Guardian Lore
Folklore
General
The Guardians are seen as a collective pantheon of Eridya's deities due to their powers, their place as mythological creatures, and their role in creating all of Eridya as is known today. They are charged with preserving the balance of the world and are sensitive to changes in nature – especially Tezal and Eirene, as they are both linked to the Tree of Life. All Guardians share a sibling-like relationship with each other, with Eirene being the leader and the most powerful of the Guardians.
Each Guardian is the sole member of their own kind to exist in the world, though there are creatures related to them that are said to be created in their likeness. This is said to be why some creatures resemble and are drawn to certain Guardians – wolves and wild dogs are drawn to Brysenne, birds flock to the six avians (Annora, Cera, Kasha, Orthrus, Sen, and Turin) while horses follow Fleuris, for example.
Each Guardian has their own constellation in the sky as well as their own territory that they call home – though some of them also have their own temples due to the humans’ worship of them.
Every now and then Eirene will call a Grand Council – a meeting between all of the Guardians – to report happenings in each of the continents and to discuss any matters of importance that may arise.
Legatuses
Each Guardian has a unique weapon of their own, in case the aid of humans is needed. Though at first these weapons would look and function as ordinary weapons, they would have the Guardian's name inscribed somewhere on it. Once a Champion's bond with its Guardian reaches its apex, the Guardian would bless its Legatus in a ceremony called the Awakening, turning the Legatus into a bond token – a symbol of ultimate trust between a Champion and their Guardian. Should either a Champion or their Guardian fall or if their bond is released, the Legatus will be deactivated, and if it was awakened, it will revert to its unawakened state in anticipation of a new bond forming.
Talismans
Each Guardian has its own corresponding talisman – a necklace with a pendant carving of that Guardian on it, each made with its own unique material – that contains a small part of a Guardian's soul and talents, the latter of which can be transferred to any human user who acquires it as long as they are wearing it and they will it to be active. As such, talismans can be used by any human or creature that acquires them, including other Guardians. A talisman glows when its powers are being used. Each talisman also gives its user increased resistance to – and potency of – whatever element the talisman’s Guardian is tied to.
Should a Guardian be separated from their talisman for an extended period of time, their talents and elemental powers will gradually wane (though their telepathic and physical capabilities will not). Though a talisman is indeed tied to its Guardian in this way, it is not required for a human to bond with them.
Guardians can enter a passive state within their talismans for ease of transport but can also exit it any time they wish. This is a failsafe that was implemented to allow the Guardian to escape to safety if the talisman were to fall into enemy hands, be stolen, or lost, though Guardians also tend to do this if they sense that their Champion is in danger. Whenever Guardians enter or exit their talismans, there is a flash of light and a burst of heat. If a Guardian is unable to (or does not desire to) enter its passive state, it will rest like a normal animal.
Hibernation
Though they cannot be killed nor die of old age, Guardians can be injured. If they suffer life-threatening injuries they will be forced to retreat into their talismans and hibernate in order to protect themselves and heal. If they are resummoned after a period of hibernation, it will be some time until they fully recover their telepathic abilities, talents, and elemental powers. As hibernation is a much deeper form of dormancy, often a Guardian will be unconscious for an extremely long period of time, often for centuries, and they will not be able to exit it unless they are resummoned.
Telepathy
All Guardians can communicate with each other and humans through telepathy, in which they project their thoughts at whoever the Guardian wishes to speak to. When communicating thoughts, voice is heard in the recipient's mind as clearly as if it were spoken aloud, and it can be directed at one or multiple recipients (which is useful if the Guardian wants to convey a secret to only their Champion, for example). Telepathy is also useful for communicating over long distances in which a Champion and their Guardian are separated. However, Guardians cannot communicate with their Champions telepathically when in their passive state or in hibernation. In addition to transmitting words, Guardians can also send images via telepathy, though this is much rarer.
Though not in the same vein as telepathy, Guardians can appear in humans' dreams – even if they are not their own Champion or a Champion at all. This can happen even when the Guardian is in a passive state, though when within dreams, they still communicate via telepathy.