#info dumping about automatons now cause I really don’t know when’s the next chance I have to show them off

[4iammighty]

Nutcracker Season 2022: Day 2

As advancements in technology continue it becomes more and more common to see obsolete or discharged automatons on the street, especially in London. Either begging for service and repairs or accepting their fate in a quiet corner. It’s truly a sad sight to see but most don’t spare them a second glance. Morgan Sthalblam is not most people. The Sthalblam family has donated money and resources to renowned automaton expert, Professor Drosselmeyer in exchange for taking their daughter Morgan under his wing as his student. Together Morgan and Drosselmeyer spend their time finding, repairing, and maintaining automatons in need.

If your interested to learn more about Automatons in relation to “The Nutcracker and the Clockwork Mice,” Check under the cut!

Robots? In my nutcracker story? It’s more likely than you think.

All jokes aside, this nutcracker story does take place in a sort of steampunk/cyberpunk setting. Think Treasure Planet. While not a major aspect of the story, the presence of the automatons provide important world building and do play a large part in both Morgan and Drosselmeyer’s back stories.

- Automatons are robots that are integrated into society and are usually assigned a job. (Ex: Postman, Police Officer, Housemaid)

- Automatons are fairly new phenomena in this world so we’re beginning to see the first series of automatons being phased out for a new model. Since this hasn’t really happened before, there hasn’t been a set way to deal with the obsolete models hence why obsolete automatons have become a more common sight on the streets. Drosselmeyer and Morgan are leading a program to repair old models and find them new purpose instead of letting them rust.

- Above are concepts (not finalized) of the automaton build. They have hollow torsos that hold most of the major clockwork part that make them work and solid legs. They “faces” are made of porcelain and are painted by hand.

- Morgan met Professor Drosselmeyer when he saved her from a malfunctioning automaton as a child. She followed him to his workshop and assisted in fixing the automaton. Morgan’s family was so grateful they offered to fund all of Drosselmeyer’s research and business ventures and in return Drosselmeyer took Morgan in as a student. By story start she has been studying under Drosselmeyer’s wing for about 10 years.

- From the shadows, the mouse king and his army have taken inspiration from human automatons to construct their own fleet of clockwork mice. Since the mice must reverse engineer the automatons inner workings and parts must be scavenged from old/decommissioned automatons, assembly has taken years. However the time to strike is quickly approaching.