When the Warforged took to the field in The War of Turogarde, they weren't much more than bipedal War machines created by Vvarden, meant to destroy their enemies and march unerringly forward. However, The Great Awakening was the day they woke up.

It's still not clear what the cause of this Great Awakening was, but the effect was clear. every single Warforged, as of that day and any made after, became Sentient and developed their own personality, and many of them did not wish to fight in a war they awoke to, and threw down their arms. This destabilised Vvarden, and forced The War of Turogarde to an early conclusion via Diplomacy.

As part of the Peace Treaty between the nations of Turogarde, The Warforged were effectively recognised as a new race and as such given rights as any mortal would (though the longevity of Warforged has yet to be determined). As a result of the war though, creation of Warforged became illegal, outside of 4 individuals titled "Forgekeepers". These Forgekeepers were allowed to create new warforged upon request by another Warforged, as a way of giving Warforged "reproductive rights".