Mechataur

The Mechataur, a character in "The Crown & The Flame" series, is the mechanical guardian of the Technocrat's labyrinth. It was first seen in Book 1, Chapter 12.

Appearance
A Mechataur's body is made entirely of metals in shades of gray and brown. It has glowing eyes ranging from green to yellow to red, a bull's head, and horns each having three sections. Inside its torso, covered in brown plating with gold accents, is a compartment for its core, which turns off and on depending on the Mechataur's power setting, sealed with a grilled cover; should the core turn off, so will its eyes. Its arms are partially armored, exposing some wires and gears inside.

Functions
The Mechataurs are designed as the protectors of the Foundry's labyrinth, and as such are designed for combat; as shown in Book 1, Chapter 13, at least two are stationed inside the maze. They can overwhelm multiple opponents, even those with a weapon, using their sheer bulldozing force and powerful punches. Only those who can figure out their intentionally-programmed weakness can defeat one.

The machine's eyes are indicative of its mood: yellow for standby, green for friendly, and red for angry. The one Kenna fought against seems to be an imperfect creation while inside the labyrinth, as Whitlock had difficulty perfectly recalibrating it to distinguish friend from foe after it was recruited, seen in Book 1, Chapter 15 when it almost punched Kenna during the Battle for Stormholt.

Book 1

 * Chapter 12: The Labyrinth
 * Chapter 13: The Mechataur
 * Chapter 15: The Return to Stormholt (Determinant)

Book 2

 * Chapter 1: The Battle of Thorngate (Determinant)
 * Chapter 2: The Burning of Thorngate (Determinant)
 * Chapter 13: The Wolf's Mouth (Determinant)
 * Chapter 15: The Dragon (Determinant)

Book 3

 * Chapter 16: The Great Protector

Whitlock
Whitlock created the Mechataurs specifically as guardians in the Foundry's labyrinth. He later reprogrammed one for use in more conventional battles. Since the Mechataur used conventional means of fighting, Whitlock didn't see a problem with the construct being used as a weapon, since it was essentially a repairable soldier.

In Book 1, Chapter 14, during his expulsion of Hex from the Foundry, Whitlock managed to summon the machine to his defense, indicating that he also used it as his bodyguard while inside the city; whether this copy was either one of the two inside the labyrinth or a third creation is unknown.

Trivia

 * In a premium scene of Rules of Engagement, Book 2, Chapter 12, Brother is able to choose him as the hero he can play as in the arcade game The Crown and The Flame.
 * The Mechataur's appearance is used in Chapter 3 of The Elementalists, Book 1 as Security Guard.