Van Richten's Guide to Created

My child, my creation. No longer does she gift me with sweet smiles and flowers. No more does she greet me with pretty words and the music of her laughter. The trinkets that once pleased her so, she now hurls back at me, along with a torrent of foul epithets.

How could my Alice, she who I labored so hard for, treat me thus? It seems she grows more wicked and willful with every passing day. It is almost as if we are both she and I, slowly awakening from a beautiful dream where I played the part of the doting father, and she the loving daughter. But what we will find ourselves upon awakening I find too terrible to contemplate.

- From the journal of Thor Hessen

Psychology

The terror of the unknown is with us from birth. It is part and parcel of being alive. No matter how sophisticated, how strong, or how learned we become, the fear is always there, lurking somewhere in the back of our minds.

When facing a foe as terrifyingly alien as the golem, it is easy to succumb to our age-old fear of the unknown. This fear can cause our own minds and bodies to fail us, just as a weak heart can betray the strongest of warriors. How can we best overcome the mind-numbing terror and knee-weakening horror that is one of the golem's most insidious advantages? Knowledge, pure and simple.

One of the many reasons golems are so horrifying to most of us is simply that we have no psychological context in which to place them or their actions. When facing a mortal foe, we believe we have an understanding of his motives. Many desires and drives are universal to all peoples. The desire to live, to love, to raise families are wishes with which we can identify.

But the Created do not share our mortality. Nor do they share our life cycle. Theirs is a world alien to our own, with seemingly little in common.

Attaining some understanding of the psychology of the Created serves a dual purpose. In the first place, it gives those who choose to hunt these creatures a better understanding of their foe. This knowledge can provide a crucial, even life-saving advantage to the golem hunter. The second reason this knowledge is so valuable is far more primal: The more we know about the "bogeyman," the less power our own fear has over us.

Of course, the Created are no mere shadows under the bed. The truth may at first be more horrifying than the vague fears of ignorance. But the truth is far more likely to provide the light needed to find one's way to victory. Ignorance in those who would hunt the Created simply ends in letters of sympathy to their bereaved relatives.

To examine the psychology of the Created, we must begin by discussing their mental development. (Of course, I exclude from this discussion any creature that might be described as a mindless automaton, for such golems are not the focus of this work.) As mortals, we grow and develop over the course of many years. Beginning as helpless infants whose only thought is our own comfort, we gradually mature both physically and mentally.

Golems apparently undergo a maturation process as well. However, this process is solely psychological in nature, since the golem begins its existence in a grotesque body that is fully developed. Further, the golem's maturation takes place much more rapidly than our own mental and emotional growth. While our passage from child to adult spans decades, the golem's entire cycle of maturation can take place in a period ranging from as little as several weeks to no more than a year.

In order to better understand the golem's mental development, I have utilized the research of Dr. Wilheim Kohl, a brilliant university teacher specializing in the workings of the mind. In his fascinating treatise, Foundations of Morality, Dr. Kohl outlined a system of five stages to categorize the moral development of humans.

I have taken the liberty of reworking Dr. Kohl's development theory to apply it to golems. I hope the good doctor will forgive my twisting of his concepts, but i believe this to be the best way to undertake an examination of the maturation process of the Created. The five stages below are given in order, beginning with the golem's initial, immature mental state and ending with the mentally mature golem. Each stage is illustrated by a passage from a diary I have in my possession, which neatly describes a golem's psychological advancement.

While reading this section, keep in mind that the stages presented are mere tools for developing a rudimentary understanding of the golem's mental maturation. The discussion is general in nature, and there is surely a wide degree of variation in the development of individual creatures.

Allow me to add one further note: What is considered development for the golem would most certainly be seen as mental disorder in a person. In no way are the stages given below meant to reflect normal human development.

Our first days together have been everything I knew they would be. Alice worships me, and today, for the very first time, she called me Father. Oh, I have so much to teach her! She is a tabula rasa, a blank tablet on which I can bestow all my vast knowledge and learning. I am certain she will appreciate me as those imbeciles at the University could never do.

