Automatons
Automatons were the Wyranth Empire's mechanical soldiers—faceless, tireless constructs powered by life crystals that formed a significant and growing portion of the imperial military. Designed by Ivan, the Iron Emperor and produced under the supervision of Princess Kristina, they were intended to replace human soldiers and workers throughout the empire and to overwhelm the Rislandian human army through a war of attrition. The Wyranth Underground Resistance and Rislandia both sought to discover their weaknesses and the location of their production facilities.
Description
Automatons were constructed from the same metallic material used in Wyranth helmets, giving them a uniform, industrial appearance. Their faces were completely flat and featureless—described by observers as "faceless metal contraptions"—with hollow eyes, and their joints were fitted with gears and pulleys. They made whirring noises comparable to airship engines or artillery when in motion and could move as fast as a motor carriage, trudging much faster than humans on foot. Each automaton required only a sliver of life crystal to function—less than was needed to power a changeling net—and were powered at least in part by the earth crystal. Their secrets of operation were not shared with Zaira von Monocle, who wondered whether they could think or feel. Observers noted that automatons gave off a creepy air.
Automatons held rifles and used their metal arms as bludgeoning instruments in close combat. Bullets ricocheted off their metal faces, causing sparks, making them immune to conventional small-arms fire. They were, however, vulnerable to explosive bags, and at least one was melted by a mecha suit flamethrower, while others were blasted into parts or sent flying by mecha unit strikes.
Automatons moved with precision, did not slow down or tire, and followed orders without hesitation. They could not rebel independently, making them safer than human guards in Ivan's estimation.
Production
Automatons were produced on an assembly line at the Wyranth War Factory and were also manufactured in large quantities on the Isle du Mystere, where thousands were allegedly being created. Dr. Metzengerstein was credited as their builder, while Ivan designed them and Princess Kristina oversaw factory operations. Programming had to be completed before military testing could proceed. At one point, more than a hundred completed automatons stood ready in the factory, and Kristina reported that production was ahead of schedule for the next batch. Ivan expressed confidence that he could potentially create thousands of them.
Deployment and Control
Automatons were controlled by Wyranth officers through Dr. Metzengerstein's control system, which used levers and dials. Their power cores could be shut down remotely; Ivan shut down an entire force the evening before a battle, leaving them standing motionless in a forest near the Rislandian line—described as "dead, standing in the forest in the daylight—a creepy sight." General Gregor also gave orders regarding their deployment.
In the Wyranth Empire's capital, automatons were stationed at every intersection throughout the city and lined the Wyranth Palace hallways in pairs every few steps. They stood guard at the Devil's Mountain laboratory and over Zaira von Monocle in a cave. They also stood every dozen or so feet along the deck of the W.S.S. Adventurer, crossed the bridge at Carnait Cove in great numbers, and lined the forest near the Rislandian line.
Automaton Brigade units one and four were dispatched to handle the Wyranth Underground Resistance. Orders were changed at one point from lethal engagement to capture and disarm. The automatons were ordered to be readied for combat by Ivan when the Nightmen were spotted.
In addition to their military role, automatons were used as transportation vehicles, carrying sticks with mats draped on them for passengers.
Role in The Iron Wedding
In The Iron Wedding, automatons played a central military and security role for the Wyranth Empire. They were used to handle the Wyranth Capital Riot and were deployed by Ivan as a decisive advantage in the war against Rislandia.
During the battle test against Rislandians at Loveridge, the automatons performed effectively—"The automatons did their job. The Rislandians were caught completely unprepared"—though they stood motionless in the fields near Loveridge after the ceasefire. One automaton fell into the Border River when its foot became stuck in a bridge plank; Ivan ordered the driver not to stop for it.
Zaira von Monocle encountered a deactivated automaton in the forest. Automatons also stood guard over her in a cave, and she observed that bullets ricocheted off their metal faces causing sparks.
