OVERVIEW
Among the many mysteries that surround Kråke, the Guardian is one of the more extreme.
The Evergloam is filled with many odd creatures of shadow, such as talking birds and the ever fearsome Wraiths of Crows, but there is one that the original Clan recognize above all others uniquely to them.
Her name is Frith. A great bird deified by the Clan, though to simply call it a bird would be too humble.
Resembling more of a phoenix, Frith is made up of pure shadow, a sliver of the deepest and darkest parts of the Gloam. While her feathers are always deep black, her flames come in many colors, from red and orange, to black and blue and violet, depending on how hot the flames burn.
Whether a fire so hot it can melt the flesh off a mortal, or shadows so deadly cold it only feels that way, the power of the Vergen is very real and very dangerous.
Yet despite this, this particular Daedra is not altogether malicious nor seeks destruction for the sake of it.
This Daedric bird is seen as a protector of the Clan, a final measure of security against anyone who would threaten them or their existence. It is for this reason as well that no matter the capabilities of those who may have stumbled on the Clan in the past, none have made it back to the surface to report on it.
It is also the Guardian's job to destroy traitors and deserters within the Clan's own ranks, for similar reason, as secrecy and living outside the knowledge of others is the Clan's top priority to survival.
The Guardian and the Oracle of the Clan--one gifted with sight that transcends time--are closely intertwined, as are their roles of protection for the Clan. The Oracle exists to foresee threats coming towards the Clan and those who might turn traitor, and seeks to avoid both, but when these things cannot be avoided, it then becomes the Guardian's job to eliminate the threat.
One would likely think it strange that this Gloam creature would serve as a protector, much less be granted by Nocturnal to the Clan simply based on their faith in her as their patron alone, and someone would be right to question it. Frith is not a creature granted merely out of Nocturnal's generosity, but is part of a long-standing pact with the Prince, as well as the Spirit Queen, Namira, due to the nature of how her power is passed on to a successor.
The Evergloam is filled with many odd creatures of shadow, such as talking birds and the ever fearsome Wraiths of Crows, but there is one that the original Clan recognize above all others uniquely to them.
Her name is Frith. A great bird deified by the Clan, though to simply call it a bird would be too humble.
Resembling more of a phoenix, Frith is made up of pure shadow, a sliver of the deepest and darkest parts of the Gloam. While her feathers are always deep black, her flames come in many colors, from red and orange, to black and blue and violet, depending on how hot the flames burn.
Whether a fire so hot it can melt the flesh off a mortal, or shadows so deadly cold it only feels that way, the power of the Vergen is very real and very dangerous.
Yet despite this, this particular Daedra is not altogether malicious nor seeks destruction for the sake of it.
This Daedric bird is seen as a protector of the Clan, a final measure of security against anyone who would threaten them or their existence. It is for this reason as well that no matter the capabilities of those who may have stumbled on the Clan in the past, none have made it back to the surface to report on it.
It is also the Guardian's job to destroy traitors and deserters within the Clan's own ranks, for similar reason, as secrecy and living outside the knowledge of others is the Clan's top priority to survival.
The Guardian and the Oracle of the Clan--one gifted with sight that transcends time--are closely intertwined, as are their roles of protection for the Clan. The Oracle exists to foresee threats coming towards the Clan and those who might turn traitor, and seeks to avoid both, but when these things cannot be avoided, it then becomes the Guardian's job to eliminate the threat.
One would likely think it strange that this Gloam creature would serve as a protector, much less be granted by Nocturnal to the Clan simply based on their faith in her as their patron alone, and someone would be right to question it. Frith is not a creature granted merely out of Nocturnal's generosity, but is part of a long-standing pact with the Prince, as well as the Spirit Queen, Namira, due to the nature of how her power is passed on to a successor.
The Guardian does not simply come from the Gloam to the Clan, but rather is the Clan's original founder transformed by Nocturnal's magic. The first Oracle of the Clan was Frith's brother, Orlog.
With Frith's eventual death, in order to watch over her Clan for time eternal, her spirit and all her power attached to another living member of the Clan deemed worthy of it, and such became tradition every few generations as those new Guardians, too, died. One of the Clan are granted the form of the Guardian (only ever one at a time), and in exchange become one of Nocturnal's Champions, ready to answer her call whenever she needs them. While leadership of the Clan is not a requirement to becoming the Clan's Guardian, its not unusual for them to take the mantle either. In many cases, the Guardian will be someone else of respectable station within the Clan's ranks, due to some of its drawbacks. |
Although powerful and generally benevolent to Clan members as far as Daedra go, the Guardian is deeply susceptible to stress when it comes to internal tensions, infighting, or any perceived threat. If the stress grows too high, a Guardian can lose control until it eradicates whatever the source of that stress is.
Its for that reason that the Guardian and Oracle are closely associated, with the Oracle being able to root out internal problems within the Clan fairly easily and solve those problems before they become a matter for the Guardian to deal with, as well as having access to an item that helps monitor the internal state of the Guardian, to help manage and prevent any loss of control.
