Meet the Iron Golem

In the chaos of battle, it's not uncommon for friendly fire incidents to take place. A blade may swish through the air, or an arrow whizz past, intended for a zombie enemy but instead striking an innocent villager in flight. It's an unintentional incident, and such mishaps can occur. You're not an evil person. But do you know who won't just overlook this? Our intimidating creature of the month - the formidable iron golem.

Unusual creations known as iron golems began to emerge in settlements in March 2012. During that time, updates didn't have as distinct titles as they currently do. Hence, Mojang's history scholars refer to this phase in the development of the game by an intriguing name: "Java Edition 1.2.1". Around this period, jungle habitats, enchanting potions, Redstone lanterns, and ocelots were also introduced into the game.

Iron golems are naturally discovered in two locations - villages, where they patrol to safeguard the residents, and pillager strongholds, where they've been caught and confined. Unlike numerous mob characters, these creatures can also be manually created by arranging four blocks of iron in a 'T' formation, with a carved pumpkin or jack o'lantern placed on top.

Golems follow some basic principles. First, they roam around until a threat is detected. Upon spotting a threat, the second rule is to instantly combat it by tossing it in the air. Lastly, they never initiate an attack on their creator. Thus, caution is advised around a golem not of your creation, as their perception of danger could stem from you inflicting harm on a nearby villager, prompting them to retaliate. 

Despite their intimidating presence, iron golems are not invincible. When they're under attack, cracks start to appear on their bodies. To facilitate their healing, utilize an iron ingot to mend them slightly. Upon their demise, they drop iron ingots and poppy flowers. Wondering about the poppies? Well, it seems that golems aren't without a gentle aspect – regularly, one may be sighted offering a poppy to a villager in a kind gesture.

The most popular narrative about a golem is set in Prague. A rabbi molds a golem to shield the Jewish community of the city from harassment. Before every Sabbath on Fridays, he would deactivate the golem by extracting its "shem" – a prescription note inserted into its head. One such Friday, he carelessly forgot - leading to the golem descending into an unmanageable and hostile state. Ultimately, the rabbi succeeds in retrieving the "shem" from its mouth, leaving it immobilized, and the being was secured in the city synagogue's loft – ready to be revived once again if needed.

Presently, golems are featured in numerous fantasy environments – spanning from Terry Pratchett's Discworld, Dungeons & Dragons, to our very own Minecraft. Regrettably, Minecraft's golems lack a "shem" to withdraw in case they decide to attack you, which leaves only two choices when you encounter an irate iron golem – battle or escape. Which path will you follow?