The Mechanicians League (CShaH)

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Admits: The League will admit any mechanician of 3rd level or higher. There are no racial or other restrictions.
Members: Currently, there are 42 members of the league, a number that is deemed auspicious by the group for some reason known only to themselves. The majority of the society is made up of gnomes, with that race comprising 20 of the League's members. There are some elves within the society, with only four members representing their race. Dwarves hold the second largest majority with 10 members. Humans have eight members of their race in the League.
Initiation: The mechanicians have a very open policy of admissions. Because their type of magecraft is so difficult to learn, there are relatively few mechanicians and fewer still that know to seek out the League. Those that do find the League need only bring proof of their ability (a well-built mechanical with at least three functions) in order to take the test.
The test is made up of a number of interrelated tasks, each of which must be completed by one of the initiate's mechanicals. The initiate is given a week to prepare for the task, then a week to finish once it is begun. Because time is so limited, it is advisable that the mechanician spend the week before preparing as many mechanicals as possible to cover a wide variety of contingencies.
The tasks that make up the test are widely varied but usually require talents that are only available to a mechanical, such as the climbing or combat abilities, or its ability to shoot webs, or whatever else. The test is different for everyone, and the more powerful a mechanician, the more difficult the test will be. Determination and ingenuity are the hallmarks of a talented clockwork mage, and the test is designed to bring these qualities to the forefront.
The contribution that the mechanician must make to the group is in skills, not monetary goods. Every mechanician that joins the group must bring with him some craft that he can practice to make the creation of mechanicals easier for other mechanicians. The skill must be something that the individual can use to manufacture shells or other parts for a mechanical (i.e., metalworking, gem cutting, carpentry, etc.). The League will let any of these skills count as a contribution. They will not accept money or other materials in place of this as a contribution.
Description: The purpose of the Mechanicians' League is to provide a common ground for mechanicians to both exchange information and assist one another in the building of complex mechanicals. It has lived up to its goals admirably, creating a clearinghouse for information that few other groups, tom by mistrust or greed, can emulate.
Members of the League can always get access to information or expertise, though the time it takes to receive the requested assistance varies depending on where the requesting character is located and who may be nearby to assist in fulfilling the request. This is always at the DM's discretion and should be used to further an adventure or campaign whenever possible. For instance, in a situation where time is of great import, the character may receive assistance at just the last moment, heightening tension as the character wonders if his help or information will arrive in time to do him any good. The League may withhold assistance from characters who constantly call for help until the character learns to rely on himself a bit.
The disadvantage to such free communication between members of the League is the relatively common knowledge of their existence. Most sorcerous societies know of the League, and many have sought its help in the past. The only thing that has kept the Mechanicians' League safe from the predations of the Red Eyes is the goodwill of other sorcerous societies and numerous unaffiliated wizards. Attacking the League would draw down the wrath of several parties friendly to the League on the aggressors. Besides, comparatively little is gained by such action, as the League freely aids those who ask.
Most societies have availed themselves of the services of the Mechanicians' League, consulting them on the construction of magical items and other devices. The mechanicians are happy to render such aid, as it increases their own importance in the eyes of other wizards. For too long, mechanicians have felt undervalued and generally scorned by the more traditional wizards. They hope that giving assistance to all who ask will increase their standing within the magic-using community and earn them the respect they deserve. Unfortunately, it has done much to devalue them in the eyes of the less scrupulous societies that have abused the goodwill of the mechanicians on more than one occasion.
Because of these abuses, the Mechanicians' League is contemplating a new stricture on the type of help it will offer—it intends to stay uninvolved in the creation of any item that will be used directly against another society. The League knows that societies with less-than-pure motives have used its services to harm less aggressive societies, and the mechanicians are not happy about that. On the other hand, restricting access to its special abilities could provoke punitive measures. Those societies that have used the mechanicians for so long may suddenly resort to violence in order to retain the privileges they have enjoyed. This has thrown the mechanicians into a state of indecision as they try to come to a consensus on what to do about this problem. Currently, things remain as they have, with members of the League performing work-for-hire on a regular basis for anyone that comes along.
The League charges for the services that it provides, depending on what is asked. General knowledge is relatively cheap, costing a mere 10 gp per level of the speaker for a four-hour conference on the ins and outs of clockwork magic. For instance: Akbar, sorcerer of sand and wind, seeks information on the mechanicians. He desires a fairly high-level instructor and meets with Fiona, a 12th-level mechanician. The cost for his four-hour seminar is 120 gp.
