The Guardians

«The Guardians» are a small-sized high-level clearing and watch guild. Consisting of twelve players, they are seen as one of the top clearing guilds within the game, rivaling the Remnants of Light  and the Knights of the Blood . They are, however, the one and only watch guild. All members of the guild are highly skilled in specific combat styles and fighting techniques. Their armor consists of white, yellow, black, and varying shades of green.
==Background==
The Guardians were originally created after the completion of a global quest that began on the third floor. The group that had acquired this massive questline included Sho, Raiden, Kana, Yumi, Cobalt, Evermore. Through their journey, they were able to unlock the secrets of the Underground organization consisting of thieves, assassins, rogues and marauders. Following this story, they received the keys to the castle within Marauder's Valley on floor 20. After seeing the size of the structure, Sho had the immediate idea of forming a guild. He had called it a "strategic advantage through the power of numbers." This literally translates to "guild creation." Thus decided upon, the older Shin brother had set up the guild, identified the emblem and inducted his first members. From this point on, the Guardians were a constant force at the different boss battles and on the front lines. They raised morale, increased spirit and overall provided a calming effect on the waning strengths of players.
==First Appearances==
The guild first appeared at the 20th floor boss fight. Wearing what a seemed to be a uniform, the Guardians were a sight to behold. They were mocked and scorned, only because Sho was a part of the group. Other than that, they would have gained respect if Sho had not been there. Fortunately, that day was one of Sho's good days. He held off the boss for a whole two minutes, just to prove that his teamwas not one to be messed with. The entire guild then impressed the raiding party by lowering the boss by two health bars. They gained more fame when Sho dodged the boss' special attacks one after the other. Afterwards, they were recgonized as a top tier guild.
===Light Guardians===
The Light Guardians made their first appearance on the 40th floor boss fight. With only twelve total players, they raised many questions, one of which involved the other members. Answering in typical his usual fashion, Raiden had smiled before responding with a slight joke. Seeing that he was messing with them, the other players, including Kirito, Asuna, Klein and Agil, all decided to drop the subject. However, a few remained suspicious about the guild.
===Night Guardians===
The first place that the Night Guardians made their public appearance was in Aincrad's newspaper. The headline read "Who are the Watchers?" It featured a story about two females who were stopped on their way home in the Town of Beginnings. A group of five ruffians had halted the females and begun to harrass them. Then the two girls saw various flickers of movement. One by one, each bully fell leaving one left. The last man was panicking as he waved his sword around, terrified of the unknown attackers. The newspaper then reports a mysterious hooded man stepping out from the shadows. This was Sho. Using his best Batman impression, he reportedly said, "Watch her." The gullible guy had barely shifted his eyes towards the girls before he was thrown against the wall. Afterwards, the only people left were the five unconscious guys and the two girls. On a nearby wall, a giant 'X' was carved. No trace remained except for the strange symbol and the former bullies. Thus, the Night Guardians gained the nickname "Watchers" and Sho was dubbed as "The Watcher." 
It was after this event that the term "watch guild" was coined. Being the only watch guild, the Guardians complete their jobs with great skill and precision.
==Base==
Located on floor 20, Marauder's Valley is deep with high cliffs rising upwards. A large warterfall emptied down into the valley before falling down another set of heights. The guild castle, named Celestia by Raiden, sits in the middle of this raging torrent. It features towering stone walls, red shingles and various smaller structures. A single bridge connects the building to a nearby cavern, connecting the castle to a hideout to the west. A widing road leads down into the valley and appears behind the castle. A person must then walk past a security outpost before continuing to the edge of the waterfall. There, a drawbridge controls entrance into the castle.
