Boss of the Luminous Cavern (Castle B) in Konami's 2002 Nintendo Game Boy Advance (GBA) video game Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance [original Japanese title Byakuya no Concerto (White Night Concerto/Concerto of The Midnight Sun)]. The Golem is ranked at Level 18, has 1,408 hit points (HP), and slaying it will net you 273 experience points. This creature is resistant to "Thunder" elemental damage--attacking the Golem with anything that has the thunder attribute associated with it would be a poor strategic choice. It is listed as #31 in the game's monster encylopedia.

The Golem is a magical entity, the result of life forced into inanimate matter (in this case, rock and steel) by a high-level mage or priest. While slow and not terribly intelligent, it possesses incredible strength and durability. A single blow from either its gigantic fist or heavy ball-and-chain can easily kill or cripple a man. The very earth trembles at the twelve-feet-tall Golem's ponderous footsteps, and the shockwave created when it lands from a short hop (all it can manage, given its considerable mass) frequently results in large boulders breaking free, and raining down, from the roof of the vast caverns it dwells in. For all its might, the Golem does have a single weakness--concealed within its chest beats a crimson orb, the monster's true head. Unfortunately, one has to break through its adamantine hide to obtain access to it, no small feat. Even then, the would-be slayer might very well wish they had not done so, for, once exposed, the scarlet crystal will begin vomiting forth, from its center, copious quantities of rubble, a stony onslaught designed to crush, or bury, the offender before they can shatter the Golem's life-giving sphere. It is unclear what the exact intent of the Golem's unknown creator was when they elected to place a ball-and-chain on the colossus' right side, instead of another arm: Lack of raw materials to complete an entire body? A counter-weight for the disproportionately large, and heavy, left appendage? Whimsical artistic vision? The world will likely never know . . .

Materials:
Newsprint, Kleenex, white/hot glue, wire twist ties, paperclips, nail polish, and acrylic paint.

Dimensions*:
(*The dimensions given for this figure are approximations, as the height/width can vary considerably, depending on how the joints are positioned.)
6.0 cm/2.4 in. x 5.2 cm/2.0 in. (highest point x widest point)

Articulation:
Twenty-eight points total: Mid-torso, waist, shoulder, elbow (2), wrist, fingers (14), hips (2), knees (4), and ankles (2). Additionally, all of the links in the chain can move freely.

Time:
Approximately three days; I started this project on 6/3/08 and finished it on 6/5/08.