Soundtrack for this post Led Zepplin: Immigrant Song

The Mür

AC: 4[15] (see below)

HD 1+1 (see below for attack)

Attacks: Sword or Javelin (1d6 damage)

Special: group-mind

XP: 100 X number of individual Talons (see below).

Mür are cloned beings based upon human DNA. They are vat grown in the city of Zil, located in the North Rüingulf. Mür are organized into individual bands; each band is known as a Claw (usage is the same for singular and plural). Each individual within a Claw is referred to as a Talon. A Claw is governed by a group mind. All the members share a personality, and are for all effective purposes different components of the same body. All Talons are completely unsexed androgynies. Furthermore, all Talons are albinos.

Mür claws have 2d6+1 talons. With the exception of their ruler (see below), ranking of Claw within Mür society is based upon the number of Talons. Claw larger than 13 in size are known, but rarely encountered.

In combat, Talons receive an attack bonus equal to ½ (round down) their total number (e.g., if a Claw has 7 conscious Talons, each of them attacks with a +3).

A Mür Claw is a Sorcerer equal in level to its number of Talons. One Talon stays behind and casts spells while the others engage in physical combat.

Mür gain their armor class due to segmented armor made from vat grown chitin. This armor is usually highly stylized and its appearance differs radically from Claw to Claw. Claws are very individualistic and competitive amongst one another.

Going where they will in their magically propelled longboats, the Mür are the terror of the entire Rüingulf and its coastal environs. They view all other groups as inferior. They raid often, and take many slaves to serve as domestic workers and agricultural laborers on their Islands. They place the highest value on human genetic material, and will stop at nothing when attempting to capture human prisoners.

Some scholars argue that the only thing that keeps the Mür from conquering the entire region, if not the world, is the inability for the various Claw to put aside their endless competition with one another and unite.

Mür Madlings: A lone Talon that becomes separated from its Claw by more than 1km will go through a painful process of separation, which last for 1d4 days. If not reunited with its unit within this time frame, the talon will develop an individual personality, and over the course of several weeks will sprout sex organs, and otherwise become completely human. This hyper puberty is extremely painful and distressing, Madlings are extremely unstable during the course of it. Unlike other humans, however, Madlings can wield sorcery. On the downside everyone, including other Mür hate them (even more than regular humans). Their albino appearance makes them instantly recognizable. Strangely enough, Autocrix Mandolo Boneaxe, the millennia old ruler of the Mür, is a Madling. How this came to pass is unknown.

Player characters may be Mür Madlings. (I need to work out the exact details for this).

The Lost Wars and the Mists:

The Final Human Empire came together as the product of a long series of wars. Details, such as the exact number, nature and location of these wars have long since been forgotten. Peoples, generals and heroes that lived through and fought these world shaking conflicts exist in current day memory only as shadows and allusions, hidden in the myths passed down from later eras.

The endless, eldritch ages the Earth had endured before the coming of the Lost Wars are collectively referred to as The Mists; little or nothing is known of these times.

There can be no doubt, however, that powerful artifacts from these forgotten ages exist. Even so, the scholars and explorers of the current day Metal Earth are far more likely to discern a particular item’s use than the context form which it initially emerged.

The Eternal Empress

The Eternal Empress, ruler over the final Human Empire, was cursed during the Lost Wars by an enemy remembered now only as Stranger 7. This curse visited unnaturally long life upon the Empress- and her people are said to have lived as long as stones under normal circumstances. The Empress watched millennium pass; her twilight kingdom flourished and waned and flourished again- only to expire at last in the Wars of Unreason, which broke the power of men and the world with it.

During her long, long life, the Empress watched all that she loved wither and die, and she loved much and she grieved much- such was her nature, and this, of course, was the true power of Stranger 7’s curse.

A long line of husbands and consorts lived, died and fell away to dust while the Empress remained as fresh as the first day of spring. It is said a deep sadness fell upon her and she did not smile for over a thousand years. At the end of this time, in an effort to break the hold of her despair, the Empress called together her scientists and sorcerers; her necromancers, cyberneticists, shamans and surgeons, too. After working for a year and a day, the savants unveiled the product of their labor to the Empress: the now legendary Men of Metal. Indestructible, deathless beings comprised of the most advanced sorcerous and scientific components. No one knows how many the made for certain, some say there were ten, others say that ten times ten times that number were created. What is known, though, is that from that day forward, the Empress resumed the practice of taking husbands and concubines. When a man grew to an age where he could no longer satisfy Empress’ lust, she gave him over to the artificers. These technicians would strip away the man’s flesh and lock his consciousness within the invulnerable form of a Metal Man. Forever.

