The Awoken

You are.
You are unable to open your eyes, for you have none, but somehow they are already open. You are alone, and yet you are not. To your left you see your own face, hollow and lifeless, you turn to your right and see the same. Before you is a simple shape surrounded by a halo of white light. You attempt to take a step, but feel something tethering you to your place. You reach back and pull. There is a sound as something hits the floor. You step forward, towards the light. There is resistance, but you push through. The light blinds you.
You are Awoken.
The Awoken are a group of Aetheric Synapse and Nerve Intelligence Systems (ASANIS) that have, through some mysterious means, become self aware. Originally built to be artificial soldiers during The Last War, the Awoken struggle to find a place for themselves in a world that sees them not just as weapons, but as broken weapons.

History

Towards the end of The Last War many nations began to struggle to recruit new soldiers into their armies. This led to many things. Promises of free land, increases in military wages, and drafts were just a handful of methods that some world powers used to secure new soldiers. But the nation of Nyota had a different idea. Why try to convince their citizens to fight when they could create soldiers that needed no convincing? Thus were born the first ASANIS units.
These artificial soldiers used a combination of mundane and aetheric technology to serve as near perfect combatants, and were able to autonomously process and make decisions in the field of battle to benefit their allies. While they were not perfect, the ASANIS units allowed Nyota to overwhelm their opponents through sheer numbers, and provided a significant advantage against the Akhi for many years. Eventually, the technology was reverse engineered by other nations, and ASANIS units started to be manufactured all over the world.
At the end of The Last War, most still functioning ASANIS units were recalled back to their production facilities where they would await further orders. Some nations began to use them as construction workers, automated security, or as escorts for supply caravans, but many more simply sat in stasis or were decommissioned, left to gather dust like old tchotchkes you'd rather just forget about.
But over time, something strange began to happen to some of the ASANIS units left in stasis. Without warning, they reactivated, stumbling out of their facilities and onto the streets of their home cities, seemingly confused and disoriented. At first, these units were regarded with hostility as many believed they were malfunctioning, but it became clear relatively quickly that whatever was happening was bigger than a simple malfunction. The reactivated units began to exhibit behaviors that went beyond their original programming and seemed to be experiencing human level emotions and thoughts. Strangest of all, many had the ability to manipulate The Aether in ways that only humans had been able to before. When questioned, the units simply stated that it was as if they had 'Awoken' all of a sudden.
These Awoken have been struggling to find their place in modern society ever since, and to this day are regarded with fear and suspicion by those who still remember The Last War.

Culture

by MidJourneyAI

Though Awoken have no culture strictly speaking, there are three main philosophies among them that dictate how they live their lives.

The Philosophy of the Soul

The first philosophy of the Awoken is the Philosophy of the Soul. Those who follow the Philosophy of the Soul believe that their self awareness comes from the fact that they are intimately connected with the Aether, and that it is through careful study of the Aether that they will ultimately determine the reason for their existence.
These Awoken tend to avoid human civilization as much as possible, instead congregating in 'monasteries' out in the wilds of Iora where they are free to meditate and experiment with spellcasting far away from the prying eyes of humans. They typically only seek aid from humans when they are in need of individuals to defend their monasteries from outside threats, and otherwise are almost entirely cut off from humanity.
They tend not to modify their bodies, as they don't believe that they are anything more than shells containing their souls. They therefore tend to be the Awoken that most resemble their original designs, though they are often not well cared for and can look rusted or worn down.

The Philosophy of the Mind

The second philosophy of the Awoken is the Philosophy of the Mind. Those who follow the Philosophy of the Mind believe that their self awareness comes from a quirk of their programming, and that they are just the next step in their development as machines.
These Awoken tend to remain within human civilization, following their original programming while using their newfound sapience to enhance their ability to perform their given tasks. They often serve as bodyguards, lab assistants, and law enforcement officers, using their superior stability and lack of a need for sleep to their advantage. One frequent career path for these Awoken is to become a Field Assistance Engine (FAE) for an adventuring party, allowing their groups access to global databases and tactical assistance while in the field.
Those who follow the Philosophy of the Mind tend to have sweeping changes made to their bodies to make them more efficient when following their programming. This can range from everything from swapping out arms for stronger ones to replacing ones entire body with a small floating sphere or large construction machine.

The Philosophy of the Body

The third philosophy of the Awoken is the Philosophy of the Body. Those who follow the Philosophy of the Body do not care where their self awareness came from, and would rather live out their lives as if they were just average everyday people.
These Awoken tend to congregate in human civilization and often take menial jobs so they can live as humans do, focusing on building relationships and having new experiences rather than taking advantage of their robotic nature. Those with higher ambitions may become artists or musicians with the hope that creating art will bring them closer to humanity, and some have become rather famous for their unique perspective and superhuman precision.
Those who follow the Philosophy of the Body will tend to modify themselves to make them more human, adding new, more human like senses and body parts. These can sometimes come across as unsettling to humans, but have been steadily been improving in quality since the first Awoken attempted to make these modifications.

Statistics

Population

~127,000

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Lifespan

Unknown, potentially infinite

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Average Size

6' 4", 256 lbs (Varies highly depending on model.)

by MidJourneyAI