Every night I raise a glass of finest wine my cellars have to offer. It is a toast to the genius gifted me by the gods, allowing me to create life itself. Soon my old friends will humble themselves before me, and beg to have me as their teacher.
But they have already proven themselves unworthy by doubting my genius. Well, they shall soon doubt no more.
- From the journal of Thor Hessen
Animation
The "parents" of the blighted creatures called golems toy with a gift that most reserve for the gods: creating life. But how is such a thing possible? How can that which is dead or inanimate assume an existence that is not undeath as we know it, but life? Although I am far from certain as to the exact nature of the process, I do feel qualified to put forth several theories on this subject.
I would advise the reader while perusing this chapter to maintain a certain amount of healthy skepticism, as well as an intellectual distance. In the first place, although these theories of mine have grown out of many hours of research and firsthand observation (mainly of flesh golems), they are but theories. And they are highly speculative theories at that.
Secondly, I am certain it is unwise to delve too deeply into this realm of knowledge. Although information is certainly necessary to combat the Created, I fear that even a person of good conscience and moral fiber might be somehow changed by gaining some knowledge of the creation of life, no matter how limited in scope. From both a philosophical and emotional perspective, I have come to the decision that there is just some knowledge mortals are not meant to possess. Alas, if the world were as it should be, it would be very different indeed.
With those caveats in mind, we may proceed to my theories on the animating forces necessary to the creation of a golem.
It is my firm belief that the force that animates a gotem is not created per se. Rather, it is a pre-existing spirit, drawn to the empty vessel that is the golem body, and then trapped within it. Such animating forces may be of two varieties: a dark spirit or a stolen life force. Both are horrid in their own way.
Dark Spirits
It has been postulated, by both myself and other theorists, that there are numerous evil "spirits" about in our world - not ghosts, mind you, but beings who have never truly been alive, who have never maintained a corporeal existence. A few scholars assert that such dark forces must hail from another realm entirely. I myself believe they are in some way a part of our land, just as we are, existing at the edge of our nightmares in a manner we cannot fully comprehend. It can be assumed, however, that these darkling spirits know neither life nor death as we understand it. And, unlike mortals, they do not have a cycle of life.
We can at best speculate on what such an existence might be like. However, it does not seem unreasonable to hypothesize that these evil, ethereal beings might experience the emotions of mortals as tangible qualities. We can further imagine that these creatures could be attracted by compellingly evil thoughts and deeds, especially when they are accompanied by intense desires.
When a powerful wizard performs a difficult magical working, or a priest pushes back undead minions, he calls upon skill and faith, yes. But these acts also require great force of will and conviction. Further, an individual whose heart and mind burn with an all-consuming obsession might exhibit an equal intensity of will, if not a greater one. Such emotion might well attract a darkling spirit.
Imagine now that this warped individual were to focus his will toward the creation of life, and that he had properly constructed a body which could receive the darkling spirit. Cinder these circumstances, the creator might be able to trap the entity in that vessel. The spirit - thus mired within a corporeal form for the first time in its existence - might lack the capability to extricate itself. As the wizard who creates a powerful item of magic can attest, the bonds shaped by a strong will can be powerful indeed.
I shudder to think that creatures incapable of true death - that are utterly devoid of morality, pity, and sheer humanity - are even now inhabiting our land and walking among us.
The Stolen Life Force
To my great sorrow, I am certain the life force animating some flesh golems is stolen from those already living. All who fashion this type of creature must steal from the dead, of course, seizing their limbs and organs. But a few creators-and fortunately they are unusual-commit an even greater atrocity: They rob the living of their very identity.
I can say this terrible thing with certainty, thanks to a long-time correspondence I have maintained with the Vistani wise woman, Cyrilla. Those of you who have read my other works may wonder that I have even one friend among the Vistani. It is true that I cannot help but find the Vistani, as a culture, loathsome. If not for the Vistani thieves who kidnapped my boy, Erasmus, he would never have come into the hands of the foul vampire, Baron Metus.
