Golems

Stone and Wood Golems

The first golems were crafted from stone and wood with gemstone eyes and had runes carefully carved into them to imbue them with motion and purpose. These golems could handle basic tasks tirelessly, but if poorly commanded, might continue them indefinitely or indiscriminately. A poorly worded command could have wildly unanticipated results. More than one enterprising enchanter found themselves locked out of (or in!) their home after commanding a golem to “Let no one pass through this door”. Wise enchanters would build a halting command word into the golem’s enchantment.

Most wood golems have succumbed to rot, but a number of stone golems still remain buried in tombs and forgotten places as guardians or inert and awaiting the right commands.

Clay Golems

With the advent of paper, more adaptable clay golems were created. These golems could be imbued with magic by placing one or more scrolls within their structure, often encased in a protective cylinder. Gemstone eyes gave way to more cost-effective paste gems crafted from glass. These golems could handle more complex instructions simply because an artisan could use a more complex series of animation spells. Some clay golems still remain in service of old houses, passed down through the generations.

Automatons

Standard Automatons

In the modern era, robust easily-repaired automatons have obsoleted golems. They can be retrofitted with unique limbs suited to a number of tasks. Carefully written scrolls have given way to dense rune-laden ticker tape. What remains of the automaton’s predecessors is a clay heart through which tape endlessly streams. The tape replaces the old scrolls, allowing the construct to create a seemingly realistic semblance of intelligent thought. This illusion is often shattered after speaking with one of these devices for too long.

While automatons reduce the costs of labor for those who can afford the initial investment, they require focused attention from handlers. Like golems of old, they are still prone to misunderstanding instructions or carrying out a task beyond the point of reason. An automaton that applies the wrong solution to a problem can build on that misunderstanding and produce truly bizarre consequences if left unattended.

The rapid-moving ticker tape is also more prone to wear than the protected scrolls placed in clay golems. A poorly maintained or unchecked automaton quickly becomes more of a liability than an asset.

Arcane Automatons

Further advancements in crafting artificial souls encased in soul gems have allowed for machines that can not only provide a sort of synthetic intelligence, but also the capacity to turn those false thoughts to the arcane arts. Unlike truly sapient creatures, arcane automatons lack the will to properly initiate into the magical circles of understanding. Instead, they replicate these higher powers and can simply cast cantrips and a limited number of empowered spells.

Arcane automatons cannot cast familiar spells without severely damaging their soul gems. A soul gem used to cast a familiar spell is destroyed and the familiar summoned is under no obligation to take actions in alignment with the automaton’s purpose or instructions. Familiars summoned this way are more likely to be hostile to their summoner than compliant.

Galvanic Automatons

Galvanic Automatons are fitted with a brain from a once-living being. The brain is preserved in a vat of fluid and fitted with electrodes connected to the golem heart. After a brief period of adjustment, the brain learns to pilot the automaton and can resume a semblance of life. The transition is most difficult for the brains of magi or those who were more in-tune with their original souls. These brains often describe the souls as feeling “hollow”, “flat”, or “empty”.