Clan Motron

“Pedal to the metal, on the center line of the highway to hell! All who impede our way are roadkill!”

## Fringe Tribe: Clan Motron

 Where First Encountered
 Tribe Size
 Tribe Organization
 Male %
 Highest Caste Class
 Technology Level
 Relations With Outsiders
 Relations With Other Shemarrians
 Prefered Mode of Combat
 Prosperity

Clan Motron is a Splinter Clan of the Lost Eclipse, that is rumored to have established a presence near the ruins of Old Detroit. This places the clan perilously close to the Coalition States. Fortunately, the tribe seems to be small and mobile (or well concealed) enough that they’ve avoided notice by CS patrols in the region, which has led the Coalition States Army to dismiss reports of Shemarrian activity around the ghost-city as rumor-mongering. However, Clan Motron IS real.

### Culture

Members tend to drape themselves in collected automotive paraphenalia, including auto badges, hood ornaments, scavenged brake lights, hubcaps, and bits and pieces of cars and motorcycles. They seem to be living American auto-cult culture to an extreme; the favored drinks of the Clan are high octane gasoline (leaded; unleaded gives them hiccup-like ‘knocks’) and radiator coolant. They’re also dotty for natural oil. Their Warmounts tend to resemble distortions of famous automobile types, and powered wheel appendages seem a common feature.

It is unknown if Clan Motron is truly based in Old Detroit; if so, their clan headquarters is well-hidden (given their relationship to the Lost Eclipse, it’s likely deep underground) or if they are wholly nomadic, in which case they must be exceptionally stealthy to avoid the many CS and adventurer patrols in the area. In any case, Clan Motron seems to roam a territory centered on Old Detroit, and they have been frequently sighted raiding in the ruins.

## Statistics

### Motif

A black spiked ‘Model T’ wheel with a flaming scimitar imposed over it.

### Where First Encountered

Rifts Earth, around the ruins of Old Detroit.

### Tribe Organization

Headsman, chosen by non-lethal combat. ‘Auto-Jousting’ seems the preferred trial-by-combat.

### Tribal Composition

Males make up roughly 60% of the Clan, Tinkers another 10%, and the rest a mix of Warriors, War Chiefs, Elites, and the odd NeShemar and other. There is one Wargoddess.

### Highest Caste Class

Wargoddess. The current headswoman, Wargoddess ‘T’, has defeated all challengers.

### Home Environment

Urban industrial and open road. The remains of old pre-Rifts highways are their most frequent haunting and hunting grounds. The Male Motrons, in particular, are fond of using their stealth abilities to turn the table on those who would try to ambush them (especially the radar-using CS).

### Technology Level

Megadamage Age; on a par with other Shemarrian Tribes

### Relations with Outsiders

Indifferent. Don’t get in their way, don’t try to ticket them, and don’t try to slow them down. If you do, you’re roadkill. If you’ve got automotive memorabilia to sell, they may just stop long enough to check your goods over and maybe make you and offer, but don’t try to sell them junk; these guys and girls know their cars. They’ll assist others in need, but only if it doesn’t slow them down. If you’re brave enough, they’ll let you ride with them, but they don’t slow for hitchhikers and they don’t brake for unicorns.

### Relations with Other ‘Shemarrians’

Friendly and outgoing and willing to trade. They have the most frequent contact with the Lost Eclipse, Wolf’s Path, and various Eccentrics.

### Purpose

Currently Clan Motron is geared towards surviving, what with enemies all around. That, and preserving their (new-found) way of life, finding artifacts, and securing supplies.

### Preferred Mode of Combat

Cavalry tactics, with a strong dash of Nightmare terror tactics.

### Unique Attributes

Unique Warmounts. Clan Motron is noted for its homebrewed Warmounts, that seem inspired by the region’s rich industry of industry and automobile production. The ‘Edselator’ is the most common of the Clan Motron designs to see the light of day.

### Prosperity

Modestly well; the Clan obviously has Trinity Modules and the means to make their own Warmounts, but they have to remain constantly moving (or well dug-in). They have enough spare production capacity that they can trade some of their Warmounts back to their parent Tribe, but they have no objections to material assistance from the Lost Eclipse.

### Special Technologies

#### ’Speeders’ Aka ‘Seggies’.

These are small powered wheels attached to the lower leg armor of tribe members. When activated, they swing down and lock into place, the wearer’s heels on the axel. Powered by induction from the psibot/cyborg’s own nuclear ‘heart’, these wheels can increase their running speed by 25% on level ground, and +1 to dodge when speeding along. The sight of a pack of Motrons zipping up in pursuit has been known to induce near-heart-attacks in those who’d think to raid the tribe.

Speeders are useless to anybody not specially equipped to power and handle them; several outsiders who have stolen seggies and tried to use them have failed miserably (and in more than half of the cases, fatally).

#### Wheel Kits

System attached to legs of warmounts that allow them to speed along on wheels on relatively flat surfaces.

#### Spoiler Blades

Vibroblades modeled after Pre-Rifts sports car spoilers and foils.

#### Ram Scoop Weapon

Nose and head mounted weapons designed to look like engine air intakes and turbo-chargers.

#### Off-Road Guards

Retractable guards for the warmount's head that aid in ram attacks and protect the head.

### Warmounts

#### Edselator

A warmount modeled off ancient vehicle, the Edsel. Legs are able to transform from wheels to leg models to give it greater mobility.

#### Crazelle

A warmount that looks like a combination of an ATV and a lizard.

#### Dalit

A utility warmount modelled after old garbage with components from several Northern Gun robots.

#### Shambulator

A warmount that looks like a cross between a large bus and a buffalo-rhino, used to move people and gear.

#### Sphyrn

A hammerhead warmount that looks like a cross between a Monstrex and a pick-up truck.

