Well, A long time ago I saw people using science fiction in a setting liek felarya, to my surprise there were quite a bit of authors that introduced androids,cyborgs, and all that jazz into the mix. What intrigued me the most is that through each one I read. These seemingly lifeless machines demonstrated life in one way or another. Albeit most the time the authors didn't know how to explain why but it was tender. I thought I'd make a race for fun that is very scifi but can also fit in the realms of felarya natrually. I don't expect this to get in Da wiki at all as it was just a side project i've been invested in for awhile. And i hope to see some people using them for ideas in the future. As this is a article, I can already tell there are somethings i'm missing that will ahve to be fixed, But i'm not shy on community feedback so I'll change to adjust to the needs to make it look cleaner. Anyways enough of me ranting. Enjoy reading the tales of the mentioned and personally long awaited Article of the Lebenmachs
LebenmachDerviative from the German word "Leben"- meaning life. Mach (Deriving from the latinword "Machina" meaning machine. Both equaling to: "life in the machine"
Lebenmach are a race of complex artificial humanoids. They beings living with a symbiotic relationship of a soul and a very advanced smart AI. They are known to be articulate, logical, with nerve despite emulating or maybe even showing actual emotion depending on what side of the body you're talking to.
Origin to future: No scholar or scientist in Negav can explain where the Lebenmachs came from directly, however there is a pseudo religious order The steel cult of Finualla. A technocrat that has the main belief of one thing...“There is a great goddess, Finualla, that has blessed to manifest The Lebenmach into creation. Having the voices from the Dust help the weary and the hopeless and to guide them through unforgiving world of felarya." Believing she made them to help others and bring back the dead for "The great purpose". The dead meaning that these Lebens are just recycled bodies of other people. Human,Nekos,Elfs, and other similar humanoid creatures; that through some phenomenon have ones now full of machine and nerve from places of different Dimension and very rarely felarya themselves.. Believing that these psuedo-life constructs were a godsend. As more technological races start settling ground in felarya, these fervent religious quacks believe these Lebenmachs will help pave the future with the future of Negav empire by assisting said races to help form the foundation of the new and future rise of a Negav Empire.
Physiology:Lebenmach in other terms of association are cybernetic/synthetic cyborg marionettes with familiar but unatural but perfecting physical appearence of the former person. With Glowing transparent eyes that seem more piercing than the average persons. looking very much like a human on the outside, but the inside is a whole other matter.Appearance wise they follow representation of the races they were "resurrected" from of being male of female and are further organized to choose between three age groups. A tween child, A young adult or a middle aged person, as to why is mostly unknown but they are premanently like this unless they drastically shape their body to be otherwise
The Typical Lebenmach is a highly complex machine like Technological/organic being: stronger, faster and better coordinated than an average human. How they all hold together is through an advanced network and web of nano machines circulating through out their body, binding relevant biological aspects of the body and making the person seem normal or "real". In a Lebenmachs Usually sport a carbon fiber endo skeleton with latcthment points For grabbing the artificial Muscles just as a human body. These muscles are then made from and advanced metal meta-material that doesn't have to be burned in order to stay stronged nor needs electric motors or pumps to turn cams or push fluids. A simplified analogy of ones strenght would be that a human might carry a .30 caliber rifle, while a Combat oriented Lebenmach would carry a 20mm. while almost weighing the same. This Versatility and advanced mechanics applies to their reception sensors as well, but with the advanced enhancement of nanites in their body to adapt consciously when to control these sensors with exact precision and timing. They also have a form of "blood" That helps the nanites and other complexities circulate within and a bit limited to outside their body. An immediate visual sign of this is if your careful and observant enough, you'll see an occasional flash of silver no matte what color pigment the skin might be in the right conditions.
