Some (Non-spoiler) Facts About Pierre:

Some (Non-spoiler) facts about Pierre:

~ He is able to flatten and fold his body in order to fit into most crevices. His body is extremely flexible, as his inner mechanisms can easily shift and collapse into whatever size is needed. As long as his head can fit through the entrance, his whole body can follow.

~His eyes are a large ring with a circle in the center. This is a model specific trait, and means that the automaton has the ability to record whatever they see. This model of automata have insanely good photographic memories, and is perfect for Pierre’s job.

~Despite his age and appearance, Pierre can hit some pretty high speeds when running. Able to easily outrun a horse when needed, which isn’t a very common scenario. Fences and walls barely slow him down, as he can easily climb/jump over most blockades in Brenning.

~He has yet to change his metal plating, despite it being rusted, scratched and broken. This is because it has yet to hinder his ability to work, and so there is no need to upgrade his body. Unlike more “modern” automata, Pierre’s plating is unable to be penetrated by bullets of any kind. Dented by, yes, but the bullet will not pierce through. This does not mean he is invincible though, as he does have multiple open wounds on his head and body.

~His model is able to record and play back anything he has heard before, and has extremely good hearing. If standing completely still and no one is speaking, Pierre can actually pick up the heart beats of any humans in the room. This comes at a price however, as very loud noises may startle and stun Pierre for a few moments while his programming adjust to the sudden input.

~The voice Pierre uses for himself is actually that of the man who created the plans for his body, and later helped calibrate him. This man, who Pierre never learned the name of, spent hours talking to him in order to have a large library of words to use. A millennium later, and Pierre still uses that same voice. For new names or words, he stiches together syllables of different words and is able to shift their tone. This makes it less jarring and sound more natural.

~Rarely ever uses weapons of his own, finding it easier to take people out using his speed and strength. Pierre is agile and can react suddenly, incapacitating an enemy within seconds. He tries not to kill his opponent, relying on non-lethal take-downs the majority of the time. He does possess a pair of twin pistols, and is equipped with bullets that can take out any automata with ease. (These bullets are only provided to those who work as security for the Tower)

~Pierre’s creator programmed him to “smoke”, despite not having lungs. The creator assumed that having an automaton that shows human habits might be easier to trust, and so Pierre never goes anywhere without a pack of cigarettes in his coat. This “human habit” rule also applies to his attire, since it isn’t really needed for his job. But, his creator liked the aesthetic, and so Pierre dresses like a classic detective.

An alcoholic and a strict doctor, a relationship that contains more arguments than agreements. Despite their mutual annoyance for each other, Jeter is always willing to spend money to bail Henderson out of jail. A blessing and a curse, as what comes afterwards is a long and stern talking to from the automaton. These talks can last mere minutes, or hours, depending on how Henderson behaves.

~ "Spare me the lecture." Henderson grunted, bringing a hand up to his temple. Maybe it was the extreme hangover, or the multiple wounds on the back of his head. Either way, he couldn't think straight.

Jeter sighed at the other's tone, steam escaping from the vents in his cheeks. He kept his hands folded, tapping the right index finger against the left knuckle. A small tick, but Henderson immediately picked up on it and continued.

"If you're waiting for an explanation, I ain't got one. Last night s'all one fogged up blur." The man stated in annoyance, receiving no response from the automaton sitting across the table. "All I know is, that bastard swung first. I was defendin' myself, but... I admit, I may have gone overboard."

"No surprise there." The doctor replied after a moment of thought. "I suppose I should put you under a more strict ruleset, I prefer my students to be in one piece while under my care." ~

First art trade!

My half of an art-trade with a radical new friend @airatherobot ! This is their adorable SPG OC named Aira, and can I just say, I love her.

The color scheme, the simple yet wonderful design, it's all very good.

Check them out if you're into SPG or robots in general!

Some basic notes about the first "human" automaton

District was the first ever automaton to gain consciousness and form a personality, over a millennium ago. Before them, automatons were built only for physical labour or entertainment, never for companionship. Everything changed the day District started to show signs of “humanity”. They had put down their own items in order to help another automaton with a heavy load. This may have been seen as a small gesture, but it was a surprisingly big step in automata development.

As the years went on, a group of scientists had the idea to try and reproduce District’s way of thinking, wanting to create conscious automata. After years of experimentation, they were able to “upgrade” The base programming of newly forged automata. This first set was originally titled the “A-01” or “ancestors”. These first 11 successful conscious automata would later become the Circle, a highly efficient group who oversee the wellbeing of Brenning.

As the years passed, District’s body became nearly unusable due to the hundreds of experiments they endured. In a last ditch effort to keep the automaton alive, they built a large “life support” type machine around them. This later became the Tower that sits in the heart of the city, and appears to be a large clock tower on the outside. Their original body was also scrapped, and now District is a massive being who is able to store and reuse any information and input they receive.

