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Lore:Golem

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This article is about the creature. For the constellation, see The Atronach.

A Direnni Stone Golem
(ESO)

Golems are artificial creatures created from non-living or inanimate matter and animated by magic, often to act as as familiars or companions to powerful sorcerers.[1][2] They are also sometimes known as Atronachs,[3] an inconsistent term that applies to both Elemental Daedra and non-daedric constructs.[nb 1] Golems generally are first crafted with the arcane arts using various materials, typically fashioned in a humanoid image, and animated to perform certain tasks such as serving as guardians.[1] Many golems serve as statues when dormant.

The magic of giving life to inanimate material is sometimes referred to as a atronachy. Golems are typically given life by imbuing them with them with a mortal soul or Daedric vestige.[4][5][6] Though some are just animated by magicka. More advanced golems, such as automatons, are animated in-part by their own mechanical parts, but some are also know to use filled soul gems as a source of power.[7][8][9] Golems can be created with the ability to the speak,[10] and some seem to possess free will or higher thought.[4][11] Some golems have even been known to go rogue, lamenting their prior treatment.[4]

Known Types of GolemEdit

ArmorEdit

Animated suits of armor are a somewhat common form of construct. These are often animated by souls or other necromantic means.

Mournful Aegises are one example, being giant suits of armor animated by powerful Yokudan necromancy. Soulrazer Knights are a fairly mysterious example as there are differing accounts of their nature.[12]

  • Animated Armor
    (ESO)

  • Mournful Aegis
    (ESO)

  • Soulrazer Knight
    (ESO)

  • Soulrazer Senche
    (ESO)

AshEdit

Ash Guardians are golems resembling Storm Atronachs, created by the Telvanni of Solstheim during their study of the Ash Spawn. They can be summoned from the ash, but will attack indiscriminately unless controlled with a Heart Stone.

  • Ash Guardian
    (Skyrim)

CoralEdit

Reefborn creatures, also referred to as Coraldrift (or Coral Drift) creatures are artificial coral beasts that imitate the appearance of Tamrielic land animals. They can be found on the isles of the Abecean Sea. Among the known reefborn creatures are those that resemble bears, senche, haj mota, horses, guars, wolves, and possibly even dwarven spiders.

Reef Guardians are another type of golem made from coral that possess a blue glow. They can be found within the Dreadsail Reef and along the coasts of Y'ffelon.

  • A Reefborn Wolf
    (ESO)

  • A Coraldrift Bear
    (ESO)

  • A Reef Guardian
    (ESO)

Dwemer AnimunculiEdit

The Dwemer constructed many advanced golems known as animunculi using steam power, magic, and Tonal Architecture. Dwemer constructs are made with a variety of Dwarven Metals, with Dwarven brass being the most common. Rarer are constructs forged with alloys of Adamant,[13] Glass,[14] and Ebon Steel.[15]

Animunculi were used for battle,[16] guarding strongholds,[17] maintenance,[18] transportation,[19] and excavation.[20] Many of these golems continue to protect the underground ruins of Dwemer cities long after the disappearance of their creators in 1E 700. They are commonly encountered by scholars and adventurers who venture into the ruins; the animunculi perceive them as invaders, and even worker constructs will attack trespassers on sight.[21] Of particular note, the Numidium was a giant construct created by Kagrenac.[22] It was often referred to as a brass or iron golem.[23][24][25]

  • A Dwarven Sphere

  • A Dwarven Spider

  • A Centurion made with an ebony alloy

  • A Dwarven Wolf made with malachite

  • Illustration of the Numidium

  • The Dwemer's Golem/Atronach constellation

FactotumsEdit

The living god Sotha Sil created similarly advanced golems to dwarven animunculi known as factotums.[26]:322 These golems are said to serve as an extension of Sotha Sil's divine will. The factotums were created to maintain the Clockwork City. As such, they have become an integral part of daily life for the inhabitants of the city, and are vital to running its everyday processes.[11][9]

