Clay Golem (Basic Lore)

Clay Golem (CR 10)
Neutral - Large - Construct
Golems are inanimate humanoid-shaped constructs which have been imbued with a limited lifeforce and a rudimentary intelligence. They are totally loyal to their creators, or in some cases, the bearer of their key. Not all golems are created with control keys, but those that are have a transferable loyalty. A golem's intelligence is just sufficient enough to take simple commands and carry them out. Golems can take minor initiative if it fits solidly within their current set of commands. For example, golems will not attack someone who is accompanying their master, even if those people are not explicitly allowed to pass by the golem. They are also capable of understanding emotional reactions in others, particularly their master, which means that if the people accompanying the golem's master are causing the master to be fearful, the golem might recognize that and act upon it differently than if the master is unstressed. Golems can operate upon multiple orders at the same time as long as the orders don't contradict each other (in that case, the golem will give the most recent command priority over the older one). Golems are nearly always created to serve as a guardian to the arcanists or dweomersmiths who created them. Golems are mighty, physically threatening beasts, who are also highly resistant to magical attacks. While certainly not perfect guardians, they tend to scare away all but the most determined of aggressors. Clay golems are large, man-shaped beings of soft clay. They wear no clothing and are anatomically neuter, their features shifting slowly over time. Their faces are gross deformities, usually featuring a prominent mouth. While they appear slow-moving, they can move quickly when necessary. Where most golems bear sigils and markings indicating their arcane nature, clay golems bear no such marks, as those present at their creation have been melted into the flesh of the golem. Being the most primitive of the golems, clay golems are animated using a process similar to the creation of homonculi, namely by imbuing them with various bodily fluids of their creator. This creation process typically leaves the creator exhausted and spent for as long as a week.