Hybridization is a somewhat rare condition that affects a very small subsection of the world's population, but with small pockets of heightened occurrence in areas such as Burncastle. Hybridization may be compared to a birth defect, and is so classified in many modern medical documents, but a majority of hybridized individuals--also simply called 'hybrids'--often experience no long-term negative health effects from their condition. In that way, it's debatable whether or not it would be appropriately described as a 'defect' or even a 'disability'. Its name derives from the long-held belief that hybridized people are descended in-part from the monstrous golem figures of old folklore--that humans interbred with golems, and thus created human-golem hybrid children.

The effects of hybridization vary wildly from person-to-person, with a majority of people not even outwardly expressing it, or even inwardly expressing it to a medically significant degree. Most hybrids appear normally, but often have two lines that curve up from the corners of their mouth to the corners of their eyes. In more profound cases, they are much taller than the average person, and may totally lack things like ears, a nose, or even eyes. Other minor effects may also be demonstrated, but are often so varied and so different that it can be excessively difficult to categorize them in any meaningful way. Examples of that may include, but are not limited to, increased bone density, increased muscle density, or what are perhaps best described as 'anomalies of the blood' affecting flow rate, viscosity, or production.

In many cases, as prior mentioned, it can be difficult to tell apart a 'normal' person from a hybrid. There are many people who are formally considered hybrids whose symptoms are solely mental, emotional, or limited to their internal organs. It is often postulated that hybrids may exhibit learning delays or social impairments at a higher frequency than unhybridized individuals, although research into this topic is rare and not well explored.