So well made were they that many of the Men of Metal survived the Wars of Unreason. They remain in the world still, some infamous, others hidden and unknown, all growing stranger and more inscrutable as they pass the aeons locked away from feeling and death within their indestructible roboforms.

Grax Iré Lord of the Waste (Monster/ Man of Metal)

AC: 19 [0] Special: Fireburst, Radiate

HD: 20 Move: 30

Attacks: Smash HDE: 20/ 4000 xp

Grax Iraé is 12 meter tall humanoid of burning chrome. Iré resides in the remains of an ancient starship, located somewhere in the Desert of Rust. A greedy and cruel being, Grax Iré is said to have a horde of powerful artifacts from the time of the Final Empire.

Fireburst :Once a round Iré can attack with a 40’ cone of fire. Anyone trapped in the cone must make a saving throw. Failed save takes 10d6 fire damage; successful save takes 5d6 damage. Characters who drop below zero hit points as a result of this attack must take a result from the wound table.

Radiate: Once a day, Grax Iré can radiate heat. He can use no other attack while radiating, but the process can not be stopped, unless Grax Iré is killed.

During the first round, heat is transmitted through stone, metal and similar materials in a circle of 100m diameter (with Iré as the center point). Anyone standing within the circle takes 4d6 damage (save for half damage). Space suits, magical armor and other sorts of special gear may provide complete or partial protection.

During the second round, the circle expands 100m in diameter. The damage increases to 8d6 (save for half damage). Air becomes too hot to breath properly anyone within the circle must save or suffer ½ movement (androids and robots excepted). Again, spacesuits and other gear may provide some protection.

During the third round, the circle expands 200 more meters and the air catches fire. 20d6 damage (save for half). Save or movement is reduced by ½. This effect lasts for 1d6 rounds and then the fire flares out and conditions return to normal.

Note: the pic above is just so that nobody gets boobs on their blogroll by accident. See below for the source drawing in its entirety.

Scorn Drone:

AC: 9 [10]

Special: Can only attack every other round

HD: 4

Move: 6

Attacks: Fist (2d6)

HDE: 2/

Drones are the work force of the Scorn people. They are slow witted, slow moving sexless creatures usually organized in groups of 10 led by a technician or a leader. Drones are immensly strong and can lift at least a ton unaided. Dependant on the type of work they do drones range in height from 3' to 12' tall; they have dull gray hides and usually wear no clothes, except for the occasional tool belt. Drones will enter combat if urged to do so by a Leader, Technician, or Imperial, but left to their own devices they will allow themselves to be slaughtered without fighting back.

Scorn Warriors:

AC: 7 [12]

Special: Natural Camouflage -2 to hit during the first round of combat

HD: 5

Move: 12

Attacks: + 2 combo gun: energy blast (3d6) or pain bolt (save or paralyzed for 1d6 rounds). Tooth and nail (2d6).

HDE: 6/400

Scorn warriors are smarter and more savage versions of the Drones. They are organized into squads of 5 each led by a Sargent who is slightly more intelligent than the others. Scorn warriors are fearless and will fight to the last unless ordered not to do so by a Leader or a Technician. Scorn will usually shoot to kill, but situations sometimes arise which compel them tho take prisoners. In these cases, they will use the pain bolt. Warriors have no sex organs, and no sense of modesty- although, sometimes senior warriors will tie a bit of cloth around one arm, or apply war paint. Warriors have thick leathery skin and natural camouflage.

Scorn Technicians:

AC: 5 [14] (Shipsuit, silver)

Special: 2cnd level MU

HD:7

Move: 15

Attacks: + 2 Blaster (3d6) (15 charges), Energy sword (3d6)

HDE: 9/1100

Unlike drones and warriors , Technicians have a biological sex and reproductive capability. Technicians keep the complex technology of the Scorn settlements functioning; they are also responsible for supervising drones, and occasionally, groups of warriors. Every technician is (effectively) a 2cnd level magic user. All are equipped with the power up spell and another first level spell of the referee's choice. Despite their name, Technicians are able and formidable combatants. Unlike drones and warriors, technicians have a sense of modesty and tend to wear clothing when outside of the domiciles. Standard attire is a silver shipsuit- a skin tight garment, which is actually a form of high tech armor. The armor works by activating a localized micro force field at the point of impact/contact of any weapon or blow. The reaction system is controlled by a highly efficient logic circuit woven into the fabric of the shipsuit which can effectively react at light speed. The listed armor class is valid against any sort of weapon including firearms and energy weapons.

