Copy of a Disassembly Report

[Note: This classified document is one of eight copies of the original report for the use of the Legion in the provinces in case of similar future sightings. This document has undergone cryptographic treatment. Needlessly unsettling passages may have been omitted.]

War-Engineer's Disassembly Report 
5th of Second Seed, 3E 66 
Fort Wariel, Siege Workshop

Broken remains of a mechanical automaton or other contraption of that nature have been brought to the workshop for disassembly and study by a Legion patrol. The patrolmen claim that the wrecked thing was flying high above ground, so they had to shoot it down with a crossbow -- effectively breaking it.

According to the two men who made first contact with the wreckage there was a cloak of parchment-like feathers attached to back and the so-called "limbs" of the wreck, but it self-combusted upon approach. The flame purportedly burned pale blue. No smoke.

The shape of the wreck is vaguely humanoid, not unlike the Dwarven automatons found in Hammerfell -- though considerably less brutish in appearance.

Upper layer of the wreck is seemingly one mesh, but upon closer examination proves to consist of a set of sixteen separate plates, bolted together with excellent craftsmanship. The material is a brazen, evenly-colored metal alloy. Gold is undoubtedly prevalent, though it doesn't explain the strength and durability of the alloy. The wreck is only slightly dented at the spot where it was struck by the war-bolt, but there are no scrapes or other damage visible from the crash landing.

Unscrewing the bolts yields a thick mud-red liquid dripping out of the screwholes. Not unlike oil. 

Encased within the golden plate armor is a mummy-shaped figure in blackwood. It has no limbs, but rather what looks like an intricate network of roots connected to the outer metal casing. I believe there are important mechanisms hidden within these roots. There are patterns of fine, swirling markings on the wood's surface: quite possibly writing, but not in any human language I recognize. A job for a linguistic.

There is a figurehead carved to resemble the face of a woman sleeping. Material: ivory. Expression: serene.

A faint repeating sound emits from within the wood. Drum-like. Apparently some of the wreck's mechanisms are still at work. There are no seams visible, so hammer and chisel are required to make an opening.

Within the wooden figure there is a black iron cage, resembling a rib cage, protecting the inner workings of the wreck. The craftsmanship here is far cruder than the rest of the thing. The violently twisting claw-like bars that make up the cage look as though they were forcibly coldforged by a troll.

I'm ripping through the iron cage with hammer, saw, and cutters. The mud-red oil mentioned earlier bleeds from the inside of the broken bars making it challenging to make observations.

There are, what appear to be, a beating heart and two stomachs in here. Disturbing.

The figurehead is weeping oil.

I will continue the disassembly within the presence of an Imperial battlemage and an illustrator from the Scenarists' Guild at a later date.

[Note: The 'later date' disassembly never took place as the wreck was stolen from Fort Wariel by parties that even after weeks of torturous investigation remained unknown.]