Greater Golem Culture

Way of Life for the Constructed Folk

Lush green hides crumbling ruins marked with long-lost runes and script, a history hidden as the island grows richer and fuller. Those who call this place their true home are now scattered across the lands and seas, finding their purpose as they travel farther away from the island that once kept their secrets and hid their birthplace. Those who were born on the Zóni island of Nuul have long since left, but their legacy stays behind in the crumbling rock faces and hidden archways.
Those known as Greater Golems have a homeland but do not, instead speaking of their birthplace, their origin, instead of any true emotional ties to a place that had once given them life. Created through alchemy and magic, these people serve a purpose as granted by their creator, but more often than not these constructs will long outlive those who breathed life into wood and metal, mechanical parts, and intricate joints.
Across the world, on land and at sea, Greater Golems have made their lives wherever they must go to fulfill their purpose. While some may still yet call the isle of Nuul their once-lost homeland, there is little unity amongst these people who were each created for their unique purpose. These people are displaced from a land that could be theirs, removed from a camaraderie that other races have. While some similar ideals are poured into them upon their creation, the Greater Golems are solitary, alone even when together.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

The interesting nature of Greater Golem culture is that there are central beliefs and ideals that all Greater Golems follow, but there is not truly a uniting culture like there is for other races. These people live solitary lives driven by their purpose and whatever orders were given by their creator, meaning that unless two Greater Golems were created by the same person and given the same orders, it is rare for Greater Golems to really have a lot in common with each other.
It is believed that the first Greater Golems were created on the island of Nuul as ruins and other remains have given Scholars some idea of how the race came about. That being said, most Greater Golems do not consider this island home and tend not to have the concept of a homeland outside of where they are currently residing.

Beliefs

All races in Isekai have a set of beliefs that they consider their law. Greater Golems see their life as one of purpose to be fulfilled and then found again.

1. My purpose is to be fulfilled, if I do not know my purpose then my purpose is to seek it out. If I have fulfilled my purpose then I shall discover a new purpose and create a life of value.
2. The beginnings of my design are sacred, the first order that I receive shall guide my ambitions and my life long after I have forgotten it.
3. Everything has a reason, I shall commit no action that I cannot explain. If I have committed an action that I do not understand it is because I am damaged and require repairs so that I may pursue my purpose.

These beliefs drive the Greater Golems and their way of life, no matter where they move throughout that life. This purpose and directives as granted by their creators define their interactions with other people and what morals they may live by.

Family

Family is a rather foreign concept for the Greater Golems as they are a race of constructs. Depending on the golem’s creator, one may consider their creator as a parental figure, but most Greater Golems understand family as a unit that other races choose to participate in due to their emotional state.
Greater Golems may join up with adventuring parties during their travels and eventually come to see these traveling companions as a pseudo-family if their sentience has expanded enough beyond the focus of their purpose to feel such emotions.

Property & Ownership

These people see owning certain items as a necessity for fulfilling their purpose, but overall, they have very little need for owning a great number of items. In some ways, these people may see themselves as the property of their creators, especially if their purpose is very small scale and requires not leaving their birthplace. 

Taboos & Insults

Taboos do not really exist among the Greater Golems since as constructs, they have little need for emotions or attachments in that way. To them, words or actions that could be seen as taboo to others are little more than emotional responses that may or may not be necessary.
The greatest insult to a Greater Golem is to tell them that they shall never achieve their purpose or that they have no further purpose in the world.

Greater Golem Culinary Arts

As a race that does not eat, Greater Golems do not truly partake in the culinary arts as they have no reason to, but some older golems have dabbled in the creation of special items to aid in the preservation and upkeep of their bodies.

Oils & Lubricants

Oils and lubricants are a necessity for these people as their bodies are frequently made of polished wood, metal, and other mechanical parts. Depending on the composition of their body, a Greater Golem may need to create special blends of oils and lubricants to keep their joints moving, bodies protected from the elements when traveling, and just overall wear and tear from slowing them down.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Traditions and customs are not necessarily a part of the lives of Greater Golems unless they help serve their purpose. Even so, these people do have a few similar mannerisms that might be considered a tradition or ritual.

Clothing & Textiles

Clothing is not a necessity for Greater Golems unless one chooses to wear a traveling cloak or some other clothing that may provide a barrier against the elements. Instead, these people may invest in polishes and stains that can slightly change the color of different parts of their bodies. This is not necessarily super common among the Greater Golems, but some do enjoy the color change.

Searching for Further Purpose

Once a Greater Golem has fulfilled their original purpose, they must find another purpose for their life so that they may be useful. Sometimes this search can cause hardship depending on how their previous quest ended. If one’s purpose was to protect an area and the area was destroyed, a Greater Golems may have a crisis of identity over whether their purpose was truly fulfilled and what their next purpose may be. For Greater Golems, their purpose is truly the center of everything that they do.

Encompassed species

• Greater Golems

Related Locations

• Nuul

Languages

Greater Golems may speak a number of languages depending on how their creator programmed them or what their purpose or directive may be.

Common

As Common is the most common language used in the world, almost all Greater Golems will know this language along with whatever language is used by their creator.

Naming Traditions

Naming traditions do not really exist amongst the Greater Golems as they are most often named by their creators. In some instances, Greater Golems will give themselves names if they were not previously named.

Name Generator Coming Soon!

Relations with Other Races

Greater Golems will get along with whomever they have been designed to get along with. Likewise, they may also be created to distinctly dislike, hate, or be disposed to combat with a given race or individual if that was their design.   In general, Greater Golems seem to get along well with people who specialize in some sort of craft whether it be magic, woodworking, or metalworking. They tend to have a harder time interacting with races and people who exhibit low intellect and will simply opt to avoid them in most cases.

Religious Observance

The Pantheons of Isekai are of extreme importance to all races and cultures, no matter their differences or difficulties. Each culture worships one of the gods as this belief allows them to be judged fairly upon their deaths.
As people of great knowledge and purpose, the Greater Golems follow the teachings of Cique, the god of knowledge. Many choose a life of gaining knowledge once their purpose is fulfilled or they were given the purpose of protecting something of great knowledge.