Unnamed Project

First Age

In the High First Age an unnamed Solar shaped part of the north by spreading apart the great ice sheets to expose the fertile soil beneath. Using potent sorcery and geomancy the Solar drew the dragon-lines together to form a demense of the wood aspect but it was not their intent to build a manse on that location instead the demense was used to grow unique plants that the Solar intended to use to augment humanity. Not wanting to have to spend to much time around the demense the Solar brought in the line of humanity they where experimenting with and they where serve as it care takers and guardians.

They where tall with the average man standing 7'5" and the average woman only a mere 6'1" with a slender athletic build. Being a hardy people they had little contact with the wider Creation and lead simple and hard lives in the jungles and forests that the demense nourished after the Solar planted what they had wanted. Over time the humans there had forgotten most of the wider Creation and rode out onto the ice sheets beyond the their warm forested home on the backs of great polar bears that where domesticated by the Solar and given to the Guardians.

For over 1,500 years the Guardians rode out into the North of Creation in raids and small wars to the Solar and others they considered it a test of Humanity so they could never become complacent with life. The greatest of the Warlords survived for centuries thanks to their home and to Solar Medicine that extended the lives of the warriors. As time went by the forest and jungle grew rapidly changing constantly and the humans so bound to it growing stronger and tougher as a result.

Shortly before the Usurpation the founding Solar urged the Guardians to mass and attack larger northern cities to test the reactions of the cities Dragon-Blooded and mortal troops. Empowering the greatest of the Warlords had gathered a large horde for by that time the Guardians had reached in the tens of thousands and they rode out to pillage and burn their bodies covered only in body paints, loin clothes, swords and shields. They cut a bloody swath through the northern territories over running human legions and taking magitech weapons and armor. Only being stopped when a Dragon-Blooded officer rallied the last 2,000 troops in her command and in one of the greatest battles of the First Age engaged the Guardians in open battlefield conditions.

To the Solars this was incredibly entertaining and they watched from hidden sky ships with many of the Solars placing bets with each other. To many of the Realms generals this was a wake up that if such a horde with barely awakened essence could cause so much damage it is no wonder that the Solars defend Creation. And to many they saw how important the Dragon-Blooded were to maintaining the defense of Creation as well. Though training after the Guardians where beaten back to their hidden homeland was harsh as the armies of the Realm where drilled and trained to new standards.

The Usurpation

When the Usurpation came the Guardians and their forest where absent of the fighting for the opening battles. Only when fighting had spread out and the purges began did they ride out of their hidden homeland to torch towns and cities. In their wake they killed over a million people through out the north and three cities burned to the ground before the Dragon-Blooded could react to their rampage across the north they had faded back into the blizzards to their hidden home. No matter how hard they tried they could not find it.

Through out the Shogunate the Guardians rode out and rampaged across the North. The Shogunate attempted at first to build fortresses through out the North to spot the Horde before they could reach the cities and bring ruin. When the Horde moved great storms came down from the North and covered their approach. The storms would wash over one of the fortresses and none would be left alive. The Horde would slip through the gap in detection steadily advancing towards the cities striking and taking what they desired before retaliation could follow. Dragging away equipment, food and woman.

Eventually the Shogunate closed the fortresses and moved the cities and people further south leaving abandoned structures for the Hordes. With decreased observation the Guardians spread out from their homeland and their tent cities spread out across the North and the migration routes set up in the abandoned cities.

The Contagion

The Guardians where just as unaware of what was to happen as the rest of Creation when it hit. Those outside of their homeland for to long losing the protection of the wood demense died just like the others. Those within the forests and jungles soon learned of what was happening. Calling upon their shamans great blocks of ice were raised in front of the entrances to the forests. So long as they were within the borders of the great demense the Contagion could not reach them and they remained strong while the rest of Creation died.

The Fae Invasion

When the invasion of the Fair Folk struck the Guardians where prepared as they could be. From thousands of years of their existence they have stolen and maintained weapons of the First and later Ages. As the hordes descended into the forest of the demense they faced a well prepared and healthy army backed by the weapons of the First Age and the thousands of warriors. Their warlords pushed the fae out of the forest and the invasion encircled the forests so that they could not get out. Though by this time the Guardians had no desire to.

The Second Age

More to Come

Artifacts

Magical Body Paints: From the forests of the demense came a powerful ink that when mixed together created a potent form of protection. There are many kinds of these tattoos some of them are temporary were others are permanent. In order to give them protection the tattoos must be exposed and cover at least a third of the body. These tattoos do not protect against the cold, heat or other environmental effect. Below are a few samples the inks that are produced. A Guardian can have no more than 3 tattoo's active whether they be temporary or permanent. When the temporary tattoos come to an end they dissolve into green essence ending their effects immediately. Removing a permanent tattoo requires a Int+Medicine roll difficulty 4.
- Green Morning Lilac: Artifact 1; Attune: -; Duration: One Scene - This is the simplest of the ink tattoos known to the Guardians of the forest. A bright green color that is painted on the body before the morning they go war. It gives them a base of 3L/3B + (Dex+Craft (Wood)) to their soak for the duration of one scene.
- Shade Blossom: Artifact 1; Attune 3m or 1wp - A permanent ink tattoo that requires the Guardian to have either the essence or to commit a point of willpower. The dull gray ink provides protection against injury by adding 5B/5L to the soak and +1 to all stealth rolls