At the beginning of its existence, a golem is childlike in its dependence upon the creator. The shock of fusing with the golem body has not worn off, and the golem's mind has not yet recovered from this experience.

If the golem's life essence was drawn from a living being, the golem may well experience nightmares. These nightmares are most probably warped memories of its former life.

In any case, the golem will also find it has an uncanny ability to sense what is important to its creator. This ability seems to the first sign of the near-telepathic bond between the pair (see Chapter Three for further details). Why the golem has this bond is unknown, but with few exceptions it holds true.

The golem may well feel the need to be in constant proximity to its creator, its protector at this stage of development. Furthermore, the clumsiness of its new body may add to this feeling of need. For at least the first several weeks of its existence, the golem must learn to properly use its powerful physical form. This may cause some difficulties for the monster's creator, imagine a two-year-old human child suddenly thrust into the body of an ogre, and the inherent dangers become obvious.

The golem's view of its creator helps temper these dangers. New to the world and its plight, the golem probably sees its creator as an omnipotent, godlike being who is utterly responsible for the golem's life and well-being. To the newly created monster, the "parent" may be perfection, utterly infallible. The creator will be obeyed out of a mixture of fear and respect, and the golem typically craves the attention and approval of its master.

Is it possible for any creature, any living being, to be inherently evil? Such an assertion may itself facilitate the committing of evil acts. By viewing any person as inherently evil, we take away his ability to be anything else. All actions are seen as being motivated by the individual's evil. Even acts of kindness are questioned, and assumed to have ulterior motives. Thus the person is never rewarded for behaving properly. Similarly, by defining a person as evil we also glue that person free rein to behave as he will. After all, he is not responsible for his euil nature and thus he feels no compunction to behave properly.

This stage of relative innocence and obedience can last anywhere from a few days to more than a month. However, should the creature confront a person other than the creator - and discover the horror and disgust with which a sane person inevitably views the golem - then the creature may quickly enter the second phase of development: confusion.

Yesterday Alice was exploring the lower parlor, where she apparently disturbed the maid. The woman reacted poorly, shrieking and causing a scene. Since that time, Alyce has seemed almost pensive. I believe I shall remove the mirrors from this wing of the manor. The looking glasses seem somehow to upset my dear Alyce.

Within a relatively short period, the golem must begin to realize its repulsiveness to other beings. The golem looks into a mirror, or sees the horror with which all but perhaps its creator gaze upon it. Recognizing that it is somehow a different kind of creature than its parent, the golem may well grow confused. Ironically, by this time the initial shock caused by binding the spirit to the golem's body has certainly faded, and so too has the resulting disorientation. The creature's intelligence can be measured as average - high enough to understand its pitiful position within the society around it.

Think on how a foundling child often feels when he first discovers he is different from other family members. It is an isolating experience, although it is also one from which a healthy child soon recovers. But the golem does not share the healthy mind of a mortal child. Furthermore, the golem's isolation is much greater than the foundling's. The creature's own evil nature sets it apart. Soon the combination of its powerful body, feelings of isolation and confusion, and its inherent nature goad the golem into questioning the omnipotence of its creator. The golem may even attempt to get its parent to change its body into a more "pleasing" form, one similar to the creators.

In any event, it is at this stage the golem first begins to turn away from its creator. At some point, the creator will be unable to meet one of his creation's demands, or the golem will be rejected in its attempts at friendship with others. Then the golem's first feelings of betrayal begin to emerge, and it is on its way to the third phase of development.

The second stage represents the last period of "innocence" for the golem, if it is even possible for us to speak of an innocent golem. Beyond this, the inherent evil of the creature begins to truly manifest. The length of this stage varies greatly, but it is likely to be anywhere from one week to two months in duration.

Today I found the dogs - all flve of my loyal wolfhounds. She left them by the grand fireplace where they so often, warmed themselves after the hunt. But today their bodies were as cold as the ashes from last winter's fires. Alice is growing more vehement in her outbursts, with unacceptable results. I shall have to have a long talk with her.

Now the true evil of the golem begins to surface. The creature senses its own perversity, and realizes how alone it truly is among mortals. The golem's creator - and thus the entire world - has betrayed it.

