Guardians
Guardians consist of one of the following supernatural creatures:
- Angels
- Shadows
- Vampires
- Werewolves
The terms for said creatures are as follows:
Angel-
(Human)
An angel Guardian in their human form is much like any human except that their skin is usually warmer than room temperature. Their physical features are near flawless and they have a knack for reading other's thoughts. These thoughts are only limited to other Guardians and humans. An angel Guardian has the ability to levitate to about twice their initial height. They have a low metabolism, so eating isn't much of a problem, but they do prefer vegetation.
(Halfling)
An angel halfling has their advantages. Their mind reading technique expands to include Spirits as well, but can be blocked by that Spirit's Guardian. Only an angel Guardian can block another angel Guardian's mind reading. In this stage, the angel halfling becomes faster and more alert of their physical surroundings. Once in the halfling stage, an angel Guardian can some what sense their opponent's next move, giving them a slight advantage. But this is slight and if the technique is not mastered then the Guardian will falter. An angel halfling also has a knack for simply appearing, though this power is limited to the surrounding area and the Guardian must step towards that desired destination.
(Angel)
An angel Guardian in their full form now has the ability to take flight. The transformation into their full form sprouts feathered wings from their backs. These wings are of sensible length for flight. They are very soft and extremely delicate. Their color varies from Guardian to Guardian but usually adapts to the Guardian's natural hair color. Strength and stamina also increase in this stage.
Shadow-
(Human)
A human shadow Guardian is not much different from a normal human. Metabolism is very low, so food is never a problem. Their bodies are stronger than rock or steel, so they find no need to defend themselves but still, cuts and bruises occur. The body of a shadow Guardian absorbs the force of a physical attack so that the pain and injuries are not as effective. In short, a shadow Guardian is a human shield.
(Halfling)
A shadow Guardian in their halfling stage is very defensive. There seems to be a protective barrier around their bodies now that strengthens their defenses. This barrier is only noticeable on their skin in the form of a dark mark or bruise which vanishes rather quickly. A shadow halfling can now also see in the dark and become semi-transparent. The technique of being semi-transparent must be mastered and practiced however in order for it to be effective. This technique is good for only a few uses per battle and takes up a large amount of the Guardian's energy.
(Shadow)
The full form shadow Guardian takes on a different transformation than the other Guardians. Their body is covered and consumed in what can be best described as black ink. The protective liquid body of a shadow Guardian can bend and harden at will, but is not invincible. The energy of a shadow Guardian is drained much faster than any other Guardian and so they must act quickly to get their job done. The only visible feature of this Guardian in this form are their eyes.
Vampire-
(Human)
A human vampire Guardian can be noticed quickly due to their pale skin, though it is only extreme for some. They have more than excellent vision, taste, and sense of smell. Strength is their main course of power, able to lift objects at a little more or less than twice their own body weight. Fangs are noticeable in this form as well. They have a high metabolism and thus require a good amount of meat every once and a while, though they would rather prefer a few ounces of blood, donated of course. Vampire Guardians also have a very good sense of balance.
(Halfling)
A vampire halfling is not much different than a normal vampire Guardian except that their eye sight becomes superb, able to see in the dark, in the most intense light, and far away. They become a little sensitive to the sunlight and will burn after a good while, but its not lethal, just uncomfortable.
(Vampire)
The vampire Guardian is most definitely a powerful creature. They are now able to hold their breaths long enough that they really don't have to breathe at all. They are now stronger and very acrobatic in their movements. The most experienced vampire Guardians have such good sight, that they can take a mental picture of their surroundings and move throughout the area with no mind.
Werewolf-
(Human)
A werewolf Guardian in their human form has the ability to grow his/her fangs at will. Healing is also a given for these creatures, but is limited. Only when the Guardian is united with their Spirit can they heal themselves on a large scale. The werewolf Guardian has a heightened sense of smell, hearing and especially touch. Metabolism is very high so these creatures must eat their meat often. Werewolves are generally faster than most all of their enemies. In human form, a werewolf Guardian is very attached to their Spirit and yes, even whines and growls. Werewolf Guardians are also very light on their feet and hardly ever make a sound when they move.
(Halfling)
The halfling form for werewolves consist of longer hair, a bend at the knees, visible fangs, sharper nails and a heighten of the senses. Healing becomes faster as well, though not stronger. Their sense of touch is their most acute sense and allows the halfling to feel their opponent's movements on a surface.
(Wolf)
A werewolf Guardian in their wolf form is just that: transformation into a fully fledged wolf. The Guardian can no longer speak in human tongue however and can only communicate by mental conversation. The average werewolf Guardian in their wolf form stands at the approximate height of their Spirit.
Do's and Don't's:
The human and halfling skin of a Guardian usually shines in the moonlight. Not an extreme light, but enough to illuminate them in a protective halo. As soon as danger is near however, this light ceases almost immediately.
Usually, a Guardian's eyes are sharper than regular humans or Spirits. Eye color varies but in the halfling stage, that color becomes significantly brighter. In their full stage, their eye color changes into the color of their Spirit's eyes.
A Guardian can "feel" the emotions of their Spirit. Happiness, sadness, hunger, weakness, all of these can be felt by the Guardian. A Guardian can also instinctively know when their Spirit is near or in danger.
As far as healing goes, there are two options. By biting into their Spirit, a Guardian can transfer their energy into their Spirit, like a blood donation, minus the blood. If the Spirit is willing, a Guardian can also bite into their Spirit and drink their energy in the form of blood. Although the same, energy given from Guardian to Spirit does not require permission. Energy given from Spirit to Guardian, however, does require permission or even a command.
Guardians are not so quick to attack of their own free will, snapping to attention at their Spirit's command. They are bound to their Spirits by nature's contract, much like a bee is to a flower. There is no exchanging Spirits or Guardians. A Spirit and Guardian do not have to have the same personality, and they don't even have to like each other. But a Guardian cannot live without their Spirit and in the face of danger, a Guardian can unwillingly jump into harms way of their Spirit. A Guardian is like a personal soldier; whatever a Spirit says goes. There is no other option.
Sometimes questions are asked, or a Guardian may try to sway their Spirit, but once a Spirit makes a decision, it is final.
To reach their halfling form, a Guardian must have been ordered to attack or reacted to a surprise attack on their Spirit.
The only way a Guardian can reach their full form is if their Spirit is in danger and a battle is taking place. The transformation is rather painful at first, but eventually gets easier. Once the battle is over, the Guardian will slowly transform back to their human state. To reach their full form, a Guardian must first have gone through their halfling stage; they cannot simply transform from their human to full stage in one move.
Transformation to their final stage happens very quickly and in a burst of energy. It does not take long at all for a transformation to be complete, less than 10 seconds is the usual time.
When given permission, the Guardian can take on the element of their Spirit. These elements can only be used to an extent because energy is drained from the Spirit. This can only occur in the halfling stage.
All Guardians have a mysterious aura about them. It can be seen throughout all of their forms. This aura is one particular color and appears when a Guardian is intensifying their physical attacks. It is most common at the feet and hands of the human form but also appears in the halfling stage. In their full form, this aura surrounds the Guardian like a protective halo. It does not however serve as a shield.
