-The Gods: 2, Golliad. He is known as the Collector. As a human, he had outpaced his master. He grew to collect things. He wanted more skills than anyone. And eventually, his prowess garnered him fame. This fame never stopped him though. If one thing could make you famous another could make you twice as famous. In death he collects the souls of the deceased to help send them back to heaven or reincarnate back on earth, so he can collect them again.-
The human district was once opulent even in the areas reserved for the common folk. The houses were built from white limestone. Doors and windows were lined in the Black Cedar that came from the forest that used to make up the border between the northern and southern hemispheres. And all of the fixtures were of hammered iron.
Ko'Loss looked at the state of the town now and if he had shoulders they would have cringed. No one had been around to wash the walls of the soot from the other districts so the stonework was all streaks of gray and black. The black cedar was cracked and peeling. Rust was forming on hinges and the glass was missing in windows and doors everywhere he looked.
Occasionally, he would use magic to search for signs of life and he would find a person living in corners of buildings here and there. People were huddled underground in the sewers also hiding from the people above him. The guard wasn't lying when he said that the people he would normally guard against were just coming in under his nose.
Ko'Loss watched for landmarks. First, he saw the Pillar in the square in the northern market that commemorated the achievement of all peoples to build the city. He looked around and found the building that used to be his wife's favorite cafe. In his memory, he could see the flowers in the windows and then the wind blowing the sign back and forth. The building had a sign for a weapon shop now. Amazing what time changes and leaves behind.
He followed the roadway south and moved between rows of houses. The further he got into the town he saw burned-out hulks of houses that had been destroyed or ravaged by time. Out in the open people huddled in corners and shaded spots. They had less fear of being seen from this far in town.
His memory would pop up occasionally and he would see after images of the life he had had here before. He would stop and look at the house his butler lived in. Then the house that the kids who always came to collect his leftovers and scraps.
Finally, the road opened up to be large enough for two carriages and people. The ruins of old gas lamps still showed in the sidewalks where you could see stone and pipework jutting out. This was the way. He was sure of it. And soon he saw what he was looking for.
In the southern part of town was a house, surrounded by iron and stone fences. The fences were three men tall and one large gate butted up to the road. The gates used to be guarded by 4 men at all times but now they hung lazily open.
Ko'Loss looked up at the house that still stood out from the rest. Its brilliant white facade was now soot black from fires burned in the front yard. Ivy's and other plants from the gardens were slowly reclaiming whole areas. The overgrown greenery gave it an eerie view. It had the reputation of being a ghost house. Anyone who went in now wouldn't understand that most of the ghosts were actual spells and enchantments he had put on the house.
Ko'Loss snapped his fingers and the gates swung open. They groaned on ungreased hinges and Ko'Loss welcomed the noise. It would warn anyone inside the master was coming. If they had any sense they should be prepared for his arrival.
Ko'Loss walked up the curved path towards the house and internally smiled. It was the first genuine emotion he had felt for a while. He had not felt the need to return home but to know his home was still here. That was a testament to his power. For several millennia this house has stood against storms and riots and looters. Whoever was here now was in for a rude awakening.
Inside the house, an assortment of people hiding from the law was using it as their base of operations. The house originally had multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, a large gathering hall, a huge kitchen, and several workshops. Additional rooms could appear or disappear based on commands from the master of the house. The house also had a golem as its main butler. The butler had been his first experiment into what would later become his body.
"Welcome your master home with open arms!" Ko'Loss declared to the house as he came to the last step before you came to the entry gardens.
On his command, the house shivered just a little bit. The garden changed ever so slightly. It was designed to weed itself and turn on lights and fountains when he commanded it. Several of the features had been scavenged or destroyed with time but the command was still fighting to make them happen.
The grass cleared itself of rubbled where it could. Piles of wood and crates stood in random locations and the lawn started to wriggle like a worm and move the items off it. Ko'Loss smiled to himself and clapped several times. A master craftsman like himself enjoyed the sight of his creations working so many years later.
