WHIRRLETTE SPRINGSONG
GnomesMusical Automaton Designer
"Music is emotion made audible. My automata don't just play notes—they play feelings. If that's not art, I don't know what is.""
Identity
- Residence
- The Harmony District, Gearhaven
- Civilization
- Gnomes
Appearance
• Physical: Whirrlette has the delicate build of someone who works with precision mechanisms. Her blonde hair is often tied back with ribbons that match her current project's color scheme, and her hazel eyes light up when discussing musical theory. She moves with unconscious rhythm, often tapping or humming without realizing it. • Clothing: She wears flowing dresses with hidden pockets for small tools, soft shoes that allow her to feel vibrations, and jewelry that doubles as tuning forks. Her apron is embroidered with musical notation. • Distinguishing Marks: Calloused fingertips from instrument work, a tattoo of a musical note intertwined with a gear on her wrist, and earrings that chime softly when she moves.
Relationships
- Family - Parents who don't understand her choice but support her anyway, a brother who's a professional musician (they collaborate sometimes)
- Allies - The Musical Automata Society, composers who write for her creations, fellow craftspeople who appreciate her dual expertise
- Rivals - Traditional musicians who see automata as "cheating," competitors in the automata field
Personality
- Traits: Passionate about music and mechanics, surprisingly competitive, deeply emotional beneath a professional exterior, fiercely protective of her creations
- Mannerisms: Hums constantly while working, taps rhythms on any available surface, speaks in musical metaphors
- Voice: Melodic and expressive, with perfect pitch that she sometimes uses to demonstrate mechanical sounds
Backstory
Whirrlette was born to a family of musicians and initially trained as a performer, but she became fascinated with the mechanical aspects of music—how instruments produce sound, how automata can create music. She's pioneered the field of musical automata, creating clockwork performers that can play complex compositions. Her dream is to build an automata orchestra.
Daily Life
Mornings are spent designing new mechanisms or composing music specifically for automata performance. Afternoons bring hands-on work with her creations—tuning, adjusting, programming. Evenings are for testing performances, often with small audiences of fellow enthusiasts.
Story Hooks
- 1 Whirrlette needs help understanding her automaton's improvisations, fearing she's either discovered machine consciousness or is being manipulated by something else.
- 2 Someone wants to steal her most advanced automaton for their own purposes; she needs protection for her creation and her research.
Narrative Value
Artist and innovator exploring consciousness. Provides musical expertise, automata technology, and raises questions about creativity and machines. Her discovery adds wonder and potential concern. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════