The way they use their bodies is also impressive. It seems that not matter what mysterious form of technology or apparatus they interact with. They seem to have an affinity talent of decryption of how one functions and operates almost immediately. This gives them an edge with more technological compliant races to be very easy to communicate with and to use as a workforce. They also do this to themselves to a degree.Almost by nature, they try to explore the mutlitudes of technological enhancements available. Giving adjusting and giving themselves to augmentation that you would most likely see from a cyberpunk,steampunk, diesalpunk and more similar setting to their bodies with relative ease. This is more so because the nanomachines in their body seem to be universally adaptable to things regarding technology however for some unknown reason or rule of thumb, no two individual Lebenmachs present identical levels of enhancements. it can also make them look very indifferent from their initial looks into something either more harder robotics or alien altogether. Working on their bodies as an engineer might tinker with a race car. This gives them the reputation of being "Computers with bodies," However this is unlikely the case.
A distinct feature that each lebenmach has from other species is very large and distinct tree like tattoo insignia of the trunk starting from the Nape. This is what they call "The Yggdrasil Code" The rest of it spreads along the rest of the back through jagged branches and lines all the way down to the upper back and for the older and more experienced, all across the upper body and arms. From what scientist observe, necromancers claim, and mediums that communicate with the living dead say is that this strange pattern upon their back is more of a print of their personal code and typography of their life and tells how much they’ve learned while experiencing their temporal existence. The bigger and more artistically elaborate it gets the more a person would be able to tell how old and experienced it is if it can be deciphered. Each Lebenmach has a distinct design that follows a universal patter to understand it. It’s been also discovered that this imprint acts as a enchantment seal of the spirit and the machine body so they are bonded together and so far no one has figured out a way to separate this seal, every attempt so far made has killed the subject and “darkens” the pattern to a goulish grey making it incomprehensible to figure out. Indicating the life in the body has dispersed elsewhere and it’s A.I. going into state similar to the mental symptom of being “a vegetable”. When they die they corrode and decay like any other thing and can’t be used for much else unless someone has a great knowledge about how they work.
The way their anatomical make up seems to be decided,is that to be borrowed from what ever the previous owner/spirit's body composition was while retaining the physiology of the race. If it was Human, the body would would replicate in advanced biomimetics the muscle layout and operation, as with certain other internal functions, are homologous with those of the human body. Likewise so on but a very rare case of Neko's, Inu's, Elves and the utmost rare and exotic, nagas. They are noted not to be an exact copy of the original subject but an almost a fine replication of the original body in appearance. These studies also make researchers infer that there are also giant and small Lebemachs too. However as Lebenmachs are already few in number compared to other species on the continent. Seeing these abnormalities of an already unusual species would be considered a once in a lifetime event that should be recorded but very cautious in trying to unveil or discover.
Body of one, mind of two:The relationship between the Lebens human spirit, and it's artificial intelligence, can be described as a Co-Dependent learning curve. The evolution of it's own capabilities into a singular unit. When a leben is first conjured by the Goddess, the human spirit and AI are almost entirely separate beings. Their faults in terms of existing, in society and the world in general, are still fresh and carried over from what they'd be as an independent entity. The AI is calculating and logical, but prone to failing in social situations that require complex understand and intuition that isn't founded upon pure logic. They also cannot come up with new ideas of their own, as they lack a proper imagination - using thousands of theories and concepts (From what knowledge they gathered or ones they can decrypt from the spirit) and mixing them instead, in well thought predictable manners.
The human spirit, as most humans, have wildly differing levels in logic and calculating, but could never live up to the AI's potential and capability.
Researchers and the Cult think for whatever reason. The Goddess took them and placed them in a single body for a reason. They are meant to learn to use each others positives to grow and learn, until they can be considered a single person, a single mindset. And that can be seen plainly from ones day to day activities.
Who does the learning and who acts out the physical, daily life of the lebenmach depends on the situation they are in. If a lebenmach, when naturally driven to find a society due to it's human spirit's need for social interaction, as well as the Goddess's supposed subtle "programming" of their goals, encounters a position that requires a human edge, the human spirit will dominate in terms of action, whilst the AI observes.
Now say, a lebenmach is taken on by an organization or person willing to foster them, and they are given the role of a waiter at a mega-restaurant. This requires a human's edge in terms of socialization, in order to please and relate to the patrons. Thus, the human side will take over predominately, talking, interacting, etc. (other positions would include complex ideas, thought processes, imagination, etc.) The AI will still be present however. In the Waiter sense, they'd be working the balance and positioning of the arm to carry as much as possible, costs of orders, needed quantities of ingredients if they're a chef, etc. But they'd be 2nd. Free to instead observe and attempt to logically "learn" imagination and socialization on a human level.
