(5k X 5k version: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachme.....tudy_Room1.png )
P1. https://www.furaffinity.net/view/52345320/
P2. https://www.furaffinity.net/view/52382238/
P3. https://www.furaffinity.net/view/52430260/

Based on  Nominu's golems!

It was nearly time, a while past dinner, just before the sun had set. The two smaller golems had been hard at work copying the invite dozens of times each, the flyers were being taken instead of left on the board, prompting a few revisions to the text.

Janus had spent the past few days cleaning out one of the community rooms. It was just a large mostly open hall with a raised balcony and understorage areas for anything one was using the hall for. She dusted and cleaned the areas where her golems couldn't, mitted paws with no dexterity only can do so much. She thought a second, considering a golem even smaller than the squirrel and meerkat, mouse golem? It could more than easily plinthed somewhere out of the way, a knothole in a board, or high up a roof rafter in her room. Hopefully enough students showed up, someone could help her test this idea out privately.

Every few days the kangaroo carried a generic plinth inside, laying them out along the large window. The smaller window near the balcony was interesting. It had a semi-circle wood sill that protruded outside to a tiny perch, on the inside two large wooden dowels were inserted that jutted out into the open 'lounge'. She'd opened it to find another curiosity, a small latch on the outside, it was two floors up, and all brick. No one would ever be able to climb up, or even jump anywhere close from the tree shading the building.

The coat closet was cleaned, she even added a few regular sized Golemancy specific robes and coats. A neutral grey fabric, with darker threads woven into the back as to put the golemancy sigil, a construct's eye, proudly on display. It probably wasn't going to be as popular as the red, or blue and even green coats with varying symbols across the rear, but there was something special about Golemancy. She grinned as the kangaroo golem re-entered the room, having returned from dropping off the filthy rags in exchange for new. The construct was ordered to sit on a window plinth, looking strait into the room, the squirrel told to stand on his head. Magic waned from both, returning them to perfect stillness.

The meerkat helped clean out the heater, wiping out the left over residue from the triangular fire stone that was now just a brittle white pyramid. It wasn't needed now, but as the winter crept in, every heater would be emitting a warm glow to keep the college's buildings warm. Once cleaned, a fresh red firestone was placed inside, ready for the later half of the year, or any particularly cold night.

Janus flung her paw to the ceiling light, whipping the Aetheria into a spiral around it. The crystals within responded with a stronger glow in the opaque white bowl they were suspended in. The sun crept below the horizon, she looked about for anything amiss.

Seating arranged in the corner, the plinths along the window, dusted, cleaned and ready. She made a note to bring along some torches, the storage area was quite dark, moving about could become an issue once things started to pile up. The squirrel and kangaroo... she looked about, finding the meerkat uncharged and waiting for orders near the heater.

Three golems... a bit too much, or rather too many right now. With each paw she pushed Aether into the gems of the squirrel and meerkat, the markings faintly glowing for a second before pulsing on strong. Janus followed out their path with her eyes, working through how they'd get to the beams high in the ceiling and sit in the most shadowed area. The small constructs moved up the stairs, onto the open bench topped work station, onto the cabinet and just managed to spring up high enough to catch the crossbeam. Once up top they moved to either end of the long board, laid down on their stomach and let the small stone appendages dangle down either side. They weren't going to fall, the lioness pulled the charge from their gems manually and let it dissipate back into the Aether. One golem seemed like the right amount for the time being.

"Oh!" A bluejay burst in through the doorway looking a bit stunned, "I though the door would be locked." she explained the sudden entrance.

"I don't think you're supposed to lock a community hall. You can monitor them though." the lioness explained. "I'm Janus, I put together this little Golem group. And you are?" She held out a paw.

"Azura!" the bluejay chirped, extending her leathery dark toned hand. "Good to meet you Janus, glad this is the right room as well." She walked forward proper and swung the door shut.

"Well, come in! Things are still fresh, I haven't had time to add much."

