Golems did not often roam Cetus in large numbers.
So when this one appeared, part of the shock one might have felt at seeing it could have simply been attributed to its rarity. But further surprise might have come from its appearance.
It was as if part of the swamp itself suddenly rose, the marsh buckling and contorting with sounds of tearing roots and squelching mud; the stench of rising swamp gas and long-covered rot belched forth. A massive shape, hung with ancient plant matter and glowing dimly with long-forgotten sigils, pushed up from the muck.
It appeared to be a conglomeration of stones, yet half held together by blackened vines and roots, its entire form wet and dark with mud. The sigils pulsed as it stood there for a moment, and then it turned and began to move--slowly, but steadily--through the swamp. Each step was a crashing splash.
It appeared to be honing in on something, its ten foot bulk on a purposeful march.
Among the blue-glowing symbols and shifting boulders lay one final oddity: a hole in the stone that made up its chest, an indentation, as if something belonged there but had been removed.
The stone shape moved more swiftly, careening almost haphazardly toward the deeper waters--seeking the stone it sensed.
The stone of a creature in the water's shallows, perhaps--a thing low-down, and within its reach, should it catch up. The stone of Pelt, the leopard seal.
@Pelt @Asimona
Owwwww. Owwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Pain, it seemed, made Pelt act in strange ways. Oh, and think, too, because thoughts were important, and thinking was basically all she could do. That and groan occasionally. Well, at least she was awake. That was something. And maybe if she tried hard enough she could move something. Pelt herself, however, would have preferred to fall unconscious again, because oh, the utter
humiliation of being defeated by a tiny Gemling fresh out of its chrysalis! It was so... sooooo...
humiliating.
Except she had a feeling fainting again was probably not the best of ideas, because there was a sound in the distance. An ominous sound. Ominouuuuuuuuuuuuuus. Splashsplashsplash. Oh boy, Cetus was
disguuuuuuusting. What was with - with all the mud everywhere - and then there were the insects - and the trees, the trees were like the least cheerfulest trees
ever.... Why would anyone want to visit this place?
But Pelt decided that visitors were probably good for her. Maaaaaayyyyybe. Visitors, well, most people were nice. Selfless idiots. So they'd help her get out of here. Oh boy, oh boy, she HATED Cetus. Maybe she'd refrain from biting them if they helped her. Unless they were more Gemlings coming to humiliate her and cause pain. Painpainpain, it was everywhere, wasn't it? The first thing Pelt could remember was pain. No worries. Someday she'd hunt down that snake and make it pay. Not now though. She wanted to go someplace else first. Less mud would be nice.
"Helloooooooo," she groaned.
"I know you're out there. You're about as quiet as a dying fish with magical lion roaring powers. So come help me out already because lying on this tree root is getting reaaaaaaally uncomfortable!"
@Asimona
The wet, splashing stomping continued.
When Asimona swept overhead, the strange runed golem seemed to take no notice.
When Pelt cried out, it barely reacted. It stopped, for a moment; this is true. It stood silent in the muck for all of five seconds, almost as if... listening.
Then, perhaps uncreatively, it simply continued stomping.
If golems were known for sticking to Polaris, they were also known for other things: for not appearing particularly intelligent, for example, and for rarely casting any sort of magic. Indeed they seemed to hunt magic down, and to simply try and crush it.
This one, however, proved strange on at least two of these three counts. It stopped some distance away, whilst Asimona was calling out to Pelt, and it planted both rocky fists firmly in the muck-water.
There was a thrumming, a vibrating hum, ominous, through the mud and through the swampy water--something Pelt would clearly feel. Whatever was happening was probably not good.
@Pelt
It worked.
The golem staggered heavily, nearly bowling over--but its great weight and size stabilized it. It turned, pivoting its feet but with its fist remaining plunged in the mud.
There was a split second where it seemed to fix on Asimona, where the buzzing vibration through the mud abruptly intensified--and then a sharply painful blast coursed through the muck.
Anyone in contact with it would have a chance to be shocked--burned, or briefly paralyzed--but it particularly arced straight for Asimona, through the air.
Asimona, who had successfully drawn its attention. Undoubtedly, had it continued to go for Pelt, the shock traversing water, instead, could have been deadly.
Most likely she would be knocked from the sky by the muscle-seizing power of it, and possibly paralyzed for a time, or even knocked unconscious. The shock would come, too, with a burning pain, with the cramp of muscles, with the ringing of ears.
It then began to stomp slowly toward her.
@Eythan
The golem paused, fist in the mud, and began to pull upright--just as Eythan crashed down upon it. It stumbled, heavily, whatever it was going to do to Asimona now interrupted.
It pushed slowly back upright, and then turned, aiming a giant stony fist for the hybrid.
The golem is attempting to punch the slowed stoneskinned Eythan. Eythan must roll to determine how much damage against the stoneskin, if any, is inflicted by the golem and by Eythan's own fall atop it. Any shattered stone will revert to damaged hide upon reverting to flesh "form."
@Eythan