Believed to be a fusion of brass and soul, factotums have a shared appearance, voice, and sense of purpose. They hold a structured artificial intelligence, often centered on their singular function. Their dialogue and actions are all based on this function, with only the commonality of a devotion to the Clockwork God. Attempting to deviate from this purpose is simply incomprehensible to them.[11][27] The various purposes of these golems include repairs and maintenance, guarding Sotha Sil's most dangerous secrets, menial agricultural labor, preparing food, and providing medical attention to the citizenry.[28] Some unique factotums are artificial intelligences put in charge of supervising sections of the Clockwork City, such as AIOS and the Assembly General.[29] Of particular note, the Imperfect is a factotum designed with advanced combat features. A new prototype is created and is improved upon each time it is destroyed. Sequence plaques are collected to be analyzed for their data after each combat test so further advancements are made. It is said that one day it shall obtain its true form, and fulfill its ultimate goal.[30]

Sotha Sil also created fabricants, which differ from factotums in that they are part organic, part inorganic, constructed from an amalgam of grown flesh and metallic grafts and are more bestial in appearance.

  • An early factotum model (ESO)

  • A Factotum (ESO)

  • The Imperfect (ESO)

  • An Imperfect (Tribunal)

  • Saint Olms the Just in his factotum body

FireEdit

Fire Atronachs are magical, fire-enchanted golems.[4][31][2] They are highly susceptible to cold based spells, and resistant to fire spells, which actually heal the constructs instead of damaging them. They give off great heat which can damage an adventurer if they get too close. Magma Golems are a somewhat similar type of construct made of molten rock.[32]

They are not to be confused with Flame Atronachs, a type of Elemental Daedra that are also sometimes known as Fire Atronachs.[33][34]

  • Fire Atronach
    (Daggerfall)

  • Rulantaril's Construct
    (ESO)

  • A Magma Golem
    (ESO)

  • A Forge Master's Charger
    (ESO)

HiveEdit

Fetcherflies are creatures that construct natural hive golems whose purpose is to relocate their hives to new surroundings.[35] Fetcherfly hive golems are also attracted to the destruction of regular hives, and will seek out those responsible for such a deed.[36][37]

  • A Fetcherfly Hive Golem
    (ESO)

  • A Fetcherfly Hive Golem
    (Legends)

  • An Azureblight Infestor
    (ESO)

IceEdit

Ice Golems are a typically weak variety of Golem, created out of ice.[38] These magically enchanted creatures do not only cause injury with their vicious physcial attacks, but also from the extreme cold aura they generate. They are immune to cold based spells, which do nothing but heal the constructs.[39] They naturally have a weakness to fire. Some Ice Golems are known as Ice Atronachs or Water Atronachs.[31][4][2] They are not to be confused with the Elemental Daedra, Frost Atronachs, which are also sometimes known as Ice Atronachs.[33]

Three powerful ice golems, known as Glacial Guardians,[40] were used by ancient mer to keep the Sea Sload sorceress Z'Baza imprisoned in Coral Aerie.[10][41]

  • An Ice Golem
    (Arena)

  • Ice Atronach
    (Daggerfall)

  • Ice Atronach concept art

  • The Staff Guardian
    (ESO)

  • An Ice Gargoyle
    (ESO)

  • An Ice Ogre
    (ESO)

  • A Saturalia Ice Steed
    (ESO)

IronEdit

Iron Golems are a powerful variety of golem, created out of iron. Some Iron Golems are known as Iron Atronachs[31][4][2] or Earth Atronachs.[42] They are not to be confused with the Elemental Daedra of the same name.[33][43] The Earthgore Amalgam was an Iron Atronach created from a mix of fused metal and stone by the Bloodroot Forge.[44]

  • An Iron Golem
    (Arena)

  • Iron Atronach
    (Daggerfall)

  • Earthgore Amalgam
    (ESO)

