On the History and Hidden Influence of the Guardians
As compiled by Prof. Aldus Verrick, Imperial Chair of Esoteric Histories, Archivum Arcanum, Ostreich High Collegium.
INTRODUCTION
Though dismissed by modern scholars as a secretive footnote in the broader annals of imperial conquest, the Guardians have, in truth, shaped the course of history in ways few dare to admit and fewer yet comprehend. Across empires, ages, and continents, they have appeared not as conquerors, nor prophets, but as those who whisper to both.
This paper endeavours to document what little verifiable history remains of the organisation known collectively as the Guardians, drawing upon fractured accounts, redacted imperial records, forbidden texts, and the few surviving oral testimonies of former members (now deceased). Though the Guardians are by design elusive, the threads they leave are woven through the rise and fall of dynasties, the shaping of philosophical systems, and—most crucially—the stewardship of Ravenglass.
ORIGINS AND MYTHIC FOUNDATIONS
The earliest references to the Guardians predate reliable written history. Petroglyphs found in the ruins of Tsarrik, etched into the walls of what may have once been an observatory or temple, depict robed figures holding a raven-black shard to the sky. Beneath the figures are symbols commonly interpreted to mean balance or equal measure.
Later, in the Song-Cycles of the Wandering Seers, the Guardians are alluded to as "those who move between the lines," guiding tribes away from natural disasters, kings from hubris, and mages from consuming themselves in fire. Such figures are not named, but share recurring characteristics: detachment, intervention at pivotal moments, and reverence for the unknown.
These early accounts suggest the Guardians were never a centralised order but a philosophical movement—perhaps even a reaction—to unchecked magical, political, or divine excess. Their creed: To seek truth. To bring balance. To bring order to chaos, and chaos to order.
CONSOLIDATION AND EXPANSION
While no single founding event can be confirmed, it is during the Late Meridian Era that evidence emerges of the Guardians acting with deliberate coordination. Letters preserved in the archives of Mareth's Cathedral mention a group calling themselves Keepers of Equilibrium, warning against an early attempt to mass-forge Ravenglass weapons by the kings of Kallathen. The warnings, unheeded, coincided with the Kallathen Collapse and the decade-long War of Smoke.
By the Age of the First Expansion (3E.012–3E.124), the Guardians were well known in court records—not as open agents, but as a conspiracy. Under Emperor Kurgan the Dragon, a former wyvern general turned autocrat, the Guardians were declared enemies of the state. Kurgan feared their influence, particularly their presence within temple hierarchies, alchemical guilds, and even among the ranks of his own advisors.
The result was the infamous Purge of the Temples, during which thousands were executed or vanished. Entire monastic orders disappeared. Shrines were razed. Many believed the Guardians destroyed. Kurgan himself ordered the execution of his own brother, citing "Guardian sympathies" and accusing him of attempting to seed Ravenglass into the imperial court as a conduit of rebellion.
This was, however, a miscalculation. Though damaged, the Guardians did not die. They splintered, hid, and—according to later records—began to adapt.
REFORMATION DURING THE CONQUEST OF WIETE
It is during the Empire's conquest of Wiete—a mountainous and politically fragmented region known for stubborn autonomy and folk sorcery—that the Guardians re-emerge. At first, they were dismissed as rebel agitators. Yet the resistance was too coordinated. Imperial war records from the campaign note repeated intelligence failures, unanticipated counter-strikes, and near-prophetic knowledge of troop movements.
Documents seized from a captured courier mention Guardian ciphers and references to internal factions: Watchers, Keepers, Seekers, and the rarely mentioned Shadows. It appears the reformed Guardians no longer acted as a unified order, but as seven decentralised circles, each maintaining its own methods and priorities while adhering to the core doctrine of balance.
The conquest ended in imperial victory—but not without cost. Wiete remains the only province where the Emperor's appointed governor refused to expunge all Guardian presence, citing "regional stabilisation". Whether this was born of pragmatism or quiet allegiance remains unconfirmed.
THE CIVIL FRACTURE
Following the conquest, the Guardians underwent what is now referred to as the Civil Fracture. Correspondence preserved in the Red Folios of Ferrick’s Tower suggests a deep philosophical split. Some believed the Guardians should continue as hidden arbiters—"shepherds from the shadows." Others, particularly among the Seekers and Shadows, advocated direct intervention, believing the world too diseased to heal slowly.
The resulting schism turned bloody. Entire cells were purged by rival factions. Ravenglass artefacts were destroyed, hidden, or claimed. From this era come the whispers of the Null Forge, a device said to erase a Guardian’s bond permanently. Whether it existed or was a metaphorical tool of shame is unknown.
The Guardians never recovered full unity. From that point on, they would exist as competing interpretations of the same philosophy.
PHILOSOPHY AND FUNCTION
Despite their internal conflicts, all Guardians hold to three tenets:
1. Seek Truth – The Guardians reject dogma, favouring direct observation, evidence, and the pursuit of deeper understanding—even at great cost.
2. Maintain Balance – Whether between nations, natural forces, or ideologies, their goal is to preserve equilibrium. This has led to both support for and subversion of regimes, depending on circumstance.
3. Disrupt Pattern – When systems become too rigid, the Guardians introduce chaos. When too chaotic, they bring order. This dialectic action is central to their interventions.
They do not worship, but some treat Ravenglass itself as a sacred substance, believing it to be a remnant of divine creation, or the residue of a higher consciousness. Guardian initiates undergo a Binding Rite involving exposure to the mushroom Mantari—often resulting in prophetic dreams, temporary madness, or (in rare cases) death.
GLOBAL PRESENCE
Though born in the heart of the Ostreich Empire, the Guardians have since spread—operating covertly in the glass bazaars of Sieshin, among the scribe-tribes of Yao, and even within Molotok’s frozen academies. Local governments alternate between denial and paranoia, depending on how recently their leadership has been undermined.
Of particular interest is the Archive rumoured to exist beneath the old library on Gottsisle, believed by some to contain the last complete repository of Ravenglass knowledge—including forging techniques lost since the Kurganic purge. Entry, if it exists, has never been confirmed.
CONCLUSION
To study the Guardians is to chase shadows cast by deeper fire. They are not heroes. They are not villains. They are agents of intent, wielding Ravenglass not for conquest, but for correction.
That the Empire has failed to destroy them after centuries of effort is perhaps the greatest evidence of their necessity.
Should one encounter a Guardian—and know them for what they are—it is wisest not to ask their allegiance, but their purpose. And hope that purpose does not require your undoing.
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