Surmundimorphs

A surmundimorph refers to any self-sustaining automata associated with environments where hume levels are low. They come in an extremely diverse array of forms and manifestations, ranging from immobile masses of petrified material to roving figures of living metal and other components. The defining characteristic of a surmundimorph is that their soul or essence is directly linked to their physical form, as opposed to requiring a proxy such as a brain to interact with the physical world. This allows for greater magical power at the cost of intellectual capability, though it would be incorrect to state that all surmundimorphs have sub-par cognition. Surmundimorphs are distinct from androids in that their soul is a natural development rather than artificial or otherwise emergent. Surmundimorphs typically revert to an inert form when reality is stabilized or destabilized beyond a certain habitable range, unless their bodies bear components capable of adapting them to novel environments.

Surmundimorphs are most commonly associated with the inhabitants of the planets Belgier and Rotwell; in both cases, they have abandoned whatever forms they originated from in favor of living metal machines produced to spec by hand or in factory complexes. These individuals have integrated various amounts of weaponry in their bodies, making them extremely dangerous when combined with their paranoid tendencies. Encounters with surmundimorphs outside Belgier or Rotwell are rare and should be taken as a sign that reality is dangerously unstable.