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Refined Homunculus — Description

The creation of the first homunculus in the alchemy labs was a major success for the Academy of Veritas Mundus. To birth new life from mere humors was quite the feat, and it opened the doors to endless possibilities. Though these homunculi were quite small and gooey, like a half formed fetus, their creation and continued existence suggested that the Academy was on the right track. The Alchemists saw that it was possible to artificially create life, so now was the task to master and refine the process. Surely, one could perfect the formula and make something just as great as man.
Years have passed since the first creation and the Academy has yet to achieve the dream of the perfect homunculus. No matter what combinations and techniques they use, it always seems to bear flaws. While some may be disheartened by this continued failure, the Alchemists have never slowed in their efforts. Because while the end result is not pristine, it typically bears useful fruit. Failures can be studied, half-right creations can still be utilized. Just see how the simple homunculi formed from the very beginning have found their uses! And while the perfect specimen still eludes them, the current refined result still shows plenty of potential.
The "refined" homunculi are the closest the Academy has gotten to its goal. Instead of being rodent-sized, these beings are slightly shorter than the average man. Their bodies are better formed, though a tad congealed in some places. The skin less goopy and more solid, organs and veins coming together into a more reasonable system. They possess eyes and functioning digits, and beneath their squishy fluid-filled layers is the crude formations of what could one day be bone. Now at a more reasonable size and with more solid limbs, these homunculi can be used for more human-like tasks, carrying equipment, organizing shelves and cleaning labs. To an outsider, the refined homunculi seem like a perfect creation (albeit a tad creepy), but the Academy knows that this being is still flawed.
Though they may look more human than their earlier brethren, their minds are still half-formed and quite simple. Complicated tasks are quite beyond them, and jobs that are more than mere fetching require constant and thorough instruction. Their bodies are also still primordial, with faint traces of solid structure inside to help hold up their weight. But outside of that, they are still human-shaped bags of fluid, where a moderate injury can be fatal. A deep cut to the arm can cause their insides to come gushing out, and their bodies to deflate like a punctured eyeball. They also lack the perfect humor balance within, where the Academy hoped to create a being that was self-sustaining and never in need of a transfusion. These homunculi are not that, requiring a dose of fluid every day to keep functioning. While the little ones need a mere drop, these ones must have much more. Still easier to feed and maintain than a full grown human, which is why they are still created and used. However, their utilization has taken a darker turn in recent times.
When it came to facing the Church of Divine Wealth, the Academy knew victory was impossible. The Church was a powerhouse and the uncontested ruler of these lands. While the Academy had brains, the Church had sheer strength and numbers to make smarts utterly useless. An attempt to go to war would result in them drowning in waves of mindless pawns, rabid believers who would blindly sacrifice themselves in the name of golden Ichor. But when the refined homunculi were born, a possibility was created with them. Here was a source of easily replicated manpower, grown in mere fractions of what it would take for a true human. And though they were simple, teaching them which way to point sharp bits was no challenge. Injections of infused Black Bile could give them the basics of combat, and then all one had to do was give them a sword and point them at the enemy. Cheap armor could be churned out and slapped on, and now the Academy had a horde of armed fleshbags. These were still far from the perfect warrior, but their purpose of inflating the Academy's numbers was what mattered. This, combined with their many constructs and bizarre inventions, would give the Academy a fighting chance in war against the Church, especially with it already weakened by infighting.
While the refined ones have far more use than the little ones, it would seem their size and abilities have taken away from their charm. Alchemists would eat a blade before letting their tiny homunculi be harmed, yet their attitudes towards these more completed ones is more cold. They are treated more like dumb servants, getting annoyed barks when they do something wrong and gifted menial tasks like holding books or cleaning up spills. Still loyal, like a dumb animal with a beloved master, these refined ones continue to serve despite the berating. This desire to please and obedience doesn't garner the same reaction that the little ones get, as the Alchemists don't seem to care in the slightest for the refined's persistence. And when war came to the Academy, there was no hesitation to turn these lab assistants into fodder. Though, one could say that end goal was always in mind. Perhaps the Academy kept their distance from these beings because they knew they would be sent into the slaughter. Best not get attached to the creature you will send to war, knowing full well they won't be coming back. This could be the case, but it is also a fact that a lot of people (even Alchemists) hate the way these things stare. Their eyes seem to unsettle, and thus many are quick to cover them up with hat, mask or helmet. At least it gives a slight edge in battle, as soldiers may falter or be rattled when they see their approaching enemy stare with bloody unblinking eyes.
Made even more unsettling when your blade causes one to pop like a fleshy balloon, showering you in raw gore and juice. Getting the stains and stink out of your armor is a nightmare...