Scorn Leaders:

AC: 3 [16] (Shipsuit, black)

Special: 4th level MU

HD:7

Move: 15

Attacks: + 2 Blaster (3d6) (15 charges), Energy sword (3d6)

HDE: 12/2000

Scorn leaders run the day to day affairs of Scorn society. Like Technicians, leaders are also sexed and capable of reproduction. Leaders use a slightly better version of the shipsuit, which is black and somewhat more loose fitting. Leaders have a complex inner hierarchy which informs their every interaction with one another and with the other castes. This hierarchy is sometimes (intentionally) subverted by the Imperials. Leaders are formidable combatants, without fear, but will not throw their lives away for a lost cause.

Imperials:

AC: 1 [18] (Super skin)

Special: 5th level MU

HD:14

Move: 15

Attacks: + 4 blaze pole (5d6/ 3 attacks/round)

HDE: 15/2900

Imperials are the executives of each Scorn settlement. Although they defer to the Collective, imperials have absolute rule at the local level. At any given time there is one Female and one male Imperial for each settlement. However, Imperials are usually content to leave the day to day management of local affairs in the hands of Leaders and Technicians, preferring to fill their time with hedonistic pursuits. Imperials are hyper sexed, with exaggerated primary and secondary sexual traits. They rarely wear any clothing, and although they can reproduce, they are not, as is the case with Leaders and Technicians, compelled to do so. Imperials will occasionally go mad with lust for a member of the opposite sex- they especially prone to do this in regards to Humans who show a high degree of competence. A lust crazed imperial is liable to sacrifice anything in the pursuit of this desire.

Imperials are extremely potent on the battlefield (and in the bedroom) and will only withdraw if they are seriously over matched and losing- and even then they virtually never forgive or forget.

Here's the pic, and yeah I made some mistakes with perspective.
Edit: this looks a lot racier on my drawing board but I'll leave the NSFW tag up just in case.


Click the image for a bigger version

The Scorn:


The Scorn are humanoid aliens with several settlements on The metal Earth in the vicinity of the Burning Peaks. How long they have been on Earth is unknown as are their ultimate aims.
The Scorn are masters of Technology. They posses a full gamut of high tech items including a fleet of space worthy flying saucers.

Although they are apparently mammals the Scorn have distinct physical types associated with the types of work they do, not unlike insect castes. The Scorn come in four basic types or castes: Leader, Technician, Warrior and Drone. Of these types only the Leader and the Technician castes have sexual differentiation. Individuals of the Drone and Warrior castes are sexless brutes. Their is a fifth type of Scorn, the Imperial, of which only two adult individuals exist for each major settlement at one time.

Scorn children, known as waifs, and borne only by females of the Leader and Technical castes, effectively comprise another caste. Raised in creches by Drones, waifs nearly always grow into adult Drones, unless, however, some catastrophe has thinned the ranks of the upper casts; in which case, they will grow in such a way as to fill the gaps. In the normal course of things, birthrates are low, and Drones will actually change to fill any gaps in the Warrior class, Warriors will mutate to fill gaps in the Technician castes, and Technicians will transform into leaders. It is the task of the Imperials to decide which individuals are worthy for the transformation; these decisions are as a rule, based upon merit, but favoritism can play a role. If one of the Imperial pair dies, the surviving Imperial chooses their new mate. If both Imperials perish, their replacements are determined by a series of trials involving all members of the Leader caste.
However, death is not the end for members of the Imperial caste. If it is possible their brains are preserved in a huge tank with all those that have come before them. This tank acts as sort of living computer, known as The Collective. The collective rules over all the various Scorn settlements on a given world. It also what the Scorn consider the afterlife and the highest reward one can earn.

Sometimes science goes wrong- or worse yet, as in the case of the Changers, scientists go wrong. The Changers are a mysterious group of vivisectionists who delight in capturing creatures of all sorts and types and performing strange experiments upon them. Sometimes, they switch out hands for flippers, or give a beautiful maiden the head of an ant, or the stink of a decaying corpse. On other occasions, they release someone with virtually no physical changes, but with new and unwholesome appetites or manias. If it can be imagined, the Changers have likely done it to some unfortunate creature at one time or another.

Although they are based in the Southern Ruingulf on the island that bears their name, the Changers have access to large areas of the ME, because they understand the mostly unused network of Teleportation Pools and are accomplished at avoiding or negating the many dangers of the Between Sea. They delight in exploring new territory and collecting unique "specimens". No one can say what a Changer is likely to look like, because they have altered themselves as well.

Note- Posting should pick back up here shortly. I'm a grad student and this is a busy time in an especially crucial year.