The creature suffers a fundamental lacking: It has no sense of continuity and connection to the rest of the world. The only person at all capable of understanding the fledgling golem is its creator, the golem's erstwhile parent. However, in my opinion, any person capable of constructing a golem is himself lacking in some fundamental manner. Furthermore, even if that parent still views the golem favorably, by this time the parent has inevitably failed the golem. And the golem, feeling it has little control over its own life and environment, begins to rebel.

This process may sound very similar to the distancing an adolescent normally undergoes in relation to his family. The crucial distinction here is that the teenager moves farther from his parents in an effort to gain acceptance in society as a whole. In contrast, the golem rejects his only source of companionship and moves only toward an even greater isolation.

The creature's developing intelligence and intimate knowledge of its creator may compound the feelings of betrayal caused by the golem's isolation. As the telepathic bond between a golem and its creator strengthens, the golem begins to sense its maker's selfish motives. Consciously or subconsciously, the golem comes to realize that its welfare is not the creator's sole concern, and that it has been sentenced to an existence of monstrous isolation and rejection by all living beings.

As the creature examines the differences between itself and mortals, it discovers its great strength and abilities. It tests those abilities more and more. The creature comes to realize that it boasts the physical capacity to do almost whatever it wishes. The only thing standing in its way is its creator: the parent who refuses to let the golem have its way in all things.

Soon the golem releases its frustrations in various forms of destruction, from mayhem to murder. Through that destruction, the golem at last begins to realize its true power. At some point its creator will be forced to confront his creation. He may well find himself inadequate to the task. After all, he has created a being far more powerful than himself.

This stage normally lasts but a few days. The golem will escalate its evil acts until it forces its creator into a confrontation of some sort. Once this confrontation occurs, the next stage in the golem's mental development is inevitable.

It seems I grow wearier with every passing hour. Even as I write this passage, I can hear her dainty footsteps in the bail outside my room. Soon she will begin singing that song again. Ah, yes! It begins again:

Father, father, come out to play,
Father, father, come out I pray.
Father, father, do not cry,
Your dear Alice cannot die.

How much longer I can tolerate her taunting I do not know. But I must not stand for this. She was made to be my sweet daughter, and daughters do as their fathers command!

When the golem provokes its creator into a confrontation, it discovers the relative impotence of its parent. The parent can threaten, but he has lost all true control over the golem. Once this realization sets in, the golem becomes utterly contemptuous of the weakling who masqueraded as its master. Within the golem's mind a synthesis occurs: The creature's sense of power combines with the awareness that it may live forever in a world that rejects it utterly, creating a scorn that burns more intensely than any natural flame.

The intellect of the golem is now fully developed, and it includes a penchant for manipulation as well as a facile cunning. The one-way telepathic bond the golem has with its creator now lends the creature an extraordinary understanding of that person. In the golem's own twisted way, it fully comprehends the pathetic weaknesses, selfish obsession, and madness that make up its creator's psyche.

All people, even the noblest of us, have private thoughts and feelings not fit for revelation to others. Most of us attempt to moderate and conceal these unsavory aspects of ourselves. We also keep within our hearts cherished needs, loves, and desires that we may not even share with our closest intimates.

The golem has access to the deepest recesses of its creator's heart, mind, and soul. This total knowledge inevitably breeds contempt. It also allows the golem to use its evil cunning to torment its creator. The creature cannot help but know what actions hurt its creator most. Soon it is not enough to simply deride the creator - the golem feels the need to flaunt its superiority to any who might fail to see the chasm separating the pathetic parent and his powerful child.

I have observed enormous differences between individual golems at this stage of development. However, all golems must surely grow to feel contempt for their creator. The more the creator attempts to control his creation, the sooner the final stage in the golem's development will commence - the stage in which the golem's contempt gives way to hatred and the creator's days become numbered. After that, it is simply a matter of time.

I will go to her and make her understand. She is my daughter and must obey. If she refuses yet again, I will be forced to cast her out and begin the process of creation a second time.

