Unmade

1. What key concepts describe these people? The Unmade are augmented humanoids (undead) that are linked together telepathically into a single minded community. Their single minded determination is led by the Hierarchy, the pseudo-religious bureaucracy of the Unmade society, and the Ancients, the lich-like creators of the Unmade people. The goals of the Unmade are to send the entire world to the ‘Ether’, the Unmade vision of Death and the Afterlife. This single goal makes the Unmade extremely militaristic and bent on world conquest and assimilation.

2. What is their genetic legacy and how does it affect them? Unmade are humanoids that have undergone a process that involves psionic, necromantic, and alchemical methods to wrench a portion of their soul from them, commingling it with the Consciousness of the other Unmade. The result is the humanoid becomes half-undead, caught in juxtaposition between death and life. Any humanoid can be joined into the Unmade, although the Hierarchy is exclusively of Human origin, and the general population has a high proportion of Human origin. As a result, the Unmade collectively have a general tendency towards being highly ambitious, adaptive, and energetic. The undead portion of the Unmade gives them a single-minded, determined efficiency in completing every task, be it combat or industry.
3. For what tasks are they especially suited/unsuited? The Unmade are best suited for tasks which involve teamwork and tasks that further the collective goal of driving the world into the Ether. As such, they are well suited to platoon-like combat, construction, crafting weapons/armor and other items that further the war efforts. The armies of the Unmade are finely honed war machines. Individual Unmade out of the range of the Consciousness may be somewhat anxious and confused, and may not operate to his full potential that he would amongst others of the collective. Also, diplomatically, the Unmade are unsuited for dealing with those outside of the Consciousness, as they can’t understand why others would not want to join them in their quest for the Ether.
4. How might they use their strengths? Quite literally, the Unmade are using their joint consciousness to take over the world. They are particularly adept at effort which requires complex teamwork, logistics, patience and coordination. They commonly employ tactics that play to these strengths, often developed to the point of appearing magical. For example, Unmade logistics can make entire armies travel large distances behind enemy lines in very short times. Routed armies often claim that their Unmade opponents came on them after being reported to be one hundred miles away 12 hours previously. Team tactics are employed from the level of armies working together armies right down to the shield-mate level of their contubernium, and all actions at all levels are coordinated within one another.
5. How might they compensate for their shortcomings? They Unmade have a tendency to avoid being separated from their shield-mate. Individually, they lose much of their advantage of the Consciousness. They also aggressively assimilate those who oppose them, bringing enemy strength into the fold.
6. Where do they live? What is their primary habitat? Given their propensity for being most comfortable when surrounded by the Consciousness, Unmade tend to be highly urban. The Unmade Hierarchy and center of worship of the Ether is in their primary city Ethoria. Given their incredible fortitude and flexibility driven by their collective goals, the Unmade adapt to whatever clime they need to in their incessant campaign to overtake the world and send it to the Ether.
7. What are their homes like? How does the habitat affect their dwellings and lifestyle? Homes and cities constructed by the Unmade tend to ornate, stone, and fortress-like; simultaneously keeping defense and worship of the Ether in the architecture. At the same time, they keep an eye to aesthetics and grace, although tending to be heavy. They may also inhabit the structures and dwellings of the original humanoid before it became Unmade, or those of their fallen opponents.
8. What is their level of civil construction and what are its characteristics? Unmade-constructed cities and infrastructure are typically highly complex and advanced. A number of innovations have been put to good use, including water-power, the use of captive elementals to provide energy, aqueducts, and mass transit for movement of people and goods. All efforts and logistics are coordinated from the primary city of Ethoria, and the central offices of the Hierarchy in Koolm.
9. What is daily life like? Each and every Unmade knows its role and tasks within the Unmade hierarchy. Every moment of their day is spent preparing and supporting war efforts, from the front line back through supply logistics and fulfilling the construction desires of the Hierarchy. There is a population-wide prayer service at the precise moment of sunset for the benevolence of the Ether. The length of this prayer ranges from a momentary pause to a four hour long prognostication in Koolm in Ethoria.
