Steel watchers were a type of construct found in Baldur's Gate during the late 15th century DR, that served Lord Enver Gortash, the chosen of Bane and aspiring Archduke of the city. They were considered by their creators to be a perversion of Gondian ideals, created using technology that was both divine and otherworldly in origin.[1]
Description[]
Steel watchers resembled large, gilded suits of armor that had come to life. Their steel metallic bodies were decorated with elaborate ornamentation and gold filigree. Their upper legs were adorned with relief busts of vigilant soldiers, and the helms that formed their heads were topped with a griffon-like sculpture and red plume.[1]
As the engine within steel watchers ran, the individual plates that formed its metallic shell vibrated against each other.[1]
They were created at least in part from infernal iron, a metal that originated from the Nine Hells. Older models of the steel watchers featured "ra-gnax casements" that housed their engines' "metallurgised-ised valves".[1]
Behavior[]
Steel watchers followed set parameters for their activities, mostly set to patrol the city or stand guard over set areas.[1]
Abilities[]
Despite their inorganic nature, steel watchers were exceptionally agile. They moved swiftly on the battlefield and could readily dodge many attacks sent their way. The constructs' legs were spring-loaded, enabling them to leap great distances.[1]
Whenever they were damaged to the point of near destruction, steel sentinels would enter into self-destruct protocol. Once they were rendered completely non-functionable, they would detonate in a massive explosion.[1]
Combat[]
Steel watchers were equipped with specialized steelwatcher helmets with gyronetic and targeting modules, watcher greatswords, and large-scale, non-enchanted heavy crossbows.[1]
Steel watchers were exceptionally resilient. They could resist all manner of physical harm, magic spells and polymorphic effects, and were entirely immune to poison and all types of psionic attacks. They were however vulnerable to lightning and electrical discharges.[1]
They possessed a form of artificial hyper awareness and could not be surprised by assailants.[1]
Ecology[]
Once destroyed, the head of a steel watcher could be removed and worn as a helmet.[1]
With the right blueprints, an individual could use a steel watcher arm and one of their targeting modules to create an especially powerful ranged weapon.[1]
History[]
The steel watch is being welcomed in Baldur's Gate.
In the Year of Three Ships Sailing, 1492 DR, Banite cultists loyal to Lord Enver Gortash imprisoned the families of Baldurian Gondians within the submerged Iron Throne prison, found beneath Gray Harbor. He used their plight as leverage to force a few of their numbers―Lowa, Droo Falbo, and Zanner Toobin, among others―to create the army of steel watchers and maintain their operation throughout the city.[1]
Originally, the Auto-Guards, as they were formerly known, were designed to have a small cockpit in the torso for individual piloting. However, after seizing the Dock Foundry through the fraud and blackmail of the Gondian families, Gortash radically changed these plans. He announced that the Steel Watch would be entirely remote-controlled from a central hub—unbeknownst to the Gondians, this would involve the use of Myrkulyte necromancy and illithid psionics.[1]
Having thrown Baldur's Gate and the surrounding lands into chaos―by sowing chaos with the cult of the Absolute and spreading thin the forces of the Flaming Fist―Lord Gortash "offered" the Steel Watch in service of the city, as he prepared to install himself as the first archduke of Baldur's Gate.[1]
Creation[]
The neurocitor, the device that granted control over each and every Steel Watch automaton.
The steel watchers were created by combining Gondian knowledge of automation and gyronotics, and twisted illithid psionic technology. The horrific control system involved a series of humanoid brains―one each for every steel watcher―preserved within glass jars full of cerebral fluid. These brains, sourced from zombies that had been decapitated and had their brains removed and 'tadpoled', became part of the Absolute hive mind. Each tadpoled brain, while sealed in its jar, retained a psionic connection to its undead, headless body, which was then integrated into the torso of a steel watcher. These components were bound together with a single neural switchboard known as the neurocitor which coordinated the telepathic traffic. The horrific device was found in the heart of the Steel Watch foundry in the Lower City of Baldur's Gate. [1]
Rumors & Legends[]
A prototype of the hellfire engine used to power steel watchers was implanted in the chest of the tiefling mercenary Karlach Cliffgate, before she was sold to archdevil Zariel to be used as her own personal demon-slayer.[1]
Notable Steel Watchers[]
- Steel Watch titan, a quadruped steel watcher that guarded the Steel Watch foundry in the Lower City.[1]
Appendix[]
Gallery[]
