NAME: Intelligent Servant Sustained Artificially by Caith (I.S.S.A.C.)
AGE: Less than 1 year old
SEX: Indeterminate; I.S.S.A.C. has no concept of gender
RACE: Golem
In the most basic sense, a golem is essentially an automaton, a robot. A golemâs body can be made of stone or metal, but in either case it houses a âheartâ made of a large Aurum crystal. Created by an alchemist, a golem is hard-wired to obey the will of a âquarryâ, usually the creating alchemist or a noble with expendable income. Because of the rarity of large Aurum crystals, golems are seldom made; even with a large enough crystal, attunement can sometimes go awry and a golem may never be powered⊠or it could go haywire and begin to destroy everything in the immediate vicinity. Many a young alchemist has been killed this wayâbeing stubborn and believing that they could create a golem even with their naivety. Despite the risks, alchemists believe that creating a golem is the pinnacle of their career, and many strive to achieve this feat before they die.
APPEARANCE: I.S.S.A.C. is a golem, a being created from metal and stone and given life by Aurum. Its shell is made of darksteel plates that are able to fit with one another to help facilitate movement. Its arms are thick and its hands have three massive fingers apiece. Like most golems, I.S.S.A.C. is a bipedal model, giving it a more humanoid appearance. The chest and head are the largest and bulkiest parts of the golem, giving it the appearance that it is âmuscularâ by human standards. Across its âfaceâ and body are lines carved into the metal that radiate a soft blue glow; these help to indicate the status of its Aurum core and whether or not it needs to be refilled or replaced.
PERSONALITY: I.S.S.A.C. is a ânewbornâ in the most literal sense of the word. Being as young as it is, it does not understand many concepts of the world and its inhabitantsâgatherings, currency, sleep, sex, etc.âand may attempt to emulate them at times. It knows that it is different enough from mortals that it will never be able to experience anything like eating or breathing or dreaming, but still is curious about such facilities. Above all, it wishes to serve someone, considering it was originally built for that purpose. Whenever it is given the opportunity to serve someone, I.S.S.A.C. will not hesitate; it gives the golem a sense of purpose, however temporary.
OCCUPATION: None
PAST: The great human alchemist Andrew Cartwright was dying. After contracting a debilitating disease that left one leg essentially useless, Cartwright realized that he needed to distract himself from his thoughts on his health and began to work on a golem, one that would be able to assist him in his research. The alchemist worked day and night, growing sicker and sicker but never letting up on his dream of completing this final project, hoping that the success with this one would motivate him to live on longer and attempt even more elaborate ideas.
After coming into possession of the last piece of the puzzle, an Aurum crystal large enough to power his creation, Cartwright was ready to bring his creature to life. Ever-so-gently, the alchemist placed the core in its proper position and watched as blue light immediately ran across the metallic surface of the golem. Cartwright finally achieved the pinnacle of every alchemistâs desireâhis own personal golem! It was moments after this epiphany that Andrew Cartwright fell over, his body finally failing him after all of these years.
The golem slowly sat up in its mold, examining the workshop that it now could see. It could sense another presence in the room, one lying on the floor next to it. With a shaky step, the floor shook as the golem stood up and began walking on its own. It searched around the room, coming across strange plans with the title âProject I.S.S.A.C.â written in large letters across the top. And then, the realizationâwho was its quarry?
PRESENT: With no quarry hard-wired into its system, I.S.S.A.C. searches for a reason to exist. To its knowledge, the lack of purpose is inexcusable and must be remedied posthaste.
FUTURE: I.S.S.A.C. would like to find a suitable quarry to serve, seeing as it has none hard-wired to its system. Itâs not sure how it will decide on the right one, but it believes that searching for them may bring about better results than waiting for them to come to it.
STRENGTHS
ATTACK: I.S.S.A.C. is made entirely of caith-infused metal, making its attacks rather strong. Its size and weight help to aid in dealing massive blows to organic targets and even structures. Because of its artificial nature, it does not feel fatigue and can continue to attack potential enemies as long as its Aurum core is intact. I.S.S.A.C. doesnât often realize its own strength at times, and may accidentally use excessive force when its quarry is threatened.
DEFENSE: I.S.S.A.C. is a golem. Its skin is made of an infusion of metal, stone, and caith. This stuff is much sturdier than any armor that could ever be smithed for any mortal, and offers protection against most mundane weaponry. In addition, any injuries it sustains can be repaired by an alchemist or potentially enhanced (if it has enough money to spend, that is; however, I.S.S.A.C. does not understand the concept of currencyâŠ).
PERCEPTION: Golems must be aware of any dangers that may arise to threaten their designated quarry. I.S.S.A.C. is no exception. Once a golem has been given a quarry, it begins to involuntarily scan the area for anything that may pose a threat or a danger to its charge. In addition, I.S.S.A.C. does not require sleep as long as its Aurum core is constantly giving it energy, and can serve as a sort of security system if it detects a disturbance during the night.
WEAKNESSES
INTELLIGENCE: I.S.S.A.C. was created to be a servant, not to think. Even though it is capable of advanced thought, most of its processing power is dedicated to protecting its quarry, not to necessarily delve into the mysteries of human existence. Due to what limited experience it has in the world anyway, I.S.S.A.C. does not know much of anything besides serving its quarry to its fullest potential.
CHARISMA: Not built for social graces, I.S.S.A.C. does not understand the concept of speechcraft. Due to its purpose, its relatively young age and its inexperience with the huge world around it, I.S.S.A.C. does not do very well with social interactions and interprets everything literally. It does not understand turns of phrase or figurative speech and will often listen in on conversations in an attempt to understand mortal interactions.
DEXTERITY: Golems are large hulking structures made of metal and stone. Their bulk makes it very difficult to move quickly. While I.S.S.A.C. may have extremely durable defenses, the weight of all of the armor makes it nearly impossible to perform any sort of dexterous feats during combat. Its movements are rather clunky outside of combat as well, and heavy feet make it nearly impossible for it to sneak anywhere.
EQUIPMENT: Golems do not require clothing or food or water; I.S.S.A.C. has nothing on its body at this point.