10. What do they eat and drink? How do they react to other foodstuffs? The Unmade have been known to savor fine wines and foods. Cropland in areas in complete control of the Unmade be worked efficiently and to maximize quality and quantity.
11. How do they express themselves artistically? What are their styles of music, sculpture, poetry, painting, plays? The Unmade hold personal beauty and individual grace and ability in high esteem, and this is reflected in their art. The Unmade tend to favor sculptures of powerful figures, dancing katas to exhibit personal skill at arms, and heavy silken tapestries depicting the glories of past conquests and the various interpretations of the Ether. Art and sculpture is prominent on all building and constructions of the Unmade.
12. What are their primary enemies, natural and cultural? Given their ability to assimilate and conquer most of their opponents, the Unmade fear no foreign nation. Clerics and paladins of good command their respect and disdain. Intelligent non-humanoids (i.e. dragons, giants, outsiders, etc.), creatures they cannot assimilate, also pose a major threat to the goals of the Unmade.
13. How do they defend against them? Once a land is conquered, all idols are razed and torn down. Surviving opponents are assimilated, and the dead that are still physically intact are raised as zombie ‘brothers.’ Especial glee is taken in converting conquered clerics to Unmade. The Unmade also take pains to capture and train various dangerous creatures (i.e. owlbears, dire animals, magical beasts) for the war effort, and use such creatures to defend against large non-humanoids that may threaten the goals of the Consciousness.
14. What is their culture? Their government? Their politics? Their economy? The Unmade are incredibly lawful and militaristic. Despite their shared Consciousness, there is individual ambition within the ranks of the Unmade. The goal of the Unmade is to reach the Ether; the heaven-like thereafter of the Unmade. To the Unmade, the way to reach the Ether is to best demonstrate the ideology of the Unmade. Those that best idealize these goals move up within the Hierarchy, and thus closer to the Ether, in their minds. As a result, there is some jockeying within the Unmade to move up in rank relative to their peers. This behavior is encouraged by the teachings of the Ancients, as they felt it results in a stronger population as a whole. Their government, military hierarchy and economy are simultaneously managed by the Hierarchy, the theocracy of the Ether. The rank system of the Hierarchy is complex and vertically integrated, in typical Unmade fashion. The overall head of the Unmade Hierarchy and society is the High Purifier of the Unmade. The High Purifier is able to communicate directly with the Ancients, and acts as their voice and will in the world.
15. What is their history? What's the real story, and what is misunderstood or misremembered? The culture of the Unmade began as the product of a coven of seven necromancers who had become liches. These necromancers wanted to develop their perception of a perfect society; a society where death and life were co-mingled together in the vessel of a humanoid body. After centuries of experimentation, the coven was able to produce Unmade beings. Once they had the process perfected, the coven of liches, or the Ancients as they became known to their Unmade followers, taught their followers how to convert other humanoids to Unmade. They were then sent forth to conquer more territory and bring others into the Unmade fold. The Ancients have since withdrawn from the world. All that is left of them are their malignant wills, mingled together in Koolm in Ethoria. The Ancients only communicate to the High Purifier of the Unmade. It then falls upon the Lord Marshall’s shoulders to exercise the will of the Ancients. The Ancients have endowed their Unmade creations with a universal homage for the Ether, the Unmade vision of the afterlife. The Unmade see the Ether as something that is highly desirable as a goal, a luxurious paradise where the Death represented by the Ether flows through their being, making them one with the Ether. It is unknown whether the Ether really exists or if it is simply a tool of the Ancients to keep the Unmade in check.
19. Who are their allies? The Unmade have little need or desire for allies outside of the Conciousness. Their ability to assimilate others into their culture allows them to have little regard or need for allies. However, they will trade for items they are unable to produce themselves. Also, the Unmade have many spies throughout Eldarr, typically Death worshipers or those with dubious morals in countries they have yet to conquer. In fact, cults and fanatics have been known to willingly undergo the process to become Unmade, believing the Ether is for them as well.
20. What are their dreams, goals, myths, legends?

