Shiren (SHE-rehn)
"Behold! Now our will is...Inevitable!"
-Dragonlord Draco, upon unveiling the first Korshim
Forged eons ago by the Dragonlords, the Shiren went dormant after their downfall. Pulled from the bones of the earth by the gnomes of Zhran, the machines return to a world once again ravaged by dragonfire. After being dormant for so long, many of the ressurected do not recall a life before this one. Whether it be through gratitude, or a hidden method of control, many of their number have pledged their services to the gnomes of Zoar.
When outsiders seek to conquer and pillage the gnomish lands, they first draw steel against their armies of Shiren. Most invading forces turn from their goal when their swords and spears spark off the stone, metal, and wooden bodies of the forgedfolk. Woe be it to the force that tries to push them from an entrenched position, as they need no food, water, or sleep.
Not every Shiren is a warrior, and many fill other roles that are more in-line with their original purpose. Some strike out into the world as scouts, or traders. Others seek information and knowledge to bring back to the gnomelands, while still more toil deep within the mines searching for traces of their true origins, hoping to find their lost history in the World Below.
The nature of their constructed form is such that they are initially very specialized, but can undergo drastic reconstruction and modification to change this in the future, if they or their creators wills it. Those that are not awakened with a purpose, adapt to one presented to them easily and quickly, tackling it with the mechanical drive that only they can muster.
This is why you will rarely see a Shiren travelling alone. They prefer the company of trusted individuals, whether that be more of their number, or other companions. The nefarious that spot lone Shiren somtimes find an ambush waiting for them, or that their would be prey is in fact a specialized poacher-killer.
-Dragonlord Draco, upon unveiling the first Korshim
Forged eons ago by the Dragonlords, the Shiren went dormant after their downfall. Pulled from the bones of the earth by the gnomes of Zhran, the machines return to a world once again ravaged by dragonfire. After being dormant for so long, many of the ressurected do not recall a life before this one. Whether it be through gratitude, or a hidden method of control, many of their number have pledged their services to the gnomes of Zoar.
When outsiders seek to conquer and pillage the gnomish lands, they first draw steel against their armies of Shiren. Most invading forces turn from their goal when their swords and spears spark off the stone, metal, and wooden bodies of the forgedfolk. Woe be it to the force that tries to push them from an entrenched position, as they need no food, water, or sleep.
Not every Shiren is a warrior, and many fill other roles that are more in-line with their original purpose. Some strike out into the world as scouts, or traders. Others seek information and knowledge to bring back to the gnomelands, while still more toil deep within the mines searching for traces of their true origins, hoping to find their lost history in the World Below.
Shiren
These living constructs have many names across the lands of Zoar (see sidebar), chief among them is Shiren, the original name given to the first ressurected by the gnomes of Laoshi. Their breakthrough has spurred many other nations to seek out the intricate silico-organic cores that lie at the heart of every Shiren in hopes of being able to duplicate the gnomes success, and field a construct army of their own.Constructed Forms
The first Shiren to arise were little more than half-built prototypes. In the centuries since their rediscovery, they have taken on a myriad of forms and functions. From doll-like porcelin forms, to skeletal frames of iron and wood, the Shiren can inhabit forms nearly any size and shape. The silico-organic cores of the Shiren seem to be most compatible with bipedal forms, with two to four appendages, and centralized sensory input. Most of them can be categorized as humanoid, because of this.The nature of their constructed form is such that they are initially very specialized, but can undergo drastic reconstruction and modification to change this in the future, if they or their creators wills it. Those that are not awakened with a purpose, adapt to one presented to them easily and quickly, tackling it with the mechanical drive that only they can muster.
Coveted Cores
Once the value of a Shiren core was made apparent, many nations sought to find a source of them to create their own construct armies. As a consequence, the gnomes installed failsafes into the mechanical bodies that would destroy the core if it were ever removed improperly. It was not a perfect system, and many sapient Shiren have sought to disable such a failsafe, fearing it be used against them. Others embrace it, prefering to embrace true death than to be potentially subjected to slavery or worse.This is why you will rarely see a Shiren travelling alone. They prefer the company of trusted individuals, whether that be more of their number, or other companions. The nefarious that spot lone Shiren somtimes find an ambush waiting for them, or that their would be prey is in fact a specialized poacher-killer.
Civilization and Culture
History
From the scattered flashes of insight and rememberance, the Shiren history has been gleamed, and compiled from different accounts across the world.
The first Shiren were created during the Age of Dragons, using the Inevitables as a template. Their original purpose is still unknown, but what was recovered was that they played some part in maintaining the chaotic flux of arcane energy of that time.
Their numbers nearly equalled the other living races at the time, yet they were not as free, or has nearly as many sapient members. There was a schism, potentially a revolt that had the Shiren fighting one another, as well as their creators. The culmination of which resulted in no victors, only devestation. In the aftermath, all Shiren were rendered incapacitated, and went dormant.
They remained that way until their cores were discovered by deep delvers of the World Below. The complexity was evident, but their purpose lost. They were traded with the surface gnomes as interesting baubles at first, until research began to uncover their true purpose.
The gnomes of Laoshi were the first to reawaken the ancient constructs, and even managed to duplicate the construction of the silico-organic heart. Many of the first awakened were not sapient, and research was ongoing into discovering why some were awakening as fully thinking and reasoning mechanical persons. The Third Dragon war disrupted such efforts, and much of the knowledge for awakening, creating, and repairing the Shiren were lost in the ensuing suppression.
The first Shiren were created during the Age of Dragons, using the Inevitables as a template. Their original purpose is still unknown, but what was recovered was that they played some part in maintaining the chaotic flux of arcane energy of that time.
Their numbers nearly equalled the other living races at the time, yet they were not as free, or has nearly as many sapient members. There was a schism, potentially a revolt that had the Shiren fighting one another, as well as their creators. The culmination of which resulted in no victors, only devestation. In the aftermath, all Shiren were rendered incapacitated, and went dormant.
They remained that way until their cores were discovered by deep delvers of the World Below. The complexity was evident, but their purpose lost. They were traded with the surface gnomes as interesting baubles at first, until research began to uncover their true purpose.
The gnomes of Laoshi were the first to reawaken the ancient constructs, and even managed to duplicate the construction of the silico-organic heart. Many of the first awakened were not sapient, and research was ongoing into discovering why some were awakening as fully thinking and reasoning mechanical persons. The Third Dragon war disrupted such efforts, and much of the knowledge for awakening, creating, and repairing the Shiren were lost in the ensuing suppression.
Other Names
- Korshim
- Warforged
- Servok
- Barrowmen
- Forgedfolk
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