Machina

The Nameless War had birth to many horrifying acts of god. For weeks on end, Arthrake Soldiers would fight in trenches dug in their cold abode, cocky that the Axiamins wouldn't last in the nigh frozen earthen landscape. It was said that the North took more Axiamin lives than Arthrakes, a statement too true in the still hellscapes of war that plague the tundras which to this day hasn't healed. 

There was little more horrifying than the sound Arthrake soldiers first heard the mechanical footsteps of distant machinery, the string of metal clashing against itself, and the blur their headsets gave at that faithful night. Powered by blood, the first autonomous soldiers were the Machina. Constructs of steel whose purpose was that of WAR. And for this purpose, they were excellent. 

The Arthrakes were forced to retreat further and further into the upper reaches of their homeland, lest they risk annihilation at the hands of relentless, unyielding machines. What was once their sanctuary became a prison, as the Machina showcased the future of technology with their ruthless efficiency. Without the intervention of the Soul Eaters, who emerged to bring order to the chaos, the Arthrakes would not have fallen to the Axiamins—but to machines.

When the Nameless War ended, The New Dawn Treaty stated that all Machina were to be decommissioned to curtail the bloodshed they so often caused due to their insatiable need for refuelling. Yet with the sentience they gained from the blood that powered them, the Machina exhibited lifelike qualities, including one undeniable truth—they did not wish to die.

Some Machina now live in hiding or are secretly used as weapons by private companies that illegally exploit their capabilities. Others, however, have been repurposed and acknowledged as contributors to their native lands. These Machina were modified to use traditional electricity instead of blood as their primary energy source. While these "PK-Types" retain the ability to absorb blood for self-healing in emergencies, they no longer actively seek it, as electrical power is readily available.

However, not all Machina have embraced this transition. Rogue models resist what they perceive as the sterilization of their identity, clinging to their original design and purpose: to refuel through blood.

During their initial deployment, the Machina operated in a time before coal or electricity had been widely harnessed. Their blood-based refuelling system was intentionally designed to encourage acts of violence. The exterior of every Machina is covered with blood-absorbent vents, spaced mere nanometers apart, allowing them to efficiently refuel from the blood that splashes onto their bodies in the heat of battle.

The material used to construct the Machina remains a mystery, as Axiamin scientists—most notably the ingenious Dr. Antipathy—have never disclosed their findings. Dr. Antipathy's research suggested that the Machina’s metal coating could regenerate when exposed to iron, such as that found in blood. This regenerative process likely involved a substance known as Vita, but the exact formula was lost when Antipathy destroyed her research, taking the secrets to her grave.