Warforged

The "Warforged" are a remnant of the wars that raged between the powers of the Eastern Territories a quarter century ago. Using technology recovered from Ancient Vesperian ruins, a secret group of engineers (mostly dwarves and gnomes) sought to create mechanical soldiers that could fight for them without needing food, rest, or even air. An unexpected breakthrough, which is still not very well understood to this day, somehow caused these automatons to become fully sapient. Their bodies are made of metal and wood, but they are capable of feeling pain and emotion just like other beings. In the aftermath of the wars, the remaining warforged were left to find a new purpose. Some carried on fighting as mercenaries or soldiers elsewhere. Some pursued spirituality or studied ancient technology in an attempt to understand how and why they exist. Still others decided that things like war and philosophy were unimportant to them, and found quiet lives as laborers, crafters, or even farmers.
These days, warforged are treated very differently depending on the region. In places like Parthenia, where they were deployed in large numbers as shock troops, they are classified as "people" by law, but in practice are treated as an underclass. Their lack of need for basic things like food and sleep frequently means that they end up living in slums and other places that no one else wants to inhabit, and doing dirty, dangerous work that no one else wants to do. And in some areas, like Penglai and Vinland, they are not even regarded as sapient. But things are different elsewhere. With exceptions, many dwarves and gnomes see warforged as one of the greatest marvels of the modern world, and hold them in high regard. If nowhere else, warforged can always find a home in the Freeholds, where there are many small settlements made up of civilization's castoffs.
There are also rumors of rebel groups of warforged hiding out somewhere in the frontier, plotting to restart the creation forges and overthrow all organic beings who don't recognize them as superior. But those are probably just propaganda from anti-warforged groups. Probably.

Basic Information

Anatomy

All warforged were built to be large and powerful. Their bodies are made primarily of metal, wood, and rubber. A skeletal frame of steel serves as the base, with vine-like strands of laquered wood infused with alchemical fluids serving as their muscles and soft tissues, and a "skin" of enameled steel plates and braces on the outside. Vulcanized rubber sleeves protect their joints from dust and grit. Their eyes are cut from pieces of solid crystal. The entire form is designed to appear genderless; there are variations in form between warforged depending on what purpose they were intended to fit, which may make some look a bit more "masculine" or "feminine", but most don't care whether they're referred to as a he, a she, or a they -- as long as you don't call them "it". There's also some variation in appearance, mainly the color of the enamel coating on their plates and the crystal used for their optics; many also had some form of insignia painted on them during the war, but few felt enough of a connection to their unit to bother with keeping it, so most warforged have let their insignia wear off or even had it removed entirely. The only other remnant of the war that they all have is the serial number engraved on their right pectoral plate. Having that removed would be a painful process, so most warforged leave it as it is.
Some warforged who have developed more individuality get their bodies customized with more ornamental features like engravings, inlays, embedded stones, studs, spikes, or even a unique face. Since they're able to feel pain, these modifications are akin to tattoos, piercings, or cosmetic surgery. But this is rare, so most warforged who care about their individuality prefer to express it through clothing and paint.

Genetics and Reproduction

Warforged are born from "creation forges", special underground facilities made specifically for building warforged. All of the creation forges were supposed to be shut down, dismantled, and sealed tight in accordance with the Treaty of Straumfjord, so there have been no new warforged born in at least 25 years. But there are rumors that at least one has been opened up somewhere in the Black Mountains, possibly by a rebel group of warforged.

Origin/Ancestry

Artificial

Lifespan

Unknown

Average Height

6'5''

Average Weight

300 lbs