The jay looked around, opened the coat closet and over to the kangaroo construct. "Its the first meeting, A get together, and then we can bring some things to fill the space out. There's enough space here for an Arcane lathe, make our own golems."

"That is my plan." The lioness nodded "I haven't seen you in class at all, are you interested in golemancy?"

"Not this half, I failed last year and chose to skip it for now. This group should be a good paced refresher." Azura answered. She reached out and ran her handpaw along the kangaroo's smooth long ears. "Your's?"

"It is mine, yes." Janus nodded.

"How does it move with legs like that? It looks like it would be difficult with those short arms."

"It hops about like a real kangaroo. I can show you if you'd like."

"Please, I've never seen one but in pictures." Azura held her hand out to the golem and backed up to give it room.

The stone glowed to life and hunched down, ready for a command. Janus thought about it moving slowly around the room. Azura watched as it moved along the floor, putting it's forepaws down and using the long tail for balance and a push as the long rear legs swung forward. The stone gently plapped on the ground, becoming less firm to cushion the impact. The golem continued to move like this, to the door, and back.

"And it only moves like that?" the avian was stunned at the slow pace.

"It can jump too, and 'run', hopping on both legs, there's no room in here to show that. Despite being solely stone, it can still clear alot of ground rather fast." Janus vaguely pointed out the large window, at the base of two trees evenly spaced between the buildings.

"Maybe you can show me later, when it's lighter outside?"

"That and you can keep an eye open, when its not on a plinth the golem is running errands, picking things up. You may be able to catch it bouncing along."

The bird nodded-

"-en just go in."

The door swung open, revealing a scrawny wolf and the Master of Golemancy, the grey fox.

"He didn't want to barge in, mid conversation." the fox spoke.

Janus recognized him from earlier that week, Master Slate, she nodded her head. The bluejay looked at the grey robes, and to the markings on the collar.

"Master-", the avian pointed at the collar, then opened her hand. She began to scan up and down, any exposed fur was a color drained grey.

"Slate, current master of golemancy." He returned the open paw for a shake, and looked over to the wolf.

"Kyor of Timberfang Tundra." he offered a pawshake around.

"A Northerner!" Azure chirped, "I've been there in summer, it is a lovely place."

Janus waved a paw to the wolf, they were already familiar, as they attended the same golemancy class.

Now with a 'crowd' near the door, the group moved to the seating area.

"We were just," Janus motioned to Azura, "speaking about golem movement, specifically my kangaroo." The still active golem turned around slowly and onto the plinth where it stood and froze.

"Wouldn't a... four legged form work better?" The wolf asked.

Janus frowned slightly, hugging the still head of the construct. "But it's so unique and odd, I just had to make this one."

"An odd choice, but very unique. Your first time carving?" Master Slate asked.

"It was, glad it came out as I imagined." She nodded proudly.

"A very good golem on your first try, excellent tension on Acrane wire." Slate spoke up, everyone turned to listen as he spoke. "I won't be here all the time, but if there was anyone with the ingenuity and mastery to start a club, it would be you." The lioness blushed gently, nodding a thank you towards the fox.

"I am here to master the art of Golemancy." the feline bowed curtly.

"I would like a refresher, maybe it will help when I decide to re-take Golemancy." The bird spoke and looked to the wolf.

His eyebrows peaked, searching for words. "I... want to understand golems. Craft spells to make them work efficiently in colder weather. Learn how to do that, from the inside if need be. Using golems during the frozen winters and snow storms, would be a great benefit for everyone up north."

Janus grinned, "From the inside? Curious choice of words."

"Master Slate has said 'Understanding is knowledge of the whole, both sides.' So if it takes being a golem to understand, I'll gladly be one." The wolf explained.

"I think I can help with that." Janus grin became wider, showing a past-comfortable grin that exposed all her teeth. "It is possible to do so, become a golem." She started to turn towards her satchel near the small golem plinths.

The fox pulled his pouch from the side, fishing around for a bit before pulling out a black vein-clouded gem. "That is what these are for." He held it up, so that anyone could see it from their angles.