The commotion of the house trying to rearrange itself had riled up its current inhabitants. Men and women of all races, including a few humans, had been inside doing all sorts of things. They were all suddenly thrown from chairs, beds, and desks when the house suddenly turned against them.
Men and women ran to the windows to look for the cause of the commotion. On the lawn stood Ko'Loss with his arms crossed. His huge frame was like a statue. They were all expecting some human to be standing there. The visage of this monster was beyond what they expected.
The first man to come out was brandishing a sword and looking around for the intruder. He looked at Ko'Loss and ignored him completely. Golems are useless without their creator to give commands to them.
When the man walked up to him to peer around him Ko'Loss reached down and grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up into the air. "How many of you are defiling my home?"
The man choked for just a second and squeaked out a reply, "Eat it clay jar. We own the house now!"
"That is the wrong answer," Ko'Loss said and then flung the man over his shoulder towards the gate. He landed in a bush which immediately moved to spit the corpse out. The man had broken his neck in the fall.
"Where is my butler?" Ko'Loss looked from window to window. He noticed a pile of boxes moving around the front door. It appeared his belongings were being packed up and stored to either be sold or burned.
After several minutes of struggle, a hand appeared from inside a wooden box. Ko'Loss recognized it immediately. "I am sorry sir but I appear to be stuck."
Ko'loss walked over and began breaking wooden boards. "Please do be careful. I am not in the best condition right now." The butler begged from inside the box.
Finally, Ko'Loss found a large crate moving in the middle. Ko'Loss kicked it over and watched the rotted wood crack at the seams. A man-sized golem wearing the remains of a black butler suit got up from the debris. His body was cracked and painted over at several places. The golden monocle that counted as one of his eyes was bent and the glass damaged.
"I seem to be mostly functional my lord. Your trip went well?"
Ko'Loss rummaged through his memories. Oh, that was right. He had told the butler he was off for a trip to get the last reagent needed for the transformation he was in now. He had never returned home after losing his mortal shell. Regret wasn't one of his emotions anymore but he did feel a bit of remorse for leaving the creation alone.
"My trip has been life-changing. I will tell you later if I have time. Please help me remove the unwanted guests."
"I am more than willing to help sir but in my current condition I may be less useful than before."
"That is expected. Later we will see about repairs. Now lead on."
Together they walked into the house. Inside the doors was a grand foyer with black chestnut floors with quartz accents. The effect was stunning but the shameful state of his house meant that dust, debris, and the carcasses of half-eaten meals were strewn about in a show of shameful disrespect.
"Oh, this will not do." The butler said and walked over to the first pile he could see. He kicked it with a foot and watched roaches scatter.
Two men and a woman ran in from the grand hall just to the right of the door. They ran screaming at the two golems sure they could break them with sheer force. Ko'Loss put his hands directly in the way of their blades, watching as they didn't even chip his thick skin. "Guests should introduce themselves. Get out of my house." Ko'Loss said and used his index finger to flick the head of the one closes to him. The man's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the ground. The next two blinked for a second before striking again in desperation.
The butler wobbled over to the man closes to him. The bottler took both hands and slapped them together against the man's neck. The butler had been aiming for the ears but his depth perception was off. The effect was the collapse of his neck muscles and the shock sent him falling to the floor screaming.
The last attacker backed off screaming for help. Ko'Loss ignored them and walked to the banister of the stairs. He put his hand on the first crystal ball that sat on the stairwell. The magic was weak but still there. No one had been charging it in quite some time. That explained the intruders.
"Rise to meet your owner and prepare my home for me." He chanted and poured magical energy into the house again. Circuits in the wood and walls sprung to life. Charms and mechanisms that had been dead for ages screamed back to life. The house emitted a deep groaning noise as everything started coming back to life. It sounded like the noise old pipes make when how water comes flowing through the pipes for the first time.