Taraxia said:
The quorforged were insurance in case they failed -- they thought by turning themselves into docents, and not being quori anymore, their consciousness would continue even if Quor Tarai changed.
Essentially correct. Here's a post I put on another board or thread (I don't even remember!) about this subject:
[sblock]In asking why the Quori would create a race of creatures that cannot dream, you're missing the point. Quorcraft warforged were useful to the Quori precisely BECAUSE they didn't dream.
Quorcraft warforged are flat constructs. They are not built to be an independent race. They are, essentially, bodies for docents. Read the description of the artifact docent more closely; at least one group of the quori of that age were trying to sever all ties to Dal Quor in the hopes of surviving the Change. The point is that the quori believed that even if they were physically present on Eberron, the turn of the age would destroy them, just as the Inspired believe it will destroy THEM. The docent program was creating an anchor, distiling the quori spirit and severing it from body and plane (using artifact level magic). The Quorcraft warforged is a disposable pair of arms and legs for this indestructible soul.
Now, members of various giant civilizations see Quorcraft warforged in use. They even see docents, apparently serving as advisors to warforged. They take this inspiration and create their OWN warforged (which as noted, would be useful, dreamless troops). THIS is where you get Xulo from Grasp of the Emerald Claw. And this is where you can develop your own path for the warforged, if you don't like Xulo OR the Quorcraft history. The Sul'at League may have created a form of warforged empowered by elementals; in the Shattered Land, we see an obsidian golem, so the League understands the principles of constructs. The Group of Eleven may have created docents holding the bound spirits of mighty giant sages. Cannith drew inspiration for the warforged from Xen'drik. But WHERE did it find its inspiration? The Quorcraft warforged? Xulo? Or something entirely different?
"Warforged" are like "four-wheeled transports". In our history, you can find horse-carts, automobiles of various designs and engineering, even a child's wagon. Someone had the idea first, but a later idea - though superficially similar in form and function - may be completely different under the hood. The giant docent uses the same principles as a sentient sword, while the quori docent is an anchor for a spirit from another plane. From the outside? They look the same, and seem to perform roughly the same function. But they are far different in nature and full potential. The Quorcraft warforged ARE less advanced that modern warforged. But that doesn't stop you from having advanced warforged created by an ancient society in your campaign. [/sblock]
As noted in the last paragraph, this still leaves room for any number of other warforged paths. The Quorcraft warforged were not intended to be sentient, meaning that the modern warforged have taken some sort of serious jog in the path - whether it's the work of House Cannith, or whether modern warforged are based on a giant design. If you want to say that modern warforged are sleeper agents for the Quori, you certainly could... though I'd suggest that the key to this would be hidden in Xen'drik, since the quori of the modern age were not the creators of the Quorcraft.
Again, ultimately, everything is suggestion. In my mind, the Quorcraft warforged are another piece of the puzzle. But the fact that they aren't sentient - and weren't designed to be sentient - shows that there's still pieces missing and space for you to fill in. And if that's not enough - if you just hate the Quorcraft, or have a better idea - don't use them! It's your game too.
