The warforged are a fairly recent technological breakthrough Onomar. The secrets of their construction are closely held among the initial discoverers, The Whisperhold Academy. Those who have consulted with the Whisperhold Academy to commission a warforged have been locked into very tight non-disclosure pacts. Those who have been rumored to break this pact have disappeared without a trace, with some found dead a few weeks later. No one knows for sure if these commissions are the only source of new warforged, or if the Whisperhold Academy has been creating and implanting them within the world for their own purposes.
Vessels of Stone and Steel
The Onomarian warforged resemble humans in stature and overall build. However, a warforged can be customized to appears similar to nearly any sapient race on Onomar. Most are made of steel, stone, and wood, however more exotic materials have been spotted from time to time. Rumors of dwarf-sized warforged with runic gold inlays or massive dragonborn warforged with razor sharp tails have made their way into the taverns. Regardless of the materials the warforged was constructed from, they are fully sapient and seemingly have souls similar to any other humanoid. Warforged are known to eventually customize their appearances as their lives move on, seeking out artificers to conduct this work for them.
It is unknown where this sapience originates. Some believe their souls are pulled from the afterlife to inhabit these new bodies in a form of undeath. Others believe the same magic that is used to animate golems has advanced to the point of providing a soul to automatons. There are no end to the wild theories people have come up with over time. Some warforged claim to remember past lives, but their claims are shody at best.
More than a Machine
The warforged have no memories prior to their awakening within their shells. They suddenly gain consciousness within a building with only their name known to them. Their first memory is being met by hooded figures who hand inform them of who they are, what they are, and send them on their way. The first warforged were ushered into society by the bards of Whisperhold Academy. They helped allay the concerns of public as these new beings integrated into daily life. Initially treated as laborers, the warforged have since risen to prominence in various kingdoms. Some have become nobles, famous creatives, renowned warriors, and feared sorcerers. New warforged are few and far between, but still seem to trickle into various towns through out the lands.
