Machine Speakers

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NeutralMachine Speakers
The War Within Concept Industry.jpg
Main leader IconSmall Brinthe.gif High Speaker Brinthe
  Formerly IconSmall Earthen Male.gif High Speaker Eirich †
Race(s) EarthenEarthen Earthen
Base of operations Gundargaz
Theater of operations Ringing Deeps, Isle of Dorn
Affiliation Assembly of the Deeps, Council of Dornogal
Status Active

The Machine Speakers are earthen assigned to maintain and expand the many vaults and machines hidden within Sector AR-938, also known as Khaz Algar. Primarily found within the Ringing Deeps and along the Coreway, the Machine Speakers use their prowess and mastery over the ancient machines to govern the subterranean work sites and workers within.

History

High Speaker Eirich

The Machine Speakers were designated to maintain and expand the many vaults and machines hidden within Khaz Algar. High Speaker Eirich was one of the four wards uplifted by the Titans to maintain the Edicts and build the Coreway and its fortress, Dornogal.[1] His duty as the High Speaker was to lead the Machine Speakers and represent them on the Council of Dornogal. It was by his directive that all Machine Speakers and workers carried out their duty of maintaining and expanding the many vaults and machines of Khaz Algar with strict adherence for millennia.[2] Compared to other earthen, the Machine Speakers are highly secretive and prone to paranoia.[3]

Ten thousand years ago, when the Great Sundering happened, the machinery that powered their facilities was damaged--cut off from the Manifold. The Machine Speakers were unable to repair the connection. They operated on auxiliary power till five thousand years ago when it eventually ran out.[4] When the Awakening Machine shut down, the High Speaker retreated to the Ringing Deeps to repair it, leaving the Council. He was eventually fed up with Speaker Brinthe and exiled her to the surface under the pretense of representing him on the Council and presiding over the restoration of the Archive, one of the great Machines, where the earthen stored their memories.[5][6] With his attention focused on the Awakening Machine, the Machine Speakers fell into disarray as they struggled to deal with the many problems that would emerge.[7]

The War Within

The War Within This section concerns content related to The War Within.

Speaker Brinthe was the first Machine Speaker adventurers encountered after their arrival in Dornogal following the destruction of Dalaran and the nerubian attack on the city.[6] During the attack, the nerubians managed to destroy the Coreway, which cut off the Machine Speakers from the rest of the earthen. Speaker Brinthe explained to the outlanders the purpose of the Machine Speakers, the Archive, and the memory gems stored within.[8]

Speaker Brinthe was not the only Machine Speaker on the Isle of Dorn. There was also the mining crew in the Opalcreg, who were collecting opals, believing in their potential to renew the Machines. They, too, were attacked by the nerubians.[9]

Brinthe trying to reason with High Speaker Eirich.

After the nerubian threat on the Isle of Dorn was neutralized and the Coreway was repaired, Speaker Brinthe volunteered to accompany the outlanders into the Ringing Deeps to bring the Machine Speakers back into the fold.[10] Upon arriving at Ironhaul Station, the entrance to the Ringing Deeps, she found the place in ruins, partly due to nerubian sabotage and also because of gross negligence. With the aid of adventurers, Speaker Brinthe managed to restore some order to the station.[11]

When High Speaker Eirich arrived at Ironhaul Station, Speaker Brinthe tried to reason with him, urging action against the nerubians, but her pleas were ignored. Resolute in her mission, Brinthe took matters into her own hands and headed to her old home, Gundargaz. She hoped that by addressing the issues the Machine Speakers were facing, they could better unite and assist in tackling the lingering threats.[12]

In Gundargaz, Speaker Brinthe found no shortage of problems, with the main issue being raids from the kobolds coming from the Lost Mines. However, the Machine Speakers were facing difficulties throughout the Ringing Deeps. The Waterworks were also under attack by kobolds.[13] At Shadowvein Point, the Glumtooth Gang posed a significant threat from their base in the Chittering Den.[14] The Machine Speakers stationed at the Hallowfall Gate were dealing with a failing magma transport pipe.[15] Elsewhere, elementals had overrun the Nibelgaz Mine.[16] In the Rumbling Wastes, various beasts had taken over, disrupting operations and making the area dangerous for workers.[17]