Speakers of higher level will be able to impart more useful information than those of lower levels. A 1stlevel mechanician might only know the basics, such as how to construct a crude mechanical with one or two functions. A 5th-level mechanician will be able to construct a more advanced mechanical with several functions and will know the precepts behind clockwork magic. At 10th level, a mechanician will be able to construct clever mechanicals with a number of functions and will know the finest points of clockwork magic. In fact, he or she could easily explain the intricacies of the process to such a degree that nonmechanicians would be completely baffled. Beyond 10th level the differences are not so much of knowledge, but of actual practical ability. Few mechanicians above 10th level will give speeches, feeling that their lower-level counterparts would better be able to explain things to an outsider.
If a mechanical is to be created for hire, the mechanicians will charge a lot for it and for the "handler" that must accompany the mechanical. The cost for a mechanical is 10 times its construction cost, plus 10 gp per hour of construction time. The handler that goes along with the mechanical (almost always the one who created it) requires a 10 gp per day fee regardless of level. The mechanician that accompanies the mechanical will do nothing except what he was hired to do, and must be transported, fed, and sheltered for as long as his services are needed. If the group that hires a mechanical and handler comes under attack, the mechanician will attempt to flee the combat unless he was specifically hired to provide protection for the group. In all other cases, he will require a bodyguard of at least two warriors to protect him as he leaves and must be given these the instant combat starts. If there is any delay in providing protection, the mechanician will demand a doubling of his fee and may, if feasible, leave the group and head back for his home. A common phrase among hired mechanicians is: "This isn't in my contract."
The Mechanicians' League is led by the Union. Currently, the Union is comprised of four gnome mechanicians, each of whom has proved his loyalty and usefulness. They do not make demands of their people, but their requests are always followed. The Union believes in leading by example and performs as many unpleasant actions as they would ask of any other member. This attitude has drawn the League even closer together, making the whole League seem more fraternal and "chummy" than any other society.
The League's members stay in close contact with one another most of the time. This is facilitated by a group of smiths scattered across Zakhara. In any major city there will be at least one smith that can and will get in contact with the mechanicians. These smiths never charge for this service, but they do have access to mechanician knowledge and are the recipients of sporadic, but still frequent, favors from the League. At least one smith has a mechanical that tirelessly works the bellows for his forge, a gift that guaranteed his loyalty to the League for all time.
While these smiths pass messages freely, they charge for any other services that are asked of them. They give a 10 percent discount to all members of the League and give this work priority over most any other Other societies may pass messages through these smiths as well, though only if those missives are directed to the League itself. The smiths won't be used as free mail carriers for every wizard who comes along.
Messages are passed from one smith to the next in the most expedient manner possible. Messages are carried from city to city by trade caravans who may or may not know the nature of the message, depending on their trustworthiness. The League is not overly concerned with keeping these messages secret and will not get upset if someone reads their "mail" as long as the message is delivered in its original form. If anyone alters a message, or simply doesn't deliver it, the mechanicians will do whatever they can to track down the offender and give him of their displeasure.
While the mechanicians are not overly violent and have tried to remove themselves from the wizard wars of the other societies, they don't hesitate to protect their own. Harming a member of the League, or otherwise interfering with its functions, is a deed that will be punished harshly. While assassination is not something the League indulges in on a regular basis, they have nothing against ruining an enemy's life by more subtle means. Destroying a business, revealing the untrustworthy nature of a merchant, or otherwise defaming or humbling a foe are all methods they use with regularity. In severe cases, they have been known to use mechanical assassins.
Members of the League do not run about revealing the existence of their group to all that will listen, but they don't exactly make a secret of it either. They regularly hold conferences for all the members and, if asked by outsiders about the conference, they will answer honestly. If no one asks, however, they don't bring it up.
In play, the League should be used as a source of help for PCs (though not necessarily with the answers to all their questions). Members of the League should be allowed to call on their organization from time to time, but this shouldn't become a habit. Characters who aren't members of the League may seek it out for problems dealing with mechanicals, or if they need a mechanical themselves. They will probably be granted an audience. If a character is a member of another society, he will automatically receive an audience and whatever favor he asks, as long as he has the gold to pay. Otherwise the Union must decide whether to speak to the characters and whether or not the request will be granted. Waiting for an audience can take up to a week, depending on how busy the League is and the importance of the character. Those characters who are well known or of high station will receive an audience much faster than beginning adventurers or beggars. The granting of a request can take from a day to a month or longer. This is determined solely on the activity within the League and when the conference can be held or the task completed. The League is rarely useful for an "instant out" of a difficult situation; it simply takes too long for the mechanicians to decide whether or not they will help the characters.
The mechanicians use a hammer as their sigil, and it is prominently displayed in areas where they can be reached.
Goals: The mechanicians are striving toward a state of true neutrality among the other societies. Above all else, they want to become a safe haven for all members of their kit, untouched by the intersociety conflicts that plague other such groups.
At present, they must figure out how to separate themselves from other groups. By trying to be friends with everyone, they have placed themselves in a position that will eventually become untenable. It is very possible that the League will hire player characters to help them with this problem, pitting the characters against a number of other societies.