During the engagement against the Nightmen, automaton brigade units were deployed but were driven back. Several were blasted into parts by mecha suits, one was melted by a mecha flamethrower, and one was sent flying by a mecha arm swipe, crashing near Zaira. All were incapacitated by the end of the battle, and Dr. Metzengerstein suggested rappelling down to repair them. The surviving units retreated back into Carnait Cove.
Princess Kristina visited the factory to prepare automatons for "phase two" of the imperial plan.
Spoiler: The Crystal Conspiracy
This section reveals events from “The Crystal Conspiracy”.
Strengths
- Never tired or felt pain
- Immune to morale effects such as fear, panic, and despair
- Immune to bullets (rounds ricocheted off their metal faces)
- Followed orders perfectly without hesitation
- Could move as fast as a motor carriage, trudging much faster than humans on foot
- Moved with precision and did not slow down
- Could operate in environments lethal to humans
- Could not rebel independently, making them safer than human guards in Ivan's estimation
Weaknesses
- Lacked initiative and creative thinking
- Could not adapt to unexpected situations
- Vulnerable to explosive bags
- Vulnerable to mecha suit weaponry, including flamethrowers and physical strikes
- Power cores could be disrupted or shut down remotely
- Required crystal maintenance
- Susceptible to terrain hazards (one fell into the Border River due to a bridge plank)
Significance
Spoiler: The Crystal Conspiracy
This section reveals events from “The Crystal Conspiracy”.
In A History of Rislandia
According to A History of Rislandia, automatons have a history stretching back far beyond the current conflict between Rislandia and the Wyranth Empire, with origins rooted in the age of the Giants and a long arc of rediscovery and refinement across the centuries.
Origins: The Age of Giants
According to A History of Rislandia, automatons powered by life crystals served the Giants during their Golden Age in Zenwey, functioning in every capacity—not merely as soldiers but as general-purpose servants. When the Great Sundering caused crystal magic to fail catastrophically, these automatons froze mid-action, becoming silent monuments to the civilization that had built them. The sourcebook notes that dormant automatons can still be found in ancient ruins, where they may remain inert or, in some cases, reactivate as guardians—and that malfunctioning units have been known to go rogue.
The Fantasy War (Years 375–383)
According to A History of Rislandia, automatons were deployed by both sides during the Fantasy War in Year 377. At that stage they are described as "crude and unreliable," suggesting the technology had been partially rediscovered but not yet mastered.
Technological Renaissance (Years 400–500)
According to A History of Rislandia, automatons form part of a broader technological arc in Rislandian history spanning Years 400–500, grouped alongside the rediscovery of crystal magic and the development of airships. The sourcebook frames this period as one of accelerating innovation across the continent.
The Wyranth Automaton Program
According to A History of Rislandia, the modern Wyranth automaton program was expanded and its industrial complexes built by Emperor Eisenherz, establishing the institutional foundation that Ivan, the Iron Emperor and Princess Kristina later inherited and scaled. The sourcebook states that automaton factories are managed by Princess Kristina and that the army is overseen by Ivan.
The sourcebook specifies that automaton armor is produced at the Foundries of Capital City—a detail not mentioned in the novels—while the automatons themselves are manufactured at the Wyranth Industrial Complex on Isle du Mystere and transported across the strait to the mainland by Wyranth ships. Automatons are controlled via Dr. Metzengerstein's system of levers, dials, and antennae.
The sourcebook describes automatons as fighting alongside human soldiers and characterizes them as "a new and growing force" in the Wyranth military, framing them as a supplement to rather than a wholesale replacement of human troops—a nuance that sits in some tension with the novels' emphasis on Ivan's intention to replace human soldiers entirely.
Capabilities and Weaknesses
A History of Rislandia confirms that automatons never tire, feel no pain, and follow orders perfectly, and that they are immune to morale effects. Their stated weaknesses in the sourcebook are lack of initiative and vulnerability to crystal disruption—consistent with the novels, though the sourcebook does not mention explosive bags or mecha suit weaponry as specific vulnerabilities.