Yet, over the years, I have come to the conclusion that one cannot condemn an individual for the failings of an entire culture. While I abhor those who brought such personal grief to myself and my loved ones, I have managed to attain a level of respect and friendship with a few, individual Vistani. That stated, let us continue.
Although it is extremely unusual for a Vistana to exchange letters with an outsider such as myself, Cyrilla and I have been friends and colleagues for many years - ever since we joined forces against an especially vicious werewolf bent on destroying an entire village in northern Darkon. Cyrilla is a true sage, and I trust her observations implicitly.
Only last year Cyrilla wrote to me of a young Vistani woman, Cyrilla's own niece, whose impassioned dancing was the pride of the entire clan. The young woman, known as Vassa, had many suitors, but neither she nor her family found any of them worthy.
One particular young man seemed unable to accept Vassa's rejection. For days at a time he sat outside her family's wagon, praising the girl's beauty and dancing. She did not respond. After months, the young lad despaired and left the clan, cursing Vassa and her father. The boy left a note, vowing that somehow he would make Vassa his own.
Weeks passed and there was no sign of the lad. The Vistani assumed the boy was gone for good.
The creature dropped from the rafters, some thirty feet above, landing just behind poor Irina. Laughing horribly, the monster grabbed our companion by the neck, lifting her off the ground with a strength unbelievable in such spindly arms. Stili laughing, the thing broke Irina's neck before any of us, even the elf Darien, could moue. Scampering away into the darkness, it left us with our dead friend and the echoes of its hideous, unstoppable laughter. I have never felt such unrepentant, alien euil as when we faced that laughing golem. I hope to never face such euil again.
If only this had been true. One month after the boy's disappearance, Vassa too disappeared. Exhaustive searching and the application of Cyrilla's formidable skills soon found the girl, but in body only. Although she yet breathed, nothing the Vistani attempted could bring Vassa back to consciousness. Eventually, the girl stopped breathing. Vassa was mourned and her body burned on a pyre, as was the custom of her clan.
The following year the clan was back in the section of Corvus where Vassa was kidnapped. One evening, the clan was celebrating a particularly successful trade when a whirling dervish appeared in their midst. Dressed in colorful skirts, adorned with bangles, the creature danced clumsily about the fire.
Cyrilla's own words best describe what next occurred:
The creature looked like some child's toy made of river clay and mud, and smelted much the same. With ungainly movement, it spun round and round the fire. I remember how the creature's ugliness intensified the gauzy beauty of its twirling skirts. Strange what we think of in times of true horror!
By this time the musicians had ceased to play, and all save myself had backed fearfully away from the monstrosity. But I stayed. Why? I believe I recognized something in the golem even then. The blood of the Vistani is strong, and I know my kin, Van Richten.
Awkward and out-sized, it lumbered up to me, until it stood within arm's length. Its stench was so foul my breath caught in my throat and my eyes began to water.
"Have you no kiss for me? No kiss for Katya?" it whispered tauntingly.
Oh, Van Richten, I had only called one person by that pet name. It was Vassa, she of the nimble feet and flowing hair. This lumbering form contained the spirit of the laughing, shining girl, but that spirit was now twisted into a hideous mockery of her former sweetness. I managed to speak to her only briefly before she struck out at me, but I doubt my words had any effect. I almost died that night, doctor. The strength embodied in that body was unbelievable. My magic protected me, but only just. I wish I could say I destroyed the golem that night, but I cannot. It was all I could do that night to drive the thing from our camp. Perhaps my powers were simply not sufficient, but I think my heart was also not in the terrible task. For although the monstrosity was intent upon my death, I sensed that some small shred of Vassa remained trapped within that lumbering body, aware of the horrible parody of life and beauty she had become.
I am convinced the boy who left our camp found some way to place Vassa's spirit in that hideous body. That one Vistana could do this to another is a great shame to our people. Van Richten, if you ever run into poor Vassa, you must destroy her. The human mind cannot even begin to comprehend the bleak horror of her new existence.
