Guardians

Guardians, sometimes called golems, are animated constructs made from various materials: moldable clay, rigid stone, mighty iron, and even stitched flesh. They are singular in purpose, carrying out their creator’s commands with the commitment of a force of nature.

Constructed Form. Crafting a guardian’s body requires the skill of an expert sculptor—or surgeon, in the case of flesh guardians. Once the guardian’s body has been constructed, a spellcaster must use secret formulae to breathe life into the creature. A guardian never ages and can endure centuries after its creator’s death.

Command Dependence. A guardian can’t think for itself and acts only on commands from its creator. When its creator is present to oversee it, a guardian will perform its tasks very well. If its creator is absent, a guardian will carry out its orders to the best of its ability but can’t make corrections using its own reasoning. A guardian that is prevented from fulfilling its purpose, or one that is severely damaged, is unpredictable. It could simply become inert, or it may fly into a violent frenzy. Given these limitations, a guardian is suitable for only simple tasks, such as guarding a specific location or acting as its creator’s bodyguard.

Mysterious Origins. Some scholars believe that a guardian is an animate, but lifeless, being. Others claim that a guardian’s creator imbues it with an elemental spirit—or a bit of the creator’s spirit—during the guardian’s creation. Whatever the truth, constructing a guardian requires instructions found in a rare magical tome called a manual of guardians .

Constructed Nature. Guardians don’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.