#### Willey

A light cavalry warmount modeled on Pre-Rifts open topped jeep.

#### Wreckadon

A large warmount that looks like a multi-vehicle pile up with animal parts thrown in.

#### Rozrezard

An E-nimal Clan Motron uses as an alternate to the Wolves. Able to roll up into a ball and shred anything in its path.

### Clan Motron Auto-Mutations

*“When her chest started blinking like that, I shoulda taken the hint that a VICIOUS right hook was coming my way...But yah know, it was TOTALLY worth the broken jaw.”*

Like their parent Tribe, the Lost Eclipse, Clan Motroners display personal aesthetic mutations/disfigurements, only theirs are automobile-related. About 60% sport one of the following:

* 01-10 Forehead Icon. The Motroner possesses the sigil-badge of a pre-Rifts auto company (such as Ford, VW, Honda, Toyota, Acura, BMW, Rolls-Royce, etc.) embedded in their forehead (alternatively the icon may be mounted on the chest, breasts, or stomach). Among the carkulture-happy Motrons, when manifested in the Progen-born this sign of being ‘touched by the auto spirits’ is worth a bonus

of +1 to M.A. It’s also led to jokes like “What’s your sign?” ”Lincoln-Mercury”.

* 11-20% Headlight Eyes. The Shemar’s eyes more closely resemble the headlights of a car (01-50% classic round headlights, 51-00% LED ‘bar’). The eyes act as functional spotlights, with a light beam range of 200 ft.
* 21-25% Chrome Skin. High-gloss or metallic skin that even a Silvermoon would envy. Lasers do HALF damage, but expect to spend a lot of time washing, polishing, waxing or oiling that skin.
* 26-30 % Pneumatic Feet. The Motroner can go barefoot and alter air pressure in bladders in the feet (which may look badly swollen as a result) which allow for better traction on slick, soft, or slippery conditions (reduce the penalties for crossing such surfaces by -25% if the Shemarrian can spend a melee round beforehand altering the foot pressure).
* 31-35% Shoulder-stacks. Exhaust stacks, like those of a tractor-trailer rig, or off a ‘chopper’ motorcycle, sprout from the Shemar’s shoulder blades. 20% chance of being able to spew a smokescreen (15 ft range, effects similar to the Cloud of Smoke spell, lasts 1d6 melees, and can produce 12 clouds per hour), 10% chance of being able to spout flames (5 ft range and does 4d6 SDC or 1d4 MD per strike).
* 36-40% Grillwork Mouth. The Shemar’s mouth resembles the radiator grill off an automobile. It can sometimes look like dental braces (-1d4 to P.B.), and is often confused with the Fender-Face mutation. The grillwork actually helps handle heat better and the Shemarrian runs cooler; -10% to efforts to detect the Shemarrian using heat sensors.
* 41-45% Motorback. The Motron looks like they’re a hunchback, with a big high performance motorcycle or car engine sticking out of their back. Adds 25% more weight, has the same MDC as the Shemarrian’s head, and reduces the PB by 25%, prowl by -15% (engine noises; quieter than a normal ICE, but still pretty noisy), but increases the maximum running/skating/swimming speed by 25%.
* 46-50% Fender-Face. The face possesses a fender-like bar (looking like a football helmet facecage or a large dental brace) that can drop down to protect the face from impacts (increase head MDC by 5d6 ).
* 51-55% Windshield Eyes. In place of eyes, the Shemar has a wide windshield-like visor. 25% chance of having little windshield wipers in lieu of eyelids. Enjoys a slightly wider angle of vision (+1 to perception and +1 to initiative with regards to events/attacks from the sides).
* 56-60% Rearview Mirrors. The Shemarrian has an extra set of antennae appendages; small paddle-like metallic protuberances from the upper corner of the eyes that allow the Motron to see , in reflection, increased arcs of vision behind them. +1 to initiative and +1 to dodge when responding to attacks from behind.
* 61-65% Tire Skin. The overall skin is thicker and tougher, with a gray/black color, and cracked-looking or grooved rubbery surface. Even the fingerprints resemble tire tracks in miniature. Reduce PB by HALF, but increase overall MDC by 25%, and incoming kinetic impact strikes like punches, kicks, falls, and blunt force weapons, get their damage reduced by -25%.
* 66-70% Blinkers. The Shemar has signal blinkers in their chest or ribcage (not always obvious if covered by armor). About 25% also possess similar blinker bars on their back/posterior. At close range (15 ft) the blinkers can become flashers and act like a Blinding Flash spell (cue ‘flasher’ or ‘bright moon’ jokes).
* 71-75% Spare Tire Compatibility. The Shemarrian has quick-change arms and legs; rather than wait for repairs or regeneration, the Shemarrian can unbolt an inoperable limb and exchange it for a suitably-sized robot, power armor, or cyborg limb as easy as changing a tire, even without the help of a Tinker. The shoulder and pelvis, however, sport rather obvious nuts and bolts.
* 76-80% Retractable Antennae. The Shemar possesses a telescoping whip antennae that sprouts from one side of the head. Has the same MDC as the regular antennae, but extends up to 3 ft. Increase radio communication range by 10%.
* 81-90% Horn. The Shemar’s vocal apparatus can produce an automobile-like horn sound, up to 80 decibels. At close range (50 ft) it can act like a Thunderclap spell.
* 91-00% Odd Skin Color. The Shemar has a skin color more appropriate to a car than a living being, with colors like robin’s egg blue, dirty silver, stark white, dark blue, metallic, etc. About 25% of Motrons with this mutation will also possess chromed trim (+1d4 MD) somewhere on their bodies (forearms, legs., neck, shoulders, etc.), and 5% will have faux-wood inlays in their skin (+1d6 MD).