Vassoan Guard

Average Vassoan Guard

The Vassoan Guard is a group first founded by Ezekiel Malachi, now run by the guard-supreme known as Archigos. Ezekiel recognized that Old Vassos was a dangerous place, and so he elected the groups best warriors to come together as The Vassoan Guard - an order dedicated to protecting Old Vassos.

Though the group was small, they were able to deal with most of the attacks on Old Vassos. When not patrolling Old Vassos, they were constantly training to become better.

The standard Vasoan guard was trained in the basic druidic battle spells, and received much sword and hand - to - hand training. They usually wore large and specially crafted helmets to intimidate those who might do others harm. They were often armed with one one handed weapon - such as a spear or sword. The other hand was kept empty to cast spells. At closer range, the other hand would be used for swiping attacks, as the guard had special made gauntlets which ended in razor-like claws.

Though the order was founded by Ezekiel, they followed their own rule and upheld Vassos' good name in their own way - unaffected by the powers of either The Druid Circles or The Sage Council.

The Guard, in all truthfulness, was quite a secretive group after their founding. Their faces were never seen in public, and no one ever knew the actual members of the guard - but everyone knew they were deadly. However citizens knew they were safe, as long as they adhered to the guard's three ideals - Safety, Security, and Kinship. If any of these was threatened between Vasoans, The guards would intervene.

Shortly after Archigos' induction as leader of the Vassoan Guard, a horde of gnolls attacked Old Vassos. In this attack, the sages Ezekiel Malachi and Sithartho Gatteo were killed by the attackers, and many others were as well. The guard fought best they could to prevent the gnolls from decimating the ruins, but their numbers were great and their evil ferocity knew no bounds. More than half the guard fell that day. Once the guard realized they could not overpower the gnolls or defend their home, they began working on transporting any they could out of the city. The gnolls began preying on the weaker citizens as guards would try desperately to defend them. It was then that the sage Sithartho descended from the Sage Tower and moved with incredible lightning speed, single-handedly driving off the gnolls with his use of Ki energy. Sithartho saved Vassos, but died in the process.

After that event, Archigos began training nonstop and recruited several trustworthy and powerful Vassoans to help him weed out the evil that was Karakor and his band of savages. However, the detils of this battle are unknown due to the Guard's secretive nature. However, it is speculated that the strange events during The Bloodwood Moon may be somehow linked to Vassos' fall.

### Sage Guards

The guards that were appointed to protect Old Vassos had their hands full fending off creatures from the surrounding wilderness. However, Ezekiel soon learned that a group of highly-skilled guards was necessary to guard The Grand Arcanum. The Sage Guard was sworn to secrecy and slept in the arcanum itself. In fact, The Sage Guards lived most of their lives in The Arcanum.

As such, The Sage Guards and Sages actually ended up having a quite amicable relationship. Although even the sages weren't allowed to know the guards true identity, they did become familiar with the guards. The guards were well placed, too, as The Arcanum could be a dangerous place.

Citizens would try to intrude and steal knowledge, and the guards had to dispel them - keeping a vigilant eye. Sometimes creatures, especially spiders, would creep up and find a way into the main library through some cracked wall or ceiling. Most deadly, sphinxes would often find their way into the main library.

They weren't always hostile, but many were. Some would remain friendly so long as you didn't talk to them, some required you share some information. Others would ask for a sacrifice and others would tease of great treasures hidden underneath The Arcanum. However, the sage guards were always able to deal with any hostile entities that arose.

Sage Guards wore long, elegant robes. Their masks were also specially crafted for each guard, but their were less off-putting than the average guards'. The Sage Guards' mask was more human-like, and usually had human features molded into it. The Sage Guards were much less physically apt than average guards, but possessed extreme magical wizard abilities.

### Druid Guards

The druid guards, mush like sage guards, are specialty guards that were first proposed by Naxus Cornisco, first head druid of Vassos. He argued that if the Sages had their own guard to watch over and protect them, then why not the druids? After all, they were Vassos' spiritual guides and the only link to the knowledge of the Old Gods - save for some of the Sages. He ended up forming his own guard, seperate from The Vassoan Guard but still under it.

The only difference was the even more secretive nature of the Druid Guards. They never said a word - not in public and not to anyone but a fellow guard or The Head Druid. They stood watch around the temples of Old Vassos, silently watching everyone that enter the temple district and observing. The Druid Guards are methodical and intelligent - they remember people and everything they know about them. This serves them greatly in combat.

Druid Guards are trained in Combat Druidry, and though they are not full priests, they are typically more spiritual than the average Vassoan. The Druid Guards wear long cloaks of dull appearance, and instead of specifically designed masks, these druids don the skulls of fallen animals as sort of druidic mark. These Guards, unlike others are relatively unskilled in melee combat - at most wielding a quarterstaff or sickle. They have access to a wide range, however, of druidic earth magics. They also have the ability to turn into an animal they've seen before - just like other druids, however they can only maintain form for up to two hours and can only do it once per day rather than twice.