"Its... broken." Janus noticed the seared vein-shaped cloudiness.

"Purposefully broken, Aether burned." the fox pointed out, holding the crystal out to the lioness for inspection.

Azura raised a finger, "That wouldn't hold a spell for..."

"Very long..." Janus thought aloud.

"Yes, had the same thought." the bird stated.

"That is what makes it perfect." The fox passed the gem over to the wolf, the lioness not wanting to handle it. "You can infuse any spell you want inside. The damaged structure means the spell can dissipate over time, this one works for about a week before the spell collapses."

Kyor passed it on after holding it to the light. Azura did the same to see clouded formations inside before passing it to the lioness who snapped it up and began to float it in her palm.

"With that, you can even put some of the harder to cast enchantments inside if you wanted to turn yourself into a construct." Slate said.

"And you can do this with any gem?" Janus asked, probing the structure with an Aetherial cloud.

"Any gem can be over-charged and 'burned'. Given the randomness of how it burns out, can result in varying lengths it can retain a spell. Any new crystal would need to be tested before a period of activity can be determined."

"Could... Could I have that one?" the wolf inquired.

"I want this one." Janus whisked the levitation spell away and closed her paw around it.

"Don't fight, I have a whole pouch full of them." Slate reached for the bag at his side and fished out two more of the same size and faceted faces. The wolf accepted one and the avian passed on the offer, the gem went back into the pouch.

"If you want to use any other gemstone to turn yourself or anyone else into a golem, please let me know." Slate looked directly at Kyor.

Azure tilted her head, "Is that even possible? Turn yourself into a golem?"

"Completely. The spells for golemancy are not too much different than transformation spells. A gem enchanted with any golem spells, will turn what it is activated with, into a golem. Stone or person."

"The person would require more Aether, as the spell needs to effect the whole body." The lioness interjected, the fox smiling, she had been reading through Volume 3.

Azura shivered at the thought while the wolf was intently listening.

"The risk with a normal crystal is that it requires a focused effort to remove, a great deal of magic to un-bind the spells. Not to mention any mental alteration spells cast inside. That can very quickly persuade one into a mindset that is difficult, if not impossible to undo. These ones, will lose effect and recede, transforming you back."

"As a golem, you don't have the natural protections." Janus chimed in, "Even a farmer has some understanding of to the ebb and flow of the magical realm. Foresight, a 'gut' feeling, the mundane vibrations of an area, as stone, your form doesn't contain latent physiology or organs to detect and use magics."

"Without those, your mind is free to be pushed in any direction, there is no way of pushing back with your own drive and will." Slate finished the explanation. "You can't summon the vast quantities of Aether to remove the gem. If you did find a gem and activate it, or it activates, there would be no way to distinguish you from the rest of the decorations around the college."

"I think it would be obvious, if someone accidentally did that to themselves." Kyor pointed out, "They would just be a golem, standing there, oddly, all their things around them."

"Most times yes, a simple inspection of the area around would definitely cause one to think that. Young students can be rather ambitious, or fall victim to a trap one sets. Accidentally or purposefully, it is all a possibility of happenings."

"Perhaps then," Janus interjected, "We could pair off..." she looked at the only two students in the room, "... if more show up in later classes. Taking turns as the golem and the owner."

Slate nodded softly, "I encourage it, there is no better way to understand the effect of a spell, than experiencing it personally. Over time you can refine it, add or drop aspects in the process of spell construction."

"Wouldn't the transformation effect the mind?" the wolf asked.

"It takes many months to over-ride your natural thought processes. A week will let you experience it, but not long enough to make any lasting changes. It is also a portion of the enchantment you can leave out, as it is just one layer of many that make a golem." Slate answered.

