Whisper72
Explorer
The Forged
A treatise by professor Hamarid Khan
Morgrave University
It is common knowledge that the Warforged were made during the Last War by House Cannith. The current sentient Warforged are the product of the last three decades of the Last War. What is less known, is the way the Warforged came to be. This treatise will shed some light on the events leading to and the processes of the production of Warforged.
In this treatise I will call them ‘the Forged’, as the Warforged are only one type of ‘Forged’ beings that were created during the course of the decades that House Cannith has been working on this project.
On the origins of ‘the Forged’
Documents that survived the war in the Korranberg Library show that King Jarot commissioned the first warforged to be made before the Last War even started. The reasons behind the paranoid behaviour of King Jarot are unknown, some believe the machinations of the Dreaming Dark were behind his behaviour and that their whispering sparked the decision by Wroann to reject the claim of her sister Mishann. But that is for another treatise. Fact is that the first warforged were built several years before the Last War, and most if not all of the Five Nations had small complements of warforged at the start of the war.
Current findings on the continent of Xen’drik shed interesting light on the origins of the Warforged. Items especially made for warforged beings have been discovered there, created many millennia ago. This leads to speculation that the templates to build warforged were not so much an invention of House Cannith as it was the use of plundered knowledge from the Dark Continent that led to the creation of the warforged.
Journal notes from a Cannith expedition in 803 YK, shortly after the upgrade of Stormreach, describe the finds of machinery, templates and other artefacts believed to be able to build golems of some sort. Strangely enough, I could find no further record of these golems ever being built or any further research notes on the examination of these artefacts.
These journal notes combined with current findings of warforged related artefacts on Xen’drik suggest strongly that the first warforged were probably built on that Dark Continent many millennia ago.
On the process leading to the production of ‘the Forged’
We must assume that research took place in the utmost secrecy. The first glimpse of evidence that House Cannith had the ability to produce ‘Forged’ beings can be traced back to Korranberg Chronicle issues from around 863 YK. Here, and interview with the Cannith House Patriarch on whether the labour strikes around the construction of the last tracts of the Lightning Rail Project elicit his comment that if the labourers remain obstinate he ‘has other means to continue production’. At the time this was written off as bravado, and additional funds released by King Jarot for raised labour wages made the issue a moot point.
Hindsight leads me to believe that House Cannith had already successfully forged the first LabourForged, a type of Forged especially created for heavy labour.
The Korranberg Chronicle sheds more light on the development of the warforged in an article where the patriarch of House Cannith reacts furiously to the provision of Goblin mercenaries by House Deneith in 878 YK, stating that he’d rather have machines fill this role then to allow goblins within civilized lands. We must now assume that at this point House Cannith began transforming LabourForged into WarForged by adding armament and armour.
Shortly before the Last War, several models of the Forged are presented to King Jarot, and he commissions House Cannith to start production in earnest. At this time, the Forged are still no more then mindless machines.
During the Last War, production is ramped up, and further research is put into creating ever better, faster and more deadly WarForged. This eventually leads to the creation of the sentient WarForged we know today.
House Cannith research papers discovered during a recent expedition into the Mournland show that several models were produced during the Last War.
On the various models believed to have been created
The first models of the forged were the ‘LabourForged’. They are not much more then automatons created to perform simple but back-breaking menial tasks. Original made for construction and mining operations, it is unknown how many were exactly made and what happened to them. Some notes in the research papers discovered indicate that during the beginning of the Last War, many of these LabourForged were transformed in what are now called ‘Lesser Warforged’.
The first Lesser Warforged were no more then LabourForged with metal plates added to them, and equipping them with weaponry. They were not very effective in the whole, but their sheer strength and complete lack of fear made them fearsome foes nonetheless. Used primarily as shock troops to open up enemy ranks, it is believed that most have been destroyed.
Later on, specialized Lesser Warforged were made. With the integrated production of arms and armour, these combat golems saw much action, but again, used primarily for frontal assaults, not many of them remain in service today.
Then, the research notes indicate that Aarren d’Cannith finally deciphered a Xen’drik codex on the production of warforged, and so managed to create True Warforged, the sentient warforged we know today.
The research notes further indicate that experiments were done to create Warforged Juggernauts, which we know to exist, but there is also mention of ‘Elite Warforged’ created using top grade materials such as bronzewood, adamantine and dragonshards. These are supposedly stronger, faster and imbued with special magical powers through the incorporation of Khyber dragonshards, binding elementals into the Warforged bodies.
Further notes indicate the experimentation with a construct called ‘PleasureForged’. Built to resemble human(oids), these were supposedly to be used as assassins and spies under the cover of entertainment of various sorts. It is unclear whether any of these were ever built. Some notes show a connection with House Phiarlan, but whether the PleasureForged were created to be sold to them, or to compete with them is unknown.
On special warforged items
The research notes uncovered from the Mournland further provide insight into the designs of various items especially made to enhance the effectiveness of the warforged. Of many of these I have no idea whether they were actually built, at least as far as records show, they were not used in any significant number during the Last War.
