The Gardener
"Oh yeah, I've seen it. You never know what you'll see around here, but that's one that I'll not soon forget. I mean, Serrakeen, the chief, he's not really a normal person, but he's like us. When he talks to you, you can see that he understands people, knows how they work. This thing... I don't know.
"Anyway, you know the kid with goggles? Wore the white jade at Breaking-Iron, with those hook swords? You don't see him much, but that's actually Marta's brother. Yeah, the little gardener with the... well, anyway, it turns out she's related to that Chosen. If you get invited to the great hall for one of the feasts, then you'll notice that she's in charge of most of what goes on up there. I don't mean the strategy or the war councils, but the important stuff, like who gets what guest room and what's for dinner. I asked around about her when I noticed that thing following her around.
"It's about six feet tall, and usually is dressed in overalls and a tunic like it was a farm hand. No head, though. Just a round crystal on top. While I watched it, it kept changing colors... mostly blues and greens, I think. And the noises it made! Some kind of wierd music was pouring out of its chest, like a bird only more metal sounding. It had hands that didnt' seem quite right. They were metal of some kind, and when it went to trim one of the branches its finger split into a pair of clippers. Oh yeah, odd thing. Would have been a lot scarier if it wasn't carrying a basket of ripe plums.
"Anyway, that's the gardener. Don't mess with him. A wild jaguar once got into the manse a couple of weeks back, and I think it must have been hiding in one of those gardens on the top terrace. The story I heard is that it growled at her once while she was cleaning one of the ponds, and the gardener tore it to pieces. Wasn't much left, really.
"Odd place, this manse. Metal men toting plums and killing wild animals, gods that burn the ground they walk on, wars with beast-people. Times are changing."
-- Ched Trann, Rider in Serrakeen's Tribe
Statistics for the Gardener[edit]
The Gardener (Pham, as Marta calls it) is an automaton and follows all rules for automaton physiology. It cannot truly speak, but makes itself understood through pantomime and an intricate internal music box that plays notes silimar to those produced by a xylophone. It can express intent also through the colors of its crystal "head", a spherical orb mounted on orichalcum coated struts above the torso. Blues indicate tranquility and a lack of programming stress, yellows show confusion, greens represent initiative and thoughtful action, reds indicate threat detection, and oranges show possible malfunctions or necessary maintenance. It's hands house a variety of tools suitable for cultivation and other menial tasks.
The automaton is designed to function using essence collectors in a manse environment to gather all the energy it needs, though it can operate in creation with either a hearthstone setting or an infusion of essence in its internal battery. The battery holds 10 motes, and requires 2 motes per day of operation. It was designed to serve as a personal bodyguard and assistant. Left to its own devices, it will work tirelessly tending to any plants it finds.
Artifact 2, Repair 1
STR 4 CHA 3 PER 5
DEX 5 MAN 1 INT 2
STA 3 APP 3 WIT 1
Awareness 2, Craft (wood) 5 (gardening +3), Craft (water) 2 (cooking +2), Dodge 2, Integrity 5, Linguistics (Riverspeak, Old Realm) 1, Lore 2, Martial Arts 3 (Protecting +3), Medicine 2, Occult 2, Stealth 2, Socialize 4, Survival 1
Join Battle: 6
Attacks:
Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 12, Damage 5B, Rate 2
Hand Scythe: Speed 5, Accuracy 11, Damage 7L, Rate 2
Soak: 5L/7B (Jade skin, 4L, 4B)
Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap
Dodge DV: 3 Willpower: 10 (0 against owner)
Essence: 1
