Engineer
- ““If a problem is too big to fix... one must break it into smaller problems.”
The workhorse of the Empire, the modern Engineer’s strength lies in his Ember-fueled, steam-driven armor—a technological marvel devised by top scientists at the Industrium (the Empire’s academy of science and technology), and crafted personally by the Engineer as his journeyman project.
So equipped, Engineers carry out any mission involving technology that the Empire requires, from building mighty Herkonian Embercraft transports to delving into ancient ruins in search of long-forgotten knowledge—sometimes as part of a team of Imperial soldiers, but more often than not as “independent” contractors. As time passed, though, the role of the Engineers evolved. Some strictly pursued research and theory, locked away in factory-labs and paid kingly sums to examine dwarven artifacts and develop new designs from them.
The Engineers find work aplenty on the continent of Vilderan, exploring dwarven ruins for more artifacts, maintaining the Empire's transports, and overseeing work in the Ember mines. But the conditions have forced the Engineers to adapt their methods and equipment. Gone are the leather aprons and tidy toolboxes—replaced by armored plates and massive, two-handed spanners that conveniently also serve as weapons. Now the Engineer is more soldier than scientist—more warrior than workman.
The Engineers' technological expertise lets them imbue their weapons and armor with the power of Ember to deliver blasts of energy through devastating melee strikes, or directly from the armor itself! Their gear might be a bit weightier to accommodate all that technology—but "a good, heavy spanner is just the right tool for stubborn bolts ... and stubborn beasts!"
That combination of brawn and tech makes the Engineer a formidable front-line combatant—a powerhouse of melee attacks and short-range energy bursts.