history-science-technology.c ... s%2071.htm
Just read it, and... It's more similar to the Abilities of the Virgilians or more related to the Mechanicians?
Well, as there's nothing here about magic, my first instinct would be to say neither.
For game-integration purposes, I'd say that the easy correlation is to the Verditius Mystery of Automata. In fact, Verditius magic does draw on non-Christian sources, including Arab, Moorish and other Muslim scholarship.
If anything, I'd say describe Moorish craftmanship through the Craft Automata ability, with expanded rules for Great Automata, that is, structural size automata, rules and guidelines tbd by the storyguide.
Or, you might argue that this capacity represents an early turn away from magic. We already know of partial theological opposition to magic at the time. There'd be considerable demand from the pious rich for non-magic means to produce near-magical effects.
Or, this might be the result of the meeting of Celestial Magic and Automata Magic.
But these are great accomplishments of artifice, representing long periods of dedicated work by highly trained specialists. Therefore, the abosutely do NOT have anything to do with the magic of the (misleadingly named for some) Mechanicals who use magic to create minor tools, not great works of art and artifice.
Story Seed: The automata of present day are of demonstrably lower power and quality than the great works of the Hellenic world, like the great Bronze giant who could hurl massive rocks to sink enemy fleets, or the improvised wings of flight Icarus and his father wore on his last escape. The Muslims are known to have better preserved the Hellenic wisdom of the philosophy of Aristotle and his followers. Tales of great automata in Moorish lands suggest that the same might be true for the ancient secrets of Automata. Since the time of the Traitor, Verditius magi have been seeking to regain supremacy in this field, and would pay handsomly for insight into the lost secrets held now in Moorish hands, and would go to considerable ends to prevent other houses from securing the same. How Flambeau would react to further integration of the magic of their arch-nemesis tradition into the Order has yet to be seen.
Great reward and great danger awaits any who would seek this resurgent wisdom in the Moorish Lands.
Not Heron related to you then?
The relations between the way of Animo/Animation, Automatas and Mechanica of Heron/Animas should be a great and interesting thing to investigate. Platonic bonds maybe?
But you have right about your Story Seed.