The Flamethrower
A device which must replace one of the lower arms of a warforged, this weapon can shoot forth and activate (i.e. ignite) alchemical substances. The research notes show that Alchemists Fire was foreseen for the first such items, but other possible considerations were Acidic Fire, Acid, Alchemist’s Frost and Alchemist’s Spark. Supposedly the weapon consists of a nozzle which shoots the substance out under pressure. Inside the device is room in which to put the substance to be shot forth. The research notes show that the same device could be used for Fire, Acid and acidic fire, but a special dual compartment would be needed for the Spark, and how to ‘reload’ the device during combat with the Frost before freezing up was an issue not yet resolved.
The retractable blade
To solve the problems of an Armblade making the hand useless, a less powerful but more versatile retractable blade was being developed. Such an item would have to be installed in the warforged on creation, or the entire lower arm would have to be refurbished.
Wings of the Eagle
The description on this item are a set of special enchanted metallic wings to be attached to the back of the warforged. The discussion speaks of weight problems and talks of solving this by creating special warforged using soarwood as a component to make optimal use of such wings as an aerial combat unit. Another option discussed in the papers is making the wings themselves of soarwood, but then there would be fire-related issues to be dealt with.
Shocking grasp
Another invention speaks of using something called ‘capacitors’ to store natural energy from the warforged in such a manner that he can release a strong electrical shock upon simply touching an enemy. From the research notes it becomes clear that this is a slow process and the viability of it in the middle of combat was debated, as it would take at least several hours to recharge.
Poison Needles
Under the discussion of the PleasureForged, there is talk of installing small retractable needles in the fingers of the construct which allow to inject different poisons into the victim. There is even a discussion how each finger could hold a different type of poison, allowing for greater versatility.
Globe of invulnerability
The papers regarding this research suggest that an anti-magic field generator could be installed such that it produces the effect of a minor globe of invulnerability. This is a feature drawing a lot of energy however, and the notes suggested that it would probable drain the vitality of the warforged (note: it costs hit points per round to keep up)..
Enhanced Eyes
Another path of research was concerning the eyes of the warforged. Special lenses allowing darkvision, detection of invisible foes and even ‘true sight’ were discussed.
Concluding
As can be concluded from this treatise, the Warforged are beings that developed over time, and the research notes show that more development can be expected over the coming decades. The Warforged is still in its infancy in terms of evolution, and it will be interesting to see how they will develop in the coming centuries.
A treatise by professor Hamarid Khan
Morgrave University
It is common knowledge that the Warforged were made during the Last War by House Cannith. The current sentient Warforged are the product of the last three decades of the Last War. What is less known, is the way the Warforged came to be. This treatise will shed some light on the events leading to and the processes of the production of Warforged.
In this treatise I will call them ‘the Forged’, as the Warforged are only one type of ‘Forged’ beings that were created during the course of the decades that House Cannith has been working on this project.
On the origins of ‘the Forged’
Documents that survived the war in the Korranberg Library show that King Jarot commissioned the first warforged to be made before the Last War even started. The reasons behind the paranoid behaviour of King Jarot are unknown, some believe the machinations of the Dreaming Dark were behind his behaviour and that their whispering sparked the decision by Wroann to reject the claim of her sister Mishann. But that is for another treatise. Fact is that the first warforged were built several years before the Last War, and most if not all of the Five Nations had small complements of warforged at the start of the war.
Current findings on the continent of Xen’drik shed interesting light on the origins of the Warforged. Items especially made for warforged beings have been discovered there, created many millennia ago. This leads to speculation that the templates to build warforged were not so much an invention of House Cannith as it was the use of plundered knowledge from the Dark Continent that led to the creation of the warforged.
Journal notes from a Cannith expedition in 803 YK, shortly after the upgrade of Stormreach, describe the finds of machinery, templates and other artefacts believed to be able to build golems of some sort. Strangely enough, I could find no further record of these golems ever being built or any further research notes on the examination of these artefacts.
These journal notes combined with current findings of warforged related artefacts on Xen’drik suggest strongly that the first warforged were probably built on that Dark Continent many millennia ago.
On the process leading to the production of ‘the Forged’
We must assume that research took place in the utmost secrecy. The first glimpse of evidence that House Cannith had the ability to produce ‘Forged’ beings can be traced back to Korranberg Chronicle issues from around 863 YK. Here, and interview with the Cannith House Patriarch on whether the labour strikes around the construction of the last tracts of the Lightning Rail Project elicit his comment that if the labourers remain obstinate he ‘has other means to continue production’. At the time this was written off as bravado, and additional funds released by King Jarot for raised labour wages made the issue a moot point.
Hindsight leads me to believe that House Cannith had already successfully forged the first LabourForged, a type of Forged especially created for heavy labour.
