Solo What Else Can the Doll Do?

[Alric Wilmot]

73rd Day of Fall, 513 AV Alric sat at the table eating a bowl of oatmeal with his doll on the table, facing him on the other side. It was inanimate, having been deactivated by Alric and never turned back on. It was his first animated golem. As such he had a special connection with it, and saw it as a bit more important than his other golems he had made since. He ate in silence, Miro still asleep, or whatever it was that he did at night. Lessom was out, enjoying life. And Alric was still inside, training and learning to better prepare for the trouble ahead. He had not told Miro his plans in full. Miro was a friend, true, but he had a darkness in him that would be bothersome to control. Miro was a very agressive individual and was not one for excessive patience. At the same time, he was very good at planning out things in detail. Alric took another bite of the mush, not really all that impressed by that ability. Things changed all the time, and he saw excessive planning as too restrictive and blinding. A good guide line was better, with the ability to improvise being paramount. Or, at least he thought so. He fixed his gaze at the early sunlight filtering in through the window. It was about time to begin his lessons and proceed. He was still not as skilled in his craft as he wanted. No, he was not as skilled as he needed to be. He scowled and shifted his gaze to the doll. He had briefly had a thought, one he was very curious about, and needed to know. Could you make a golem know magic? Could you import skills into it? Teach a golem more than simple fetch this fetch that? He had thought you could teach a golem to speak. He had read that hadn't he? He wasn't sure, but he knew where to find the answers. He had the book with him, and brought it up now. He needed to see what all was possible, both at his current aptitude and later. He reached for the book, which was laid out by the doll and brought it up, ready to read. He turned it to the first page and settled in. He had read a few parts before, but had often skipped pages and skimmed certain sections. This read was to be more thorough. Animation is a discipline of world magic that allows the user to bind life or life-like traits onto objects. Beginners cannot infuse true life, but only simple reflexes, which are refined into instincts and further into more complex behaviors. Masters of this craft can bind actual souls, something to look forward to for those with exceptional skill and many years to learn. It is said that Animation was knowledge stolen from Kihala, goddess of life, by Yshul, goddess of thievery, with a little bit of information provided by Uldr, god of the undead. To this day, Kihala is known to frown upon this craft, its products and those who practice it. Though I myself have yet to find that altogether problematic. Her own morality keeps fer from withholding healing power to any but the most vile. So do not be too hesitant to learn this very useful craft. While the basics of this discipline have been around for a long time, it had not risen to prominence until much more recently, about 650 years ago in the Empire of Alahea. Alahean wizards developed it into a full-fledged science, giving birth to mighty golems for use as both expendable labor force and specialized military units. Alric's eyes wandered from the page, finding little entertainment in the standard introduction. He found the rumors of the gods being involved interesting, but he was skeptical of the claim. Was their not a god of magic? Had they not killed him for giving up the secrets of his craft to the mortals? Alric found that if that nameless god should be killed, why not this goddess of thievery? He did not put much stock in such things. Rumors were fun, but not always true. They were like illusions in a way, but still Alric found them distasteful. He moved on, wondering when the author might mention giving skills to your golem beyond simple things you could train a dog to do. Animation works by attaching a Life Principle (LP) onto a given object. A Life Principle is an artificial soul, though in most cases it is a highly simplified one. Being a forged soul, the LP also possesses an astral body, the intermediate substance that can control the movements of a physical body. This is how an Animated construct can move around, provided it is designed to do so. The object's physical structure must have a reasonable weight and suitable joints allowing for the desired behaviors. For example, a granite statue will not be able to move if Animated, because it lacks joints to use as pivots for movement. Please keep this in mind when designing your golem or choosing from mundane material. The LP is never created from scratch; instead, another creature's soul is used as a template. All knowledge and behavior necessarily come from another source and are basically copied into the Animated object, though the Animator can modify them as well as mix and match behaviors from many different sources to one destination. The transfer of information takes place inside a pair of linked circles (please see the diagram). Alric paused for a moment to look over on the other side of the page where a diagram had been drawn. It was rather simple. Only two circles, one larger and one smaller, with a line in between the two, connecting them. In the smaller one, the word "Source" was written. In the larger circle, the word "Destination" was written. Alric already knew this, but needed to review in case he forgot. Normally he would scoff at anyone who said he might forget something so basic, but he already had forgotten both the blood, and Astral body previously. He wondered if he was coming up to that point in the book? He went back to reading. This is activated with a drop of the Animator's blood. Alric barked out a laugh, apparently he was coming up to that part. The source of behavior stands inside the first circle, whereas the object to be Animated is in the other. The circles can even be customized and enhanced with Glyphing runes. The Animator gains a link to the circles in virtue of his blood sacrifice, and can mentally direct a flow of information from the first to the second circle. It helps if the creature in the first circle focuses on the actions and behavior to be transmitted, even rehearsing them during the transfer. The Animator himself can serve as a source, staying in the first circle and