After all my long months of labor; to be betrayed by such an ungrateful wretch - it is unthinkable! I made her; if not for me she would be nothing but moldering flesh. She owes me both her obedience and her gratitude, and I shall have both in full measure. She shall give me what I have earned!

In this final stage, the golem's contempt for its creator deepens, becoming a dark, malevolent hatred. The creator must come face to face with the consequences of his own evil, embodied in the fury of his creation.

Just as contempt gives way to hatred, the golem's need to flaunt its superiority gives way to a desire to destroy the creator. The creature seeks to murder its parent, thereby severing its last tie to the living. This murder may not take place immediately, however. While most golems do attempt to dispatch with their creators posthaste, I have known of a few creatures who purposefully delayed the act. These golems took their time in planning or attempting the deed, apparently for the sheer enjoyment of tormenting their creators. Thus, even if a golem does not immediately succeed at patricide, the creator will always be in danger.

The creator is at a distinct disadvantage in such a contest. The golem is powerful foe against any mortal, but the creator is especially vulnerable. As noted earlier, the golem boasts an extraordinary bond to the creator's mind - a bond which enables it to know the creator better than the creator knows himself. Armed with such intimate knowledge, the golem may anticipate every action and reaction of its creator as it plots to destroy the puny, insignificant wretch who once dared to use and control it.

The information above details the mental development and separation process the golem experiences over the course of its "childhood." However, it does not address the actual psychology of the golem - its individual perceptions and feelings about itself and its new world. I shall address those issues in the following section.

Psychology is an inexact science at best. Even the most learned mages and scholars do not truly understand the inner workings of a sane man's mind, much less the twisted psyche of a golem. This is not to say that a knowledge of psychology is worthless: quite the contrary. Just as we would not throw away an entire loaf of bread simply because a few bites were missing, so we should not dismiss the advantage that a knowledge of our enemy's thought processes can give us simply because that knowledge is incomplete.

Since we know so little about our own minds, readers may assume we must know almost nothing about the Created. That is not necessarily true. The mind of a golem seems much less complex than that of the Born. Perhaps the enormous shock the Created undergo upon their "birth" is the source of this relative simplicity. Of course, I do not wish to imply that these creatures are stupid, or that one golem's mind is the same as the next's. However, the creatures do appear limited in the scope of their thought processes. This may explain why many golems tend to fixate on a single driving obsession.

With these comments in mind, let us now turn to a brief study of the psychology of the golem. Much of the information I am about to share is derived from an exchange of letters between me and Doctor Cassien Attenberg, a noted specialist in nonhuman psychology, as well as an esteemed colleague and friend. I have included key excerpts from Doctor Attenberg's letters to help illustrate each point.

... As to your inquiry on the matter of the Created and their concept of the Self: The answer must surely be that they do have this conception. However, the conception of Self possessed by a golem must be a terrible one, for it seems to me the golem is similar to a feral child - raised to maturity without benefit of an appropriate figure with which to identify (a parental golem). Thus its self concept derives from its own experiences and the warping influence of its creator...

Many theorists maintain that one of the basic requirements for true sentience is that the creature or being in question has an awareness of the Self. By this we mean that the being must be aware of its identity as an individual - be self-aware as it were - in order to be considered truly sentient.

Through the evidence I and others have collected over the years, both first- and second-hand, it does indeed appear that the Created qualify as sentient beings. Although their consciousness is quite alien to our own, there is no question but that a golem is truly aware of its own existence as a separate being. And if a golem is indeed self-aware, then how does the creature view itself? That is the question I shall next address. However, before focusing on the Created in particular, I believe it would be helpful to briefly discuss a particular phenomenon occasionally found in human children.

Normal mortal children experience a series of stages in which they slowly develop their own sense of separate identity. If raised in a warm and loving home, a child will grow to appreciate his own worth. Such a child will, in all probability, grow up to become a productive member of his community.

However, a child who is raised in an abusive environment - and unfortunately I have seen far too many such cases - often fails to develop a sense of his own self-worth and acceptability. Such children often wind up spending their adult lives as criminals, hermits, or as other sundry social misfits.

