From the earliest times of the Arena Eternal, the Vadrigar have searched in the darkest corners of existence for beings to swell the ranks of their gladiators. Since the arrival of humans to the arenas, and perhaps before, the disturbing arts of necromancy have provided the unscrupulous Masters with yet another influence over the domain of death.
One of their first gruesome experiments was the raising of an army of undead warriors, a skeleton horde made from the bones of human warriors. No other race provided such a sheer quantity of dead fighters and the Vadrigar could sift the ossuary of human destruction at their leisure, discarding the remains of all but the most worthy slain. The horde was comprised of dozens, perhaps hundreds of individuals as time and again the Vadrigar plundered the tombs and battlefields of the Known Worlds in their search for the finest corpses.
In spite of their discretion however, the Masters could not retain all the qualities of the original life. Inevitably the skeleton warriors became little more than vessels for the hideous magic that gave them unlife. A cold and fatalistic behaviour dominated the horde's activities within the arenas and they fought as soulless machines, mere shadows of the glory-hunting heroes they once were. In time, the Masters turned to other distractions and the horde faded from view.
Even the Vadrigar now look upon the skeletons as crumbling relics, but on those occasions when they are dusted off and set loose they remain lethally active participants in any contest. The skeletons once were warriors that lost their identities, their memories and their lives - but they have never lost their willingness to kill.

The skeletons do not appear to consider themselves as individuals and consequently have almost no sense of self-preservation. Even when clearly outclassed by an opponent, there is little that mitigates their agression. This reckless approach has been interpreted by some observers as a sign that the skeleton warriors were the first attempt by the Vadrigar to emulate the destructive behaviour of the Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath, but that is purely speculation.
Their creators modified their rudimentary minds to take account of this - non-splash weapons are employed most by the skeletons, particularly the Shotgun and Railgun. They can also make effective use of the machinegun, so they are quite aggressive even when freshly spawned. The Quad is the powerup most often sought by skeletons, as this predictably increases the power of their manic attacks.
The Regeneration is also favoured, perhaps because it bears a likeness to the fleshy warmth that once surrounded their bones.
While providing a battery of challenging opponents, the skeleton horde's mindless approach to combat means they are regarded dismissively by the majority of gladiators as mere automaton.

Lacking important organs like tongues and vocal chords, the skeletons do not attempt conversation.

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