sending information from his own soul into the object. This Alric knew, as he had done so not only for the doll which was his first golem, but for a door handle that he had enchanted to lock when Alric told it to. Alric had been afraid that it would be unable to hear him, but the loose nails could pick up his voice from the air. It was rather useful considering that it had no lock. Alric had been worried about midnight assassins, though he was less so with the chains he had also animated to wrap about and immobilize strangers. Animating an object can easily require several sittings and take days or even months and years of effort in the case of exceptional golems. The source may vary every time, if the Animator wishes to instill bits of knowledge from different people and creatures. Of course, if the Animator is poor at the craft, the resulting behavior will be far from seamless and will resemble a patchwork of unrelated actions. If he is good, however, he can make the most of the different sources, merging that knowledge into something greater than the sum of its parts. This section piqued Alric's interest. He knew that one could take more than one day animating something as he had taken three to animate the very doll in front of him. But he did not know you could mix and match behaviors. But, beyond that was a hidden nugget of knowledge that Alric had been after. It had commented on giving the knowledge of a person, even more than one. Why then could a golem not learn magic? Or how to play the flute? Or to cook, or to clean, or to carry conversations? However, it seemed to come with a disclaimer. If the Animator was poor at his craft, it had said, then it would not work. Alric frowned at that. He did not think he was bad. Not by any means! But he had only begun a little over a week ago. Undoubtedly, no matter how far he had progressed, he needed to progress further if he wanted a golem that could cast for him. He gave off a deep sigh, not liking that at all. How much longer would he have to content himself with tiny little things that barely did anything? When could he truly unleash life, rather than let a crack through? Alric grew a little frustrated, but decided to keep reviewing. Maybe something interesting would capture his attention. An Animator must acquire the physical shell to be Animated before all else. Building these requires other skills of course, though the actual skill depends on the specific object. Anything solid that is not already alive can be Animated. Liquids and gases, to my own personal dismay, cannot preserve the structure of the LP (Life Principle for those of you not paying attention) and as such cannot be Animated. Golems tend to be creations of Carpentry and Metalsmithing, with Gadgeteering thrown in if they are complex enough to have working joints. This is not to say that an Animated object must be a human looking creature of stone, wood, and metal. A golem can be nearly anything. Why, my favorite scarf was Animated with a snake's behavior patterns. Be creative, is all I can say. With enough imagination, even a mediocre animator might find himself a place in legends. Alric scratched his chin at that. He had used a snake to animate both a small rope and larger chains. He did not considered a scarf. That might actually be very useful, now that he gave it some thought. He kept the rope on his person in case of danger, but a scarf would attract little attention and help him attack those who got in too close for him to throw his rope. He made a mental note to buy a scarf before moving on to the next page. It is crucial that neither the object, nor the source leave the circle until the process is complete and the Animated being has been awakened. Also, the item should not be altered in any way until that time, or the half-baked intelligence might get corrupted and become ruined. In some special cases, it might even go berserk and uncontrollable. It may become necessary for the Animator to restrain the source to make sure this condition is fulfilled, unless he himself is the source. At this point, the Animator will begin by shedding a drop of blood on the circles. Then, he will deeply concentrate on transmitting information from the source to the destination. The sensation feels different for everyone. I myself feel as if cold water is dripping on my neck. I have a friend who feels a slight pinch at the nape of the neck. In short, it seems the sensation of this bond is unique to the individual. Alric took note of that. It was interesting, and something he did not know. He wondered what might be the cause of separate sensations. He had assumed that it was djed entering his mind, as that was what it felt like. Indeed, it was the exact same sensation that he had felt when hypnotizing himself. He had ceased doing that, however thanks to a rather unfortunate accident. Alric made a face before shaking himself of the horrid memories and continuing his lesson and review. The first sitting an animator uses is usually very short, and merely consists of creating the Soulcore - the very basis of identity, that which makes one different from another. If you wish to learn more about Souls and the layers thereof, please go to the end of the text for a glossary. The Animator will often use himself as a template, though this tends to create some involuntary emotional attachment to the golem. It is for this reason that I do not recommend it. Use some other creature as a model for less attachment, and especially to make use of one-use golems. When the Animator, that is, you, feels that there is a working Soulcore - one with the potential to live, albeit devoid of any information - the first step is complete. The next phase involves creating a Persona, though expert Animators can re-arrange steps to fit their purposes. In a living soul, Persona defines a majority of memories and personality. The Animator attempts to do the same, though most likely at a much lower level. First, the Animator will transmit some necessary memories and concepts to establish directives. A directive is an absolute law - the Animated object will do everything in its power to abide by it, except when overruled by a higher directive. For this reason, directives should be considered very carefully; even more so as they cannot be changed later on. Typical directives include: Loyalty Authentication Self-preservation Non-violence Kill phrases Alric lifted a brow, he had remembered