The Korranberg Chronicle sheds more light on the development of the warforged in an article where the patriarch of House Cannith reacts furiously to the provision of Goblin mercenaries by House Deneith in 878 YK, stating that he’d rather have machines fill this role then to allow goblins within civilized lands. We must now assume that at this point House Cannith began transforming LabourForged into WarForged by adding armament and armour.
Shortly before the Last War, several models of the Forged are presented to King Jarot, and he commissions House Cannith to start production in earnest. At this time, the Forged are still no more then mindless machines.
During the Last War, production is ramped up, and further research is put into creating ever better, faster and more deadly WarForged. This eventually leads to the creation of the sentient WarForged we know today.
House Cannith research papers discovered during a recent expedition into the Mournland show that several models were produced during the Last War.
On the various models believed to have been created
The first models of the forged were the ‘LabourForged’. They are not much more then automatons created to perform simple but back-breaking menial tasks. Original made for construction and mining operations, it is unknown how many were exactly made and what happened to them. Some notes in the research papers discovered indicate that during the beginning of the Last War, many of these LabourForged were transformed in what are now called ‘Lesser Warforged’.
The first Lesser Warforged were no more then LabourForged with metal plates added to them, and equipping them with weaponry. They were not very effective in the whole, but their sheer strength and complete lack of fear made them fearsome foes nonetheless. Used primarily as shock troops to open up enemy ranks, it is believed that most have been destroyed.
Later on, specialized Lesser Warforged were made. With the integrated production of arms and armour, these combat golems saw much action, but again, used primarily for frontal assaults, not many of them remain in service today.
Then, the research notes indicate that Aarren d’Cannith finally deciphered a Xen’drik codex on the production of warforged, and so managed to create True Warforged, the sentient warforged we know today.
The research notes further indicate that experiments were done to create Warforged Juggernauts, which we know to exist, but there is also mention of ‘Elite Warforged’ created using top grade materials such as bronzewood, adamantine and dragonshards. These are supposedly stronger, faster and imbued with special magical powers through the incorporation of Khyber dragonshards, binding elementals into the Warforged bodies.
Further notes indicate the experimentation with a construct called ‘PleasureForged’. Built to resemble human(oids), these were supposedly to be used as assassins and spies under the cover of entertainment of various sorts. It is unclear whether any of these were ever built. Some notes show a connection with House Phiarlan, but whether the PleasureForged were created to be sold to them, or to compete with them is unknown.
On special warforged items
The research notes uncovered from the Mournland further provide insight into the designs of various items especially made to enhance the effectiveness of the warforged. Of many of these I have no idea whether they were actually built, at least as far as records show, they were not used in any significant number during the Last War.
The Flamethrower
A device which must replace one of the lower arms of a warforged, this weapon can shoot forth and activate (i.e. ignite) alchemical substances. The research notes show that Alchemists Fire was foreseen for the first such items, but other possible considerations were Acidic Fire, Acid, Alchemist’s Frost and Alchemist’s Spark. Supposedly the weapon consists of a nozzle which shoots the substance out under pressure. Inside the device is room in which to put the substance to be shot forth. The research notes show that the same device could be used for Fire, Acid and acidic fire, but a special dual compartment would be needed for the Spark, and how to ‘reload’ the device during combat with the Frost before freezing up was an issue not yet resolved.
The retractable blade
To solve the problems of an Armblade making the hand useless, a less powerful but more versatile retractable blade was being developed. Such an item would have to be installed in the warforged on creation, or the entire lower arm would have to be refurbished.
Wings of the Eagle
The description on this item are a set of special enchanted metallic wings to be attached to the back of the warforged. The discussion speaks of weight problems and talks of solving this by creating special warforged using soarwood as a component to make optimal use of such wings as an aerial combat unit. Another option discussed in the papers is making the wings themselves of soarwood, but then there would be fire-related issues to be dealt with.
Shocking grasp
Another invention speaks of using something called ‘capacitors’ to store natural energy from the warforged in such a manner that he can release a strong electrical shock upon simply touching an enemy. From the research notes it becomes clear that this is a slow process and the viability of it in the middle of combat was debated, as it would take at least several hours to recharge.
Poison Needles
Under the discussion of the PleasureForged, there is talk of installing small retractable needles in the fingers of the construct which allow to inject different poisons into the victim. There is even a discussion how each finger could hold a different type of poison, allowing for greater versatility.
Globe of invulnerability
The papers regarding this research suggest that an anti-magic field generator could be installed such that it produces the effect of a minor globe of invulnerability. This is a feature drawing a lot of energy however, and the notes suggested that it would probable drain the vitality of the warforged (note: it costs hit points per round to keep up)..
Enhanced Eyes
Another path of research was concerning the eyes of the warforged. Special lenses allowing darkvision, detection of invisible foes and even ‘true sight’ were discussed.
Concluding
As can be concluded from this treatise, the Warforged are beings that developed over time, and the research notes show that more development can be expected over the coming decades. The Warforged is still in its infancy in terms of evolution, and it will be interesting to see how they will develop in the coming centuries.