But what of the children raised in loving homes - wanting for nothing, given education both moral and intellectual - who commit evil, despicable acts despite all the advantages a healthy environment can offer? Parents of such children often despair at their own, personal failings, wondering what they did to cause their child to behave so cruelly. When questioned, it often comes to light that the child began to behave in a selfish, cruel manner at a very early age. Such children are often labeled "bad seeds." It is perhaps an unfortunate label, and only applies to the smallest fraction of children, but in such cases it appears that the child is born with the ability to form a sense of self, but without the capability to truly care about and form attachments to others.

I mention such children for one simple reason. The Created may be the ultimate "bad seeds," incapable of identifying with others and thus incapable of true morality. Initially, golems appear to be simply curious about themselves. Like small children, they experiment and revel in new-found abilities and talents. However, as a golem grows to realize its true nature and how it came to be. the golem often begins to view itself with ever greater self-loathing. The creature realizes it can never be truly accepted by the Born and can never partake of the cycle of life (for, as I have mentioned, golems are infertile). It grows to understand how horrifying others find it, and how mortals look upon its cobbled-together body with revulsion and disgust.

Many factors in combination, certainly not limited to the ideation above, cause the golem's opinion of itself to shift. Where it initially viewed itself with mere curiosity, the golem becomes a creature filled with self-loathing. Perhaps this seeming incapacity for self-acceptance and love is at the base of the golem's evil. Perhaps when a spirit is forced into the waiting vessel - the golem body - any ability to truly love and care is lost in the process. Whatever the ultimate reasons, suffice it to say that the golem views itself with hatred.

... but how terrible it must be to always look into the mind of one's "parent." All parents occasionally think ill of their children, but good parents give only constructive criticism to their young. Children need to feel secure in that they are loved and deserving of love. It is inherently impossible for a golem to feel this way. Even worse, the mind with which the golem is in constant contact from the moment of its genesis is twisted and harmful. Children who are raised by abusive and mean-spirited parents so often grow up to be the same. Think on what such intimate contact must do to the golem's mind!

As discussed earlier, a golem's view toward its creator changes dramatically as it matures. When new to the world, the golem views its creator as an omnipotent parental figure, a virtual god. As the golem becomes more self aware, however, its opinion of its creator degenerates. In the end, the golem views its creator as the author of its misery and loneliness. Hatred and contempt replace the feelings of awe and respect. 1 have already asserted that this progression stems in part from the unique, one-way telepathy binding the golem to its creator. It seems that the golem is in near-constant contact with the creator's thoughts and feelings. The creator of a golem is an insane individual, obsessed and evil. Thus, it is my firm belief that this link contributes greatly to the golem's own warped psychology.

Some sages do not agree that all golem creators are evil madmen, noting that noble priests might also fashion a golem. I say there is nothing noble at all in such a pursuit. True, a kindly cleric may fashion a mindless automaton, and do so with the best of intentions. I condemn the act nonetheless. As I warned at the onset of this work, those who create life in this heinous fashion are toying with dark and deadly powers, and they will sacrifice their own humanity as a result.

Obviously, the golem cannot help but be affected by its constant, intimate contact with such depravity. Every time the golem fails its parent, it most assuredly feels the rejection of its creator. The fact that such rejection may not be outwardly expressed makes it no less acute. The creature, in turn, lashes out against the one who caused it pain, once more earning the disapproval of its parent. 1 am certain this vicious cycle is a central factor contributing to both the golem's self-hatred and its loathing for its creator. So closely entwined are these emotions that it is almost impossible to intelligently discuss a golem's feelings for itself or for its creator as separate topics.

The golem appears to understand that other beings have a concrete existence-that we are not merely shadows and smoke, but thinking and feeling creatures. Still, the Created may be termed a sociopathic race, for when a golem decides on a given course of action, it considers only the action's effects on itself: No other factors - such as the consequences to others - are considered valid. What is right is whatever the golem finds pleasing.

Among the most evil aspects of the golem is its complete lack of empathy for living creatures. It views all other creatures as objects. In part, this is because the golem is incapable of feeling true pain, or at least it does not experience pain as we do. The golem's only experience of physical anguish is gained vicariously through its telepathic link to its creator, and even then there is no evidence the golem actually feels its creator's pain. Having no understanding of pain, the golem is unlikely to feel any qualms about inflicting it.

