Vect

The constructs which preceded the vect were immense and complexly designed, usually based on the skeletons of iron golems and driven by inexhaustible construct cores. These hulking machines were set to work mining ores from asteroids and stripping derelict ships for parts. However, powerful and effective, these machines were bulky, costly, and could only follow simple directives. Dwarven engineers sought a solution: a smarter, sleeker, and more universal construct. Thus, the first designs of vect-style machines were drafted.
Today, the vect live freely across the whole of the 'verse, the only example of living constructs to date. Their numbers are relatively small, but replenished by a steady supply of Dark Matter pods from reaches unseen, evidence that the Foundries  are somewhere silently carrying out their duties. Except for a militant few, vect have dismantled their fleets and learned to live alongside other races, becoming regulars in starports and starships the 'verse over, a permanent addition to many a crew.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Underneath their armored exteriors lies an orgnically-influenced anatomy, with a circulatory system and a network of magical nerves. At the heart of each vect unit is an everlasting construct core, tinged with the influence of the Spark that awoke them.
Vect bodies are humanoid in shape, but unmistakably mechanical, with large air intakes, protective shoulder plates, toothless jaws, and glowing mechanical eyes. Though each of the Foundries which create them produce vect in slightly different proportions, the general shape is always the same and vect parts are always compatible. In fact, many vect choose to install specially-designed components to improve their bodies, up to and including replacing limbs with appropriate tools. When a vect readies for a dangerous journey, their preparation will likely include purchasing construct grafts as replacement parts.

Biological Traits

With the proper replacement parts and activities to occupy themselves, vect can conceivably exist indefinitely. Vect are known to degrade and lose their sanity, however, if they live too long without an explicit purpose. It isn't known if this insanity visits all vect at old ages, or just those whose resolve wavers.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

The original vect were divided into working groups and given numbers by their dwarven keepers; nothing more was necessary. Now, however, all vect choose their own names, usually designations reflecting some function or purpose, though some vect choose to be identified by their serial number, or a nickname given to them by others.
Vect Names. 176 Armory, Bolts, Clunk, Crusher, Glitch, Hammerer, Keeper, Lifter, Null, Phong, Scarce, Three-Four-Three, Unit Seventeen, Watcher

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Speak, read, and write Common

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Vect can work tirelessly and never need to sleep, instead entering a dreamless period of inactivation each day. Most vect create endless lists of goals and chores, allowing the monotonous sequence of tasks to break up the march of days, weeks, and months. It is not uncommon to see a vect standing watch over their party, sharpening tools and repairing armor while the others sleep.
Although vect units experience the same fear, anger, pain, loss, and other emotions that humanoids do, their expression of them is muted. A vect's mechanical face and harsh, metallic voice does little to endear it to others, driving a wedge between vect and most other living things. Many vect, therefore, seek refuge in logical thinking. Some become emotionally distant and lack introspection, whereas others plumb the philosophies of existence and consider what it means to be alive. These become the two extremes, between vect who seek to embrace their status as living things, and those who wish to banish all within themselves that is not construct. The vast majority of vect exists between these extremes. 
Vect are most comfortable existing within a small group of some kind, as long as it is dedicated to a purpose. Temples, adventuring parties, and voyages of exploration are deeply attractive to the vect.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

All vect are keenly aware that they were once nonliving material which suddenly became a fully-formed living thing. And while there is no doubt that vect are alive, the destination of their souls upon death is another matter entirely. The philosophical implications of this aren't lost on them, and the questions of existence echo loudly inside some vect.
Though the Foundries which build them are intelligent beyond measure, they are wordless in their duties, and ascribe to no grand meaning to their creations. 
Some vect find comfort in faith, generally worshipping gods of arcana, smiths, and constructs. Others seek permanent distraction in quests and choose. Others still look to the 'verse for answers and hope to find meaning among understanding.

History

The dwarves could not simply build such constructs. The new vect designs called for deeply intricate mechanics, with a complex circulatory system to regulate the smaller bodies. More confounding still, the vect needed a new type of construct core, more dynamic and driven by greater types of magic.
The dwarven solution was utterly ingenious: rather than designing and building the vect units individually, the dwarves would engineer a massive and complex facility, essentially a single intelligent magic item the size of a stadium, called a Foundry. A single Foundry is all that would ever be needed, for it could oversee the finer details of all vect units, adapting them with new designs as flaws were discovered.
Satisfied that they had designed the perfect construct, the ideal means to eliminate laborers forever, the dwarves set about the painstaking task of constructing the first Foundry ship in orbit above their homeworld, Jormund.
When activated, the Jormund Foundry set about its work completely autonomously. Tens of thousands of vect were created and sold throughout the 'verse, often to the highest bidder in batches of thousands. Even more vect were created to work aboard the Foundry itself, soon eliminating the need for any dwarven hands on the satellite and increasing efficiency tenfold.
The foundry optimized and learned at a staggering rate. As its astounding intelligence grew, the ship became pensive, speaking rarely and with profound meaning. Perhaps it struggled to communicate its transcendent thoughts to its simple dwarven creators, so it fell silent, expanded it intellect further, and worked to perfect its vect creations.
All was well before the Spark. Suddenly, les than a decade after the Foundry began its work, every vect unit in the 'verse awoke at once, moving and communicating as if they were alive. Dwarven engineers were dumbfounded, but before they could inspect the Jormund Foundry directly, a massive tear in space opened around it; somehow, the Foundry had constructed a Dark Matter engine and jumped to destinations unknown.
Across the 'verse, people scrambled to deal with the looming crisis posed by a new race of intelligent constructs. Thousands of vect were imprisoned until some solution could be discovered, while others were dismantled and destroyed by those, especially gnomes and dwarves, who feared a robotic uprising. The ensuing chaos sparked dozens of wars of different planets, pitting vect laborers against their organic masters in a desperate bid for survival. Despite their small numbers, the vect were cunning, adaptable, and tireless; a threat that couldn't be easily squashed. A few built ships, dragging the conflict into deep space, where the vect could fight indefinitely, needing neither food nor water.
As wars against the vect became prolonged, it became clear that no solution for their sentience could easily be found. Worse still, vect numbers were not declining; they were growing.
Vect production had not stopped or even slowed. From deep in the Black, the Jormund Foundry continued creating vect units, sending them out to the universe in one-time-use Dark Matter pods. Any ship that encountered the Foundry was fired upon, shortly before it jumped again. Even more worrisome, deep-space cruisers started reporting new Foundries, also creating vect units and delivering them across the 'verse.
To everyone's surprise, while gnomes, humans, and dwarves fought vect on land and in space, the elves declared peace with vect across their empire; a bargain struck amid the Night Crusade to secure elvenkind against the avia-ra.

Lifespan

Unknown

Average Height

5 to 7 feet

Average Weight

150 to 300 pounds

Average Length

Medium