Warforged
Warforged are sentient constructs of metal, wood, and arcane binding—a race born not from nature or divine will, but from purpose and war. They were originally forged in the crucible of desperate conflict during The Fracture War, when The Mages of Madness and Revelry of Ruin unleashed horrors that demanded tireless soldiers who would not succumb to madness, hunger, or fear. Crafted by brilliant artificers and eldritch engineers, warforged were weapons—living machines designed for obedience, resilience, and efficiency.
Over time, something unexpected occurred. Whether by flaw, miracle, or fate, some warforged began to think independently. They questioned orders, felt echoes of emotion, and developed wills of their own. The gods remained silent on whether this spark of selfhood was divine or arcane in nature, but it spread. When the war ended, many of these warforged were cast aside, seen as relics of an era better left buried. But they endured.
A warforged’s body is a seamless fusion of stone, wood, and metal, reinforced with sigils and arcane filaments. Most stand between six and seven feet tall, built for durability and strength, but their forms vary widely—some are sleek and humanoid, others heavily armored and towering. Their faces are often expressionless masks with glowing eyes, though many carve details or features into their visages to appear more personal, more real.
Warforged grapple with their origins in different ways. Some embrace their martial design, taking on roles as mercenaries, protectors, or guardians of ancient places. Others reject their past as weapons, pursuing art, scholarship, or spiritual enlightenment. A few seek to become more mortal, mimicking the behaviors of other peoples—eating, sleeping, dreaming—though they do not require any of these things.
While some societies welcome warforged as survivors of a shared past, others view them as remnants of a dangerous age. Myths persist of hidden warforged forges deep beneath the world, still operational, still churning out lifeless husks awaiting activation. Whispers even speak of ancient warforged warlords who seek to awaken their kin and reshape the world into one of perfect order and unyielding obedience.
Despite all this, warforged are not unified in goal or creed. Each carries the burden of legacy and the challenge of choice. They are not born—they are made—but they become through action. A warforged may be a tool, a weapon, a wanderer, or a soul trying to understand what it means to live without being told how.