In a similar vein, the golem may not be able to truly comprehend death. To the golem, a life has no more value than a wind-up toy. We do not feel a toy has "died" simply because it stops working. If this occurs, we merely go out to purchase another toy.

I have encountered a few golems who appeared to form an attachment to a particular mortal, who even professed to love that person. But it is safe to say that such a golem cannot comprehend the true meaning of this emotion, much less experience it. instead, the golem feels something more akin to obsession - a selfish, blinding desire not unlike the emotion festering inside its creator.

In examining the relationship golems have with one another, I have often observed the psychological phenomenon known as transference. When this occurs in humans and demihumans, feelings about oneself and ones actions are externalized and are then ascribed to someone else. For example, an individual who feels that he is lazy may transfer this feeling onto, say, his son and accuse the son of being shiftless and lazy. Such individuals find it easier to take out their feelings on others than to confront their own feelings of inadequacy.

As stated earlier, golems grow to hate themselves. Such self-loathing could easily transfer onto any other golems encountered. Of course, this would not cause the golem to like itself any better, but it would provide another - perhaps fatal - target or outlet for its hatred and violence.

The golem is, in essence, a creature of isolation. It is cut off from the natural processes, removed from the cycle of life and death to which most creatures belong. As such, it does not necessarily feel the same need for others of its kind that we, as social creatures, feel. Biologically speaking, there is no reason for one golem to interact with another member of the Created. Such interaction never leads to procreation and the furtherance of golems "as a species," so to speak.

However, we must remember that golems are individuals, and it is dangerous to paint them in strokes which are too broad. Simply because there is no valid biological reason for golems to interact with one another does not mean they have no desire to do so. Some golems loathe their ultimate isolation and the constant, violent rejections of others with whom they come in contact. It is certainly reasonable to believe other golems would be more accepting of the hideous visage and terrifying powers of the Created, as they themselves almost surely possess the same.

The following transcription lends support to this theory. A priest of impeccable repute sent the text, which describes the experience of a chimney sweep in Lamordia, to me. At the time of this writing, I have no confirmation that this evidence is valid. However, the priest vouches for the witness' sterling reputation. Furthermore, the priest has also related persistent rumors and stories about Lamordia's "devil man" - stories that seem relatively consistent with the fellow's account below, or at least with the existence of one or more flesh golems in the area.

I were in the chimney when it all happened. How, I know that might sound sort of crazy, bein' in the chimney, but it weren't. I'm a chimney sweep by trade, so I spend iots of time in lots of chimneys. I'm a good sweep, too - ask anyone. Never had a single complaint.

Course'n the poor fellow whose chimney I was in when it happened has got a right to 'is complaint, which I'm sure he'd make if'n he could. After all, I didn't help him none. I feel real bad about that, but it just didn't seem like there was much I could do, so' why get myself nicked too? Truth be it, I was too scared to move anyways. Just kept hopin' I wouldn't sneeze. Garson's chimney was a real sight of a mess, it was! Course, now so's Garson, poor sod.

Anyway, I was up in the chimney, but there was this piece of a brick missing, so's I could peak into the room if I put my eye to the hole. I was just pokin' on that broken brick to see if the whole thing weren't loose when Garson got a knock on his door. He was Just getting around to it when ! heard this splinterin' thud of a sound. It was like the sound of splitting a thin slice o' hardwood.

Well, Garson was up like a rabbit and I could just make out this look on his face, worse'n if it was the tax collector or somethin'. Then these arms... these arms Just reached out and grabbed his neck. I couldn 't make out the killer too well on account of he was wearing this dark, hooded cloak, but his arms and hands ... Well, they was in worse shape than any blacksmith's I've ever seen. It was like you took some body parts and stitched 'em together - only they worked!

