New life created from death, forgeborn are a miracle of duergar craft. A combination of inorganic materials grafted onto dead flesh, alchemical processes and charged with soul energy, the forgeborn are often mistaken for undead or constructs, but are actual living beings. Unfortunately for them, their creators don’t much care about this distinction except for how it benefits the duergar themselves.

Usually created from the dead bodies of slaves and criminals, forgeborn are born into servitude to the duergar. Made to supplement the duergar armies in their never-ending wars, forgeborn are trained to fight and sent into battle as quickly as possible. Considered expendable (forgeborn bodies are often collected after battle and reforged into new forgeborn), forgeborn are often sent on the most dangerous missions with the highest expectations of casualties.

Though most still life their lives in brutal slavery, there are a few pockets of forgeborn outside of their territory. Goblins and drow forces have occasionally managed to capture forgeborn in small numbers, whereupon they are subjected to torture and experimentation. More rarely, forgeborn run, escaping either on their own or in small groups, hoping for some ill-defined idea of a better life. The few traders who travel to the duergar sometimes pass along vague rumours of isolated communities of strange, half-stone humanoids living on the surface. For their part, the duergar laugh these rumours off as delusional imaginings and ignorant traders trying to curry favour with their slaves.

Classes:
Barbarian: Some forgeborn created after intense trauma find themselves slipping into a deadly battle rage at the slightest provocation. They are among the first to be sent on suicide missions. A few can be found in the tunnels outside duergar territory, having survived against all odds and now living free in the unforgiving underground.
Fighter: Those forgeborn who show more than rudimentary skill with weapons are given enhanced training and leadership positions among their kind. They often form the lynchpin of forgeborn units, their discipline and skill used to keep the rest of their until intact.
Psychic Warrior: Forgeborn who show psionic potential are separated from the rest. These unlucky individuals are subjected to a much different training regimen, focused on bringing out the instinctive beast in them. Those that survive the training are eager to take the demons head on, claw for claw and tooth for tooth.
Stalker: Sometimes, a forgeborn is selected for a much different type of training. Rather than straightforward combat, these forgeborn are trained in stealth combat. Designed as assassins, they are usually sent out to kill enemy commanders in the middle of battles.
Tactician: Sometimes, duergar psionic battle training doesn’t break the forgeborn down, but rather sharpens their will into a weapon. They learn to form mental connections with their fellow soldiers, using their powers to turn a wild pack into a cohesive team. Tacticians often become officers under warders. supplementing the warder’s own tactical acumen.
Warders: Warders are the most valuable soldiers to a fellow forgeborn. While a fighter might keep a unit from breaking and a warlord might achieve victory at all costs, warders are the officers who keep their troops alive and fighting. They combine a mastery of tactics and strategy with their own martial prowess to lead their troops to the best victory possible.
Warlord: Reckless heroes among their kind, warlords are shining examples of what the duergar want for every forgeborn. Unstoppable warriors who strike fear in their enemies and rally their allies, warlords master the art of combat beyond the dreams of others.