Shörthing Golems

Shörthing golems are a unique artificial creature seen almost exclusively in the southern reaches of Iseldorn (Iristoya), and sport a variety of shapes. The only feature that nearly all Shörthing golems share is a glowing amethyst core with Rýmspik runes and etched lines connecting it to the rest of the golem’s body.
Crafted by a priest of Jörvskism, these golems are given life by the godly energy of the Faldshör. Shörthing golems must rest at staves of Jörvskism regularly to restore their power, or they will fall inactive in time until a priest restores their energy for them.
These golems, though not designed with it in mind, often display characteristics of other living creatures of Abelheim (Abexilas). They can think, and form their own thoughts on many things, but primarily stay in the scope of their designed purpose.
However, unexpectedly, many golems appear to grow fuller, more diverse personalities in a phenomenon their creator has puzzled over for some time, and has his theories on the reason behind it.
== Origin ==
Avseer-Tykkit Falinskye of the Painted Forest first made the golems at the behest of Yuno, the Gardener, and diarchal head of Jörvskism, to craft a population of golems to help prepare Midjörv for a looming threat growing agitated at the fringes of the Rým. Blessed with the means to imbue cores with godly energy, Tykkit began to practice golem craft in the town of Staðrhewei.
After many failures over many months, he made the first successful golem; Mirým. A small creature made of stones and sticks, with moss filling the cracks. Given the purpose of stacking rocks, it now toddles around Staðrhewei, collecting rocks it can stack and enjoying the company of local rabbits at the hot springs.
== Appearance ==
Shörthing golems may vary in material used depending on their use- and in some occasions, the golem’s desire. However, the typical design tends to feature worked or even unworked stone and stone adjacent materials, typically sporting moss and sticks or roots between and around the body components, with an amethyst core visible in the chest.
Lines like channels run along the bodies of golems, and are accompanied by Rýmspik runes. This is a trait sometimes lacking or difficult to spot in the more basic golems, like Mirým, due to their cobbled bodies
The golem’s eyes are often made of a lesser crystal such as quartz or glass, though they can be any material. The aforementioned “basic golems” use river stones, typically.
In rare cases, golems may be seen wearing cloaks or loosely fitted clothing, and some golems may even sport modifications over time, as they develop character or determine a possible use their articles of "clothing" might serve in their designed task.
== Behavior ==
Shörthing golems are generally peaceful, and live out their lives similarly to any other sentient creature one might find in Abelheim (Abexilas). Curious by nature, the golems often mimic the behaviors and styles of those they see- in their own way. The golems that wear clothing, for instance, may decide fishing nets and pots are suitable fashion choices.
The one thing that divides golems from other sentient beings is their designed purpose. Written in the runes on their core, golems are often created to fulfill a niche or task, such as farming or mining, that the golems strive to accomplish in their everyday tasks. Inability to perform the task etched into their being causes distress, and in particularly severe cases, the golem will sit at a place until its energy runs dry.
== Mechanics ==
Shörthing golems use the energy from the Shör of the gods- the Faldshör. Because of the origin of their energy, Rýmspik runes are the only ones to function alongside the cores of these golems, with other languages and runes having no effect, typically.
The runes tell the core how to affect the golem’s body, such as making the eyes function using the rune for “see”, or bending the wood at joints with the “flow” rune in some golems. With the runes carefully written, lines like channels run across the body, connecting every part of the golem to the core. When activated, the core will glow softly as it sends streams of power across the golem’s body. In the case of “basic golems”, the cobbled bodies do not allow for clean lines to be etched, so they instead use a different,weaker system, wherein several primary stones are etched with the runes for pull and stone to simply gravitate nearby stones to them.
If the channels are broken, power will cease to flow to the affected parts of the body, having now been severed from the core, often causing loss of limbs in the most likely situations.
Likewise, damage to the runes of the golems will cause aspects of the golem to falter, depending on which runes are damaged and where.
One could imagine that the core has something of a personality matrix, with complex webs of Rýmspik runes. Damage on these runes may overwrite a portion of their personality, render the golem incomplete, or even corrupt the rune in question, causing it to instead produce opposite results to what it should be presenting.
The core, once activated, will hold the golem’s body together even after deactivation. While activated, the golem’s body will be terribly difficult to pull apart- with the exception of “basic golems”, which passively fall apart and rebuild themselves by design. Parts of the golem that the core has identified as a part of the body will also be attached- though, if the part is small, like a pebble, it may occasionally dislodge from the golem’s body.
Some golems of a more standard or cobbled make will often lose parts of themselves as they go about their duties. These golems typically self repair, resting at a stave to solidify their hold on a new part. Over time, these golems may need a priest of Jörvskism to re-etch their runes.
A more advanced version of the basic golem makes use of sticks, which happen to be rather receptive to the energy from the Faldshör, to work as the muscles and binding component of the golems, wrapping around the entire body, and helping hold smaller components to it. Moss or wool, while not granted too much of the core’s energy, is placed so as to prevent the grinding between stones, and provide cushioning where needed. Because it isn’t very strongly tied to the golem, moss and other plants will sometimes take over the golem’s body, and some care must be taken to prevent root growth from damaging the body.
However, some golems use the new growth as armor, or other utility based uses- sometimes even maintaining the growth for seemingly aesthetic reasons.
Lastly, the self repairing function of the “basic” model of golem comes from the use of the Rýmspik rune for “pull” combined with the runes for “rock” and “keep”. The core can exert some extra energy to attach components that have not been marked with the appropriate rune, with more specific detail in the runeworking strengthening this effect. Over time, a golem may become mostly unworked materials without any runes to speak of, but they may become more or less anchored to a stave as the exertion of energy begins to drain the core much too fast.
