The Loewy family! Being born into a family of craftsmen doesn't mean you have any skill yourself, and that is exactly the situation Judas Loewy found himself in. Despite his clumsy hands he was a natural merchant, so now the second son handles the business side of the golem selling business while letting the rest of his family handle the golem making. He is in town often and it is easy to spot as he rolls across the land in a golem carriage.
You ask one of the salesman on main street where the carriage parked itself. He points you to a two story cottage by the creek. While your village does have a tavern to accommodate all the travelers it attracts, most merchants who make regular trips prefer to invoke the usual rules of hospitality a small village possesses and stay in one of their customer's homes in return for discounts or access special goods. Some simply stay with a villager they befriended - though merchants aren't likely to pass up an opportunity to improve their relationship with their customers.
Before long you are knocking on the cottage door and asking for Loewy. The homeowner let you in and brought you to a dining table where Loewy was previously enjoying a chat. Unlike his ride he is unremarkable in appearance, with a dark beard and curly hair forced to be long by the many days he spent on the road. His body and cloths are clean, presumably he's had enough time to wash himself in the creek before relaxing.
You shake hands and get to business. It does not take long as he offers the standard price and you have little room to argue for more. Your first purchase does include a discount to encourage your business, but as you are using your Mentor's wallet for the exchange it isn't as encouraging as it could be. He writes up a contract reading aloud as he does so, with the homeowner acting as a witness to the signing. It is long and boring, but not as much as the ones the merchants from the big city write.
Most of the contract isn't entirely exciting, but emphasis is put on the no compete clause. Essentially you are only able to use the materials provided by the Loewy family to create materiel. Weapons, armor, and tools of warfare. They don't produce any weapons themselves so they have no problem letting you in that market, but if you try to make a golem that isn't meant for fighting you'll be in violation of the contract and they'll attempt to seize your assets. This is mostly on a good faith bases, but you remember a big brouhaha when you where growing up when one workshop created logistic golems that where functionally similar to the Loewy's transportation golems. Everyone picked a side and would argue for months about how it did/didn't break either the spirit or the letter of the contract. They eventually decided to settle out of court with a golem race, but you don't immediately remember who the winner was.
The second thing to note is what your contract doesn't have - provisions for selling you higher tier golem cores. Golem cores are where the golem's intelligence comes from. The Loewys market them in four tiers; "Reflexive", "Animal", "Man", and "Genius. "Reflexive" golem cores are the cheapest and the dumbest, capable of making a single action (and possibly its opposite) when exposed to stimuli (usually verbal commands or the push of a button). This is often used for things like doors that open when a password is spoken or the trip hammer in your Master's workshop that loads itself without need of wind or water. Since they're so simple they're often connected to a single part, equipment can have multiple Reflexive golem cores that each perform a single different task. "Animal" cores are smarter, capable of following orders comparable to something like a horse or dog. This allows for more complex tasks and a tool usually only needs a single Animal core for all its functions. The golem carriage is a good example of an Animal level animal core, capable of moving whatever direction the owner desires and following the road. At this point you can point them at the enemy and let them charge forward, but they won't be able to charge in formation or react to unexpected events beyond what you would expect from a confused animal. You can buy either of these cores with no problem.
It is "Man" and "Genius" where things get murky. You need special permits to sell either on the market as they're generally considered to be closer to "slaves" than objects at this point, though "Man" tier golems are arguably no more human than "Animal" golems. Man golem cores are capable of following complex orders like a human, but are incapable of truly independent thought. A combat golem with this core will be able to follow orders like a normal soldier and fall on backup plans if unexpected events occur on the battlefield without the need for additional orders. They are also capable of talking if provided with proper structures to do so, the major sticking point of golem activists who argue they should be counted as a sentient species. They are not able to learn or perform complex actions without being ordered how to do so, a major sticking point for those who argue these golems are simply tools just as disposable as the lower tier golems. "Genius" golems are those like your Master. Fully capable of learning and developing like normal people. At this point selling a golem is slavery to all but the most fervent activists. While not outright illegal it is a heavily regulated industry with various laws for their treatment and licenses to insure you are able to sell them. In short it is unlikely that you will be able to sell Genius golems at all - unless the Crown is in an especially dangerous situation - but it would be possible to acquire them for non-commercial use if you ever feel the need to create life. And have the money to burn.
Finally he finishes his reading and hands you the quill to sign. With a few flicks of the wrist, you are now supplied! Both the homeowner and merchant heartily wish you luck as you head off to your workshop. Well your Master's workshop, you won't really get your own until after you graduate.
Now you just have to decide what to make for your masterpiece? In addition to Reflex and Animal golem cores you have access to golem mesh. Golem mesh is a spiderweb like material that attaches to the golem core and is introduced into the material you want to turn into a golem. Where the golem core introduces the intelligence golem mesh introduces the strength, allowing the core to move whatever the mesh is installed in. The more mesh you add the stronger the golem will be, but if you make it too strong for the material it will be worn down or outright destroyed by its own power and the golem will end up breaking itself. Finally you have the mundane materials - precursors for high-quality steel, wood, iron, black powder, glass, and other such easy to obtain but vital weapon components.
You now have access to Reflex Cores, Animal Cores, Golem Mesh, and High Quality Standard Materials.
What is the design for your Masterpiece?
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Topic: Wonderous Weapon Workshop (SG) Golem Gladiators (Read 3790 times)