If a lebenmach were to be a guard, financial manager, accountant, etc, the AI will ultimately take over. In jobs in which socialization is not needed or required, but rather skills in machinery, building, math, strategy, etc. It'll produce fast strategies using material given to learn (Able to process said material even faster, mind.) and will have logic be crystal clear. It can produce accurate answers and sound advice. In this case, the human side will be present, in that it'd be conscious of costs in terms of lives rather than resources in war - thus Public relations and soldier morale, able to confidently present estimations rather than obsessively search for an accurate answer, and can offer more friendly or realistic advice to those it deals with. The Human spirit will be 2nd in this case, learning how to quickly deduce questions, answer them, and sort through it's own mind without confusion or the strain of memory.
Ultimately, the goal is to become single. No one can really predict when this symbiotic relationship happens to precision or when they decide to cooperate, but whether human or AI dominated, the Lebenmach will become one through experience. It can go to being a dysfunctional being, freezing and encountering problems constantly, the two beings unable to cooperate efficiently, etc. However, once a side is dominant and acts out the main functions of daily life whilst the other handles things that'd aid it in surviving and excelling in it's society, it can focus on becoming one. Learning from one another by example, communicating, etc. Slowly becoming a single unit combining the advantages of both machine and man. The ultimate being of coordination, The being the Goddess desired and that would fulfill the Individual lebenmach's sense of longing and drive.
At the beginning of the process, the two different entities will have trouble. The AI's desire to excel in logistics will clash with the human spirit's imperfect nature, whilst the Spirit will desire freedom and the ability to act as though it were human. The Lebenmach will appear to have two personalities as the two entities fight at first to establish dominance and attempt to drive the other out and exist on its' own.
To outside observers, this will be strange, especially early on. A lebenmach may halt and show signs of sudden pain or distress, akin to psychological torture. It may gain a Thousand Yard Stare, or become completely emotionless, flat, still. It may speak to itself, insult and hiss, etc.
In reality, the two entities are conflicting and agreeing at the same time. The Human spirit is attempting to run calculations and is making mistakes that an AI would find glaring, or an AI will treat a distress coworker like malfunctioning hardware... The other spirit will attempt to wrest control, but it will have the inability to do so smoothly. It will be jarring and sudden, the waiter dropping half of his or her plates, the cold officer bursting into shivers of emotional distress after minutes of coolly listening to casualty rates.
As the two slowly learn and become one, however, it will smoothen out. The two personalities will eventually, at an optimal state, become indistinguishable. Changes as one entity works and takes over the job from the other will not be jarring. To the point where they'll eventually act completely human in how they handle tasks and social interaction, able to work both easily and quickly. The split personality will be mended, the schizophrenia, and paranoia of inevitable shifts erased, and the mental state of the lebenmach as a whole mending. However if not resovled. More events of missed opportunities and frustrating behavior will become more noticeable as the relationship fractures. If carried out for an indefinite long time, The AI or the spirit will gain a high sense of superiority, and also having symptoms of a psychological disorder. Ultimately The fate of The Leben is that the symbiotic relationship becomes so fractures that they litterally will rip the life out of the body. If either leaves forcefully, the Lebenmach Losses what makes itself it's own being. This might have been a safeguard The Goddess kept so the bodies won't be used with out the consent of the duo forcefully.
A people in Societies, A people in Felayra:Ever since the lebenmachs appeared During around the time of negav. Handful of private organization have attemptted to supplement The lebenmachs. Vertex industries, the lead guild of robotics and bionic engineering which is made by their parent organization “The Negav Institute of Science” who are heavily funded Vishmitals and their associates Helps orchestrate on understanding the main programming for the A.I. and it's relation to it's host spirit. Though it's a bit complicated to find one in the first place. Very new ones seem to appear out of nowhere and are just as mysterious as dimensional portals as they arrive, given a few question when sighted. What race, what species what known dimension or planet did it come from, and what age is it representing. As that is all key to knowing how to adjust to it's wants and needs better so it can be of better use to society elsewhere In the event that Lebens are not able to recall information, or come from places of unknown origin, Lebens are given a "trial" period in which they are assigned various small roles dealing with different occupations and positions in society, in order to find which one best fits the Leben's human spirit.They'll try to use another lebenmach or people that understand them enough to help meet goals of other organizations or themselves.