I have discovered several other occurrences in which a golem knows information only a particular loved one would know. We can only imagine the horror of finding oneself trapped in a golem's body, as one's humanity is slowly stripped away.
My only child, Erasmus, was placed in a similar situation when Baron Metus transformed him into a vampire. Erasmus came to me and asked me to destroy him, as he could feel his mind and his spirit twisting into some monstrosity. This I did for my brave, wonderful child. I can only believe that becoming a golem is just as horrible, if not more so, than what Erasmus experienced.
I have heard of but one instance where an individual was said to have been placed in a golem body, only to have the process reversed. The story was highly fragmented, and the source is suspect, but that does not mean the possibility should be discounted entirely. Where there is even a remote chance to save an innocent, people of conscience must strive to the utmost to reclaim that lost soul.
However, even if it is possible to reverse the procedure, I am certain there is an extremely limited period of time in which this could be accomplished. The reversal would need to be made before the original body died, although if the body could be resurrected it still might be possible to perform the reversal. An even , greater time limitation is the one imposed by the spirit itself. It cannot be very long before all remembrance of the spirit's former life disappears and the individual's life force becomes irretrievably warped, or even dissolved utterly. I would assume that the window of opportunity for such a reversal would be anywhere between several days and a month in length, depending upon a number of variables.
Brain Transplants
When considering flesh golems, there is one more way in which a spirit might be placed within the creature's body. Though I know very little of this method and it is truly horrid to contemplate, I would be remiss if I did not present it: The creator may actually transfer the physical brain of a living being into the prepared vessel. It is truly maddening to think that the golem's mind may retain some knowledge of its former self - and know the great atrocity that had been committed.
When the creator of the golem transfers a living brain into the body of the Created, the spirit of the brain's donor is also transferred. Of course, without a brain to direct its function, the body of the donor soon perishes. Such a transplant cannot work if the donor perishes before the transplant is complete, however. A dead brain can serve only as an empty vessel for the dark or stolen soul, as described earlier. The operation on the living tissue is extremely delicate and must be performed quickly; else the brain will surely perish and the spirit with it.
If the operation is successful, the spirit of the individual is transferred. A significant jolt of energy is required to bind the spirit to its new form. I shall address this topic below. Note, however, that the energy required to bind a transplanted spirit may not be as great as that used to bind a dark or stolen soul to the abysmal prison that is the golem body.
Once the body of the construct has been prepared, and the spirit has been selected or attracted toward it, the most difficult and mysterious portion of the creation process is yet to occur. Somehow, through a massive surge of energy, the golem spirit is bound to the vessel. A metaphysically transfiguring fusion of body and spirit occurs, and the golem comes to life. The precise manner by which this process works is only guessed at by researchers more gifted than myself.
My own poor excursions into the realm of theory have convinced me that the required energy can be either physical or what I term psychic in origin. A third force - magical energy - may also suffice, though it could be coupled with another form. I shall address magical animations briefly below and focus on the other two energy sources first. Whatever the source, however, there is no question that animation is achieved on at least some occasions.
The exact amount of energy required is unknown, if not immeasurable. However, in the physical case, we can estimate it to be at least the amount of energy transmitted in a bolt of lightning. There have been several documented cases in which lightning has either animated a golem construct or reanimated a golem that was thought to be destroyed.
Other equally powerful sources of energy would presumably serve the same purpose. However, whatever physical energy is applied must come in the form of a sudden shock or jolt. A steady but less potent energy flow does not provide the catalytic energy needed to bond the spirit to the body.
The exact process through which the spirit, the life essence as it were, of a living being is removed from its natural body and placed within the golem is unknown. However, it is certain that the two bodies must first be positioned closely together. If physical energy is to be used, the jolt required for animation must then strike both physical forms either simultaneously or in quick succession. If the energy jolt does not affect the bodies simultaneously, the living body must be the first to be struck.