==Guild Focus==
The main focus of the guild is to clear all one hundred floors of Aincrad and beat the game. That was the starting drive. However, after a troubling incident, Sho decided to split the guild into two divisions. He and Raiden had seen a couple of so called "green" players break into a blacksmith's shop. Stopping the would-be thieves, the brothers decided on an appropriate guild meeting. Sho now wants to shift his focus into protecting the people within the game. Raiden agrees but still thinks that a swifter completion of the floating castle is the best way to go. It's then decided that the Guardians will split into two subdivisions, the "Night Guardians" and the "Light Guardians". The Night Guardians focus on eliminating terror on the streets of Aincrad and the Light Guardians focus on beating the game. They still share the same guild and castle, but instead, they specialize in different roles. 
One final role that the Guardians play is the collection of information. Although they are not as public as the info brokers, Sho was adamant that any strange piece of knowledge be reported to him. He insisted that even the smallest of side comments could have a major impact on the societal nature of the game. Turns out, he was right.
===Light Guardians===
The Light Guardians mainly focus on beating the game. They consist of strong fighters who love getting right up in the action. Led by Raiden, these guardians represent courage, strength, and loyalty. They strive to protect those in the day, fighting during boss raids, field boss battles and other missions. Their combat styles consist of heavy damage and upfront fisticuffs. They provide heavy armor, shields and two-handed weapons to any battle. In the face of danger, they don't stop and never back down. They are the paladins and the knights. They are Superman and Thor. They are the champions of justice and freedom.
===Night Guardians===
The complete opposite from the first division, the Night Guardians have a stronger desire to keep the local citizens safe from harm. They focus on protecting those who may be targets of a PK group. Led by Sho, these guardians represent the law. They take matters into their own hands, delivering justice where it is needed. They are the shadows, the watchers of the night. They are Batman, Green Arrow and other vigilantes. The only rule they have is no killing. Beyond that, anything goes. If there is a murder in the area, then there is surely a Night Guardian snooping around. These guardians specialize in stealth, speed and dexterity. They wield daggers, swords and throwing knives. Rarely are these warriors seen. All wear masks and the colors of darkness. If you notice a flicker, a rustle of leaves or an uneven distribution of air, a Night Guardian just may be around.
==Members==
Name 	Position 	Sub-Division 	Sub-Division Postition 	Status
Sho 	Captain and Founder 	Night Guardian	Leader and "Watcher" 	Active
Raidz 	Commander and Co-Founder 	Light Guardian	Leader 	Active
Kana 	Head of Finances and Glass Cannon	Light Guardian	Glass Cannon 	Active
Yumi 	Thief 	Night Guardian	Thief 	Active
Cobalt 	Berserker 	Light Guardian	Berserker and Reserve Tank 	Active
Evermore	Treasurer and Medic 	Light Guardian	Medic 	Active
Celene 	Vanguard 	Light Guardian	Vanguard and Forward 	Active
Layla 	Assassin 	Night Guardian	Assassin and Spotter 	Active
Alisa 	Beast Tamer 	Light Guardian	Beast Tamer 	Active
Histrio 	Vanguard 	Night Guardian	Vanguard and Treasure Hunter	Active
Shiiho 	Vanguard and Trapper 	Night Guardian	Vanguard and Trapper 	Active
Miyuki 	Thief and Trapper 	Light Guardian	Thief and Trapper 	Active
Amatsu 	Off-Tank and Striker 	Light Guardian	Off-tank and Striker 	Active
==Trivia==
*No Night Guardian has ever revealed their identity. Even in the most trying of times, these warriors had their masks on as they operated.
*The Night Guardians have only done their work at night up to floor 75. Due to the crime wave, they changed their rules, to better accommodate. Still though, they work best at night. The Light Guardians have done a couple of operations in both the night and day.
*During the day, Sho wears an entirely different set of armor. It is all part of his mysterious enigma as the Watcher.
* The Watchers lost Sho as the head sometime after floor 54. Histrio took over, but the fights were never really the same.
* At a later point, Sho returned to the NG, but as an entirely different warrior, dubbed as the Night Fury.
* The NG still does not allow killing by their members, enforced first by Sho and then by Histrio. However, as the Night Fury, Sho basically does what he wants, and beaten criminals usually sit mere inches from death.
Category:Guild