Garrick rose unsteadily to his feet, his gaze fixed upon the dark figure standing mere meters away. He could not see it well enough to determine whether its red glow was due to the flickering light from the torches surrounding the golem or if its skin were actually burning with a flame inside itself. He could barely make out the details of the monster's shadowy form against the bright blue glow emanating from within its chest -its hunched posture, hunched head, bulging red eyes.
All he could see was the glowing white shape behind it. The golem took a step closer, looming above Garrick with its giant size. It raised its arms slowly, bringing them to rest above its head and stretching out as if it had to stretch itself out as much as possible to get as close to Garrick as possible. He couldn’t bring himself to move as the golem drew closer, not even as the golem reached out with its hands, closing in around his body. His hands trembled uncontrollably as the golem grasped his neck in between its fingers. He tried to cry out, but found that he didn’t have enough strength to summon any kind of sound. He could feel the huge warm hands pressing into his windpipe, squeezing, crushing it until it was almost impossible for him to speak.
In an instant, Garrick felt his entire life flash before his eyes. He saw his family, saw them laughing. Saw their faces. Saw himself on the floor, crumpled and dying in a pool of his own blood. Saw the look of disappointment on his mother's face. Saw his father shaking his head and saying, “You can't do this to us Garrick, you can't”. He saw himself, standing alone by the lake, staring down at the ground in shock. He saw his mother’s tears spilling over her cheeks as she watched him walk away. Garrick closed his eyes tightly, hoping that maybe all those images would go away when he opened them again, but it only made his vision blur more rapidly than it already was.
Suddenly, Garrick remembered a conversation that he hadn’t heard in years: his mother crying into his shoulder, “It wasn’t fair, Garrick, how could they do that? Why can’t they leave me alone?” Her words were muffled by the fabric of his coat. He had held his breath and squeezed his eyes shut tight, praying that she wouldn’t hear the tremble in his voice. But she had always been able to hear everything he did say, no matter what he was trying so hard to keep quiet about, so he knew that she would know immediately just how broken he really felt. Only he possessed enough strength to save his mother and prevent their divorce.
The dark golem threw him back against a stone wall hard enough that he slid to the ground, knocking the air out of his lungs and causing his body to ache violently. His eyes remained closed as his consciousness fled and left him lying on the cold, stone floor, surrounded by darkness and pain. The golem grunted. Its mouth stretched wide open, revealing rows upon rows of razor teeth that gleamed unnaturally in the pale illumination coming from inside the gaping maw of the golem.
Garrick couldn't let this be the end. The thought of Seren, whether alive or lost, fueled his determination. With the dark golem barreling toward him, he summoned every ounce of his strength and channeled his magic into Thunderwave.
“Not today!” he shouted, as he unleashed the spell in a powerful surge. A wave of thunderous force erupted from him, sweeping through the cave. The energy crackled as it moved outward in a 15-foot cube, enveloping the dark golem and any other creatures nearby.
The spell roared to life, dealing 2d8 thunder damage and pushing the golem back 10 feet. The thunderous boom echoed off the cave walls, reverberating like a storm. Garrick felt the weight of the magic course through him, giving him a moment of respite as the golem stumbled, momentarily disoriented.
This was his chance to regroup and search for Seren, knowing he couldn’t give in to despair while there was still a fight left to be had. His gaze darted back to the tunnel, then back to the golem, searching desperately for some sign of movement. It seemed to hesitate, unsure of what to do next. The golem turned, facing a different direction for the first time since Garrick arrived. Garrick could see his opportunity, so he bolted towards it and charged forward. Before the golem could react, Garrick had tackled the creature and pinned it to the floor. He slammed the heel of his palm against the creature’s exposed throat, forcing his magic onto it. As it convulsed under the onslaught of magic, the darkness faded and the golem went limp. Garrick released it.
With one last burst of adrenaline, Garrick gathered the energy in his chest and launched Thunderwave once more. This time he focused the magic on the golem, hoping that he might cause it some physical damage. The dark golem grunted as the attack impacted it, crumbling away and leaving it bare and vulnerable underneath. Garrick used that opening to roll away from it, taking advantage of its weakened state. He jumped to his feet, his fist clenched in anger as he glared at the fallen golem, ready to unleash yet another spell. The spell roared to life, dealing 2d8 thunder damage and killing him on the spot.
Garrick was surprised that the golem made a noise in such deep silence. The sound came from its throat, filled with thousands of small black beetles that flew out from within the creature’s chest. In less than a second, the entire area was covered in black beetles, each clinging to the body of the creature like burrs to a tree branch. The beetles writhed, crawling along the flesh until they had completely engulfed the monster. It twitched several times but otherwise remained unmoving. Garrick stood frozen as he stared at the golem in horror, unable to move, helpless to avert the fate that he had caused.
As the darkness finally consumed the golem, Garrick felt the grip on his mind loosen slightly. His eyes snapped open, focusing once more on reality. The sound of beetles buzzing around him snapped Garrick out of his trance, forcing him to shake his head sharply to clear his vision. The beetles dissipated from his surroundings in a flurry of activity. He looked up, gasping slightly as the image of the golem dissolved around him. His heart pounded wildly against his ribcage as his breathing returned to normal. For a few moments, he forgot everything except for the fact that he needed to find Seren. Then he heard a high pitched whirring sound coming from directly behind him, causing his ears to ring and making it hard to focus. There was something else there as well, but Garrick couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He strained to see it, straining to listen.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
He could sense the vibrations of whatever was behind him, but it was too faint. He had never experienced anything quite so strange in his entire life. Even though it was familiar to him, nothing was ever quite this loud. The sound grew louder until he was sure that if he continued paying attention to it, he would eventually find it. Within its stone walls, a powerful golem rested—an embodiment of stone and magic, waiting for a master to awaken it. Many had come to claim its strength, but none had succeeded. He felt the same energy rush inside him that he experienced when he entered the cave with Seren. He knelt before the colossal statue of the golem, tracing his fingers along its intricately carved stone. Garrick remembers his name—his true name—known only to a few. He recalls the Council of Elders, their wary glances as they spoke of him in hushed tones. “The Lost One,” they had called him, exiled from a world that once embraced him.
