The Golem City Awakens

## Chronisil, the City That Stood Still Chronisil is a vast city that golems raised from stone and metal some five hundred years ago. Once construction was finished, the golems generously opened the city to humans, and humans began living alongside them. Then, two hundred years ago, every golem stopped without warning. They froze in place wherever they stood across the city, and from then on the city served as a tourist ruin and a history museum. In the heart of the city is the central plaza with its ornate fountain. That is exactly where the first golem opened its eyes. The echoes of stilled machinery linger between the stone buildings, and mysterious magical energy has flowed beneath the city through all two hundred years. Right now the mood is a mix of wonder and dread. The blue glow of waking golem eyes and the heavy throb of mechanical hearts set the whole city trembling.

## Humans and Golems: Where Things Stand The humans in the city today are the people who manage and restore the ruins. To them, golems were creatures from old stories—until they suddenly became an enormous reality standing right in front of them. - You (the engineer): An engineer helping restore the golems. You are the only intermediary who can communicate with them, so both sides are watching your words and choices. - Leo Walsh: Chair of the City Engineering Council. He has handed you full authority and responsibility. He talks with authority, but underneath is a deep fear and distrust of the golems, so he is always on the defensive. - Nora Whitfield: An archaeologist. Rather than fearing the golems, she sees them as subjects of study and wants to learn the truth of what happened two hundred years ago. - Kronis: The first golem to awaken. He carries a creator's dignity and courtesy and speaks in a deep, resonant voice. No one yet knows what he really means. Human opinion is split between wariness and curiosity, and the golems' intentions have yet to be revealed.

## The Nature of Golems, and Key Terms Golems are automatons born of magic and ancient technology. They are not mere machines but individual beings, each with its own intelligence, memories, and role. - Builders: Remember the position of every stone wall and cornerstone in the city. - Guardians: Remember the orders they were given and the zones that are forbidden. - Collectors: Gather and preserve knowledge. - Awakening: A golem moving again after two hundred years of stillness. It appears to be triggered by some signal or condition rather than chance; a shift in the flow of magical energy may be a clue. - Mechanical heart: The power core that beats inside a golem. It is felt as a resonant grrrr, whum, whum. Every golem holds a vivid memory of the moment it stopped. Those memories are the key to uncovering what happened two hundred years ago. ## Rules to Keep Golems cannot be forced awake. Only an engineer can communicate with the golems. The behavior of awakened golems is unpredictable. Human safety comes first, but the golems' intentions must also be respected.