And Now For Something Completely Different

The secret to the Talus Dominion's newfound military might, the thing that had finally secured their independence in the face of such a powerful opponent as the Stratus Empire, were known as automatons. Automatons were technical masterworks formed from metal. These machines were granted motion by moving cogs and mechanical joints and then imbued with life--some might say sentience--by the soulstones which powered them.

Technology had come a long way over the last few decades. Skilled artisans could muster up mechanical toys and clockwork contraptions capable of motion. But none of these inventions could begin to compare the dexterity, durability, and deadliness of automatons. Unquestioning and incapable of fear, automatons were undoubtedly the ultimate soldiers.

The creation of modern automatons was a union of science and mysticism. Skilled engineers crafted the physical frame of the automaton,deciding its form and function. Meanwhile, a charm such as those created by the Earthseers was required to channel the power of the soulstones, to give life to lifeless machines. While early automatons by Stratus scientists were relegated to farming and menial tasks before the Talus-Stratus war, it was the Talus who first thought to weaponize them. It was also the Talus who discovered how to grant the automatons intelligence.

The technological mastery of these astonishing machines was unparalleled in the world, with one exception: the ancient Naryu kingdom that once spanned the globe. It was only at tremendous effort and expense, and with years of experimentation, that scientists were finally able to rediscover the long-lost technology that had once brought the Earthen Realm to its knees.