Previously, the title of Guardian and Champion of Nocturnal was a close associate to the Clan Head six generations prior, then passed to Alekt, while his half-brother is the current Oracle.
Alekt however would be the first of the Clan's Guardians in any known recollection to take on the Guardian form away from the original Clan, as well as away from the Oracle, which carries with it a lot of risk.
Its for that reason that the Guardian and Oracle are closely associated, with the Oracle being able to root out internal problems within the Clan fairly easily and solve those problems before they become a matter for the Guardian to deal with, as well as having access to an item that helps monitor the internal state of the Guardian, to help manage and prevent any loss of control.
Previously, the title of Guardian and Champion of Nocturnal was a close associate to the Clan Head six generations prior, then passed to Alekt, while his half-brother is the current Oracle.
Alekt however would be the first of the Clan's Guardians in any known recollection to take on the Guardian form away from the original Clan, as well as away from the Oracle, which carries with it a lot of risk.
How A "Guardian" Is Made
The process of becoming a Guardian is not one for the faint of heart or a weak constitution.
Part of what makes it not only easier, but possible to take on such a form, is that daedric blood already flows through many of the Clan's veins to varying degrees and across many generations, though not every member of the Clan has it.
Guardians are made in a process not unlike the one Hagravens use to make Briarhearts, although there are some nuances that set them apart.
Firstly, a Guardian candidate must be taken to a special ritual site, where the process can only be performed once the previous holder of the Guardian's power is dead and the spirit of the daedra returned to a special egg. There, the Matriach weakens the threads between body and soul with magic and a concoction whose primary ingredient is Netherroot, capturing their soul within a special soul gem to keep it contained so it can be returned to their body.
Once the tethers of the soul are sufficiently weakened by the ritual, a knife is plunged into the chest of the candidate, effectively killing them or bringing them close to death.
Part of what makes it not only easier, but possible to take on such a form, is that daedric blood already flows through many of the Clan's veins to varying degrees and across many generations, though not every member of the Clan has it.
Guardians are made in a process not unlike the one Hagravens use to make Briarhearts, although there are some nuances that set them apart.
Firstly, a Guardian candidate must be taken to a special ritual site, where the process can only be performed once the previous holder of the Guardian's power is dead and the spirit of the daedra returned to a special egg. There, the Matriach weakens the threads between body and soul with magic and a concoction whose primary ingredient is Netherroot, capturing their soul within a special soul gem to keep it contained so it can be returned to their body.
Once the tethers of the soul are sufficiently weakened by the ritual, a knife is plunged into the chest of the candidate, effectively killing them or bringing them close to death.
Once these steps have been completed, the ritual calls upon the spirit of the Guardian to inhabit the person's body, at the same time the host's own soul is returned.
Assuming that the candidate is of a strong enough will to endure the taste of death, and has honest intentions to protect the Clan at all costs using the Guardian's power, the daedra will bring them back from the brink and heal their wounds.
If the candidate is found to falter or have ulterior motives that would harm the Clan, they will be rejected and die.
While unlike a Briarheart, a Guardian retains their individuality and autonomy, those who undergo the ritual are inevitably still changed from who they were. They are granted a great deal of power, comparable to that of a demi-prince, but they are also burdened with a certain level of all-consuming instability when internal strife arise.
There is little tolerance for earnest in-fighting or betrayal, as the Guardian is bound first and foremost to eliminate any threats to the greater Clan at large, even if that means protecting the Clan from itself. Likewise, a threat not easily found or destroyed, such as another threat matching the Guardian's own power, can cloud the judgment of those who wield that power in favor of blind instinct.
Even for those of a steely and immovable disposition that never flinches, the daedra itself that grants the Guardian's power is a sensitive and anxious creature prone to prioritizing "better safe than sorry" preemptive thinking. Care then must then be taken by those within the Clan or who interact with the Guardian, to never make themselves out to be a threat to the Clan or any other members in it, unless they plan to risk their lives over it.
Assuming that the candidate is of a strong enough will to endure the taste of death, and has honest intentions to protect the Clan at all costs using the Guardian's power, the daedra will bring them back from the brink and heal their wounds.
If the candidate is found to falter or have ulterior motives that would harm the Clan, they will be rejected and die.
While unlike a Briarheart, a Guardian retains their individuality and autonomy, those who undergo the ritual are inevitably still changed from who they were. They are granted a great deal of power, comparable to that of a demi-prince, but they are also burdened with a certain level of all-consuming instability when internal strife arise.
There is little tolerance for earnest in-fighting or betrayal, as the Guardian is bound first and foremost to eliminate any threats to the greater Clan at large, even if that means protecting the Clan from itself. Likewise, a threat not easily found or destroyed, such as another threat matching the Guardian's own power, can cloud the judgment of those who wield that power in favor of blind instinct.
Even for those of a steely and immovable disposition that never flinches, the daedra itself that grants the Guardian's power is a sensitive and anxious creature prone to prioritizing "better safe than sorry" preemptive thinking. Care then must then be taken by those within the Clan or who interact with the Guardian, to never make themselves out to be a threat to the Clan or any other members in it, unless they plan to risk their lives over it.