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Aurumach Rilmani
Philosophy: Monitor the Balance with occult observations and arcane calculations
Caste: Oracle-Kings
Alchemical Metal: Gold
The aurumachs are the gilded grandees of the rilmani, standing tall and resplendent like the high muckety-mucks of the planes. Picture a being as imposing as the most fearsome ogre, yet with the grace of a dancer, their skin gleaming like polished gold. Not a hair to mar their perfection, just smooth, flawless skin that seems to radiate a profound peace. Their eyes burn with a light that’s just too bright to look at directly.
These are the top dogs, the big cheeses, the bloods ones holding the reins and guiding the cosmic chariot down the middle path. It’s no small gig, mind you. The aurumachs don’t just sit on their golden thrones twiddling their thumbs; they’re the masterminds, the ones spinning the webs of strategy and diplomacy that keep the multiverse from tipping into chaos or stagnation.
But don’t go thinking they’re all talk and no action. While they prefer the parley to the melee, make no mistake: when words fail, they’re as ready to scrap as any cutter in the Hive. One moment they’re standing there, all calm and majestic, and the next, bam! They’re armed to the teeth, ready to bring down the hammer of the Balance on a poor sod foolish enough to tip the scales too far.
These golden giants, they’re the shadowy overseers, watching from their lofty perches near the Spire, subtly meddling in the affairs of mortals and immortals alike. Through their networks of spies and their own inscrutable magics, they keep their eyes on the pulse of the planes, ready to step in when the cosmic teeter-totter looks set to crash. Chant goes there only one hundred aurumachs in all of existence; it seems gold is a precious metal indeed.
But here’s the rub: not everyone’s chuffed about their way of running the show. There’s grumbling in the ranks, whispers of discontent from the lower castes, tired of being seen as pawns in the grand game. The aurumachs, for all their brilliance, have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to understanding how the little guy feels about being expendable. And their knack for keeping their thoughts shielded? Just icing on the cake of mystery that surrounds them.
So, if you ever find yourself facing down one of these golden would-be-gods, remember: they’re not just muscle and magic. They’re the brains behind the brawn, the calm in the storm, and if you cross them, threaten the Balance they hold so dear, and you’ll find out just how quickly beauty can turn to fury, and peace to war.
- Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II [2e] p88 here
- Fiend Folio [3e] p140
- Morte’s Planar Parade [5e]
Source: Jon Winter-Holt. Canonwatch: The rilmani have changed a lot between 2e and 5e D&D, not least in terms of their appearance. I must confess I don’t like the futuristic robo-android-look of rilmani that 5e has introduced, I think it’s anachronistic compared with the rest of the setting, and 5e rilmani look more like golems than an outsider race. And obviously the lumpy blobs of 3e were dreadful. So I’ve reimagined them closer to the 2e form; humanoid, clearly metallic themed, androgynous, more planescapey, and I’ve tried to make each caste look more distinct from each other too. Please let me know what you think!
