Golem

>    *“We think the first Golems formed millennia ago, made from some sort of magical anomaly. They’re peaceful enough, as long as you leave them be. In fact, we actually quite like them - adds some flare to the scenery. It’s the intelligent ones you’ve got to keep an eye on though. We thought they were all mindless, but the existence of intelligence redefines everything we thought we knew. Who knows what they’re capable of?” -* Bhogme Everseeker, Dwarf scholar and self-proclaimed Golem expert.
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Golems are living anthropomorphic beings that are created from rock, ice and other pieces of the terrain. It is believed that they are created by magical anomalies, the resulting energy being the force that binds the body of a Golem together. For the most part, Golems are unintelligent beings that wander the world mindlessly and without purpose, at least until the magical energy that binds their bodies together withers away or is destroyed. That being said, Golems have been documented as being capable of advanced intelligence. In isolated cases, Golems have been recorded as exhibiting recognition, tool use, speech and many of the other traits that define the other intelligent races.

## **Physical Description - Magical Construct**

Golems are biologically distinct, meaning they do not resemble a majority of other races or creatures. That does not mean that their bodies are no more diverse though. Golems can be made from practically any non-living material that is solid enough to support their structure. Rock, ice, sand, glass, and even trash Golems have all been reported to exist and classified as creatures. Their heights also vary greatly. Golems can be as small as 1 feet to as tall as 30 feet and even higher still. Their weights, to, vary - depending on the material their bodies are made of as well as their size. They are typically quite heavy, though. Being made of non-biological materials, Golems cannot grow hair and do not naturally grow or shrink in size. However, a Golem might be able to add extra material to it’s body or remove said material, meaning their mass can change. Additionally, extra ‘features’ might eventually develop on a Golem. This includes moss, plants, cracks or even carvings if a Golem lies dormant for long enough.

## **Mentality - Confused and Curious**

For the most part, Golems are mindless and operate purely on instinct. These unintelligent beings wander the world for potentially centuries, only attacking or interacting with those that get in their way or threaten them. Those that are gifted intelligence, however, take the complete opposite perspective on the world. These Golems are usually very inquisitive and curious, always searching for new experiences. This is almost to a fault, as some Golems will accidentally put themselves in danger as a result of their innate curiosity. In the cases that a Golem is aware of their own existence and consciousness, they are also likely to feel quite confused. They are not biological creatures, and they know this. These Golems might search for the purpose behind their own existence, a goal that manifests itself in their natural curiosity.

Golems are usually quite neutral towards the other races. They find them more interesting than anything else, something to be observed and interacted with. Intelligent Golems can also be incredibly friendly, though some would argue a bit too friendly as some Golems do not understand personal space. A Golem will usually not attack an opponent first, only resorting to violence as a last resort or in self-defence.

## **Society - Forever Wandering**

Golems have no country or society of their own. They are created out of anomalous chance, and so forced to exist in other societies and nations that are not necessarily fit for them. That being said, a majority of societies and states actually view the Golems with neutrality and a similar level of curiosity that the Golems themselves feel for everyone else. Some countries even employ or entice Golems into servitude as labourers or heavy creatures of war.

Golems that are always wandering have a decent chance at seeing a variety of different societies. As a result they have a lot more experience than most would give them credit for. However, some Golems are simply not built for this type of long-distance, long-term travelling. Ice Golems, for example, would not be able to travel to a desert - for their bodies are simply not designed to handle the intense heat.

## **Golem Adventurers - Curiosity, Experience, and Friendship**

In exceptionally rare cases, a Golem might turn to adventuring. These beings likely do so out of pure curiosity, intrigue and a search for new experiences. After all, it is adventurers that tend to find the most intriguing things and encounter the most unique events. In some other cases, the Golem might be looking for a group of friends or like-minded comrades with which they can connect.

## **Golem Names**

Golems do not have their own structure or typical routines for naming. In fact, a majority of Golems will not be given a name at all. Those that do have names are typically given them by another person, or sometimes just adopted by the Golem itself. These names, then, vary greatly from individual to individual. These names can mimic the typical structures of the land they are in, or can even resemble the sort of names given to pets.

## **Golem Traits**

Golems have a variety of distinct features and traits, a result of their particularly unique biology. In other ways, though, their kind varies greatly from person to person.

* ***Ability Score Increase -*** your Constitution increases by 2 and your Strength increases by 1.
* ***Age -*** Golems do not age in the same way other races do. Due to this, they are technically immortal. That said, the magical energy that binds their bodies together does usually decay overtime. Golems can theoretically strengthen this bond, extending their life, but those that do not will eventually fall apart back into their previous state of non-existence.
* ***Alignment -*** for the most part, Golems are truly neutral beings. They are curious in nature but do not take sides in the things they observe or experience. That said, as a Golem develops their perspective and learns more things, their alignment is likely to change.
* ***Size -*** Golems vary widely in height and build depending on how they were constructed and what they were constructed from.
* ***Speed -*** Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
* ***Tremorsense -*** you can detect vibrations up to 60 feet through stone.
* ***Living Statue -*** as an action you can remain motionless, becoming indistinguishable from an inanimate statue. While in this state, you have advantage on Stealth checks. While you are locked in this state, your speed is 0 and the only action you can take is to leave this state as a bonus action. Instead of sleeping, you enter into this inactive state for 8 hours each day.
* ***Stone Skin -*** when you aren’t wearing armour, your AC is 12 + your Constitution modifier. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armour.
* ***Construct -*** you are immune to being charmed, but spells like cure wounds do not affect you. The only way to gain health is through rest and mending. You also have immunity against being poisoned as you do not need to eat or drink.
* ***Languages -*** you can speak, read, and write Common and one language of your choice. The way Golems speak is often blunt and without much emotion, that is assuming they can speak at all. Those that are unable to speak often communicate using Imperial Sign Language.