There is a slight bias that rests within all Lebens, whether graced by the Goddess or "man made" by organizations, and is an inherit trait of the species. However, because the leben develops an evolving, combined personality of both it's human spirit and AI machine, this bias dulls or fades over time, though small parts of it remain. A leben that has endured for over a century will likely have more free agency than a newborn, willing to do things that arn't strictly outlined in law/regulations of their city or occupation. Though, basics of the bias remain, these Lebens that become full individual still tend to dislike committing crime, but as said, are more willing to if the need arises, or if they stand to gain something.
Lebens also tend to respect their human companions despite this change as well, humble being a defining trait of the species. The AI wouldn't risk losing the opportunity to learn about human society and the Human spirit is a social spirit. Though feelings of superiority over their human partners still occasionally crop up. After all, Lebens become individuals like any human.
Essentially, the leben retains many leanings from their initial bias, after years of following it and generally receiving better results from humans for doing so. But due to inheriting it's human spirit's mind and soul, there is the chance that leben inherits less scrupulous personality traits. Sadism, Greed, and other things would drive the leben to break it's bias if a situation is deemed profitable or satisfying enough to do so, or if they are willingly serving an organization or person and are told to do so.
This is part of the Leben's 'quest' from their Goddess. Because the human spirit and AI, as explained earlier, work together to bring out the best of both entities whilst dealing with their problems, while also harboring a desire to be accepted by humans (and other demis), these faults are shed past a certain point as though the leben were still biased. It suffers a curve, one would say. At first they follow "good" because they are programmed too. When they become individuals, they form personalities based on their human side that may result in negative traits. But once the AI and Spirit's desires to become accepted win over, they'll work through their faults and become the "Enlightened" Leben.
However, because of the casualty rates in Felarya as a whole, meeting a Leben who has achieved "Enlightenment" is rare.
Apparently the materials found or used to create Lebenmachs nervous tissues also act like some kind of intoxicant drug, and murderous people or unfortunate predators are known to consume Lebenmachs for their flesh which has led quite a controversy among having a relationship with one. People are either relieved because creatures and predators can’t handle the neurotic mental discomfort that’s included in digesting them. Or that the skin acts as an anti depressant, a drive that helps them relieve other senses and creatures (typically the person eating it) Will come back to feel the pleasurable high to relief their stresses of hunger. Arguably the most contested rumor among adventurers and few among themselves is that pairing with them can either be a curse or a blessing for a party, For their strength and versatility makes them useful allies, but their machine like mindset when the AI is dominant can sometimes interfere with other things that don’t need to be happening in the first place . Consuming Lebenmach tissue causes a very harsh addiction, which results in considerable mental instability, hardening and cornification of the skin, and in some worse cases, death. This makes them a double edge sword when partnering with outside safe places. As this doesn't affect predators too much and to them. It would be like being in a "high" sensation.
Various types of Lebenmachs have been found or “nurtured productively” to suit various needs and occupations.For example Observational Lebenmachs that adjust their body to store and manipulate large quantitities of Mahzir stones embedded and gradually integrated into their “Yggdrasil code.” are use as Navigators and guide travelers by sensing the magic currents in the air throughout all the land and designed to interact with the systems of a numerous kinds of transport Vessels (advanced in their own way)to complete this task .
