Golem

Golem is a generic term referring to an artificial life form constructed through magic. Golems are commonly animated masses of minerals, metals or other non-living substances. Some robots (like Tetujins) may also be considered golems because of the heavy use of magic in their construction/animation.

The Intelligence of Golems

Most Golems are built with only a rudimentary intelligence; just enough to be able to maintain limited independence or carry out spoken orders. Some are designed to be smarter than others, though these are generally the exceptions to the rule. In large part, the purpose of golemic creation is for intense manual labor or frontline combat, neither of which necessarily requires that the golem be overburdened with too much independence or self-awareness. Even so, golems can be roughly divided into two kinds: Automatons and Sentients.

Automatons

Automaton golems are simply animated matter, often with a roughly humanoid form. Automatons require the input of another sapient being, often a controlling magic-user. Depending on the conditions of an Automaton's creation, the golem may require a specific person (e.g. its creator) to issue commands, or it may also require a person to be holding a specific object or controlling device in order to control the golem. Automaton golems who are not given orders stand inert. Most golems (depending on what substance they are made from) can stand inert and waiting for a command for centuries and still be in perfect working order.

Sentients

Sentient golems are those golems who are created with a spark of independence. By far, most golems fall into this category, though the category itself is quite broad. Most Sentient golems are barely better than automatons, and will deviate or improvise only slightly from the commands they are given. But it is this ability to improvise and think somewhat analytically that is prized in these golems, even if they are only given a fraction of the reasoning ability of the average human. There are those sentient golems, however, who are given the capacity for far greater independence and reasoning. These are usually favored companions or bodyguards of their creators or masters, and they are usually either unique or very, very rare. (most wizards with the ability to create golems harbor a paranoid fear of their creations being beyond their ability to control)

Golem Types

Merge League Golems

Humanoid Golems

The golems of the Merge League were among the first to be mass-produced to the point of prevalence; within the Merge League, Golems have a population nearly as large as that of humans, and might be a political force to be reckoned with if the Merge League gave them any say at all in government. The League codified the manufacture of golems when the nation was founded during the OmniSent Conflict. Three types of golem are now minted by the League's government: stone, iron and crystal, and all golems have a uniform height of six feet six inches. All humanoid golems are Sentients, though the degree of sentience varies widely. Most stone and iron golems have very limited sentience -- but the occurence of individual golems with greater intelligences and independence is not unheard of. Crystal golems are unique (and favored as servants by important persons in the [[Communist Protectorate|Protectorate) for their ability to cast spells, a trait derived from the inherently magical properties of gemstones and crystals. Alkar the Black and Travin Rumanski are both known to have at least one crystal golem servant.

Siege Golems

These enormous stone automatons are deployed by the Flaming Fist as "living" siege weapons. They stand at mecha-scale and have internal compartments for carrying League war-mages into battle. In a similar vein, there are also the Stone Horses of the Flaming Fist -- large stone quadrupedal transport units that definitely qualify as automata.

Mysidian Golems

The Mysidians inherited the processes of golem creation from the Merge League, and now are able to manufacture their own golems. Mysidia makes humanoid golems of two kinds: stone and silver golems. The stone golems are built from quarried material from the foot of Mount Ordeals, while silver golems are created from precious metals (silver and mythril) mined in Silvera. Due to the innate magical properties of the metals and Ordealan stone involved, all Mysidian golems have the potential to cast spells (though not all of them are built to make use of this potential).

Altenan Golems

These cheap, clockwork constructs were mass-produced in droves by the Witch Kingdom's war machine during the War of Threes on Alter-Mana. They stand five feet five inches, have thick stove-like bodies, and their arms are typically fitted with hammer heads in place of articulate hands. When Altena was defeated at the end of the war, most of these golems were destroyed or recycled.

Golems of Zeal

It is known, from the archaeological record, that the army of Zeal was supplemented by the creation of golems. A preserved -- though inert -- specimen stands in the Guardian Royal Museum: the golems' bodies were quite simple, consisting of a central tear-drop-shaped body and two muscular arms. The creatures appear to have been animated from single pieces of painstakingly engraved stone, but the exact particulars of the creatures' animation rituals (or whether they were automatons or sentient) remains unknown.

Mojo

The living voodoo doll named Mojo is mentioned here on his own because he appears to be a one-of-a-kind golem. Animated over a thousand years ago (perhaps by the originators of the Vodoun practice), he remains alive and active to this day. He appears to be made out of straw, bound at the extremities by twine; yet despite this apparently flimsy construction he is quite durable. He is known to have had a brief stint as an adventurer in El Nido in the early 1000's, and was recently under the thrall of Mama Moolay before her unfortunate murder. It is not clear if Mojo's creation had some purpose related to the Vodoun faith (perhaps as an idol), or if he was the experiment of some ancient Mambo or Houngan (nor would it be known, then, whether such an experiment was a success or failure).