Alter Aeon The Great Library

Welcome to the Alter Aeon Historical Archive!

Note - as with any topic, researchers should question the reliability
and veracity of these texts.  The library's aim is to preserve
documents, not verify accuracy.

AABN:  13788
Title: The Necromarcanorum Volume IX: Homunculi

This scroll is made from black leather, rolled around a waxed rod of
darkwood. The text is large and blocky, written with dense white chalk that
is sealed into the leather:

"Homunculi are a type of magical construct that exist as extensions of
their creator's life force. They have no will or consciousness of their
own, and thus are destroyed if their creator dies. The powers wielded in
controlling a homunculus are related to spiritlore and the possession spell
in particular. Generally a necromancer can only control one at a time. They
can be made quickly and with relatively little effort, though their creator
must devote some of their concentration to maintaining the homunculus's
existance. They are often confused with golems -- more durable constructs
that are animated through complex rituals involving elemental magic and
exist independent of their creator. Common homunculi include:

Clay men -- crude humanoid shapes, clay men are shaped by their creator's
will from dirt, dust and clay. They can be created very swiftly in almost
any location without the gathering of additional resources.

Wood woads -- crafted from wood, these spindly constructs are often studded
with jagged spikes to deal extra damage to attackers. Though resistant to
cold, they are easily burnt by fire and electrical attacks.

Bone guardians -- not to be confused with walking skeletons or minions
created from teeth, bone guardians are crafted from the bones and cartilage
of recently deceased creatures. They are dense and heavy, being resistant
to many forms of attack, though fire and pounding weapons can do
considerable harm to them.

Flesh beasts -- these macabre homunculi are made from the soft tissues of a
fresh corpse. They are somewhat amorphous and can take a huge amount of
punishment, but they are clumsy, easily harmed by slicing weapons and cold,
and, unlike most homunculi, can be ravaged by poisons.

Metal constructs -- twisted masses of multi-limbed metal, these homunculi
are very durable. They are always resistant to fire and cold. Because they
can be shaped from any kind of metal, they can have a wide range of
additional resistances depending on their composition.

Here are a few of the less common homunculi that have been documented:

Animated corpses -- necromancers sometimes imbue a recently deceased corpse
with a portion of their will in order to make it move. Unlike soulstone
infused undead, these entities have no will of their own and make very
ineffectual combatants.

Straw men -- also known as huskers, wicker men, scarecrows or mannequins,
these very simple homunculi are a variation of wood woads. They are
fashioned from dried plant matter, though more complex versions may employ
pieces from animals or humanoids.  Permanent straw men, attached to poles
or trees, are sometimes created by primitive societies to serve as
guardians of fields and farmsteads. Some claim they are not true homunculi,
but simulacrums created by druids.

Crystal skulls -- extremely rare, these eeriely beautiful homunculi are
employed against enemy spellcasters. Very few necromancers know the art of
creating them, and their abilities are not well understood."