Clockwork Merchants

*"They showed up in a strange multicolored pillar of light. 'Ve got no idea where they came from, but they says it's another planet called Krixil. Yeah right, like there's another planet out there with people made 'o cogs and gears. But then again, their wares are out of this world, so there might be some truth to it." ~Kavash Lar, Merchant Lord of Fiend's Reach.*

The clockwork merchants are a race of constructed servants from the world of Krixil. They lack what most people would call 'free will' in favor of an unending desire to serve a master. On the face of it, this might seem barbaric, for out there someone is creating a slave race, but as any clockwork merchant will tell you, they find no greater joy than being useful.

The first clockwork merchant was the creation of a magical item dealer. It was designed to aid the wizard in crafting and selling of mystical wares. Time took its toll though, as the wizard aged yet his companion did not. When the time came, and the wizard was on his deathbed, he gave his clockwork friend one final task, "Do what you wish."

It wasn't long after this that the first clockwork merchant began doing just that. For it wished not to be alone, and made more of its kind. Now on Krixil, there are hundreds, if not thousands of these clockwork merchants crafted every year. They are paired with a skilled master based upon a myriad of different factors; from the personalities of the clockwork merchant and its master, to the specific skill sets and how they would compliment each other.

### Physical Description

Clockwork merchants appear to be very similar in physical structure to humans, with one key difference: Clockwork merchants are made of steel springs and cogs; brass buttons and gears. The human form was obviously the inspiration for that of a clockwork merchant, and that has changed little over the years. Some are designed to be shorter or taller, stronger or weaker, smarter, wiser, or more charismatic. Different alloys of metal are used in clockwork merchants in a fashion akin to how different hair colors, skin tones, or eye colors are found in humans.

### Society

Being designed as servants, clockwork merchants don't form societies of their own. They enjoy performing auxiliary roles within societies in which they are assigned though. Some communities welcome these mechanical allies with such fervor, that clockwork merchants can make up nearly 50% of the population. Different societies treat their clockwork merchants differently of course. Some will consider the clockwork merchant simply an advanced form of property. Others grant clockwork merchants rights given to every citizen, have special laws in place to prevent abuse, and even go so far as to allow them to vote. Clockwork merchants rarely care a great deal though, as they wish only to serve.

### Relations

Most races get along with clockwork merchants equally. Some races, such as drow or orcs, will take advantage of the clockwork merchant's subservience, but that proves relatively difficult, as a clockwork merchant can rarely be anything but.

### Alignment and Religion

Clockwork merchants are usually one step away from the alignment of their master. And this step is always towards neutrality, due to the clockwork merchant's lack of volition. They rarely worship a deity unless they are specifically tasked to do so (usually by taking levels in a divine class).

### Adventurers

Clockwork merchants are never adventurers in their own right. When they are the cohort of an adventurer they gladly join a party seeking treasure, exploration, or secrets all the same though.

## Standard Racial Traits

* **Servant**: Every clockwork merchant serves a master, and otherwise does not form volitions of its own. Clockwork merchants take delight in serving a skilled creature, whether that skill is combat expertiese, arcane practices, social graces, or others, it does not mater to the clockwork merchant. All clockwork merchants are Cohorts, and cannot be selected as a PC race. A character with the Leadership feat may purchase the Clockwork Cohort item in the RP shop to acquire one.
* **Ability Score Racial Traits**: Clockwork merchant characters gain a +2 racial bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
* **Type**: Clockwork merchants are constructs.
* **No Constitution**: Being constructs, clockwork merchants do not have a constitution score. Any statistics or DC that are based on Con treat a clockwork merchant as having a Con of 10. When creating a clockwork merchant character, assign them a starting Con of 10 when purchasing their ability scores.
* **Size**: Clockwork merchants are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* **Base Speed**: Clockwork merchants have a base speed of 30 feet.
* **Languages**: Clockwork merchants are programmed to speak Krixilian Common and usually one language requested by their master. Clockwork merchants with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

### Feat and Skill Racial Traits

* **Bonus Feat**: Clockwork merchants select one extra feat at 1st level.
* **Skilled**: Clockwork merchants gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.

### Sense Racial Traits

* **Darkvision**: Clockwork merchants can see 60 ft in the dark.
* **Low-Light vision**: Clockwork merchants see twice as far as humans in low light.

### Special Racial Traits

* **Construct Healing**: Clockwork merchants cannot heal damage on their own but can be healed through the use of the Craft Construct feat. Clockwork merchants can also be healed through spells that repair objects, such as *make whole*. A clockwork merchant that gains the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality.
* **Construct Immunities**: Clockwork merchants are not subject to ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain, or nonlethal damage. They are immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
* Constructs do not risk death due to massive damage, but they are immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or fewer.
* **Destruction**: Clockwork merchants are not at risk of death due to massive damage, but are immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or fewer. They cannot be raised or resurrected (although the spell *memory of function* will restore them).
* **Hardy**: Clockwork merchants gain 20 bonus hit points due to being Medium sized constructs.

## Favored Class Options

Clockwork Merchants may select any Human favored class option.