Lore:Golem

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. They are also sometimes known as Atronachs, an inconsistent term that applies to both Elemental Daedra and non-daedric constructs. 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. 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. 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. Golems can be created with the ability to the speak, and some seem to possess free will or higher thought. Some golems have even been known to go rogue, lamenting their prior treatment.

Known Types of Golem

Armor

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.

• 

  Animated Armor
  (ESO)

• 

  Mournful Aegis
  (ESO)

• 

  Soulrazer Knight
  (ESO)

• 

  Soulrazer Senche
  (ESO)

Ash

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. A type of dye was named after Ash Golems.

• 

  Ash Guardian
  (Skyrim)

Coral

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 Animunculi

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, Glass, and Ebon Steel.

Animunculi were used for battle, guarding strongholds, maintenance, transportation, and excavation. 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. Of particular note, the Numidium was a giant construct created by Kagrenac. It was often referred to as a brass or iron golem.

• 

  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

Factotums

The living god Sotha Sil created similarly advanced golems to dwarven animunculi known as factotums. 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.

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. 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. Some unique factotums are artificial intelligences put in charge of supervising sections of the Clockwork City, such as AIOS and the Assembly General. 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.

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

Fire

Fire Atronachs are magical, fire-enchanted golems. 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.

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

• 

  Fire Atronach
  (Daggerfall)

• 

  Rulantaril's Construct
  (ESO)

• 

  A Magma Golem
  (ESO)

• 

  A Forge Master's Charger
  (ESO)

Hive

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

• 

  A Fetcherfly Hive Golem
  (ESO)

• 

  A Fetcherfly Hive Golem
  (Legends)

• 

  An Azureblight Infestor
  (ESO)

Ice

Ice Golems are a typically weak variety of Golem, created out of ice. 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. They naturally have a weakness to fire. Some Ice Golems are known as Ice Atronachs or Water Atronachs. They are not to be confused with the Elemental Daedra, Frost Atronachs, which are also sometimes known as Ice Atronachs.

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

• 

  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)

Iron

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

• 

  An Iron Golem
  (Arena)

• 

  Iron Atronach
  (Daggerfall)

• 

  Earthgore Amalgam
  (ESO)

Necromantic

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. Or with the Homonculus, a golem created from the body parts of several daedra.

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. Shambles appear to be made from the bones of various different types of creatures, haphazardly lashed together with wire or bits of cloth.

• 

  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)

Stone

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. The Ayleids used similar animated statues, known as Ayleid Guardians or Stone Watchers.

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

• 

  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)

Wooden

Lurchers are wooden golems of multiple origins, and have been described as constructs made from bark, moss, and evil magic. 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.

• 

  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)

Other

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

• 

  Morkuldin Protector
  (ESO)

• 

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

• 

  A Daedric Siege Crawler
  (Legends)

• 

  A Coldharbour Sentinel
  (ESO)

• 

  Animated Tempest
  (ESO)

• 

  Wailing Shackler Wolf
  (ESO)

• 

  Scarecrow Spectre
  (ESO)

• 

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

• 

  An oven given life
  (Castles)

Notes

• ^	The distinction between atronach and golems is inconsistent between games, but the former term has become prominent when describing Elemental Daedra in modern The Elder Scrolls games.

  • Daggerfall User's Guide makes no distinction between atronachs and golems, yet they are mentioned as separate entities in the book On Lycanthropy.
  • In Daggerfall itself, atronachs are referred to as golems in quests like Hunt for an Atronach, but an atronach is treated as a daedra in the quest Background Information.
  • In Morrowind, Response to Bero's Speech discusses the nature of the Numidium, and mentions atronachs and golems in separate lenses.
• Golem Sharks are named after golems, though it is unknown if they share any of their qualities.

See Also

• Elemental Daedra
• Mycoturgy
• Nature Spirit

References

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.