NecromanticEdit

While many golems are animated/powered by souls in one way or another, some golems especially blur the lines between construct, daedra, and undead, such as in the case of the Flesh Atronach, which can be created by imbuing a daedric or human soul into a flesh construct.[45][5][46] Or with the Homonculus, a golem created from the body parts of several daedra.[47]

Several types of golem, such as Bone Colossi, are made of out of the bones of various individuals or creatures. Necromancers have been able to create skeletal constructs out of bird and reptile bones that resemble miniature Bone Dragons.[48][49] Shambles appear to be made from the bones of various different types of creatures, haphazardly lashed together with wire or bits of cloth.[50][51][52]

  • A Homonculus
    (Arena)

  • A Flesh Atronach
    (Daggerfall)

  • A Flesh Atronach
    (Shivering Isles)

  • A Flesh Atronach
    (ESO)

  • A Shambles
    (Shivering Isles)

  • An Icy Shambles
    (Legends)

  • A Bone Colossus
    (ESO)

  • A Bone Colossus
    (Legends)

  • A Bone Colossus
    (Skyrim Creation Club)

  • A Bone Goliath
    (ESO)

  • Small Bone Dragon Construct
    (ESO)

  • Unholy Glow Bone Dragon
    (ESO)

StoneEdit

An example of common golems are the magical stone creatures animated by the Direnni in their image to guard their sacred sites. These constructs are unable to be reasoned with.[53] The Ayleids used similar animated statues, known as Ayleid Guardians or Stone Watchers.[54]

An example of a greater stone golem is the gargoyle,[53][UOL 1] a non-humanoid golem used as a guardian by many different civilizations, such as the Bretons, Yokudans, Imperials, Ayleids, and Khajiit.[55] Despite being constructs, gargoyles are considered by some to be misshapen humanoids and are capable of copulation.[56][57]

  • A Stone Golem
    (Arena)

  • A Direnni Golem Champion
    (ESO)

  • Ayleid Guardians
    (Oblivion)

  • An Ayleid Stone Watcher
    (ESO)

  • Ayleid Guardians
    (Legends)

  • A Hollow
    (ESO)

  • A Stone Husk
    (ESO)

  • A Golem Sabre Cat
    (ESO)

  • An Animated Troll Statue
    (Blades)

  • A Gargoyle
    (Daggerfall)

  • A Gargoyle
    (Skyrim)

  • A Gargoyle
    (Legends)

  • A Sandstone Gargoyle
    (ESO)

  • A Khajiit Gargoyle
    (ESO)

WoodenEdit

Lurchers are wooden golems of multiple origins, and have been described as constructs made from bark, moss, and evil magic.[58] In Valenwood, the Bosmer use the local materials such as flora as a base, and ingredients such as bug parts which are added to the mix to give their lurchers special qualities.[59]

  • A Lurcher
    (ESO)

  • A Highland Lucher
    (Legends)

  • A Daedric Lurcher
    (ESO)

  • Anthelmir's Construct
    (ESO)

  • An Icereach Wicker-Steed
    (ESO)

  • A Bonfire Wicker-Steed
    (ESO)

OtherEdit

It is theorized by some that Imps are a type of golem, similar to the Homonculus;[2] they are similarly known to be used by wizards as magical guardians.[60]

  • Morkuldin Protector
    (ESO)

  • Akulakhan, a second Numidium created by Dagoth-Ur
    (Morrowind)

  • A Daedric Siege Crawler
    (Legends)

  • A Coldharbour Sentinel
    (ESO)

  • Animated Tempest
    (ESO)

  • Sunspire Champion Senche-Lion
    (ESO)

  • Wailing Shackler Wolf
    (ESO)

  • Scarecrow Spectre
    (ESO)

  • An imp, sometimes theorized to be a type of golem
    (Oblivion)

  • An oven given life
    (Castles)

