Chia Golem
This bizarre creature is a golem crafted with a body formed from baked clay, then filled with soil and seeds.
Variable Appearance
As created creatures, the appearance of chia golems span a wide variety of varied forms and sizes. From the largest beast created to seed the world with trees, to the smallest tasked with ensuring the survival of fragile wildflowers and mosses, these creatures are highly useful. As one might expect, the type of seeds planted and cared for within an individual Chia Golem will alter it's appearance. Many feature various types of grass, hanging vines, small shrubs, or trees. However, one must use some caution when dealing with an unknown Chia Golem, as there are varieties of plants with dangerous or toxic effects. It is not unheard of to encounter a Chia Golem tasked with preserving a species of plant with a toxic pollen, one that may cause asphyxiation if inhaled.
High Maintenance
Chia golems, while somewhat resilient, tend to have compounding issues that eventually will cause them to degrade and lose cohesion with themselves. The plants on their backs require constant care and attention, and a chia golem will migrate to areas best suited to their symbiotic flora. Most will stay near sources of water, such as lakes, streams, or rivers, in order to keep their plants hydrated. They also require frequent fertilization, and will attempt to find sources to incorporate into the resevoirs of soil and water within themselves to ensure the livlihood of their plants.
Due to being mostly dried or baked clay, these creatures often find themselves damaged. It is not uncommon to see a Chia Golem with cracks or missing pieces, especially moreso if the form of the creature was one with finer, more fragile details. Chia Golems do exhibit a level of self-preservation, and will attempt to use local clay deposits to repair damages to their bodies. They are not usually crafted with fine manipulation skills, however, so the repairs are typically quite primitive and are a temporary measure at best.
If an individual suffers too much damage to its form and becomes immobile; or in some cases, where an individual Chia Golem has cared for it's garden too well and caused the roots or foliage to impede it's mobility; the Chia Golem seems to either go dormant or 'dies', and it's form becomes that of regular sculpted clay. These Chia Golem 'corpses' can be found in many areas, and depending on their age and original size can appear as large mounds of foliage, small overgrown sculptures, or piles of broken pottery and soil. It is also unfortunate for these creatures, that if they fail to maintain their gardens and lose their symbiotic flora due to lack of moisture, nutrients, or blight, they seem to be unable to continue normal functioning and cease activity.
Basic Information
Biological Traits
Small Chia Golems are notoriously difficult to care for and to maintain. It is theorized that this is due to the size and variability of the resevoirs within them. The smaller space and amount of soil available means the Golem must seek water and nutrient sources more often. This is further complicated by the size of the golem itself, as it will not be able to migrate the long distances or avoid other creatures as easily that may consume or damage the plants it sustains or the golem itself.
Large Chia Golems, created using more than 1000 pounds of clay then can be assumed to have more stable gardens, and indeed are found to be most often paired with larger trees or more particular varieties or flora. However, with such large sizes do come their own drawbacks. While the risk of animals consuming or destroying their gardens diminishes, their own weight then becomes the enemy. Large Chia Golem 'corpses' have been found in the middle of rivers and lakes, where they may have stood or rested to refill their internal water reserves, only to be unable to move due to the increased weight of the water within them.
Poisonous Varieties are also possible, as long as the plants within them are able to take root during their creation. These can be quite dangerous for surrounding fauna that may not see a Chia Golem as something to be feared, only to find themselves in the grip of carnivorous plants or suffocating on toxic pollens.
Invasive plants can sometimes be found on Chia Golems, and unless the Golem is able to remove them, they risk their symbiotic flora being replaced by the invading species. This can either be beneficial or detrimental to the golem, as it may have become accustomed to a particular environment and need to relocate. Invasive species may also cause the 'death' of a Chia Golem, as they quickly consume as much moisture and nutrients the golem can provide and overgrow their host.
Genetics and Reproduction
Chia Golems do not reproduce, as they are constructs. However, they will spread the seeds of their gardens simply by virtue of their existence. A Chia Golem living in a single area is sure to have populated it with the descendents of the plants upon it's back.
While not yet done by mortal hands, it is possible that one might be able to create a Chia Golem, with the proper magical tools. One must first craft a suitable body using clay, then bake it to harden it into a permanent shape. For a medium creature, this may require anywhere from 100-500 pounds of clay, and up to 1,000 pounds of clay for a large creature. Small Chia Golems are also possible, requiring more reasonable amounts, but tend to have shorter lifespans due to their inability to travel the longer distances needed to obtain enough moisture and fertilizer, and have more difficulty maintaining a level of homeostasis for their garden.
Once the body has been formed, it must then be filled with a source of magical energy and given seeds or viable cuttings of the chosen plant species. Then, by using spells for plant growth, animating objects, and grasping vines; It will be ready to become a golem. The final step requires regular watering and careful monitoring while the seeds and cuttings take root and mature. Depending on the plant, this process can take a couple weeks, to a couple months, after which the golem will begin to move and care for it's garden on it's own.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Chia Golems require moisture and fertilizer to the same extent that their symbiotic flora do. A Chia Golem with a hardier species of plant will have an easier time finding the necessary resources to care for it, but may also find itself over-run if it cares for them too well. Water sources are popular resting locations for Chia Golems, and they can be seen resting or standing in sources of water, allowing the water to soak through their clay exterior and collect in their internal resevoirs. Fertilization gathering is a more extesive process, and may require the golem to remove it's cork to incorporate the source. Depending on the shape of the Chia Golem, this can be quite difficult.
Biological Cycle
The flora that a Chia Golem is created with will heavily determine the activity level of the golem during different seasons. A Golem with Decidous species will find itself sluggish and may enter a period of hibernation durin gthe winter months when it's garden loses it's greenery, whereas a golem with Evergreen species will not.
Behaviour
Chia Golems are very protective of the plant life they host, as it is their own source of life. They will go out of their way to find the most appropriate climates, level of moisture, fertilizer, or any other environmental factor that may be beneficial to their gardens. While they are not intelligent creatures per se, they do maintain a level of understanding of the natural world and have strong memories. If a Chia Golem encounters danger in a certain area, it will then avoid that area in the future. Conversely, if one were to assist a Chia golem, it might then return for more assistance or otherwise provide protection in order to make sure it can receive the same help in the future.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Chia Golems, given their determination to care for the plants they are paired with, make great self-sustaining gardens. It can be tough to convince a Chia Golem that you have not created that your presence is beneficial - but it is not impossible, and will allow you to harvest from the Golem's garden or otherwise utilize the golem as a beast of burden.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Chia Golems seem to have similar sensory capabilities as the creatures they are modeled after, IE; Sight, Hearing, Smell, Touch. They do not seem to have a sense of taste, and will simply incorporate substances that are beneficial to their symbiotic flora. Many golems appear to utilize the extra-chemical senses of their flora and are quite adept at locating water sources and nutrient deposits.
This creature is based heavily on the Dungeon Dad re-creation, seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-_wTpUFXKw
Scientific Name
Golem Lutum Crescente
Conservation Status
Unknown
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Chia Golems take on the characteristic colors of the clay used to create them. Terracotta golems will have a reddish-brown hue, where other varieties may be light gray or blue-ish in color.
Most Chia Golems will be created with an internal resevoir sealed with a large cork. The placements of these can vary, with the most common being the nose, face, belly, or in rare cases, replacing the entire head. Despite losing the physical appearance of some sensory organs due to the placement of this feature, Chia Golems still seem to retain all the appropriate senses of sight, smell, touch, and hearing.
Geographic Distribution
Discovered by
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