Clark

Clark's Character Card in Axugaem2

Clark is a magical construct known on the uncharted planet Imperium as a Bone Golem, or just Skeleton. He is a member of the Gusbusters organization and a close friend of its ringleader, Carrie Stone.

## Appearance and Powers

Bone Golems are not to be confused with skeletons in the traditional sense of the word. They are not reanimated remains, but rather sentient constructs made of magically remolded bone matter which are infused with souls through a complex series of rituals. These golems, much like many mortal infants, lack coherent memory of their formative years, despite possessing immediate aptitude for logic and communication. It is during this three to five year period where bone golems are useful to their masters, as once they gain control over their memories, they are typically either granted freedom or dismantled and reforged.

Bone Golems can range in size and shape, but the magic that binds them is limited and tends to support smaller, humanoid forms best. They have considerable strength but can be brittle and so will avoid hand-to-hand combat. Rather, skeletons are masters of dexterity. Their diminutive natures and quiet poise make them excellent thieves and assassins, but it also lends itself well to the nobler combat arts, namely archery and swordplay. Skeletons make fine archers, and their best fencers are unparalleled in one-on-one combat with a blade. They tend to favour combat against short sword or claw wielding foes, as these instruments are less effective against their bony forms. Maces and hammers, adversely, have made it into their culture as feared instruments of death.

Skeletons technically belong to the nature element, as the rituals designed to bind them were designed by nature-aligned Sluglams. Thus, nature magic is required to create a Bone Golem in the first place. Although they are technically nature-affiliated, Skeletons have no love for Euvine, or any mortal race for that matter. Most will find their way to sites of powerful nature magic, as it acts like a beacon to them. Over time, these sites have either become Skeleton towns or fallen under siege by skeletons attempting to colonize the area. Skeletons who still wander Imperium's wilds can be dangerous, and should be kept at a distance. Those who live in towns, on the other hand, are usually safe to communicate with unless they represent a hunting party. Hunting is a sacred art in Skeleton culture and they will not hesitate to engage quarry of all sorts. Otherwise, they keep to themselves, are generally closed-off from the outside world, and can be hostile if offended.

While Skeletons can possess very limited aptitude for nature magic, they generally make poor mages. The exceptions are the Witch Doctors: a small council of magically adept skeletons who have mastered the rare art of bone-reading. These Witch Doctors take inspiration from ancient Sluglam mages by cloaking themselves in animal remains and casting ferocious hexes on their enemies. They occupy leadership positions in skeleton society and will often convene to discuss matters of great importance to their race. The current head of this council is the infamous Skazili, leader of the Skeleton capital Black Gorge.