Kendroni Machinist

Kendroni Machinists are not only rewarded—they are among the most respected and reliably compensated professionals in the realm. As essential members of powerful, state-sanctioned guilds, they enjoy a structured career path with pay scaled to experience and achievement.

Apprentices earn a modest stipend of 5–7 DT per month, enough to cover basic housing and meals. Journeymen receive a dependable salary between 15–25 DT monthly, placing them firmly in the middle class. Master Machinists, who oversee major projects or operate independent workshops, earn 40–100 DT per month depending on their renown and output. Exceptional innovations—like a breakthrough in dragocite conduit design—can earn bonuses in the form of Overlord Plates, each valued at 100 DT or more.

Beyond coin, Machinists are rewarded with status, premier tools, access to rare materials, and the protection of powerful patrons. A direct commission from the Heliox Assembly is the pinnacle of success—guaranteeing not only wealth, but historical legacy.

A Kendroni Machinist is the engine of progress in both function and philosophy. They transform abstract theory from the Lumenarch Collegium into practical, state-sanctioned technology that powers everyday life in Kendron. Their craft underpins the kingdom’s economy, from forging elemental weaponry to maintaining the dragocite-powered infrastructure that drives trade and public transit. More than inventors, they are the trusted custodians of the Gilded City's complex systems—diagnosing, repairing, and refining the machines that sustain order. Where scholars imagine the future, Machinists shape it into something safe, functional, and aligned with the Accord.

In Kendron, the Machinist is more than a tradesperson—they are a civic icon. Revered by the public as heroes of the modern age, they embody the kingdom’s obsession with progress. Citizens marvel at their creations, and families take pride in apprenticeships that promise both prosperity and prestige. To the ruling elite, Machinists are essential infrastructure—respected, well-compensated, but ultimately viewed as vital components in the greater machinery of state. Their status is high, their work indispensable, and their social standing secure so long as the engines they build keep the Gilded City running.

A common smith hammers steel until it submits. A machinist persuades the soul of the machine to sing in harmony. The tools are merely how we start the conversation.

— Master Elara Vance, of the Artificers' League

A Kendroni Machinist's toolkit is more than equipment—it’s a curated extension of the mind and hands that wield it. Every wrench, file, and tuning fork serves a precise purpose in the delicate and often dangerous work of magi-tech maintenance. Journeymen carry high-quality, standardized kits issued by their guilds, containing precision-forged wrenches, drakemetal-edged tools, insulated gauntlets, resonance tuners, and schematic scrolls. These instruments allow them to perform vital diagnostics and repairs on dragocite engines and elemental circuits with skill and reliability.

Master Machinists, however, elevate their craft with bespoke tools that reveal the hidden architecture of magical systems. The aetheric monocle shows power flows in real time. The arcane calibrator reads output and stability at a glance. Forgemaster’s Hand tools—self-forged and drakemetal-laced—resonate with their work like extensions of the self. And when a workshop is miles away, the portable heat-forge allows emergency fabrication on the spot. Their gear reflects mastery, precision, and unshakable trust in their tools.

Perfection is a myth. Every engine has a breaking point. Every conduit has a flaw. Our work is not to eliminate risk—that is impossible. It is to understand it, to respect it, and to pray that when the breaking point comes, you are not the one standing next to it.

— Master Elara Vance, moments before a catastrophic engine failure

The life of a Kendroni Machinist may be stable and prestigious, but it is never without risk. Their work—taming volatile dragocite and wrangling unpredictable magi-tech—places them on the front lines of the kingdom’s relentless drive for progress. A single flaw in a dragocite core can result in anything from a paralyzing shock to a full-scale detonation, and even routine exposure to elemental engines can leave lasting harm: chilled bones, scorched lungs, or worse. Dracosis, a slow, crystalline corruption caused by prolonged contact with raw dragocite, remains a constant threat despite advances in safety.

Yet physical danger is only part of the cost. Machinists who innovate too boldly may attract espionage, blackmail, or worse. Rival guilds, criminal factions, and foreign powers all vie for their secrets. Even the Drakarchate may intervene, quietly silencing work deemed too destabilizing. In Kendron, knowledge is power—but for the Machinist, that power may come at the cost of life, legacy, or both.