The Magician’s Diaries: Golem Origins in Earth Elementals

Hello my children,

Hello all, welcome to another week’s programming. In preparation for the coming spring equinox, I would like to celebrate by examining the most ancient forms of magical mastery in recorded and recoverable history: golems and elementals.

It is important to first define what is different between these commonly interchangeable words. Golems are constructs formed out of the hands of human interaction and a desire to replicate what had been seen around them. Elementals, on the other hand, are naturally occurring creatures imbued with the raw energy of The Earthmother herself.

Golems are uniformly made out of physical materials by past and present folk: clay, wood, iron, steel, flesh, and rock are all common building blocks at which an elemental focus is surrounded. This is to say, golems are not and never have been composed of the same material as fire, wind, and water elementals because the common peoples of this land are capable only of working in terms of which they are naturally inclined. As the mighty angels above may spin silk out of clouds, and the humble imp below may tickle with glee as it animates fire to do its bidding, we are meant only to skip stones and arrange bark into our desired image. 

However, I of all should know better that a magician’s journey is to rise above the confines of our natural disposition in order to conquer what was, supposedly, never meant to be conquered. That is precisely what elevates us common folk, and that is what has led to our continued fascination with these four elements. What reason is there to study nature except to surpass and disallow ourselves from standing idly by as it consumes us all? We will not be the hunter, but instead the hunted.

That, in my humble opinion, is what first motivated the folk of this land to create golems. Such creatures are an early form of programmed magic with one intention only: to protect the creator and the creator’s property (be it innate or sentient). An easy principle to relate to, no? This is why golems have been found dating back thousands and thousands of years, and in the opinion of people smarter than myself, even to before The Court’s first ascension. Having performed some fieldwork under the guise of a ratcatcher, I can state with humble confidence that the prevalence of golem creation has predated every single empire, every city of high repute, and every magical stronghold on this continent. 

The interesting thing is that in one’s adventures, one can observe the evolving design philosophy of golem production. When first attempting to recreate their natural world, artisans had little artistic president as compared to modern, masterful proportions and sculptural technique. This is why that, when delving into tombs of forgotten horrors and riches, the easiest measure of age is the complexity of golem-like constructs within the tomb.

In order to create a golem one requires a magical focus of some kind– usually by crushing up and binding together refined magical residuum. I hope I need not explain to you the significance of residuum, but for the uninitiated, let me point to the green crystals found within these animated geodes. Pictured beside them are two examples of an object that constitutes a magical focus: one is a smaller unrefined geode found just 100 leagues from this university, and the other is a modern design of my own.

By pulverizing the crystal and suspending the dust in an arcane conductive medium, we are able to arrange our material bases in many more complex structures than any of our ancestors could have dreamed of.

I’m afraid I have run up time again with my ramblings. No matter, for I will have time to speak more about this subject as we inch closer and closer towards the spring equinox where we will find elemental power at its peak.

Until next time,

-The Magician