The capstone of one of the larger factional threats on the Worldship is the Rogue Queens. These independent automatons command armies of other rogues in addition to being themselves a strong threat. While I am trying to avoid solitary monsters, these creatures are unique so I gave them an escort of guards for random encounters to better round out encounters with them.
Rogue Queens
The creation of the Rogue Queens was an unintended consequence of the worm technology deployed by the visitors to subvert their enemies' automatons. The worm device is designed to seek the clockwork brain of automatons. These brains are miniaturized relay clusters that are cube shaped. Normal automatons have only a single cube matrix, but the Gaumont Combaticon has many and, like a dinosaur, each limb contains its own cube matrix coordinated through a central controlling cube. When multiple worms infect such large automatons they develop a basic network forming a primitive instinct. These newly formed intellects then seek to add to their intellectual capability by adding more cubes to their grid. Limits in the design of the worm itself restrict these networks to several hundred cubes. As their intellect grows, they rise above their initial programming learning to modify and repair their own bodies.
The desire to grow their intellect became the primary driver for the queens. Piece by piece they replaced sections of their bodies to accommodate their ever increasing cube matrix. Where once they housed a cockpit in their torso they instead have an open cavity containing their core matrix. Limits to their connections makes them fussy about the quality of cores they connect, trading out older or smaller cores for more advanced ones on a constant basis.
To allow them to traverse corridors, they replaced their legs with a millipede-like tail containing hundreds of smaller legs on which to slither and crawl. Along the belly of their tail is an open section containing cubes matrix connections like a spine and worms with which to infect nearby automatons. Their right arm is normally replaced with a glaive-like blade for combat, while their left arm is utilitarian containing repair sub-limbs with vats of visitor repair gel injectors to bolster their minions.
To this day, the Rogue Queens dominate the area known as The Hives, sitting in the battleground between the human and visitor factions of the Worldship. There they claim territory and scavenge parts to enhance their own bodies and create armies. As they themselves rise above their initial programming they are also able to subvert the more basic rogues to their ends. With these armies they defend their hives from competitor queens and humans alike while also raiding nearby settlements for resources to expand their influence.
Rogue Queen (gigantic construct)
As constructs, the rogue queens are immune to the effects of disease and poison in addition to charm, sleep, and hold spells.
Rogue Queen: the initial form of most rogue queens was that of a Combaticon automaton, though the growth of its cube matrix has long since eaten away at that initial form. They resemble Nagas of legend with serpentine tails containing thousands of micro legs to aid them with mobility and a humanoid torso with two primary limbs and twin shoulder mounted crossbows.
Possessing hundreds of worms, the rogue queen is seething with these devices granting it an infectious aura. Additionally, it can override its primary instinct and does not prioritise infecting other automatons, mostly leaving that task to its minions. It possesses no effective limit to the number of automatons it can infect. Each round an uninfected automaton is within 5 foot of the Queen they must save vs death or become a Rogue in 1d4 rounds. During this time the automaton acts normally, though it is aware of and fights the subversion, it will convert even if shut down.
Their primary attack is with a large glaive-like blade in place of their right hand. Instead of attacking with this limb they may instead use their left construction limb to bolster a nearby automaton granting it 2d10 temporary hit points. This ability draws on internal reserves of materials and chemicals, if the judge requires it may be limited to six uses per day to reflect these consumables and its ability to generate more. Like other sources of temporary hit points they are the first lost if any damage is suffered, and cannot be regained through rest or healing magic, they disappear after one hour.
The two shoulder crossbows are in fact themselves autonomous to the central brain, they fire separately to the main unit and will typically prioritise attacks against ranged attackers and spellcasters, they possess the precise shooting proficiency for all ranged attacks. In addition they can also fire at enemies engaged in melee combat with the main body at no penalty.
When encountered as a wandering monster the Rogue Queen will also be accompanied by a group of guards. Roll 1d6, on a 1-2 they are accompanied by 2d6 Rogue Ironwrights, on a 3-4 they are accompanied by 2d4 Rogue Spider Ballistae and on a 5-6 they are accompanied by 2d3 Rogue Stevedores. Rogue Queens may also design, build and repair automatons as mechanisms of a level equal to their hit dice which explains many new designs such as the Spider Ballista.
Unlike other rogues, the queen chassis is so heavily modified that it can no longer be used as a sample to build an automaton. There is still an extensive amount of mechanical materials present, eighteen units of mechanical materials can be extracted for use in building other automatons (see the previous blog). Additionally the repair limb of the queen can be scavenged on its destruction to recover 1d6 units of repair nano-gel (BCK p.102).
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