Clockwork Agent (Basic Lore)

Clockwork Agent (Swarm; CR 4)
True Lawful - Diminutive - Construct
This creature possesses the Swarm role, and therefore counts as 2 monsters for purposes of encounter size, XP award, and treasure. This monster frequently has the Swarm role, but may be set to other roles if desired. Clockwork Agents are tiny iron constructs about five inches long, small enough to sit in a human's palm, which look like scorpions crossed with centipedes with a single large eye on their heads. They are created via a complex combination of clockwork and alchemy, and as such, are widely viewed by scholars, wizards, cyphers, and sages as some advanced variant of Animated Objects, the other common use of clockwork-enhanced alchemical methods. Clockwork Agents and similar devices are classed separately from other Animated Objects due to their advanced instructions and the use of alchemical elements to allow them to self-replicate, which is...a dangerous ability. Even worse, Agents can be found as single devices of varying abilities, but they are frequently found assembled into Swarms, which amplifies their hazard tremendously. Clockwork Agents are unintelligent, relying on a complex mechanical instruction set encoded in their clockwork to determine how they respond to stimuli. Clockwork agents have excellent visual sensors which, with a properly attuned scrying device, allow their creator to peer through their eyes. As a result, clockwork agents are primarily used to keep watch over large areas, such as a castle, dungeon or lair. Clockwork agents are capable of digesting unattended objects, converting the digested material to iron, and extruding it into nearly any shape or size, given enough time and raw resources. Therefore, in addition to being useful spies, they are also very useful at creating and maintaining large iron structures, such as gates, walls or even whole buildings. Since they are, themselves, made of iron, they can also self-replicate, though the programming for this is usually highly restrictive to prevent an unwanted outbreak of Agent swarms. If left undisturbed, nearly all agents are programmed to ignore passers-by or other organic life moving in their presence. However, attempts to interrupt their work or move them from their current space will usually trigger their defensive programming. Since they perform their surveillance duties best when distributed widely over a broad area, it takes one or more rounds of harassing a lone Clockwork Agent before the swarm will converge and attack the aggressor. While clockwork agents are excellent visual observers, they also have a limited form of telepathy, allowing them to communicate with other Clockwork constructs, but nothing else. Alchemists have tried for centuries to improve it to allow direct communication with the Agents, but all such attempts have failed. All studies of the clockwork construction and alchemical agents used indicate that the telepathy shouldn't exist at all.