Janus began to mentally work backwards, striving to remember how long her 'golems' has been such. The meerkat was the latest, a few weeks turned already. Months. Thanks to the new information on broken gems, she wouldn't need to hide her activity, it would have to be on a weekly basis, students willing. Select a few for possibly later 'tests'. It should provide enough insight while her stone 'friends' aged. This put off plans towards the middle of the year, or longer. She let a grin express itself outwardly, perfect. The summer break would be enough time to catch a few subjects before they 'quit' and not return. The thoughts of a small golem mouse returned.

The wolf grinned, "So it can be made to only transform yourself into a golem, nothing more?"

"Yes!" the grey fox nodded, "You can learn what that has to offer before any of the other aspects."

The wolf tried to control his tail wagging, holding the temporary gem tightly against his chest. The fox locked eyes with him, giving a wink on the side the others couldn't see. "I was afraid I'd miss out on such a... learning opportunity." The fox grinned grey and nodded deeply.

"If Master Slate isn't available next week, I'd love to help you enchant the gem and watch over you for that week." Janus pointed to the inanimate kangaroo golem. "You would look lovely beside my other gole-" she caught herself, almost said golem plural, "-lem. He may get lonely without a friend."

"I will have to pass... Janus?" he struggled to remember her name. "I have a good friend here who promised to watch over and practice with me already."

"Oh." Azura said, "Planning this for a while?" she ribbed.

"For a bit... I am a much better... 'paws on' type of learner. I somewhat understand all the book knowledge, but feeling the spells has always been a better way for me understand better..."

"Watch out for Pryomancy." The fox chuckled, "Probably not a good way to comprehend that aspect." Everyone, including the wolf, chuckled.

"Maybe as a golem..." the canine thought. Everyone paused to consider that, the possibility of divining insight of a spell would work in that manor.

Janus turned to Azura, "So, why did you fail golemancy last time?"

The avian blushed, embarrassed a bit, "I can't ever make them... move right. They all fumble awkwardly when I give them instructions."

"Care to show us?" Slate asked, motioning over to the stone kangaroo.

Azura reached out and pushed Aether into the gem and the center of the roo's chest. The marking lit up, this time red instead of the purple hue of the gem.

"Oh, he's mine, I own hi- it." The lioness responded.

"Command it to listen to her?" the wolf stated as a question.

"I wouldn't want it to break." Janus responded.

Slate threw up his paw, sending energy into the construct. Janus' neck hair raised on end.

"Careful!" she turned to the fox, ears dropped and nearly snarling.

He didn't respond, just hold the energy inside the gem itself for a period of time before pulling back. "It won't break. The strength of the enchantment inside is very strong, very sturdy. Good choice," He nodded to the lioness "Bouncing around like it does, you really put effort into it's durability."

"Its very special to me..." Janus breathed a sigh of relief. A master of golemancy couldn't tell what it was, good. She raised a paw, the statue moving to attention. "Obey Anura." The statue moved it's head and looked at the bluejay. The animating magic was withdrawn, the roo froze in place, staring.

"Ah-Zu-ra," the avain said, making sure to pronounce the z dominantly so it really resonated in her beak. Janus nodded, hearing it clearly now. She pulsed into the gem and the construct glowed normal purple.

"Golem," the jay said, "Move to the door."

The stone object object began to act erratically, reaching one arm down to the ground and 'pedal' the other in the air. It's rear legs scuffled forward scraping along the stone as it went.

Janus chuckled gently as the fox spoke up.

"How are you seeing this construct move to the door? Describe what you think of when you vocalize."

"Walking, moving the legs, animating it. Every golem I command does something like this. Golem, stand ready." The bird stepped back, the roo stood up tall where it was.

"Telling it how to walk?" the wolf asked. "Each golem's shape calls on the animal's appearance, taps into the Natura, the knowledge and shape of a form to animate it."

"You are imagining it to walk, as you do." the lioness' chuckle continued.

"The golems know 'how' to move, Azura, you only need to let them know where to move. Try thinking of the golem going to the plinth and settling in, don't think of walking there yourself. Simply 'moving' over there to sit." Slate said, motion over to the plinth.

