Terracotta Soldiers

Terracotta Soldiers<ref name=":4">“Yes, and we serve Conquest in exchange for his permission to do business in Toronto.  We each make several Terracotta Soldiers -dolls- every year, we attend meetings in a rotation, paying fealty.  All of this is a kind of insurance, and an investment.” - Excerpt from Void 7.2</ref> are a type of vessel produced from mannequins and dolls by practitioners like the Sisters of the Torch.

The ones showcased in the contest for the Toronto Lordship were mass-produced pieces.<ref name=":1">The Sisters had mobilized, making a play.  In retrospect, we maybe should have moved earlier, before they had time to prepare.

They’d built an army.

Dolls, lifesize models, and a variety of mannequins, staggered through the streets.  Some had faces, others were blank.  Many were undressed.  Ten or so were gathered around Fell’s car en-masse, hugging it, standing on it, or steadily bashing it with hard plastic hands.

Each one had a rune inscribed on their forehead.
[...]
“The good news is they have a weak point,” Fell said.

“Glowing runes?” I asked.

“Yes.  Even a scratch or a smudge will disable them.  The bad news is that it isn’t sensible to go after them individually.  The very bad news is that the Sisters are elementalists.  They specialize in natural forces.  Not every rune there is the same.  Pay careful attention.” - Excerpt from Subordination 6.7</ref>

While not strong they can be produced in great numbers and, through the use of various runes, they can customize the dolls to deal with specific threats.

• Water Rune: The dolls respond to the act of magic.
• Metal Rune: The dolls act as a receiver for the rest of the dolls.
• Air Rune: The dolls move a half-step for every breath and two or three for every word.
• Fire Rune: The dolls seek out sources of warmth.
• Earth Rune: The dolls move four or five steps for every single footstep taken.

<ref>

Our cover was poor at best – a short fence around a patio for some place called ‘Miss Panda’s’, but the things were largely blind to us.  Ones without line of sight moved as steadily toward us as the ones who should have been able to spot us. - Excerpt from Subordination 6.7</ref>

Chronology

They were part of the tithe that the sisters had to pay for existing in Toronto.<ref name=":4"/>

Kids from the Behaim Circle led groups of them in the final plays of the contest.<ref> - Excerpt Void 7.5</ref>

References

<references/>