New makes of the golems are in the works, as Staðrhewei develops more needs. Currently, Tykkit is exploring avenues to make a golem designed for farming, mining, construction, and experimenting with a golem capable of terramancy.
Presently, the standard golems are more than capable of everything to a degree, and strides have been made in their designs and complexity!
Rýmspik runes are known by few, and understood by even fewer. These symbols are written throughout the Rým, in every Shör and Heim, connecting everything. How they came to be may only be known by the gods themselves, though they only divulge the basic watered down markings we use for golemcraft.
These runes seem to invoke power based on their meaning, or modify other runes. The rune for “pull” for example, represents the pull of the Rým that draws all things together. The effect it has results in an ability to magnetize things not yet given linking runes. However, by using a lesser rune of material, this effect is strengthened for the material specified, and nullified for all others.
The more specific a runemark is, the more powerful its effect.
It takes years of dedication to develop the skills needed to write in Rýmspik runes, and is typically only pursued by Godes- priests- of Jörvskism.
== Known golem types ==
=== Basic 1 ===
These golems are the first designs that came from Tykkit’s tinkering in the early days of Abelheim, using simple materials and rudimentary runes. Curiously, the oldest of these golems appear to have grown quite independent, and many of their runes have weathered in strange ways that may be behind their personality developments.
Made with cobbles of mossy stone and sticks or split logs as limbs, these are as simple as they come, and have a wobbly gait. It’s an oddity to see a basic 1 model with symmetry, which lends to their charm.
These golems, as previously mentioned, are very loosely held together and often must replace the stones in their bodies. Despite this somewhat fragile nature, basic 1 golems are well suited to many menial tasks such as fishing, gardening, or hauling small amounts of materials.
==== Notable golems of this make; ====
===== Mrým the First. =====
As the name suggests, he was the first golem crafted back in the settling days of Midjörv, with a simple task to stack rocks and observe the world around him. While Mirým is, for all intents and purposes, a test, he has grown quite the personality, and can often be seen around the springs of Staðrhewei.
As of late, he can often be found balancing rocks on his head with a padding blanket of moss underneath. Using a leather satchel he was given by a kind visitor, he often stores new rocks inside, and hangs his favorites for all to see on the sides of the bag.
===== Jörb of the Garden: =====
The second golem created when the first houses were just being erected in town, and food stores were diminishing. He was much more complex than Mirým, with a curious nature and design that lend well to his purpose; to garden. tasked with farming and foraging, Jörb has taken to his purpose with vigor. To the point of forgetting to rest at a shrine, while observing flora. Known to wear a potted gemtree as a hat, he is often seen under a tree in Staðrhewei, or in someone’s garden. Wanted or not- most often Gibby Naktinmol's garden.
He's grown to be quite the well mannered golem, mimicking the behaviors of great minds who have devoted themselves to studious 
===== Yarmýr the Fisher: =====
The youngest golem of the three, created after the completion of the docks of Staðrhewei, tasked with lending variety to our diet through fishing. The shortest of the three, she often grumps about whenever not at the docks, and spares little time for conversation or pleasantries. Beneath that, she certainly shows a great deal of intelligence, and is valued by the town’s fishers for her wealth of piscine related knowledge.
Over time, Yarmýr has started adorning herself in fishing implements such as nets and lures, while placing kelp on her head in a beat most certainly to the tune of fashion. At some point, Tykkit gave her a straw hat, which does well to keep her kelp in place.
=== Basic 2 ===
Very similar to basic 1, though they are much larger, sturdier, and more closely meet the performance of the typical Akir. (human). These golems use sticks or roots shaped as a cage to hold their cobbled bodies together and grant it motion at a much lower expense to the core’s energy while producing a stronger result.
As far as the runes are concerned, they vary only slightly from the basic 1 golem’s runes, though these are not nearly as frequently made due to their cost and complexity- thus having less information on common uses.
Notable golems of this make;
None of particular note just yet- but an image of their design might be seen below (in the works- it's a player skin)
== Unrealized designs ==
=== Archivist golems ===
Archivist golems are presently planned to be very large creations made of shaped stone, meant to act as walking libraries of information that stomp around on their two large arms, swinging their body like a bell. When idle, these golems would sink down, resting the base of their body.
These golems would be particularly useful in, as the name suggests, archives. 
Designs are coming along well, though some setback have occurred in terms of their mobility.
=== Archimedean golems ===
Archimedean golems, similarly to Archivist golems, would act as storage of information- though these are not made for mobile roles, and instead would sit firmly planted in place. Primarily due to their colossal size. 
Most importantly, these golems would allow for the storage of golemcraft techniques and information should a catastrophic event somehow remove all practicing Jörvite priests from Abelheim. Due to their low mobility, an Archimedean golem would consume energy very slowly, and may even be embedded into a stave or religious site so it might never run out of energy.
=== Tower golems ===
tower golems are currently sketched as lighthouse structures with some defensive capabilities. Current designs have this golem as merely a head atop a tall structure such as a statue, with a very large gem at the top. The golem can shoot forth a strong beam of light- condensed Faldshör energy- to create a beam of light when needed. While this would drain their cores rapidly, their secondary function is far more draining; 
A single, powerful beam of energy hot enough to cut through steel like water. This burst of energy would completely drain the golem's core, rendering it inert for a time. After the Civil War in the Valdic Union, it was noted how effective the armored body of the FMS Valdic was in siege, and designs for these golems began immediately after, even into peacetime.
"I don't want to imagine how poorly Midjörv would face should something like that float to our shores..." - Tykkit Falinskye
Designs are ongoing, with promising results!