There has been talk of a ruined down manor house which no one has ventured near for years, even decades, but still seem to be tended to. Brave villagers who have sneaked near enough have spy a unkempt vegetable garden and a figure moving within the building. Without fail, at night, lights will shine through an antechamber at the top of the tower, and would be out by day.
Several decades ago, an old wizard constructed a golem to be his servant and companion. His adventuring friends dead and suspicious of visitors, the wizard kept only to himself and the golem was his only companion. As an experiment, he tried his best to impart a soul to the golem, but was only partially successful. One fateful the wizard died at the desk, before he could give the golem his last command. He had it written on parchment, clutched tightly in his hand before he collasped at the desk. The golem, thinking the master was working on research or writing his tomes as usual, went on about maintaining the keep.
The final command on the parchment is “Be Free”.
- A group of brigands have spied the manor house and attempted to seek refuge there. However, they realise that the golem seems to be ignoring them and hence just take residence of an opposite tower. The golem, however, mistakes them as the wizard’s guests and treat them with deference, even serving them meals (and wild game, when the brigands bring some to them). Soon there are talks of a powerful wizard among the brigands and the adventurers may be sent to dispatch the golem (as it will fiercely defend its ‘guests’). However, the brigands are too just escaped serfs running away from a harsh lord. Is there any way to resolve this?
- The wizard once had a servant, who served his master faithfully. When the servant died, the wizard tried to capture the essence of the servant’s soul and placed it within the golem. In that he is partially successful. However, the wife of the servant still lurks in wait for her husband before going on to the under-world. Her presence is unintentionally blighting the crops and cursing the area. A simple excorism or pure magical force would dispel her spirit, but that would cause the golem to suddenly go berserk…
- The bond of a familiar, usually a faerie creature, with a Sorcerer is closer than kin, though a magic user must be really fortunate to have one. The familiar (its form and shape can be determined by the GM, but it’s usually a cat or raven) finally died but its spirit refused to move on. The wizard infused that into the golem which animate it. When the wizard died, the golem-familiar sought for a way to bring its master back to life. It is still trying this day, going through the ponderous library, with its vast collection of parchments and tomes. Its various experiments have distorted the plant life and animals around the area, making the place dangerous.
If freed by a Sorcerer, he may attempt to persuade the familiar spirit to adventure with him. This depends on how the party has acted towards it in the process.
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