He closed his eyes, grounding himself in the ancient magic surrounding him. He whispered incantations from forgotten tomes, his voice steady and clear:
“__Awaken, spirit of stone,
Elemental force, hear my call.
With earth and sky, I seek to bind,
Together as one, let our strengths combine.
From the depths of the earth, rise with might,
Guardian of the valley, join me in this fight.
Let our spirits intertwine, as the winds entwine the trees,
I pledge my heart and soul, so come forth and seize.__”
As he spoke, he felt a connection spark between them, a flicker of awareness igniting in the golem’s eyes, responding to his words with a deep, resonant energy that pulsed through the air. His eyes shot open, watching intently as the light began to glow. The golem’s figure began to melt away, becoming smaller, and smaller until it disappeared completely. Soon after, the stone walls of the cave collapsed, bringing down with them an avalanche of stones that blocked off the entrance and created a thick layer of dust to obscure any signs of the previous battle. After a long moment, the dust settled, clearing the room away from where he lay.
Slowly, the golem began to stir, its immense form awakening from centuries of slumber. Garrick's heart raced as he sensed the golem’s power responding to his call, a deep bond forming between them. The golem's stone features softened as it took its first steps, moving toward him with a deliberate grace that belied its size. Garrick stood firm, feeling the weight of the connection deepening as the golem drew closer. Each step echoed in the temple, and he could feel the energy radiating from the golem, a fusion of earth and magic that enveloped him in warmth. It was as if the golem recognized him not just as a master, but as a partner in a shared destiny. He is no longer the Lost One; he is Garrick, reborn from the depths of the earth, ready to reclaim his place in a world that still needs him.
He held his breath, anticipating the moment that the golem will take the final step toward him, ready to meet him halfway as equals and become one, as partners and friends, companions and master. It's orange eyes locked onto him, burning with the fiery glow of life. The glow slowly morphed into a warm golden hue, and its body began to shimmer, as if the colors were reflected off the surface of water. In the center of his chest, a large white gem appeared, glowing brightly, casting its own light upon the room.
"Rise, spirit of earth, let us bring our forces together." A blinding flash of brilliant light emanated from the golem, engulfing both of them in the brilliance. When the light cleared, Garrick found himself standing before the golem, arms crossed, staring down at the giant, imposing figure that bore the likeness of his own form. He smiled as he glanced at his dashboard again. His system became more powerful.
Character Sheet:
[Armor Class: 20 Ultra Armor]
[Weapon(s): Sword 1d10 slashing damage]
[Hit Points: 80]
[Speed: 30 feet]
Attributes:
- [Strength (STR): 16 (+3)]
- [Dexterity (DEX): 16 (+3)]
- [Constitution (CON): 16 (+3)]
- [Intelligence (INT): 12 (+1]
- [Wisdom (WIS): 14 (+2)]
- [Charisma (CHA): 10 (+0)]
Skills:
- [Acrobatics: +6]
- [Stealth: +6]
- [Persuasion: +0]
- [Insight: +5]
Progression Stats:
[Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, passive Perception 14]
[Languages: Common, and ancient language of the golem]
[Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire damage]
[Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened]
[Challenge (s): 7 + 2,800 XP]
Nimble Escape:
[The Golem Hunter can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns]
Golem's Resilience:
[The Hunter gains temporary hit points equal to the golem's level at the start of each turn]
Actions:
Thunder Magic:
1. Thunderbolt
- [Range: 60 feet]
- [Target: One creature]
- [Damage: 4d6 thunder damage]
- [Casting Time: 1 action ]
- [Duration: Instantaneous]
- [Description: A powerful bolt of thunder strikes the target, creating a loud noise that can be heard up to 500 feet away.]
2. Thunderwave
- [Range: Self 15-foot cube]
- [Target: Creatures in range]
- [Damage: 4d8 thunder damage, and pushed 15 feet away]
- [Casting Time: 1 action]
- [Duration: Instantaneous]
- [Description: A wave of thunderous force sweeps out from the Hunter, dealing damage and pushing enemies back, potentially knocking them prone.]
3. Golem Command
- [Range: 60 feet]
- [Target: Golem ally]
- [Effect: Allows the Golem Hunter to issue one command to the golem, which can be executed immediately on the golem's next turn.]
- [Casting Time: 1 action]
- [Duration: Instantaneous]
- [Description: The Hunter can command the golem to attack, defend, or use a special ability, enhancing teamwork in battle.]
Strategy:
[With the awakening of his golem, the Golem Hunter's power surges significantly. He utilizes enhanced thunder magic to unleash devastating attacks, such as Thunderbolt and Thunderwave, capable of overwhelming multiple foes. This newfound strength, combined with the golem's resilience and his ability to command it strategically, makes him a formidable force in battle, able to dominate his enemies and protect the valley.]
Garrick was proud that after spending so many years in misery and struggle, he had finally awakened the golem and become its master. But he didn’t know that he had awakened the most powerful and ancient golem: Tharok.