The inside of this clock tower is full of pipes and gears, and can be considered a living building of sorts. District themself is now rather large, built into one of the rooms of the tower. They are constructed using multiple human skeletons, which are constantly replaced and tended to. Despite their age, they always look relatively new. Alongside a multitude of skeletons, District also possesses a multitude of voices. There is no rhyme or reason to which voice they may use for any occasion, as the voices may be used once per sentence, or even overlapping each other when they speak.

District is seen as a god to most automata, as everyone seems to know their name, but are unable to prove/disprove their existence. Only the Circle, and a select few mechanic automata have ever met or spoken to District directly. To the Circle, District is seen as a parent, or as a boss. They receive and follow orders, no matter how mundane they may seem. District only wants the city to prosper and grow, and will use any means available to keep things in order.

The city functions through the eleven members of the Circle, who answer directly to District. For example, any and all chief constables are in communication with an agent of the Tower, who will bring those reports to Pierre. Pierre, regarding the information, will decide whether or not the case is large enough to get the Tower involved. If not, the agent will then return the letters to the chief constables. If Pierre deems the case an issue, he will then converse with District. Every major decision is made by them and their word is final. If District deems the issue a threat to the city’s overall wellbeing, they will get Pierre involved. If not, they will simply deploy a small set of Watchers to handle whatever the problem is.

Once the number of Circle members dwindled, District had to upload some of their own memories and traits into each one. Each member now had more than one aspect to keep track of, and were properly upgraded to do their tasks. District is very careful with their "children", and will constantly make sure they are fully functional and not in danger of breaking or giving way.

District has the ability to manually reset any automaton that they deem appropriate. Most automata with a criminal record will be forced to get their lives reset and rebuilt from scratch, all memories are then passed over to District for storage and later examination.

Just like the ability to cut off one's life, District can also resurrect fallen automata. This is mainly used to aid interrogations or to bring a victim back from the dead. (Of course with no memory of how they died.)

I've mentioned Zala a few times in my other OC posts, so why not introduce him?

There has always been something a little... off about Zala, something that unsettled those who met him. Maybe it was his curiosity, or the way he'd hold himself as if he was constantly on edge. No one was sure, but people tended to stay away from him, even at a young age. Not that he minded of course, Zala was never one for social interactions.

He has found solace within his cousin Emalia, who shares his interest in strange creatures. Zala is rather talkative when he wants to be, to the point where he's constantly stammering and cutting himself off in order to get a thought out before it dissapears. Usually though, he finds it extremely difficult to hold a conversation. He's awkward and nervous, preferring to speak with family over anyone else.

Fascinated by life, death, and everything in between, Zala is a man of science. He loves to pick things apart just to figure out how they work, and to have the fun of putting them back together again. As a kid he used to dissect insects and small animals, just to see how they looked from the inside. Everything he saw would be sketched and noted, and he still keeps those books today.

Along with books and drawings, Zala has an extensive collection of taxidermy animals in his house. From strange fish to conjoined twin bears, he has them all. Anything odd is captured and brought to him by other scientists, whom he shares his studies with on occassion. One fun thing, Zala does indeed have a selection of taxidermy humans, and is rather pleased with how clean they came out.

Evolution, mutations, disabilities both physical and mental, he was interested in it all. The brain, the human consciousness, how does it work? How do people learn and adapt while keeping who they are intact? Zala loves to ask questions, every tiny little detail being questioned and prodded until something akin to an answer can be found. He can't leave anything unanswered, not even the most mundane questions. He needs to know everything.

His intelligence comes at a price, however. Zala focuses too much on the outside world and it's state, and completely ignores himself. He has kept himself awake long enough to become a somniphobiac (The fear of sleeping/falling asleep), and is incapable of getting any proper rest. Food and hygiene come last to him, always, as his time is better spent in his lab.

Thankfully, he has a pair of automaton that also live within his house, who constantly watch over him. Darla (an automaton I have yet to design) keeps him decently clean, and makes sure he eats enough to keep him alive. Zala is ever thankful, excited to be in good enough health to continue his work.

Headcanon voice/actor: David Micheal Bennett

Every story must have a catalyst, something that launches the main plot into action. In Crimson Stained Copper, the catalyst takes the form of a strange man. Who is he? Where did he come from? What is up with his body? Nobody knows, but there are people searching for answers. Since everything about him is a mystery for now, I will be referring to him as "Catalyst".

He should be dead. At least, that's what Zala said after giving the man a quick look over. Pale skin that was cold to the touch, eyes that didn't react to light, and skin that was either too loose or too tight. The man barely even had a heart beat. For all Zala knew, he was studying a walking corpse.

Catalyst can't remember anything before waking up in a dark alleyway. His thoughts are cloudy, fogged memories that he can't understand. He hears voices, sees blurry faces but nothing fits together. This has lead to his senses to constantly be on high alert, and he has become extremely paranoid. He never sits still, eyes darting around as if searching for something to ground him.

Only politeness comes from Catalyst, no matter who he is speaking to. There is also a layer of fear in his tone, since he has no clue who to trust and who to avoid. His words come quickly, trying to minimize the amount of time he has to spend with people by speeding up the conversation. He stammers, and repeats himself, but that is the least of his worries.

Headcanon voice/actor: TBD