Warforged

Warforged are sentient machines, forced to walk a perpetual line between servant and individual. They are a bundle of ethical quandaries and defiance of the rules of nature, all while perverting divinity as we know it.

Origin

Warforged have no singular point of origin, instead coming into existence at various points across Tetraverium. One question when marking the creation of Warforged is, what defines a Warforged? The first arcane golems were used as far back as six thousand years ago, during the Empire/Republic War of Gierelend. However, these fail to meet the basic qualities of Warforged. The first arcane construct capable of being restored through evocation magic was developed by Usheldom under the Grand Overseer in the year 8,334. The first truly sentient Warforged emerged in Gierelend, under the watchful eye of House Nexus. A lengthy program that stretched between 9,540 to the House’s fall at the hand of the Holy Kingdom would see Warforged slowly being offered consciousness, emotions, and the ability to perceive their own existence.
Following the innovation of these Warforged, House Nexus chose to keep them under wraps rather than release them into the world. They understood that if Warforged capable of complex thought were put in the public eye, they would question the ethics of arcane golems as a whole. If one Warforged could think, shouldn’t all be given the same luxury? Wasn’t doing so unethical? Warforged were primarily used as experimentation dummies or to serve the House in-secret. During the same period, the nation of Usheldom would come to similar discoveries as House Nexus. Their metal men were developed under Chancellor Gavril Vex. Upon their creation, efforts quickly set in place to phase them into the army. Unfortunately, before they could be integrated, Gavril Vex died and the Holy Kingdom seized control of Usheldom. During the Great Fires of Melzhov, all advanced technology was burned by the Holy Kingdom, including the Warforged. One lingering Warforged was brought before Queen Kellius Du’Varn, who immediately declared that Warforged were a perversion of divinity. Any Warforged discovered must be destroyed on sight.
Every Warforged locked in the bowels of House Nexus was executed by the Holy Kingdom once they invaded Gierelend. Stories tell of arcanists releasing these warforged at the last minute, encouraging them to flee before they were destroyed by the Holy Kingdom. But few, if any, reports of living Warforged exist.
Children of steel, arcanum, and the thoughts of others, Warforged will never be like anything else in Tetraverium. Children of man, they bring into question the very ideas of providence, and represent the ultimate act of man playing god. Thus, the Holy Kingdom will not stop until they are wiped from the earth.

Description

The Warforged of Tetraverium are constructed, puzzling creatures. Their bodies are built to serve a specific purpose, and thus range heavily in size and shape. Some stand at five feet tall and weigh 120 pounds. Others are hulking brutes, standing well over eight feet tall and weighing 300 pounds. Warforged cannot die of old age, and will live forever unless destroyed. Most are intentionally built to resemble normal mortals, and it is only following heavy injury or intense scrutiny that their true nature is revealed. Other times, they resemble more classical golems, with metallic skin, glowing eyes, and energy visible beneath the cracks of their form.

Socialization

Warforged have never been welcomed or integrated into Tetraverium society. Instead, they are doomed to perpetually flee from the influence of those who would serve to harm or destroy them. Often, this is the Holy Kingdom but in the past, the master of the Warforged has become their greatest enemy.
Sentience is the question that many Warforged find haunting them. How much control do they truly have over their own bodies? What are their own thoughts, as opposed to their creators? Some Warforged have more autonomy than others. Technology in House Nexus had advanced to the point that all Warforged were potentially capable of forming their own thoughts and ideas, with only lingering echoes of their programming. Usheldom never reached this point, but some independent research would result in feeling Warforged. Other Warforged are programmed to feel what their creator wants them to feel. They lack autonomy, constantly acting in the service of another. Some are never even given the capacity to understand, empathize with, or communicate with others.

Living in Tetraverium

Any Warforged that exists today is hidden far from the watchful eye of the Holy Kingdom. Some work for or with the Collectivist Coalition, fighting to rid Usheldom of the Du’Varn’s influence and return things to the glory of Collectivism. Others lurk in Gierelend, dodging the gaze of Inquisitors and struggling to lead a normal life.
Some Warforged manage to survive destruction by allying with the Holy Kingdom. A small minority act as members of the Pale Knights or Inquisitors. Even so, it is exceptionally rare for a creature of this kind to not be destroyed in an instant. The Holy Kingdom sees Warforged as less than people: they are a mistake that must be corrected. Thus, it takes a special circumstance to see a Warforged serving Du’Varn.

Subraces

There are no Warforged Subraces.

Mechanics

If you select Warforged as your species, you gain the following:

Ability Score Increase: You can increase one Ability Score by 2 and one Ability Score by 1.
Creature Type: Your creature type is Humanoid.
Size: Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Constructed Resilience: You were created to have remarkable fortitude, represented by the following benefits:

• You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
• You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
• You are immune to disease.
• You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep.

Sentry's Rest: When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.
Integrated Protection: Your body has built-in defensive layers, which can be enhanced with armor.

• You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
• You can don only armor with which you have proficiency. To don armor, you must incorporate it into your body over the course of 1 hour, during which you must remain in contact with the armor. To doff armor, you must spend 1 hour removing it. You can rest while donning or doffing armor in this way.
• While you live, your armor can't be removed from your body against your will.

Specialized Design: You gain one skill proficiency and one tool proficiency of your choice.
Advanced Weaponry: You can infuse your attacks with your arcane power source. When you hit an Attack Roll on an enemy creature, you can choose to deal an extra 1d6 lightning damage. Alongside this damage, the target creature can’t take a Reaction until the start of your next turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
When you reach Level 11, this damage increases to 2d6.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.