Speaker Brinthe, alongside adventurers, set off to the Lost Mines where they encountered Skitter, a friendly kobold who opposed The Candle King, the ruler who had forced the kobolds into war.[18] Together, Brinthe and Skitter guided the adventurers in stopping the kobold threat in the Lost Mines, and weakening the Candle King's influence over the Warrens, the main kobold settlement in the Ringing Deeps.[19][20] This and the theft of the Candle King's crown inside Darkflame Cleft, made him vulnerable and ultimately led to his overthrow.[21] Following these events, Speaker Brinthe invited Skitter and her tribe to move into Gundargaz, an offer they accepted. This alliance led to the formation of the Assembly of the Deeps, uniting kobolds and Machine Speakers under a common purpose.[22]

Back in Gundargaz, the High Speaker made another appearance to address the concerns of the Machine Speakers but failed to provide any real solutions.[23] During this time, Speaker Brinthe discovered that there had been no recent shipments from the mining town of Taelloch, and its foreman had mysteriously disappeared. She dispatched adventurers, along with Dagran and Magni Bronzebeard, to investigate.[24] Upon their return, Brinthe learned a shocking truth: the town's residents had been transformed into skardyn, and it was revealed that High Speaker Eirich was behind this. Unable to repair the Awakening Machine on his own, Eirich had made a pact with Xal'atath, seeking to use the void's power to restore the Machine. However, this came at a terrible cost—those awakened by the machine would emerge as corrupted skardyn.[25]

After this revelation, it became clear to Speaker Brinthe that the High Speaker had to be deposed. With the support of outlanders and reinforcements from Dornogal led by Adelgonn, she marched to the Earthenworks to confront Eirich's loyalists.[26] During the Battle of the Earthenworks, Speaker Brinthe managed to persuade one of Eirich's followers, Foreman Uzjax, to rebel and provide her with the key to the Hall of Awakening.[27] Inside the Hall, Brinthe confronted the High Speaker but was unable to stop him before he initiated the corruption of the Awakening Machine and fled. She then witnessed a pivotal moment as Magni Bronzebeard sacrificed the power of Azeroth within him to cleanse the void from the Machine, restoring it to its original state and allowing earthen to awaken once more.[28] Following these events, Brinthe returned to Gundargaz. With Eirich removed from power, the Machine Speakers unanimously chose her as the new High Speaker.[29] High Speaker Eirich, who had bunkered himself and his remaining forces inside the Stonevault, eventually met his end there.[30] After Brinthe was instated as the new High Speaker, the Machine Speakers reestablished contact with their surface-dwelling kin and opened trade with Dornogal.[31]

Later, seeking to aid the war effort against Xal'atath and her followers, High Speaker Brinthe investigated a mysterious signal emanating from the Deepforge Golemworks in the Ringing Deeps.[32] Upon arrival, she discovered that the facility had been overrun by a goblin salvage crew from Darkfuse Enforcement.[33] The goblins were eventually driven out after the reactivation of the facility, which was made possible by restoring the Waterworks and the Shadowvein Extraction Site.[34] Not long after, High Speaker Brinthe, alongside the War Golems from the Golemworks, played a crucial role in the battle against Xal'atath's forces in Hallowfall.[35]

Despite their defeat, it wouldn't be too long before the Sureki once again attacked Hallowfall, and with the Arathi army stretched thin, a call to arms was issued to those with the strength to wield a weapon; thus, the Flame's Radiance was formed. Meanwhile, with communications once again reinitialized with the Arathi, the High Speaker deemed it necessary to repair the trade station in Lothar's Landing in Hallowfall. As "machines fortune" would have it, the Machine Speaker worksite happened to be stationed right above the nerubian ambush on Dunelle's Kindness. The deployed Ordinants and golems managed to secure the bridge long enough to allow the Flame's Radiance to mobilize from Mereldar. Subsequently, the Machine Speakers helped the Arathi in holding the area against nerubian attacks.[36]

