Van Richten's Monster Hunter's.pdf - Askadesign.com

If the strange events are still
occurring, you must move as rapidly
as possible, for there is a reasonable
chance someone is attempting to cre-
ate a flesh golem and may not haoe
yet succeeded. It is always preferable
to stop the creator rather than confront
his vastly more powerful creation.
When hearing of such a report, it is
often wise to immediately begin your
investigation, even though it will
probably prove to be a false alarm.
The time before a golem is animated is
often brief, and moving too slowly at
this point may result in great tragedy
for all concerned.
On the other hand, if the reports of
such strange disturbances seem to
have ceased, it is better to take a more
cautious approach to your
investigation. In all likelihood, either no
golem is present, or the creature is
already animate and thus extremely
dangerous.
Reports of unexplained murders,
especially those of a particularly brutal
nature, may also be evidence that a
golem is on the rampage. When
hearing such stories, try to determine
whether the murderer used a weapon
of some sort, or whether the attack
was completed without resorting to
such a device. If the attacker used a
weapon of any kind, it is quite likely
the killer is not a golem. The Created
almost invariably prefer to kill using
only their hands and brute physicality.
On the other hand, if the murders
involve broken necks, beatings of
amazing brutality, or other such
extreme physical violence, one of the
Created may well be the killer. In such
cases, if at all possible, examine the
bodies firsthand, Barring that, study
the crime scenes, as you can often
pick up valuable clues as to whether
the deaths were caused by a golem.
E, --
other Physical Evidence
There is, of course, other physical
evidence pointing to the activities or
mere existence of a golem. First and
foremost is the testimony of a golem’s
creator. At times the work notes, diary,
or other record of a golem’s creator
are discovered. Such records are
invaluable for both their information on
the specific golem and its powers, and
on the creation of golems in general.
Unfortunately, it is extremely rare to
have the creator’s notes to assist you. I
have seen just four such records
myself-and only once did the
information involve the golem I was
then attempting to destroy.
As noted above, evidence of great
physical destruction may also indicate
golem activity. Sometimes such
destruction involves multiple deaths,
as with the church destroyed by the
glass golem mentioned in Chapter
Four. Be on the alert for patterns in the
place or type of place where the
damage occurs (churches, farms, or
hospices). In addition to identifying the
creature, such information may later
prove valuable in your hunt, as it
reflects the golem’s (and quite
probably the creator’s) particular
hatreds and targets.
Xnvestigation
Once you have decided that there is a
reasonable chance that the story or
report you have heard involves a
golem, you must go about discovering
whether or not this is actually true.
Now, I want to make it clear that I am
not advocating rushing off to
investigate every strange tale of a
lurking figure or a disappearance. But
you will seldom find conclusive
evidence that a golem is behind the
stories without investigating personally.
Therefore, you must decide whether
the particular situation bears
investigating.