The whole thing must of only taken a second. Then Garson's neck snapped and I knew he was dead. And then I saw the other two. They alt three wore the same type of hooded cloak. One of 'em had a good-sized bundle in his arms, and I suppose now that must have been Garson's wife, since she's missing too. Anyway, just as these three was leavin', ! caught a glimpse of the first one's face. f ain't afraid to say f fainted right then and there - but lucky for me I got stuck in the chimney when I slumped down. Anyhow, that first one's face was all pieced together and weird. It's probably a good thing I did faint, else ! think I would've screamed me head off. Would've been the end of me too, then...

The witness goes on for a while longer, but the most likely assumption here is that the individuals in question were flesh golems working together. It certainly brings up the possibility that there might be a small group of golems living and working as a team in Lamordia. If so, they might have formed the rudiments of a society.

It would not be illogical to suppose that a few flesh golems have formed some sort of family unit and are attempting to find a means of propagating their species. We can only pray that such is not the case, or at least that it is ultimately impossible for one golem to create another. Even a small army of golems could obliterate whole cities with little effort.

One final note on the story above: The chimney sweep in question apparently disappeared himself less than a week after giving his testimony to the priest. It is unfortunate, as I would have liked to personally question the man. At least his story went on record. I wonder how many such stories have gone untold?

No creature can go through life without goals. Even the ant and the toad have goals, however simple they may seem to you and me. But to the ant digging its tunnel, or the swallow feeding her hatchlings, our goals are as irrelevant to them as theirs are to us. What is important, what is precious, is ail simply a matter of perspective.

Humans and demihumans, like all creatures, can be seen as having a number of different goals, some more important than others. First and foremost we need sustenance, shelter, and other basic necessities of life. Once these basic needs are met, we can concentrate on our more individualistic or esoteric concerns.

The Created do not share the basic needs for shelter and sustenance confronting the Born. Thus, a golem faces an existence in which goals can be seized almost at random. Yet in my experience it is almost invariably true that the golem's main goals and concerns are either similar to their creator's or, even more common, a perversion of such goals. The ultimate twist, of course, is the most deadly: The creator wishes to live, but the golem, in time, wishes to destroy that life. This murder is often the golem's overriding concern so long as its creator survives, Golems have numerous other concerns, however. As mentioned above, many golems do seem to have a great and unfulfilled wish to be accepted by others. Thus, another common and ultimately unattainable goal is the desire to propagate their species. Beyond this, goals may vary widely between individual golems, and often seem inscrutable to sane mortals.

Knowledge of a particular golem's specific goals can aid those of us who seek to destroy them. It is at times possible to stage a combat in the time and place of one's own choosing, instead of a situation favoring the golem. This advantage can be gained only through shrewd guesswork and observation, but such groundwork may provide the key to determining what is important to the golem, and thus what might move the creature to come to your chosen place of battle.

Whatever their individual desires may be, it seems that all golems have a tendency to fixate on one particular goal at any given time. Unlike humans and demihumans who constantly strive to achieve numerous goals, the golem focuses its indomitable will on one goal at a time. This single-mindedness is a double-edged sword to the golem's foes. It makes the golem more predictable, but it also makes the creature unyielding, and perhaps even unstoppable.

Although it is extremely tempting to assume that a golem is such a hate-filled creature that it despises everything, caring about nothing save itself, this is perhaps too simple a position.

I do not believe that any creature fueled only by such an emotion can function. It has been suggested by some that, while a golem does not hate everything, it at best feels apathy toward a being or subject. This too seem? inadequate. Both of the above opinions suggest we may be incapable of understanding what such a creature as a golem cares about. Their concerns are surely different from our own.

Throughout this chapter I have attempted to put forlh possible concerns and needs of the Created. What the psychology of the golem may most nearly mirror is the psychology of the sociopath who suffered trauma or abuse as a child. Although I feel sympathy for such an injured youth. I cannot feel the same for an adult who expresses his needs through violence and pain. placing his concerns above all others. The golem may well be such a creature, abused by its "parent," shunned by society, The golem may well wish for acceptance, may even yearn to please. So. in some manner I grieve for this creature brought into our world only to know hate rather than love. But this does not excuse or lessen the golem's evil actions and its basic inability to truly care about others.