Organization

Machine Speakers are created to work. They are trained in the Awakening Machine, reaffirmed with the knowledge and loyalty they need to do their job right. While inside the machine, their memory is also inscribed with their primary agenda. The primary Edicts of the Machine Speakers are: To maintain the machines. To expand their facilities. To generate energy and harvest materials. And to serve the High Speaker.[37] Machine Speakers are found within the Earthenworks, the Waterworks, the Golemworks, and the Stonevault.[2]

Every time they return to the Awakening Machine, it reaffirms that a Machine Speaker's parameters conform to the titan's original specifications, including mental and psychological parameters.[38] Machine Speakers who have delayed their sync cycle in the Awakening Machine may begin to display psychological changes. The longer they delay, the greater the chance for this to occur.[39] This may include displays of emotion and decreased productivity, which under High Speaker Eirich's rule were considered unacceptable and unprofessional. Such behavior was described as "non-compliant" and coworkers were encouraged to remain vigilant and report any occurrence they noticed.[40] Outright rejection of work schedules, assigned duties, and basic titan-issued directives was described as "deviance" and would lead to immediate correction in the Awakening Machine or exile.[39]

Over time, after a Machine Speaker's sync in the Awakening Machine, they may begin to develop friendships or more romantic relationships. This is deemed acceptable, and some privately agree to form long-term partnerships, fusing their time together. However, when a Machine Speaker returns to the Awakening Machine, everything deemed peripheral to work and training (including these relationships) is removed from the individual's mind, so they can focus on work.[40]

Because of the abundance of lava and water in the Ringing Deeps, Machine speakers use steam power to run their factories and machines.[41]

Machine speakers have no love for fog beasts. Where there is fog, rust is sure to follow.[42] It is also against the rules for Machine Speakers to use scrap in their work.[43]

In theory, golems can speak, but they do not possess sentience. The titans preferred that they perform their duties in silence, and modern Machine Speakers uphold that directive.[44]

Life-cycle

The plinth in Gundargaz with the plaques of fallen Machine Speakers.

A Machine Speaker empowered by the Awakening Machine can work for three to five thousand years before requiring revivification. If the Machine Speaker is unable to do this, they will continue to work until their life force is exhausted, at which point they enter a non-functional state called "stasis lock". As long as the Awakening Machine is in operation, that individual can eventually be returned to the machine, revivified, and reawakened. A Machine Speaker who has suffered catastrophic damage may lack the remaining materials and components necessary to function. Such individuals cannot be restored in the Awakening Machine. They have been rendered non-functional.[45] The Machine Speakers have a plinth in Gundargaz dedicated to earthen that have entered stasis-lock. Every plaque on the plinth represents an earthen that has shut down.[46] Once the proper observances are performed, checks are processed and worker allocation is recalculated. Work never stops in the Ringing Deeps.[47]

Like for other branches of Algarian earthen society, Caretakers are also assigned to the Machine Speakers. Within the Hall of Awakening, Caretakers tend to the earthen emerging from stasis, while others oversee and monitor those stored within the expansive halls of the Stonevault.[2]

Ranks

The Machine Speakers banner.

The Machine Speaker designation includes the ranks of worker, foreman, machinist, Speaker, and High Speaker.

The workers are dedicated to the installation and maintenance of the many machines and vaults within and below the Ringing Deeps. At the direction of the Machine Speakers, these units serve as work hands, laborers, smiths, and machine operators. They are deployed to key sites such as Taelloch, Gundargaz, Ironhaul Station and the Earthenworks facility.[2] Workers are known by many designations such as: Hammerhand, Cogsmith, Geargrinder,[48] Control Node, Steelshaper, Forgecaller, Earthcarver,[47], Steamwarden, Forgecaster, Soot-seer, Machinesmith, Railhand, etc.