I have noted many instances of successful animation, including that involving my dear friend, Antonin Madren, where the available evidence fails to reveal any readily apparent source of physical energy. Given the absence of physical or magical energy, I believe that the body and spirit are fused and transformed by the sudden release of psychic energy.
The creation of a golem is an act of evil - this is my firm belief. Further, the creators are driven by obsessions which almost inevitably plunge them into madness. These obsessions serve to justify to the creator evil deeds ranging from the petty to the most heinous imaginable. The creators of these golems are in agony, and all too often they have placed innocent victims in agony as well.
I theorize that the mad obsession, the pain and suffering, and above all, the overwhelming evil associated with the creation of a golem coalesce as a crackling, swirling nimbus of psychic energy around the creator and his created. This energy builds until the ultimate moment, when it suddenly reaches a transcendent peak at which it breaches the barriers between our material world and the darker world of spirits.
The surge of psychic energy draws the requisite spirit through the tattered barrier between the tangible and the intangible, into the vortex which is the Created. Whether the spirit is a dark and evil being which exults in its new-found form, or an innocent soul silently screaming against its fate, it has now combined with the physical shell prepared by the creator to form a golem.
I realize that at first blush this theory may seem radical, even somewhat wild, to some. Yet careful study and research will reveal that this theory in all ways comports with observed reality and provides a logical explanation for the otherwise inexplicable.
Every creator carefully chooses the materials used to construct his "child." Many choose the animating spirit, or personality, just as selectively. Some creators, such as the young Vistani man of Cyrilla's acquaintance, become obsessed with a specific individual and attempt to place that person's spirit within the golem.
The massive energy current causes the spirit to separate and transfer from its original body to that of the waiting golem. The transference understandably causes some degradation of the personality, including memory loss, confusion, and a return to a childlike state of being. I have heard tell of some very few people who maintained some memories of the experience and were able, with the help of their comrades to reverse the process.
I must say that the hope of such a reversal is exceedingly slim. Besides requiring the original body to survive another massive energy charge, the window of opportunity for such a reversal is very small for two reasons. In the first place, the original body will die in a matter of weeks without a personality residing within it. To keep the body functional for even that long requires near constant care.
Secondly, and most importantly, even if the new golem maintains much of its former personality, that personality is already degrading. Certainly within the course of a month the old personality will be utterly gone, replaced by a hateful, lonely, sociopathic creature with no hope of redemption.
It has long been known that wizards, and to a lesser degree priests, can create certain types of golems, including flesh, bone, clay, glass, iron, stone. (The list of types animated through magic is actually longer, of course, but the permutations are not important to the discussion at hand.) The mages and priests who create these golems do so through a rigorous process of research and the casting of multiple spells. There are even rumored to be a few manuals holding the secrets of golem creation somewhere in this misty realm.
The "traditional" automaton created by a wizard or priest is the only golem a player character (PC) can create while in Ravenloft. In other words, only those PCs who are high-level wizards or priests can succeed. A player character may not even attempt to create the golems through obsession (the method discussed throughout this book).Such an act hardly qualifies as a noble pursuit. The attempt to create life in this manner is suspect in any world. However, those who toy at such grand schemes in Ravenloft place themselves in special peril, for the powers of the Demiplane itself are apt to supply the spirit that will inhabit the vessel. Any character who does attempt to create a golem is subject to powers checks: one for every month of research or work. A powers check is also in order whenever the PC commits an evil act associated with the construction - robbing a grave, for example. The base chance for attracting the attention of the dark powers for making a golem is 10% in this case. (As usual, DMs should feel free to adjust this percentage to suit their campaigns.)
Thus, the PC who embarks on this course of action is following the path to self-destruction (DMs should make this clear to players). In no way should creating a golem be beneficial to a player character. It is an evil act, and usually proves fatal in time. Even if the PC succeeds, his creation will do everything in its power to free itself and turn on its creator (the PC).
