will retain its memories, but it will lose any mutations or abilities it possessed in life. Those who knew the victim before they became this monster are often the creature’s first targets, although for some reason it will never attack immediate family. Non-humanoids are simply killed.

Darkness (Sp) - It can create a massive globe of darkness, and it will do so in order to help it escape from anything it cannot handle.  This globe covers a radius of 100 feet, centered on the creature, and barriers such as earth, walls, and so forth do not stop this… so anything on floors above, below or behind walls or dirt will suddenly find themselves surrounded by darkness. The darkness can be dispelled at any time by this monster, otherwise it will last for 2d12 rounds.

Tactile Illusions (Sp) - The creature is able to create a fully tactile and interactive illusion. Unless someone is actively attempting to disbelieve the illusion – Wil save, DC 19 -  it will considered real, and it will interact with the target. It will even react to any attacks made upon it’s person, showing the right damage, and it will even ‘die’ if required, although such attacks will not harm the creature itself. The creature can produce these illusions at will, but only one can be made at any time. If used to attack, the illusion will always seem to miss or be totally ineffective. It can be dismissed by the creature at any time, and is considered a swift action to both summon and dismiss.

Touch of the Otherworld (Su) – When the monster strikes with its talons or bite attack, the target must make Fort save (DC 19) or suffer 1d4 points of either Strength or Dexterity loss from the coldness of its touch (target chooses which). If the monster has suffered any damage at this time, for each point of Strength or Dexterity it drains, the creature will regain 1d4 hit points. It cannot build a surplus of hit points however; this will only heal damage it has sustained.

Untouchable (Sp) - This creature is able to become insubstantial for up to 1 minute, once per day. By using this, the creature becomes completely immune to all physical damage, although psionic and energy-based attacks (including thermal) will still harm the creature. It can still be missed, with each attack having a 50% chance of missing – even energy or psionic-based attacks.

No. Enc: 1
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement: 90’ (30’)
AC: 3
HD: 10
Attacks: 2 claws and 1 bite
Damage: 1d8+4 and special / 1d8+4 and special / 2d6+4 and special
Save: L12
Morale: 7
Hoard Class: Incidental

Dwarven Armor Training (proficient with light and medium armor)

Dwarven Combat Training (proficient with battleaxe, handaxe, throwing hammer, warhammer)

Dwarven Resilience (advantage on saving throws against poison and resistance against poison damage)

Stonecunning (When making Intelligence (History) checks related to the origin of stonework is considered proficient in the History skill and adds double proficiency bonus to checks.)

Channel Divinity (1/rest; Turn Undead)

Divine Domain (Knowledge)

Divine Domain Feature (Knowledge of the Ages)

Destroy Undead (CR 1/2)

Spellcasting. Moira is a 5th-level divine spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following Cleric spells prepared: 

Fighting Style (Swords; +2 to attack rolls with swords)

Second Wind (bonus action to regain 1d10+13 hit points once between short or long rests)

Action Surge (1 use; take one additional action between short or long rests)

Martial Archetype (Champion)

Extra Attacks (Attack three times)

Improved Critical (weapon attacks score a critical hit on a 19)

Indomitable (reroll a failed saving throw; 2/long rest)

Duke Kownteau prefers convoluted schemes using agents, traps, and other indirect means of engagement rather than personally attacking foes and will not initiate direct assaults against characters. If forced into combat, however, he will defend himself energetically, his weapon of choice being a longsword that has been enhanced to inflict electrical damage. He generally has at least one ship and a squad or more of Purple Nurples with him, and might have considerably more under his command at any given time. 

In conversation Duke Kownteau relishes noting relevant numbers (e.g., “Five bounty hunters. Hahahahaha! One, two, three, four, five.”).