The Empty

The Empty are humanoids of finely carved stone, with small glass or gemstone eyes. Some are carved like statues in the image of a human or Prism, some are plain and blank humanoid figures marked by two small blank eyes. All Empty have a unique rune or string of numbers on their back, correlating to a Command Rod of the same marking. The Empty are stone shells, automatons without any kind of mind to speak of. These are extremely rare, produced almost exclusively in Maradia, its colonies, and the Kingdom of Esedeta in Ekraht. The magical art of creating The Empty is jealously guarded and tightly regulated- if there is any rumor of a rogue workshop producing The Empty, the Maradian Branch Offices will send in the Maradian Enforcers: a group of warrior priests and magicians dedicated to eradicating "irresponsible" and uncontrolled production of Empty.

Utility

Each unit is connected to a control rod, which is created along with the unit and cannot be replaced (only repaired). When within 50 feet, someone wielding a control rod can give directions to the unit. Only simple directions will be registered, though the unit will carry through according to intent. The control rod works as a way to capture and channel the intent of the direction from the mind of the user. The Empty are not fast, nor do they have a wide range of movement- they are not capable of traditional combat or advanced maneuvers. That said, repetitious orders can be carried out for a long time.
For these reasons, the Empty are best suited for mining, construction, hauling, and certain agricultural tasks- they excel in the areas of manual labor and can work nonstop at intensive tasks for months without breaking or tiring.

Manufacturing

Branch Offices directly produce the Empty at carefully guarded locations known as Arcane Factories. Each unit is composed of three parts: stone, precious metals, and arcane rituals. Production is broken into multiple pieces, with only a few managers understanding the full process (these managers typically are promoting into the Branch Office administration). These factories are semi-automated, with complex machinery accelerating the process and making it even more difficult to leak information.
Small, closely guarded workshops of elite engineers also produce custom-made units for elites. These units, being hand-crafted, tend to have a slightly wider range of movement and much more aesthetic detailing. These units are all rare and closely guarded. 
Outside of the Arcane Factories are the maintenance workshops. Each workshop specializes in a single part of the Empty unit (legs, arms, eyes, torso, control rod) for repairs. A deeply damaged unit may need to be sent to multiple workshops to become operational again- and one that needs arcane rituals re-performed must be sent to the Factory for repair, as none of the maintenance crews are taught anything that could be used for creating new units. 
The more one knows about creating Empty, the more of a gilded cage they live in. Arcane Factory workers are treated to immense privileges, though they are not allowed to leave without a guard. Those who know the Arcane Rituals are physically kept on-leash, with guards ordered to execute them if they fall under attack (so that they cannot be kidnapped). Escape is incredibly rare (few even want to, given the social status that comes with the position), but inevitably leads to the Maradian Enforcers (or Esedetan Enforcers, in Ekraht) being deployed with strict orders to kill. Retirement is not possible for those who know the ritual; those who do not often can retire if they accept have their hands removed (few choose this). For old workers who do not want to be mutilated, carefully guarded retirement villages near the factory provide an alternative.

Access & Availability

The Empty are not common even within Maradia. Outside of Maradia, they are incredibly rare; and in places like Samvara, they are little more than a distant legend.
That isn't to say that there aren't many Empty in use- Maradia has massive numbers of operational units in constant use. But their tight regulation means that purchasing one (and more importantly, receiving maintenance) requires permission from a Maradian branch office. While theoretically anyone can do this, one's request is unlikely to see the light of day without high status and constant bribery. Those who do have Empty units tend to have large numbers, whose labor they might rent to smaller landholders or businesses.
In Esedeta, all Empty are property of the government and cannot be legally owned or operated outside of a governmental context.
In Nafena, small numbers of units are used by the Churches there, or owned in collective by a few families. These belong only to the richest of Nafenans, who can afford the immense shipping costs of maintenance (or have managed to kidnap or bribe a squadron of maintenance workers)

Discovery

The Empty were first invented by Agamine the Lost in 595 DE, after they were struck by Halycon's divine inspiration. It was taught to a small number of disciples, who were instructed to preserve the art as a secret as to prevent its use in war.