• Myth of the ‘Ether’, their embodiment of death. Goal is to send the entire world into the ‘Ether’. The Ether is the Negative Force of Death that permeates everything throughout the universe. The Unmade seek to tap into and become part of this power. They have a number of powers that can be credited to the Ether, including the Conciousness and their half-dead/half-undead existence.
• Individual histories/personalities of the Ancients
• Story of the ‘aberrations’ that are not directly bought into the Conciousness. Where do they come from? Is it a flaw. I am sure it is always unspoken to the Unmade that they even exist.

21. What is their religion? The Unmade worship the Ether and the force of Death it represents. As a byproduct of this, the Unmade are worshipful of the Conciousness. They do not worship the Ancients directly, but they do know that the favor of the Ancients is required for passing into the Ether.
22. How does it affect their daily lives? There is general fear in the population of not being dedicated enough to the cause of the Conciousness. As a result, they are very quick to also turn on one another for perceived slights or weakness in driving forward the goals of the Conciousness. To them, the Conciousness and the Ether is all, so their lives revolve completely around both.
23. What crafts have they mastered? What special abilities or knowledge do they have? How do these impact their lives? In driving towards their goals, the Unmade have mastered making war and the tasks required in making war. The various crafts associated with the campaign (armorsmithing, weaponsmithing, engineering, architecture, carpentry, stonemasonry, etc.) and creation of magic items, many unique to the Unmade (something that would be fun to expand on!) have become honored and necessary roles within Unmade society. Also, given the influence of the Ether on the Unmade, necromancy plays a pivotal role in their society and tactics. The Unmade typically animate all fully dead left on the battlefield that maintains structural integrity. These zombies perform many of the basic duties and grunt labor tasks in Unmade society. However, the Unmade have a strange respect for these animated corpses, often referring to them as ‘Honored Brother’ and treating them with courtesy at all times. Psionic ability is also quite common among the ranks of the Unmade.
24. What is the criminal code and how are crimes punished? There is virtually no internal strife among the Unmade. Perhaps one in a million may be an “aberration” that retains some aspect of individuality or free will, but they are usually quickly rooted out.
25. How do they travel? Do they trade? With whom? For what? Are they good or bad at it? Magic teleportation somehow? Trade isn’t an issue. Perhaps access to extraplanar travel would be something they employ, so as to spread to other worlds, dimensions, and realities. We need to think this one through a little more completely.
26. Do they use magic? What is their attitude to magic? Yes, it is a tool of conquest and domination, channeling of the Ether. They are quite proficient with both magic and psionics.
27. Do they use advanced technology? What is their attitude to science? The Unmade will adopt any new idea or technology as long as it forwards their goals of the Ether. As stated above, necromancy and psionics are commonplace among the Unmade.
28. How do they react to outsiders? The Unmade regard all outside of the Conciousness with disdain. They seek to destroy or assimilate the entire universe.
29. What weaponry do they use? Exotic and gothic looking. Tend to be heavy and ornate in appearance.
30. What are their personality archetypes? What are their cultural blind spots? What are the unspoken absolute beliefs that give society its foundation? Warrior personality. They don’t understand why people don’t flock to them and the Ether. They are confident that the ‘Ether’ is something or someplace desirable.

Becoming Unmade

The process of becoming Unmade is not a pleasant one. The secret of the transformation is held by the Purifiers, the clerics of the Unmade. It involves various alchemical mixtures (delivered intravenously directly into the brain stem and spinal column) and the animate dead spell. The whole process takes three days, and is excruciatingly painful. The new Unmade appears much as before, except that he or she is cool to the touch (the result of a lower body temperature), has a slightly more pallid complexion, and has a scar at the nape of the neck (from the alchemical injections).
“Unmade” is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature). An Unmade uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to aberration. As such, Unmade have darkvision, and are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.
Armor Class: The process of becoming Unmade strengthens the body and makes it more resilient to harm. The base creature’s natural armor class improves by +2.
Special Qualities: An Unmade retains all of the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.
Dead Nerves (Ex): As a result of the immense trauma experienced during transformation, an Unmade has a weak sense of touch and is incapable of feeling pain. An Unmade is unaffected by nonlethal damage, stunning, and death from massive damage. This lack of sensation also imposes a -2 penalty on any skill check that involves fine motor control or sense of touch (Open Lock and Sleight of Hand), but grants a +4 bonus on Concentration checks provoked by damage.
Sense Life (Ex): Unmade can detect the presence of living creatures nearby. This ability functions identically to the detect evil spell, except that it detects all creatures with one or more Hit Dice and an Intelligence of at least 1.
Telepathic Link (Ex): Unmade share a communal consciousness, enabling them to communicate telepathically with other Unmade. Groups of Unmade within 30 feet of each other are in constant contact. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in the group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No Unmade in the group is considered flanked unless all are.
Timeless Body (Ex): An Unmade no longer takes ability score penalties for aging (see Player’s Handbook, page 109) and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties he or she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue.
Abilities: Change from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, Wis -2, Cha -4. Unmade become stronger, faster, and more resilient, but at the cost of intuition, willpower, and force of personality.
Skills: Same as base creature (although see Dead Nerves, above).
Feats: Unmade gain Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, and Toughness as bonus feats.
Challenge Rating: Same as base creature.
Alignment: Always Lawful Evil, except in 1% of cases who retain their original alignment and free will. These exceptions are vigorously sought out and expunged by other Unmade.
Advancement: By character class.
Level Adjustment: Same as base creature +1.