Autognome

"Flesh is messy. It heals, yes, but it forgets. My memory plates do not forget. I remember the face of the Smith who hammered my chest. I remember the order he gave: 'Keep the fire lit.' The Smith is dead. The fortress is dust. But look, meat-kin -- my fire is still burning."

— Keeper, Autognome Guardian of the Ruined Hold

Origins: The Foundry Logs

• The Manufactured Truth: In Cruinlagh, Autognomes were built, not born. They are the legacy of the great Dwarven industrial eras (or perhaps a lost Gnomish golden age). They were designed to solve specific problems: a labor shortage, a war that required soldiers who didn't eat, or dangerous environments lethal to organic life.

 
• The Unfinished Task: Most Autognomes adventuring today are "orphans" of industry. Their original masters are gone, or their original purpose was completed. They are distinct from mindless golems because they have the capacity to rewrite their own code when the primary objective becomes obsolete.

Cultural Values: The Directive

• The Command Input: An Autognome is comfortable when they have a goal. Their Goal acts as their clarity and anchor point. An Autognome without a goal feels what a Human feels when they are lost in a dark forest.

 
• Honesty & Literalism: They value direct communication. Metaphors, passive-aggression, and "hints" are viewed as inefficient data corruption. To respect an Autognome is to speak plainly to them.

 
• Function over Form: An Autognome doesn't care if they are dented or rusty as long as their joints turn smoothly. They judge others similarly; they don't care if you are a King or a peasant, they care if you are competent.