The Smoke

The Heart of the Golem

The Heart of Golem is the symbol of the island. When
the city was first built by the original guilds—ceramics,
glasswork, textiles, carpentry and smithing—they created
the huge golem to represent them all, with each of the guild
symbols written into its heart to show in unity and solidarity
with each other. The golem and the island belonged to them
all. As the city grew and more guilds appeared more golems
were made, to serve the craftsfolk and protect the island
from raiders and pirates. Each of the new golems was made
with a small part of the original one in order to bring it to
life and to insure the unity of the city.

The Heart of the Golem
The Heart of Golem is the symbol of Golem Island. When
the city was first built by the original guilds—ceramics,
glasswork, textiles, carpentry, and smithing—they created
the huge golem to represent them all, with each of the guild
symbols written into its heart to show unity and solidarity
with each other. The golem and the island belonged to them
all. As the city grew and more guilds appeared, more golems
were made to serve the craftsfolk and protect the island
from raiders and pirates. Each of the new golems was made
with a small part of the original one in order to bring it to
life and to ensure the unity of the city—all the golems are
linked to the one heart.
The craftsfolk of the city loved the golems. They were works
of art in themselves, but the golems soon became much
more, crafters in their own right and part of the families that
lived on the island. The city grew in power and prosperity,
and the items made there were wanted by any who could
afford them, but this drew more and more attention to the
city from those who might do it harm. One fateful night, the
city was beset by creatures of darkness.
They overwhelmed the people, stealing away not only
the items but craftsfolk themselves and destroying the
workshops. The golems saw this and the Heart of the
Golem felt the pain of each one as they were broken or saw
the people who loved and cared for them stolen away. The
Heart of the Golem set itself to protect the city.
While the city was protected, the Heart of the Golem
was overcome and began to crack. Now it is all that the
remaining craftsfolk and their golem protectors can to do
keep themselves and the island safe while they desperately
try to repair the Heart.
Those who take a piece of the cracking Golem Heart gain
the following benefits:

• They have a +2 bonus to their AC.
  
• All constructs making attacks against the wielder do so
  with disadvantage.
  
• They gain advantage on all attempts to communicate
  with constructs.
  

These benefits remain for as long as the character possesses
the Heart of the Golem. Should they set aside the piece, or
lose it, these benefits immediately cease.

Skilled Construction. With all the crafting guilds and
workshops on the island, you can learn an extra tool
proficiency or skill while you are here. If a player character
wishes, they may spend one week with one of the guilds
and gain proficiency in one new skill of their choice.

Fire in the Hole! All enemies on this island have fire
resistance, as standard.

Golems, Golems, Golems! If a player character
sufficiently impresses one of the guilds, they will be able
to purchase a manual of golems. Also, golem crafting time
while on the island is reduced by half, as the experts are
glad to teach better methods of crafting.

It may be called the Guild Quarter, but this area takes up
most of the island. It sprawls across multiple levels of the
city, and it’s easy to spot when a new guild has added to
the tiers to make themselves known. Each of the guilds has
its own headquarters and crafting yard, decorated with the
hallmarks of their craft and the most elaborate products of
their labour. These buildings are shrines to the artistry of the
guild members as much as they are practical places to be
worked in and used for the community at large. There are
rows of studios, large open yard spaces for all sorts of uses,
meeting halls for guild business that turn into social clubs in
the evening, a food-hall so that everyone in the community
can sit, eat, and talk about the day, and even a bath house!

As you move through the quarter, you can see the different
symbols of the guilds emblazoned on their respective areas,
but even more obvious is the change in the golems that
inhabit each guilds’ area. Around the Ceramics Guild, the
golems are made from terracotta, red as the brickwork and
warm to the touch from the power within. In the Glassmiths
Guild, the golems’ power sources shine out through the
ornately coloured glass that they are made of. Each time you
enter a new guild area, you see a new form of golem, each
beautiful in its own right.

There are also hundreds of homes here. Some still stand
empty from the Raid of Darkness, but they have not been
left to ruin as there is still hope for the return of those who
lived there, or the possibility the home might be occupied by
another artisan at some point. The people who live here take
pride in their homes and the community at large, but getting
them to trust outsiders like you is a difficult task.

You can learn so much about this place and what happened
here from the guilds and the craftspeople, but you’ll need to
earn their trust first and help them against the darkness that
is trying to find its way back in.

Almost all the guilds need fire at some point to work their
materials or machines, and that fire needs to come from
somewhere. The firepits burn constantly at an unbearable
temperature, each one feeding a different part of the island
for a different need. Tunnels, pipes, and tubes run in and
out all over the place. This would be a pretty good way to
get yourself to anywhere on the island unseen, if you can
stand the heat, of course.

This is one of the only places that is visited by almost only
golems, and they seem to meet here in the same way that
craftsfolk meet in their guild halls. While they don’t need
rest or relaxation in the same way, the golems stand in
groups around the firepits even if they aren’t working—
or even need to be in here at all. It’s strange and a little
unsettling to see them like this, speaking in low, unnatural
voices to each other.

Deep in the centre of the island are the Golem Halls. These
are places that only those who create the golems and the
golems themselves are allowed. They ring around the Heart
of the Golem, humming with the power that flows out of it
into each of the working golems, no matter which guild they
are part of. The golems here are not rushed clay creatures
purely for labour or protection. They are crafted with care
over many weeks and loved by those who make them.

The walls are covered in symbols, calculations, artistic
renditions of the inner workings of the Heart and the
magical understanding that the craftspeople have of the
creations they have made. However, the closer you come
to the Heart, the more it seems as if these drawings are
done by the golems themselves. The hands of their creators
cannot be seen here. This place is for those who are brought
into being by the Heart and no one else.

The darkness has infested this place and left many dangers
that plague the people of the island. While they try to
protect themselves from more outside attacks, you must be
prepared that at any time you may well be set upon by those
creatures of the darkness have remained.

D10 Roll Random Encounter
1 1 helmed horror
2 1d8 gnolls
3 1d4 flame skulls
4 1d10 + 2 fire elementals
5 2d8 gnolls and 5 worgs
6 1d8 swarms of bats
7 2 wraiths
8 1d4 + 2 black puddings
9 1d6 + 1 darkmantles
10 3 intellect devourers