I believe the creators of such golems enjoy more control over their progeny than the twisted personalities who animate a golem through their madness and obsession alone. This is not to say that these mages and priests do not risk their creation turning upon them, however. The risk is always present, and it grows over the course of time. Despite the research and methodical planning, despite the great intelligence of the creators, the eventuality is much the same. Even a golem created through magic grows to despise its creator. In time, the creator will lose control of the monster and face possible death at the golem's hands.
I take this to mean that the powerful magical workings involved in creating the golem and bringing it to life eventually involve the same dark forces that give shape to other golems in Ravenloft. The process may at first appear different due to the creator's greater degree of control, but this may simply serve to lull an incautious creator to his doom.
Astute readers may be wondering why the creators of flesh golems do not simply choose one body to house the darkling or stolen spirit that will bring it to life. After all, this is surely the simplest course of action. Instead of spending hours in dark graveyards and hospices, risking discovery many times over, the would-be creator could simply select an appropriate vessel that is whole. The vessel would also be seamless in appearance, physically impossible to discern from normal mortals of its species. Nonetheless, as I noted in the previous chapter, at least six bodies must be used in the construction of a flesh golem. I believe several reasons determine why no single corpse can suffice. Some involve the mindset of the creator himself. Others, which are alone is simply insufficient for this task. Furthermore, I suspect that the spark of life within a single body is too closely connected to the spirit of the person who once inhabited the vessel - and thus, the body automatically rejects an invading presence. Any portion of a corpse still retains that spark of life, although it is diminished. Thus, the spark of life within just one body may be insufficient, but when the life energy remaining in several bodies is combined, it may create a force great enough to allow animation. Furthermore, a body cobbled from multiple forms may not contain enough of any single personality's essence to prevent a new spirit from entering it. As I have stated, these are but theories; I have no proof to support my claims. However, one thing is assured: I have never seen, nor heard of, a flesh golem that was fashioned from fewer than six separate bodies (though some were assembled from more than twenty!). Thus, we can be reasonably assured that no single corpse may ever count itself among the Created.
March the Eleventh
To whomever may find this note:
I do not know how long I shall have before they come looking for me. But when I leave this world, I wish to hold the knowledge that I performed at least this one courageous act, however small, before my death. Would I had the strength to have opened my eyes sooner!
Now I must somehow set to paper the words which I can hardly bear to think. The child that my barren body could never bear has been brought into this world; even now it crawls through the halls of this fell place, somehow alive. But where a true child is a blessing, the thing below is a blighted curse! No child of mine.
Though he readily accepted my family's fortune, my husband could never accept my barrenness. His need for children was strong. But I neuer knew how strong, neuer thought of his need when the babies began to disappear from the neighboring morgue... until this morning when I discovered his journal.
He - a doctor, sworn to nurture and fight for the life of every patient - he took those poor infants and stole their chance for eternal peace. This very evening I followed him to his laboratory, and there saw a strange infant lying upon a table, wrapped in layers of dark blue wool. The smell of antiseptic was everywhere, the air so close I must have swooned. The next thing I remember was a horrid crashing sound and the scent of burning wool. Light dazzled my eyes, and it was a few moments before I could again see properly.
When my vision cleared, I saw him holding the infant aloft, exactly as I had seen him hold the babies of our acquaintances. But this - this thing was a deformed parody of thosejoyous infants, its arms and legs disjointed, its face deformed. And the silence! Such grave silence from a newborn. Then I saw the hideous eyes, the flesh, this child sewn together as a quilt is pieced, from the scavenged remains of -
Ah! He has found me... I write these final words even as he struggles to break down the door. He whom I took to be my husband but five years ago - he has determined to murder me to hide his secret. You who read this know that if I am gone, but my husband and his creation may yet live! I only pray this journal falls into the hands of good people who will use the knowledge to stop my husband and his child, and others like them if there is more such evil in this world!