NotesEdit

See AlsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ a b Ice Golem, Stone Golem, and Iron Golem descriptions in Arena
  2. ^ a b c d e Daggerfall User's Guide - description of Imps
  3. ^ Official Twitter Image Description of Anthelmir's Construct[1]
  4. ^ a b c d e f Dialogue during Atronach Hunting quest in Daggerfall
  5. ^ a b Kyne's Challenge: A Hunter's Companion: High Rock, Flesh Atronach
  6. ^ Elder Scrolls Online - Crown Store Showcase
  7. ^ Neramo's dialogue in ESO
  8. ^ Saints' Mercy quest in ESO
  9. ^ a b Sotha Sil's dialogue in ESO: Clockwork City
  10. ^ a b Sword Guardian, Staff Guardian, and Shield Guardian in ESO
  11. ^ a b c The Mystery of Factotums — Associate Zanon, Clockwork Apostle
  12. ^ Theories: Soulrazer Knights — Kaladiran, Arcane Naturalist
  13. ^ Adamant Dwarven Horse mount description in ESO
  14. ^ Vitrine Dwarven Wolf mount description in ESO
  15. ^ Ebon Steel Dwarven Spider mount description in ESO
  16. ^ Chimarvamidium — Marobar Sul
  17. ^ Herbane's Bestiary: Automatons — Herebane
  18. ^ Dwemer Dungeons: What I Know — Kireth Vanos, Dungeon-Delver Extraordinaire
  19. ^ Various Vamidium mounts in ESO
  20. ^ Dwarven Delvers in ESO
  21. ^ Hostility of Dwarven constructs towards players and NPCs in Skyrim, Morrowind and ESO
  22. ^ Progress of Truth — Dissident Priests
  23. ^ Response to Bero's Speech — Malviser, Battlemage
  24. ^ Events of The Mantella Revealed
  25. ^ Elderscrolls.com Archive/Codex
  26. ^ The Morrowind Prophecies — Peter Olafson
  27. ^ Lector Trivura's dialogue in ESO
  28. ^ Factotum Classification - Log 233 — Proctor Neimos, Apostle of Sotha Sil
  29. ^ AIOS and Assembly General in ESO
  30. ^ Clockwork Facilitator's dialogue in ESO: Clockwork City
  31. ^ a b c Dialogue during Hunt for an Atronach quest in Daggerfall
  32. ^ Magma Golems in ESO
  33. ^ a b c Dialogue in Background Information quest
  34. ^ Fire Atronachs in ESO
  35. ^ Vvardenfell Flora and Fauna — Tilenra Sildreth, Telvanni Naturalist
  36. ^ The Flames of the Fetcherfly — Zabia-ko
  37. ^ Writhing Sveeth Hunt quest in ESO
  38. ^ Ice Golems in Arena
  39. ^ Ice Atronachs in Daggerfall
  40. ^ Glacial Guardian set name in ESO
  41. ^ Ancient Inscription
  42. ^ Trapped Earth Atronach souls in Daggerfall
  43. ^ Iron Atronachs in ESO
  44. ^ Events of Blood for Blood in ESO
  45. ^ Reynelle Derone's role during Mind of Madness in ESO
  46. ^ Vastarie's Journal — Vastarie
  47. ^ Homonculi in Arena
  48. ^ Small Bone Dragon Construct pet description in ESO
  49. ^ Unholy Glow Bone Dragon pet description in ESO
  50. ^ The Shivering Bestiary — Namlir Esprink
  51. ^ Shambles in Oblivion: Shivering Isles
  52. ^ Halion's dialogue in Shivering Isles
  53. ^ a b Norianwe's dialogue in ESO
  54. ^ Stone Watchers in ESO
  55. ^ Gargoyles' usage by various races in ESO
  56. ^ The Mystery of Gargoyles—Solved! — Porbert Lyttumly
  57. ^ Statuary Complications
  58. ^ The Improved Emperor's Guide to Tamriel/High Rock
  59. ^ Events of Handmade Guardian in ESO
  60. ^ Vault Guardians in Oblivion
  61. ^ Golem Shark in ESO

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.

  1. ^ Six Views of the Egg of Time, V. III
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