As aforementioned before, whatever kind of occupation a Lebenmach should pursue, their bodies will gradually adjust to assist their needs. A few more examples would be the ones working on the fields of the industry and tough machinery will most likely adjust their hands to have extendable fingers to either operate the machine with more efficiency or want flexibility for those hard to reach places. Meanwhile a more combat oriented one would modify their weapons so that they would be connected through neural interfaces. Giving a 'gun's eye view' for the owner to be able to shoot around corners and see things most people won't for survival As far as they fair with magic, turns out the whole lot of them are a bit insensitive to magic. Yes, as everyone and even they can use magic in felarya, Lebenmachs have the hardest time with all magic with the exception of a few. Thaumaturgy magic usually in the form of placing and imprinting Rune magic on their bodies, seeing a lot of individuals with weird “tattoos” embedded on their bodies when it’s really assisting their work. Alchemy due to the fact that their intelligence and process and organize a lot of information simultaneously, making them great at manipulating elements, physics, chemicals and attributes to do so, and the toughest to learn of the Primordial magic by just learning to manipulate the waves in the air to make of something useful. All the while the technology in their sophisticated bodies are amplified.
Diet of the Mechanical Man:Lebens, despite what their early robotic tendencies and eager drive for social compassion and learning, are fully capable of being predators themselves. This is a tad bit rare, however, mostly found in wild lebens that don't have the comforts of industrialized mechanics and a proper society to fulfill their needs.
Lebens turn predatory due to various factors influencing their normally passive 'natural' state of mind. For the most common cause, the Wild Lebens, it's often due to a need for self repair. Because they have no access to proper tools for repair, or minerals. Lebenmachs rely on their nanomachine like particles/cells within their digestive enzymes that break down food into hardened, solid substances, akin to metal, which they use for patchwork underneath the 'skin' metal. Lebens in need of repair without access to a mechanic/tools will often consume metal ore directly, as it provides much more material that is more suited for structure, as well as aesthetically fitting (if they're at the point where they vie for social acceptance.)
However, if they cannot find ore and are in dangerously critical states, or are completely wild and have no qualms about their human/demi/tiny companions, they will happily consume those that cross paths with them, large and small.
Other causes for predatory natures within lebens are often the Spirit side of the leben retaining it's predatory desires from it's past life, or sadistic and fetishistic tendencies for self fulfillment. They also have no qualms if they are ordered to do so by a "superior" or someone they consider close - organizations they willingly work for, those that have known them for many years and grew close, etc...
Whether or not the Leben feels remorse later on depends on it's progress in joining a society. Wild Lebens will likely experience little guilt from obstructing their desires for acceptance, due to having never had a 'taste' (heh) for said society. However, lebens that are ordered to or do so and who are in a society will often regret their choice, and ordering them to hurt others in any fashion for too long will begin to brew thoughts of rejection in the leben's mind.
However, it is exceedingly rare to encounter these lebens, espeically ones who would do it willingly. Vore is generally barbaric in the cities in which they are predominately featured such as Negav, and elsewhere they tend to follow the same culturally views on it. Tribal Lebens may exhibit it, however, but still tend to rather use their 'prey' to speak to, learn from, and fulfill their desires of companionship and acceptance.
This is why the lebens that are predatory are often times successful.
Lebens, due to the strange and fascinating nature behind them, became widely popular as legendary beings of a sort - a man of mortal flesh, machine, and magical binding. Thus, people quickly set out to mark down the 'average' leben for story and legends sake. Because many of the lebens these writers lived with were in cities in which vore was barbaric, as well as the rarity of Predatory Lebens outlined above, their (hesitant) willingness to vore is rarely touched upon in writings and stories alike.
Those who know the legends and stories, when encountering these lebenme/achs, are relaxed and casual. Even in cases in which the Leben is a giant, they still tend to approach the lebens without much fear, with the legends speaking about Leben Socialization.
Thus, if said giant were to swipe at them for a meal, it's often times easy and quick.
Lebens appear and sound clunky, wild ones worn down to the point where their skin like metal is so broken and cracked that it creaks and crunches as it moves, and thus have trouble setting up proper ambushes. Predatory lebens often approach their prey casually, the same way they'd approach a human to speak to out of curiosity, or a co - worker for directions. They strike when within distance, where general sharp wits and strength matter more than speed in running.
Much thanks to hhhat for helping write out much the way they think, and for the Hunting section. Thanks everyone else for giving a long chat about them so I could have some things to think about while writing them
Also here's a fine print concept of one I got from stabs last year
- Sheri The lebenmach:
Subject: Lebenmach 
Tue Dec 16, 2014 1:50 pm
