Kenshi
Doll Race (Original)
Squamousness  [developer] 8 Apr, 2017 @ 7:22pm
Doll Lore
Dolls are (or were) a subtype of mechanical life that were seemingly designed to function as personal servants and symbols of status. Distinguishable via their slender, inhumanly pale bodies sculpted to resemble the human figure and the animated way they conduct themselves, these machines are more common than their Skeleton ancestors simply through the virtue of having been made far later into the continent's history. For, as many know, they are more or less completely unfit to survive in this era. They were built to be delicate servants with aesthetically pleasing features, at the expense of durability and strength. A perfect example of style over function. That is not to say they are doomed however. There are many who survive hidden in the ruins of the their old masters, and many others who have once again found themselves as servants for the rich and powerful. And of course, there are those who have taken to a wandering lifestyle, making a living as traders, scavengers, or even rarer, wandering fighters. Due to their fragile builds, most are suited to attacking from afar, but the occasional swordsman has been seen among them. It is also rumored that within the great ruins that are less frequently visited by organic life, one can find many Dolls who have learned to fight out of necessity.

In terms of culture, Dolls tend to be loosely categorized into two mindsets. The most numerous are those who have chosen to remain in the fallen ruins of the ancients. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that for most, doing something else never occured to them. Many seem to be lost and in a confused daze, wandering about the ruins in search of masters who have long since vanished. A significant portion of them appear to be unhinged, and may attack outsiders on sight. Others keep to themselves, wandering through empty streets and buildings while calling for someone who's name they can't even remember. When the old masters disappeared, the Dolls, being programmed to serve, were struck by a great collective despair, and would think of nothing else. Eventually, they couldn't think of anything else, and their memories were consumed by a constant barrage of negative emotion. Whoever their old masters were, they are lost to history, save for the barest details. However, there are some who still maintain a fuzzy recollection of their master. If a Doll with this data comes across an organic who matches what memories they have, the Doll will often believe they have found the person they are looking for, and will attempt to re-assume its orginial position as the organic's personal attendant. If this happens, the organic would be wise to accept the Doll's offer, for there are many horror stories of a hysterical Doll stalking and attacking the organic should they refuse to take it in. Only killing the Doll will prevent it from attempting to hunt down and kill the person it feels has rejected it. And of course, that is not counting the many Dolls who have lost themselves to grief, madly attacking anything that moves into their line of sight. But not all Dolls dwelling in the ruins are feral savages. There are some that have come to their senses and have banded together to form small tribes or local governments, forming their own unique cultures within. A daring adventurer may find a valuable ally in these tribes.

The second type of Doll is commonly seen outside the ruins, and luckily for the other races, not nearly as unstable. These are the Dolls that, after a long period of grief and despair, overcame their emotions and left the ruins rather than joining the local tribe, seeking a new life in new lands. These Dolls can be found in many places where great material wealth and powerful figures can be found. Due to their natural skills at cooking and other catering abilities, along with the blind loyalty that is prevalent in their model, Dolls can often be found in the employ of whoever can afford to hire them. There are also a rare few outsider Dolls that have come to value independence, and wander as traders, adventurers, or mercenaries. In addition, some seek gainful employment with the nation that they serve, becoming local shopkeepers or even soldiers, if they have the skills for it.

There are also rare anomalies in the Doll model known as "Variants" These are unique Dolls that more closely resemble normal humans, and appear to have been custom-designed according to the specifications of a long-forgotten buyer. These models are rarer, but stronger than normal Dolls, due to having a larger frame. However, they do not have a bonus to strength, but merely don't have any penalties to it. In addition, their larger builds make it more difficult to swim.

Regardless of which of the groups they belong in, Dolls are known for their dexterity, precision, cooking, speechcraft, healing and caretaking, and steadfast, unrelenting loyalty to their employer or master, regardless of character. However, they are also known for being less skillful at engineering and robotics than one may expect (being merely average in it compared to the more technically-minded Skeletons), have difficulty using heavy weapons and are absolutely terrible at all forms of strenuous manual labor, such as building or farming. In a fight, Dolls will rely on speed and technique rather than brute force, but would ideally choose to engage the enemy with a ranged weapon if they had the opportunity.
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Last edited by Squamousness; 1 Mar, 2019 @ 9:07pm
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Showing 1-3 of 3 comments
Bonk 30 Dec, 2017 @ 6:26pm 
I'm curious as to why the standard Doll model only appears in 'male' form. Are they truly 'male' or are they females lacking more obvious feminine features?
Squamousness  [developer] 31 Dec, 2017 @ 12:37pm 
Originally posted by Bonk:
I'm curious as to why the standard Doll model only appears in 'male' form. Are they truly 'male' or are they females lacking more obvious feminine features?


Well my reasoning for it was based on the use of eunuchs in medieval periods. Lords and kings would prefer to have a servant that would have no legacy but his record of service to his master/mistress, as they could not produce a dynasty that could compete with or overthrow the current rulers. The Doll androids serve a similar function of personal assistants and in the case of the Variant models many other roles, and he one who imployed them would know they would have nothing to value but their skill in serving their master. The decision to make them more androgynous also reflects this, as it serves to illustrate their nature (that is, their nature during the age they were manufactured) as harmless chattel. Not feminine enough to offend the lady of the house, and not masculine enough to make the lord feel threatened. The perfect "default" body for mass production. As for the issue of gender, I would say that male would be the default, but since they do not technically have a gender, being robots, feel free to have some Standard models that act as females if you feel like it. In terms of IC dialogue and lore, I keep this particular issue vague for this reason, so players can see them as they like.
Bonk 1 Jan, 2018 @ 5:45am 
That is a very well-thought explanation. It makes perfect sense. Thanks!
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