Foremen oversee bands of workers. In any worksite, build site, mine, forge, or other location where workers gather, Foremen have the authority to oversee, monitor, and manage their activities.[48] Under Eirich an effective foreman was expected to remain vigilant of any non-compliant worker behavior and intercede before it developed any further, reminding the worker to "moderate their tone".[40]

Machinists are a rarefied, specialized caste of Machine Speaker society, for they are specialists in advanced technology. Their realm includes the programming and direction of golems, as well as the maintenance and resurrection of ancient, precious titan technology. They sometimes socially withdraw when engaged in all-consuming and contemplative tasks. They hold great respect among Machine Speakers and lower-ranking members are advised to address them efficiently and respect their time and focus.[48]

Speakers, also referred to as Master Machinists on a couple of occasions,[49] are the second highest rank in the Machine Speaker hierarchy. They carry authority over all earthen assigned to their district, answering only to the High Speaker. They speak for the machines and, as masterful managers, they also speak for all Machine Speakers in their region. Their mandate is to supervise the Machine Speakers and deal with any complaints, disputes, or any other problems that may arise.[48] Less than ten Machine Speakers hold the rank of Speaker at any given time. Under Eirich, any one of them could be demoted or even exiled if their performance did not meet expectations. Not all expectations were declared and they could also change.[50]

The High Speaker is the highest authority of the Machine Speaker, overseeing all. Serving on the Council of Dornogal as their representative, it is by their directive that all Machine Speakers and workers carry out their duty with strict adherence.[2] Before being deposed, High Speaker Eirich had held the position for as long as any earthen could remember. Under his regime, the Machine Speakers were expected to revere the High Speaker, obey his every command, and demonstrate unwavering loyalty.[48] High Speaker Brinthe, in contrast, has brought a more humble and grounded approach to the role.[29]

Mechanical constructs

Machine Speakers utilize various automatons and mechs in their duties:

  • Cogwalkers - Small quadrupedal robots used for various purposes such as: maintenance, surveillance, and communication.
  • Golems - Used as weapons of war and as guardians for the various facilities in the Ringing Deeps.
  • Haulbots - As the name suggests haulbots are frequently used to haul and load cargo, they are also used for combat purposes when the need arises.
  • Ironstriders - Ironstriders are mechsuits used for transportation, repairs, and combat.
  • Cogwalker
    Cogwalker
  • Golem
    Golem
  • Haulbot
    Haulbot
  • Ironstrider
    Ironstrider

Notable

High Speaker Brinthe, leader of the Machine Speakers.

Quotes

Greetings variant 1
  • Need something to do?
  • We all have our tasks?
  • Have you met your quota?
  • Make it quick; we're busy.
  • Hmm, outsiders detected.
  • Do you intend to idle all day?
  • You don't look busy enough.
Farewells variant 1
  • Stay productive.
  • Watch your step.
  • Keep me informed.
  • I am still working. Are you leaving?
  • If that is all.
  • Back to work.
  • You go wherever you please, don't you?
Greetings variant 2
  • Another interruption.
  • Please proceed.
  • You are acknowledged.
  • Begin speaking.
Farewells variant 2
  • Returning to work.
  • Stay productive.
  • Remain vigilant.
  • Praise the Machine.
Angry variant 2
  • Threat detected, do not escalate further.
  • Is this when I hit you? I haven't done this before. My Speaker will be notified about this!
Greetings variant 3
  • Start talking.
  • Do you need something?
  • The burden is mine.
  • Praise the Machine.
  • Strike while the iron is hot.
  • Is there a problem?
  • Are you here to help?
  • More work?
Farewells variant 3
  • Keep busy.
  • The work continues.
  • Stay focused.
  • We must restore the Machine.
  • Always another task.
  • The gears turn once more.
  • Back to work.
  • You know what to do.
Angry variant 3
  • I have got a lot of problems to solve. You don't want to be one of them.
  • Someone as soft as you shouldn't be so loud. You would break real easy.
Greetings vendor
  • Your next task, purchase something.
  • Offering amenities, make your choice.
  • Let's see what you have earned.
Farewells vendor
  • Enough browsing.
  • Have you purchased all you need?
  • Another, satisfied, customer.