the book talking far more heavily on kill phrases. In fact he remembered it speaking over and over again on how very important they were and to never make a golem without one. Had he misremembered? No, no he did not think so. He shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to make of the dissonance between his memory and the book. Perhaps he had only imagined it. In which case it was a good thing to know anyway. He lifted his eyes from the page, bored with re-reading the book and not yet finding a satisfactory answer to his question. Was he skilled enough to have a golem that could be more than a trained beast? The answer insofar seemed to be no. But he doubted that this was it. He could find a way. He was sure of it! He got up from the table and went to his room, fetching the chalk and knife. He got back to the room with a smile on his face as he took the doll and set everything on the floor and drew a circle around his doll, and then continued to draw a line to himself. He drew the circle about himself as well. He picked up the book again, just in case something important would come up. Directives are best kept short, simple and to a minimum, and need to come with definitions of the required concepts. For example, in order for an Animation to understand "non-violence", the Animator must transfer the concept of "violence" first. In general, complex instructions should be given later. The next phase can be very quick or very slow depending on what the creature needs to know. If it only needs to react to simple stimuli, then transferring the required information is very straightforward. For example, an Animated lock that locks a door at dusk and unlocks it at daybreak merely has to know about the sun and what to do when it rises and sets. This is most likely an afternoon's work at most. On the other hand, an intelligent golem may require many days of careful planning and instruction - teaching concepts one by one, introducing language, building up expertise and developing intelligence. The greatest of golems can learn magics, mathematics, and anything else a living person might, but this is the result of a master Animator, years into his craft." Alric's face fell. this was what he wanted to know, and it was clearly stated that it took several days and knowledge beyond his knowing. Alric grit his teeth in frustration. This was going so slow! He did not have time to wait several years to bring his plans to fruition. He decided to try anyway, proceed with the additions to his little doll. He closed the book and set it aside, believing it to have nothing else of value to teach him. He was going to make this doll able to deliver hallucinations on its own. If not today, then tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, the day after. The book had most definitely implied that it was possible, even if it constantly said that it was done by more talented Animators. Well he was moving along quickly enough, why not him? He was the last Wilmot, the hope of everyone on Mizahar, though they did not yet know it. He took the knife and pricked his finger once more in the familiar fashion, a small drop of blood connecting him to the circles, and opening his mind. He felt the sensation, unique to himself, he knew, of djed connecting to his mind. He kept his face stern and connected himself once again to his doll. It was programmed to only follow him. A very simple and not incredibly useful command. What Alric wanted to make it do was follow him, and take note of anything else that was doing so. And cast an hallucination on that person of a false Alric, going another way. Still simpler than what Alric truly desired, but a stepping stone to greatness nonetheless. Alric put his mind to it and found that the doll needed to learn what hypnotism was, how to initiate itself to it, how to cast it, and when to cast. Then it needed to now what to cast after all that. It needed to recognize when someone else followed Alric, as well. This was all incredibly complex, and Alric was not sure he knew how to give these ideas form. But he would try. His veins popped and his blood surged, trying to give him every ounce of thinking power he desired. Finally he settled for something easier than simple images and concepts. He tried to give his memories over to the doll. It was difficult, as Alric could only remember so much. But slowly, he thought he could remember the day he was initiated. Sitting in front of the mirror, for a day, a mere day, and he had gathered to himself and unlocked the power. He remembered learning how to steer people into his line of thinking with a wayward thought, pulling on emotions, and even using simple rhetoric. He remembered discovering his aptitude in trances. He remembered it all, and sent it into the doll. Or at least, he tried. He began to cough, even before thinking of how to order the new directives. He did not understand what was happening. He coughed again, this time blood covering his hands as he tried to keep the spittle from covering the table. What was going on? Overgiving was not possible for World Magic, so what was happening? He cut the connection to the doll then, afraid for what was occurring. It was then that he noticed something else. There was a second tether to the doll, one far more familiar to him. His eyes widened as he cut the string and his coughing ceased. Somehow, he had accidentally set himself to hypnotizing the doll. He had been sending his past experiences through hypnotism! Though, how exactly, was beyond him. He had never accidentally cast hypnosis before. How did he go wrong? Alric shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the fog of pain keeping him from thinking straight. Things were going oddly, and he decided that today's lesson had best be kept short. It was his own theory that he did not know how to properly teach magic using Animation, and so had accidentally tried using Hypnosis. And since the golem was not fully activated, it was beyond his power to influence. He closed his eyes briefly to rest his weary eyes. He felt like a failure, and a fool. He was so tired of inadequacy. Why did this have to be so hard? He supposed if it was easy, anyone would have mastered the art. Though at the same time, he could not truly comfort himself with that thought. As he thought more on his abilities and lack thereof, he fell into a deep sleep, resting and replenishing the djed he had foolishly spent.