Crafted Races

Races forged for specific purposes. Crafted Races is the catch all term for the species created by the exinct off-world Giants that colonized Verden furiing the First Landing

Basic Information

Biological Traits

In general, Crafted Races are resilient and specialized in their anatomy, this being defined by the purpose the Giants had in mind when sculpting their ancestors with magic (coloquially called the race's "Task"). Most of these adaptations limit their funcionality in other fields but it is clear at glance what a Crafted was made to do. Examples of this include the Centaurs and Harpies' hardiness and stamina making them ideal couriers. Sons of the Archive's flawless memory or the Catoblepas' ability to process any and all toxic materials. Despite being created with magic most of the adaptions to the Task are mundane in nature, with exceptions for the races made with a magic-centric Task.

Genetics and Reproduction

In general the Crafted reproduce the same way as most other lifeforms in Verden, some lay eggs, others give live birth and in some unique cases reproduce asexually through "budding" or specialized "spawing" subspecies producing new members. Except in cases of Crafted having risky or high mortality Tasks, their rate of reproduction is considerably slower than that of Hellions or Goblins

Dietary Needs and Habits

Crafted were designed with efficeny in mind, and thus their bodies are adapted to perform at peak efficency with minimal sustenance. While this means that they are able to endure famines more easily many Crafted have highly specific diets (in some cases the diet being integral in their Task) and are more likely to suffer if their specific dietary needs are unable to be met. The most egregious example of this being the Catoblepas' need to consume substances normally considered toxic to most animals.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Although Crafted can be found in every part of Verden their biggest concentrations (and longest standing civilizations) are found in areas heavily associated with Giants and their ruins. Rumours persist that there is some laboratory where all Crafted were first created (the so called Cauldron of Origin) but no evidence to the site's existence has been found.

Average Intelligence

Whilst a contentious topic amongst scholars, there is a common belief that Crafted have a instictive drive towards learning and understanding their Task. The issue is further compounded by many Crafted perpetuating the myth to make their skills more credible in the face of competition or as a expression of the Giant faith. It is important to note that many Tasks are some form of physical labor (long distance travel, digging, etc) or surviving in hostile environments (deep underwater, toxic caverns or oxygen-deprived mountaintops), thus rendering Crafted unable to adapt to said environments would be quickly claimed by their surroundings. The clear case of a Crafted race exhibiting intelligence superior to other creatures are the Sons of the Archive, whose Task was the compiling and processing of vast amounts of information

Civilization and Culture

Average Technological Level

The technological level of the Crafted can be both impeded and facilitated by their unique anatomies, as certain problems a Crafted might face in the wild could be easily countered by their unique anatomy. As an example, a given community of Centaurs will find little interest in the domestication of farm animals as opposed to a Hellion or Harpy tribe, due to their status as obligate herbivores and inability to mount other animals for transport, so their agricultural efforts would be more inclined to

History

The Crafted were designed by the Giants to serve menial roles in their colonization of Verden. As the Giants' skill in magic was unparalleled, it was natural they'd use it to complete tasks they were unsuited for or basic maintenance. Rather than rely on simple automatons made from synthetic materials, that constantly needed to rechage their magical reserves. They decided to use organic servants that would not require constant recharge of magic, so that any reserves would be used for grander efforts than repair or communication. There is evidence that the first Crafted weren't sentient or emotive, more akin to machines made of flesh that living creatures, but with time and exposure to magic, these creatures began to develop a will of their own, as magic responds and is drawn to willpower, and began to think on their own. What the Giants thought of their creations gaining sentience is unknown, as their disapperance left little records of their final days, scattered fragments of the first Crafted civilizations do show an understanding of both their origins and Tasks, which imply that sentient Crafted lived along their Giant masters. The history of the Crafted has been framed by some as a dialogue between themlseves and the relationship with their Task, with wether or not it should be enforced on their own or they be allowed to express their freedom and choose their own path. It is also fairly evident that the Crafted Races were instrumental in codifying the core tenets of most forms of Giant worship, were they naturally held themselves as their favored children, with Hellions being converted (at least partially) some time later.

Lifespan

While variable, Crafted reach above a century in lifespan pretty comfortably, with some getting close to a thousand years

Geographic Distribution