Constructed from various materials and imbued with magical direction, golems are artifical beings created to serve a specific purpose. Many are created for guard duty, others to carry burdens, and still more for any number of mundane tasks. They are relatively rare within the
City-States Region as they are fairly expensive creations when any
Mage can simply requisition the support of the
Mercenary Guild. But quite a number of them remain out in the wilds of Lasair, some created and then left when a Mage finished a task, others created by non-human
Magic users (wood-based sentinels are common within the
Korth'an Conclave). The rarest golems are those leftover from the
ancient empire - some can still be found standing next to the foundation of a tower that was destroyed during the
Dragonscourge.
A golem found in the wilds (that is, not guarding a known
Mage's tower or other prominent location) can be assumed to be guarding some sort of notable place. They are functionally immortal unless destroyed, able to stand guard until the end of days. Given a specific task during its creation (e.g. "guard this tower and do not allow any other than myself to enter") the golem will carry out that task without any further instruction or energy input required. Changing that task does take a significant amount of magical energy and ability, as overriding the "programming" imbued into the construct during it creation is a very complex task.
The presence of a golem does not always indicate
valuables. It could have been left guarding a site that has had all of its treasure taken away when the original inhabitant departed, or it could have been plundered by someone capable of evading the golem (and finding another way in). But the likelihood that it is guarding something of value or of interest, when spotted outside of an intact building or in the entranceway to a well-structured cave entrance, means that word of its presence will make its way into the grapevine of rumors swirling around taverns in the area.
Golems can be constructed of nearly any material capable of maintaining a long-lasting form. They can be carved from stone, molded from clay, constructed from wood. Artificers are capable of building complex golems with a degree of internal complexity as well - though these constructions of brass and wire will often be far less durable due to the complexity and fine-tolerance work. The most powerful golems - those capable of containing a significant amount of magical energy which allows for more complex tasks or even the ability to manifest simple magic of their own - are generally made from strong metallic frames such as iron or steel with plates of similar metal overlaid upon them.
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