Amalgamators     Amalgamators were a later derivative of reanimator technology. Some Alacrian rulers wanted to take advantage of the cost savings of reanimator armies, without the grisly appearance that often provoked public outcry; less scrupulous factions simply sought extra combatants that were not tied to the necessity of a corpse. In any case, amalgamators eschew the skeletons of their reanimator counterparts, instead coating themselves in various elements of their environment. Whether rocks, wood, or battlefield debris, these coatings become both an amalgamator's protection, and the components of an elaborate system of counterweighting that lends strength to their movements.

    In practice, the much lower speed of amalgamators limited their applications in comparison to reanimators. Naturally, the slower units were employed mainly in defense, freeing up other tech types for offensives. Today, amalgamators are encountered far less often outside of Alacrian ruins, and do not menace settlements nearly as often as reanimators. However, adventurers who delve into ancient outposts or city strata can count on seeing them frequently; dealing with these hulking rocky masses is often a party's first motivation to invest in anti-armor weaponry.

    All amalgamators have two hands and wield handheld weapons normally. They all have natural armor ranges and cannot wear normal armor. All amalgamators have shadow vision, seeing in any Low Light environment as if it was Medium Light.

    An amalgamator may drop its coating as a slowing major action. In their "naked" form, amalgamators resemble a collection of metallic tentacles, cable spools, and oddly-shaped machinery, along with various numbers of "eye stalks." Without a coating, their STR and SPD are set to 1, and their WGT to 10% of their normal WGT. If an amalgamator finds a sufficient quantity of its preferred coating materials in this state, it can gather them over the course of 2 minutes. Once complete, the amalgamator regains its normal stats.

    Whenever an amalgamator's WGT changes due to abandoning or re-amalgamating its coating, any current damage is adjusted proportionally, keeping the same number of injury degrees. Because amalgamators have the ability to maintain and replenish their coating, they are rarely seen outside of it. Still, both bound and unbound ones may occasionally leave it behind if they need to fit through a narrow passage.

    Although amalgamators cannot repair themselves simply by changing coatings, they are fairly efficient in their use of repair materials. A successful repair roll expends 1 pound of repair materials for every 10 damage repaired (or a minimum of 1 pound); this is changed to 1 pound per 1 damage if the amalgamator is outside of its coating.

    Typically, amalgamators are preferred by necromancers who need strength and durability from their minions far more than speed or dexterity. Though incredibly dangerous to targets they are able to hit and better-protected than even many constructs, the clumsy units typically need a necromancer's assistance to exhibit very many Study-equivalent Abilities.

    Amalgamators are powered by an insendite crystal in an internal housing - for larger units, these crystals can be similar in size to those used for vehicles. Unlike reanimators, amalgamators have almost always led a sedentary, defensive existence since the Fall, and they rarely run out of power or need to scavenge more. Even for bound and active techs, their existing insendite is typically sufficient to last for an entire adventuring campaign.

    Though not the most advanced, veds represent the pinnacle of amalgamator physicality. Typically standing 18 feet tall or more, they armor themselves with large stones, and their crystalline hammers are likely the largest melee weapons ever produced by the Alacris. Not produced in large numbers, veds can still be found outside of important Alacrian ruins, or on the streets of ancient city strata. Their size typically prevents them from being of use in more confining indoor environments.