"Move over there, go to the plinth." she said in preparation. "Golem, to sit on the plinth." The kangaroo crouched down, shifting itself to turn and slowly move forward as kangaroos do.

"I didn't tell it to turn around?" The kangaroo froze.

"You didn't need to, it is 'aware' of itself and the space it is in, capable of navigation. This golem knows it is a kangaroo, and will always move in that way, because that is what it is. It's 'Natura'. Imagine it going to the plinth, at the plinth and then 'sitting', as Natura." Slate instructed, she had it, but mentally told it to stop.

"Golem... Go sit in the plinth." Azura said, thinking that it was there, and on it, waiting. The golem responded by walking normally over to the plinth, climb ontop and turn around, centered and leaned forward, alert.

"There!" The fox exclaimed. "What did you imagine different this time?"

"I imagined it moved and sat on the stone. I didn't try to visualize it moving, just... in motion as it does."

"Natura." the wolf nodded.

"It is the same with all constructs, the form calls upon Natura, and moves thusly. A canine body will move as a canine, feline the same. Snakes, birds, mice, horses and deer." Slate explained, "All draw upon the Natura of the shape. This golem is expertly crafted, shape angle and form carved nearly perfectly to draw from the animal."

Azura smiled. "I think I understand it now! Natura."

Janus' chuckles at the avian's stupidity waned into a smug closed lip smile. "You don't need to use your voice either. A well put together, clear thought works just as well."

"Small steps." The fox nodded.

"Yea, I... well... you helped find out the issue." She turned and nodded to the wolf and fox.

The kangaroo went still, glow flashed from the engravings. Janus flicked her own magic inside the gem, saying nothing, but communicating to her golem not to listen to anyone else. The construct stood still and flashed inactive again, waiting silently for another command.

Azura's tail was quivering, "I might see about picking a golem on the way back to my room tonight." She settled back down into the lounge chair, positively bubbling.

"Any specific one in mind?" Kyor asked.

"Hyena I saw in the library?" Janus tossed out a possibility.

"Too big, I saw it there last week." Azura thought.

"Beaver by the lake?" Slate added to the list.

"Something small, housecat sized... I can reach out and find a few on my walk back." She nodded to each suggestion, but couldn't decide at the moment.

"I like the larger ones," Janus said, "Great for security given their size."

"Security?" the wolf asked, "I'm sure they can't really... fight, that would be some special... attack golem."

The kangaroo sprung to life and walked forward towards the Kyor. Getting close and putting it's large nose to the canine's.

"Imposing, isn't it?" Janus asked through a smile. The wolf nodded changing between the lioness and the stone muzzle in his.

The roo backed down, lowering it's head to the floor. The wolf leaned forward to watch the muzzle line open up, revealing a flat featureless maw, like a simple cut shape in the stone itself. The golem widened it large enough, then twisted it's head to the side and 'bit' down on the wolf's ankle. The muzzle closed around it, the stone forming back, completely around the entire circumference.

The golem stopped moving, the wolf tried to move his leg, now trapped and still with the kangaroo's muzzle reformed completely around like a shackle, as if it was cast around his ankle.

"And now you just sit there until security can be found."

"I..." some more paw wiggling and tugging didn't budge the giant restraint at his ankle. "... see." The golem's muzzle opened back up and freed the wolf, backing up to go sit back on the plinth. "The larger ones have alot of mass, and once clamped, you'd need to be a bull or horse to move that thing just a bit."

"Just don't go in her room." Slate shrugged to the wolf, "She might not call anyone and deal with you herself." he chuckled as the Kyor grinned.

"I'd..." the lioness said through her teeth, "-never do that."

"Just bringing it up as a possibility, if not Janus, then someone else could take advantage of that. Sure you're not a badger transformed into a lioness?"

"Quite sure..." Janus frowned.

"You do seem to have a short fishing line." Kyor chuckled alongside the fox.

"Canines..." the lioness muttered under her breath.

Chuckles faded off, the moonlight becoming a stronger source of light than the lamp above. Azura moved a few fingers, gently increasing the glow as the energy had began waning for a period of time.