Gallery

  • Gundargaz
    Gundargaz
  • Earthenworks
    Earthenworks
  • Golemworks
    Golemworks
  • Waterworks
    Waterworks
  • Awakening Machine
    Awakening Machine
  • Concept Art
  • Machine Speakers concept art.
    Machine Speakers concept art.
  • Concept art of a Machine Speaker.
    Concept art of a Machine Speaker.
  • Ironstrider concept art
    Ironstrider concept art
  • Earthenworks concept art
    Earthenworks concept art
  • Earthenworks concept art 2.jpg
  • Earthenworks concept art 3.jpg
  • Earthenworks concept art 4.jpg
  • Earthenworks concept art 5.jpg
  • Earthenworks concept art 6.jpg
  • Earthen Molten Way concept art 1.jpg
  • Earthen Molten Way concept art 2.jpg
  • Awakening Machine concept art
    Awakening Machine concept art
  • Awakening Machine concept.jpg
  • Awakening Machine prop concept.jpg
  • Stonevault concept art
    Stonevault concept art
  • Stonevault concept art 2.jpg
  • Stonevault concept art 3.jpg
  • Stonevault concept art 4.jpg
  • Stonevault concept art 5.jpg

See also

References

 
  1. ^ N [70-73] State of the Union
  2. ^ a b c d e Dawn Interface#Quotes
  3. ^ N [70-73] The Machine Speakeasy
  4. ^ Archives: Seeking History#Notes
  5. ^ N [73-75] Pomp and Dire Circumstance
  6. ^ a b N [70-73] Hypocenter
  7. ^ N [73-75] Cogs in the Machine
  8. ^ N [70-73] The Archive
  9. ^ N [70-73] A Sedimental Moment
  10. ^ N [70-73] Recompense
  11. ^ N [73-75] Underground and Overwhelmed
  12. ^ N [73-75] Pomp and Dire Circumstance
  13. ^ N [73-75] Seeking Ausgazur's Gems
  14. ^ N [73-75] Dread in the Den
  15. ^ N [73-75] An Igneous End
  16. ^ N [73-75] The Nibelgaz Refinery
  17. ^ N [73-75] Juicy Krolusk Meat
  18. ^ N [73-75] Speaking to the Speakers
  19. ^ N [73-75] Retaking the Mines
  20. ^ N [73-75] Wax On, Pot Off
  21. ^ N [73-75] New Candle, New Hope
  22. ^ N [73-75] Back to Gundargaz
  23. ^ N [73-75] A Wrench in the Works
  24. ^ N [73-75] The Tunnel's End
  25. ^ N [73-75] The High Speaker's Secret
  26. ^ N [73-75] Absent Speaker
  27. ^ N [73-75] Sympathetic Speakers
  28. ^ N [73-75] Into the Machine
  29. ^ a b N [73-75] The Machine Speakers
  30. ^ Stonevault
  31. ^ N [70-73] How Scandalous!
  32. ^ N [80] A Mysterious Signal
  33. ^ N [80] Small Friend, Big Plans
  34. ^ N [80] It's Sabotage
  35. ^ N [80] A Tide Needing Turned
  36. ^ Foreman Duinth#Quotes
  37. ^ Machinist Manual Zero
  38. ^ Notes On The Machine Speakers: Fragment II
  39. ^ a b Notes On The Machine Speakers: Fragment V
  40. ^ a b c Notes On The Machine Speakers: Fragment III
  41. ^ N [73-75] On the Job Training
  42. ^ N [73-75] Antifogmatic
  43. ^ N [73-75] On the Job Training
  44. ^ Notes On The Machine Speakers: Fragment I
  45. ^ Notes On The Machine Speakers: Fragment IV
  46. ^ Speaker Jurlax#Quotes
  47. ^ a b N [73-75] Leave No Stone Behind
  48. ^ a b c d e Machinist Manual One
  49. ^ Master Machinists#Adventure Journal
  50. ^ Notes On The Machine Speakers: Fragment II
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