Golems are most commonly fashioned from earth, clay, or sand, though on rare and more costly occasions, one may encounter variants formed from metal or other enchanted materials. Like all earthen constructs, a golem is brought into being through the binding of matter around a central core known as a soulstone. This arcane heart—typically housed within the head—serves as both mind and motor, and is, notably, the golem’s primary vulnerability. (A fact not lost on those tasked with destroying one.)
While wild golems do occasionally form near mana ruptures or areas of raw arcane instability, such instances are rare. The vast majority are artificial creations, constructed through practiced spellwork and painstaking craftsmanship.
Thanks to their relative simplicity, considerable durability, and sheer strength, golems have become a mainstay in the Sand Kingdoms—employed not only in garrisons and military formations, but also in daily urban life. From laborers in marketplaces to sentinels in noble estates, their designs and capabilities vary greatly, depending on the skill, resources, and intentions of the summoner who forged them.
Note: Construct – an artificial creature imbued with mana, most commonly crafted by the arcane artisans (summoners) of the Sand Kingdoms. Constructs are not sentient.