The silenced weighed in, Azura's head nodding slowly lowering as the lioness yawned.

"Sorry," the jay perked her head up and shook it gently. "It's late... But glad I came, I learned so much!"

Kyor rolled the burned out gem along his hand paw, "I did as well, and now I need to brush up on enchanting."

The two stood up, stretching and yawning out to wake themselves up for the walk to bed.

"Glad I could help, that's what the group is for." Janus shook hands as the canine and bluejay passed, grabbing previously hung robes from the cabinet before leaving and goodbyes.

Kyor returned a second later, "I may be here early next week." He pinched the gem between his fingers, holding it up to let the fox know his plans. "Really early."

"I will stop by and lend a paw with that." Slate waved the canine out of the doorway, urging them off to sleep.

"Good start." The fox raised a thumb in the air.

"Only two showed up." Janus looked at the now empty seats.

"Kyor and Azura will let others know. You're too hard on yourself, can't expect everyone to turn up. The other students might not need much help, yet, the year is still young." Slate reasoned. "Great idea with the partners, taking turns to be a golem for a week. If you can't find a partner, I'm more than willing to teach a stone lioness some things."

"Oh..." Janus expressed, "I... don't think there's much I can learn from being in a golem form."

"As much as you know, there is a great advantage in experience anyone can gain from the form. If you really want to master golemancy, there isn't much better of a way to learn them. It is the chance to experience your work first hand, imperfections in casting and enchanting. There's probably a millennia of discoveries one can make as a golem. I am still honing my skills though periodic golemification."

"Who watches over you then?" The lioness asked with a small twist in her muzzle.

"A master doesn't give up those secrets so easily. But my offer still stands." He grinned.

Janus thought for a few seconds. "What happens to my golem in that case?"

"They just sit around until you can charge them again. You can always send them all over the grounds for that week so they can add some beauty to the area." Slate replied.

"I'll consider it..." she trailed off. "It is late though, so I should probably start the walk to my room."

Slate nodded, getting up from the couch and adjusting the kerfuffles out of his robe. He held out a paw for a shake.

Janus shook his paw and said goodbyes as he left. She fished the temporary gem from her pouch, rolling it over in her hand, looking at it in the moon's sliver luminescence. Her other paw flicked into the kangaroo, she held it there, trying to figure out what the fox did.

He just held himself there in the golem's chest. She focused there, feeling vague 'whispers' of the spell's cast shape. One, two... she counted each one individually, three. Transformation, animation and... she didn't know what the last one was.

The construct moved to the far plinth as commanded, facing the room inwards and providing a good view of the door. His stony body pulsed with energy, ready and waiting. A new pulse flooded through, he listened and looked towards the door, then a little to the side, eventually strait on, he was still able to see the area through his left eye.

Janus grinned, the statue was brimming with pleasure, excited to sit there and watch, be alert for anyone coming through the doorway and to let the lioness know. She patted the stone head, rubbing it gently.

"I love your ears." she whispered, running a finger down the top, tracing the shape out along the edge. "Lovely curves, nice and big." She let her paws lay flat along the 'inside' of the ear, stroking slowly. "Just a few more months and there will be nothing left to turn back." The hands moved towards the muzzle, beginning to follow the mouth line as she went. "Then you'll be just a silent, obedient golem."

"The wolf wants that." she continued in a hushed tone. "They've already got a friend, and I can't make anymore friends for you for a while." The two smaller golems in the rafters glowed to 'life', skittering along the boards and jumping down the way they climbed up.

Janus put the burned gem back into her pouch and gave the kangaroo one last pat before turning to the meerkat and squirrel at the top of the stairs, they quickly tunked down the wooden stairs and jumped onto her outstretched arms. They weighed only a little more than their natural counterparts, as they clambered up to sit on her shoulders. They remained animated, to begin to sway and steady themselves as she moved to the closet for her items, taking one of the new Golemancy coats before swinging the door open to leave.