Gear Warden

The Gear Warden was a modified version of a gearkeeper construct tinkered by Cleff Tinkertop for use by the warders of the Gearhole Prison, creating a threatening impression to quell any violent prison riots or mass breakouts. Hower, from the begging of the project. in 832-833 PD, it had a malfunction, the warden was unable to tell apart the prison guardians and its prisoners, attacking all of them. In 835 PD, it was forcefully shutdown by the Mighty Nein, contracted by Cleff and Wardenhelm Poppin Drokrusher.

Appearance
The Gear Warden was a large spherical gearkeeper of about eight feet in diameter, a three layers of overlapping metal plates, clockwork gears, twelve blades, and at least two spears. It had a retractable lens in the front, covered by a plate for protection. To move, it stuck out six retractable spider-like plates and rolled itself forward. The warden can open up plates in front, leaving a black vacuous space for a shrapnel blast.

After over two years of attacking the prison walls and cells, the Gear Warden has seriously damaged itself with scraps and dents.

Personality
For unknown reasons, the Gear Warden "went crazy" on its first day at the Gearhole Prison. It then began to destroy anyone or anything it detected.

Background
Hupperdook's Starosta Emma Zezbok requested Cleff Tinkertop to tinker a warden for the Gearhole Prison, which has came to be a "clockwork warden", something that could help keep watch over the more dangerous and difficult inmates of the prison. In 832 PD or 833 PD, Cleff's creation was ready and placed on the bottom floor holding "very violent criminals".

According to Rissa, if the Gear Warden had been successful, its model might've been mass-produced as a defensive sentinel for the city of Hupperdook, and, with just five or six gear-keepers patrolling the city outskirts, they would have discouraged invasion or lawless acts within the city limits. However, this future was lost on its very first working day. The Gear Warden had unforeseen "faults" and became uncontrolable, destroying "whatever was in its way", killing "a bunch" of prisoners, as well as their guards before the Gearhole warders have managed to seal it away, didn't having the manpower to fight it off.

In the aftermath, Cleff was heavily fined for the damage and loss of life, still paying them off in Fessuran 835 PD. In addition, every now and then, the wardens of the prison or city authorities (e.g., Starosta) liked to come by the Tinkertop residence to remind Cleff of the incident. The Gearhole Prison had potential plans to destroy the Gear Warden, but the task was frequently re-prioritized when other matters diverted their attention, and, by the time of War of Ash and Light, they eventually gave up on the idea.

Cleff Tinkertop
Cleff constructed the Gear Warden, and he was very proud of his invention, though he felt genuinely sorry for the incident at Gearhole Prison and was puzzled that he didn't foresee the problems with the construct. However, while the Gear Warden remained in the prison, it would remain "a black spot" on the Tinkertop name as reminder of those who lost their lives because of an error. He didn't want to see it again.

Abilities
In addition to the abilities usual to gearkeeper constructs noted in Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, the Gear Warden had:


 * A small crystal optic lens, providing the warden with general and "magical vision". The lens could be obscured to blind the warden, but the warden could use an action to clean the lens with a small, protruding scraper. It was imported to Hupperdook from "the remnants of one of the old elven societies" up north, possibly looted form the ruins of Molaesmyr.
 * Each layer of protection increased its AC by 1. Once its surface endured 65-75 damage, the warden's AC lowered from 18 to 17 and at 130-140 damage mark to 16.
 * Inside, the Gear Warden had a magical core, serving as their power source. Upon breaking or extracting the core, the machine lost its power. The core could provide power to the warden for "about 200 years".

Appearances and mentions

 * Campaign 2