Long ago in the lands of Galaia, bordering the ancient Ironwood Forest of the Skathas, I met an old alchemist sitting beside the road. I gave him bread and water, and in return he handed me a dusty old page from an ancient tome. He told me an interesting tale, that in olden days, he was an apprentice of the great Lir, a fantastic necromancer known far and wide in this land. The old man told me, that one stormy night, he dropped a small vial of Basilisk Ink, and watched it spill under a crack in the wall. It was then he described to me a secret passage that led down deep into the earth under what was then Lir’s alchemical dungeon.

How to Make a Golem

He followed the cobwebbed stairs deep underground, until he came to a series of caves. It was there, in a catacomb lost to time, he discovered an ancient library filled with ancient books and many great codices of wizardry thought lost from the world. It was then he told me he had found an old necronomicon pertaining to the Study of the Elements of the Old World. The Earth Elements had, in ancient times, been connected to Maru, the one true God and Overlord of the ancient earth. He then handed me the yellowed page and told me it was all that remained of the old tome. Sadly, it had crumbled to dust when he but breathed on the ancient book. Strangely, only the Alchemical Art of “The Making of the Golem” remained. I thanked the man, and wished him well for the forest in these parts was at the time particularly dangerous and haunted. I had forgotten to offer assistance in his journey. But, when I turned and looked back, he was gone.

After telling you all this, I have decided to share the Golem formula with the world, in the hope that those who create such a construct, will use it for good, not evil, and that the last remains if what was once a great earth magic and powerful art will be remembered in this world for the benefit of all mankind.

Beware: Those who animate the beast to sentient life without sufficient alchemical skill risk losing control of it. Thus, they doom themselves, their enemies, and the world!

How to Make a Golem (transcribed from language of the the Giants, the Skathas):

• One carefully engineered hominid construct, using clay, stone, iron
• 1 ounce powder each of Rare Earths of true Silver, Gold, and Platinum
• 1 Essential Lodestone (the heart)
• 2 Black Agates (for eyes)
• 4 Malachite Braces (for wrists and ankles)
• 1 Elixir of Elemental Earth
• 1 vial of Troll’s Blood
• 1 tug of Chimera Brain
• 1 Demon’s Heart (still bloody)
• 1 Wraiths Tongue (captured before reaching ethereal transient state)
• 1 Chained Sweetwood plaque engraved with the word “emorga” (meaning “half-dead”)
• 100 lbs of Charcoal of the most ancient ironwood trees found in the western woods

First things first: One must hire sufficient engineering talent to construct the giant, so I recommend Brigand or Goblin masons, whenever possible, as they have the deepest understanding of clay, stone, and metal and are highly skilled in the arts. We also like to create our Golems underground or in the basement of abandoned religious buildings. This lessons the chance some curious soul will discover your pet project and spread fear throughout the population. That would be a public relations nightmare, to say the least. You don’t want your monster burned on top of some farmer’s windmill by a raging mob. In addition, by developing your Golem underground, should something horrible go wrong, the creature is less likely to find an outlet to the surface and destroy all living beings in sight.

After constructing your golem, you now must animate it. This involves placing the loadstone in the chest cavity and pouring all powders and essential earths around the creatures heart and breastplate. Next, close up the chest and seal the wound with clay, then recite the Oaths of Fidelity to Maru, Lord of the Earth and Underworld (Note: This “Lord” might awaken and be very angry and irritable, as it’s been some time since Golems were popular entities to be summoned under this sub-dieties will). Now a loud thumping of a heart should be heard coming from the beast’s mighty chest. If so, you are on your way.

Now begins the tedious work of creating the alchemical salve that will be used in animating the beasts limbs. Take your carefully seasoned wood charcoal and forge a mighty fire with it. I like to enhance it with dried scales of an Amber or Ruddy Dragon. This increases the heat retention of the charcoal, and thus a hotter fire. Please note, most of the western woods of the old Giant’s Ironwood Forest is filled with the most vile beasts and haunted with ghosts and underworld creatures. So, tread carefully and quickly when gathering your sticks. (In my case I stumbled on a 12′ Sinister Booger, whose teeth were 15 inches in length and who was set on me being his next meal. after a great chase and falling down into several pits of vipers, through skilled swordplay, I was able to chop of the Booger’s left hand and escape with my life….and my precious wood.)

After you have built a fire sufficiently hot enough to heat your concoction, combine the blood, brain, heart, and tongue along with your Elixir of Elemental Earth. You should see a nasty, greasy violet smoke plume rise up and fill the room. Dont be alarmed…you are almost done.

Now, place the engraved plaque around the neck of your construct, and then apply the massive braces to all four limbs. Now slowly drip the salve on each of the bracers and then a small spot of fluid into the chest.

Stand back….

The beast should begin to make attempts at moving. Watch the lips….you should see primitive breathing, and eyes opening (oops, did I mention to add the agate eyes? You don’t want a blind golem. What a disaster that would be!…hehe). As the thing gains strength, it should begin to sit up and stand at attention before you. as it does say the world “emorga” which tells it its name and state. As “emorga” means half-dead, it tells the creature it is but a slave between this world and that of the dead and as such is halfway in this world and the other. As such it, like a child is dependent on you for its life in this world, though it longs to return to the other. You must therefor always call it by this name, when commanding it. Failure to do so means you have a 50% chance that it will die, which usually involved a violent crumbling and crashing down of all materials to dust. Or worse, the beast is free of its bond, and unleashes it full anger and resentment on you and everything within miles of it. It will not stop until destroyed. This is due to the demonic heart provided it and the chaotic chimera brain. It has no lawful will but driven to evil destruction of all before it. As a last resort, if you cant convince the townspeople to help you destroy it, you can say the word “morga” which is death and if not yet berserk, the beast should collapse and immolate into a pile of vile black dust and embers, there on the spot.

Again, command your Golem, calling it by name. You must use very simple commands, like “Destroy my Ex-Wife”, or “Paint my House”, etc. Eventually you will have a loyal and obedient follower and laborer to do your bidding. Be careful and do not overwork the creature, as in my case, mine went off to dig the garden and ripped off its right arm digging my compost pile (my family throws away car engines and old bottles into mine).

Ok, good luck!