The People and the Guardians

This is a small guide to the People and Guardians of Fyre. This shows cultures, ceremonies, and such, and will help you decide on what kind of Guardian and Persona to create, if you haven't decided already!

The Hydra is a two legged, sometimes winged dragon with up to nine heads. Their heads have different personalities, but there is the orrek, or main head, who controls the motions of the body and can tell what the other heads are thinking. If one head is chopped off, in a matter of three days a new head can be grown.

Emotion Dragons are the second most rare dragons. They can change color at will between mere seconds. They are Heraldic in form.

Apeps are the most rare of all dragons. Like beautiful blue snakes, they have two feathered wings and the rest of their body is sinuous and graceful. They are supremely intelligent and beautiful; they tend to be a bit vain, and are not very good leaders.

The Wyvern is a two legged and bat-winged dragon. They bear two hind legs and no forelegs. They are spunky, a bit foolish, and make fun companions. They have a very bad sense of advice, but they always use it anyway; bondmates have to be very aware of this silly guardian's flighty opinions before he uses them on someone!

Legless and with large bat-wings, these dragons are wily and cruel, although very tender with those who they love; in fact, they have been known to totally shock their bondmates in battle, for they change moods drastically in mere moments. In battle, the enemy is known to run away if they see even a hint of the Amphiptère. Sadly, there are not as many of them as the DragonHaven would like.

Bearing only one pair of legs, and no wings, the Lindworm lives in the lower levels with the Sea Serpents, preferring an aquatic environment.

Most common, with wings of different kinds, and four legs, the Heraldic dragon is the most seen warrior.

Legless and wingless, bearing a horned and maned head, the Guivre seems no more than a snake until it looks down (or up) at you. Very talented spies, Guivres are found on both sides of the fight in Fyre.

Dragons have a vast personality. They enjoy riddles, philosophy, and are gentle, humble, expert mages. They are not as powerful at telepathy like their counterparts the Unicorns, however. They, unlike other Guardians, are close to their cousins the Sea Serpents, and are their only matches. They enjoy fine art especially, such as singing, drawing and painting, etc.

All dragons have special powers, like blowing fire or ice from their nostrils or throat.

Dragons are the most varied of all of the Guardians. They come in different shapes, sizes, colors, cultures... and almost everything else!

Dragon features can be the oddest Guardians one will ever see. Dragons can be feathered all over. They can have scales or just tough, smooth, soft skin. They can have wings, or can have none; some fly by mind power (in other words, by teleporting themselves where ever they want to go. They can "fly" quicker than winged dragons but it takes them out for a while. They end up sleeping about a full day). Dragon wings can be the traditional bat winged sort, or just like a butterfly's, a dove's, a hawk's, or they can be invisible. They also come in every color, shape, and size. However, their sizes range from being as big as a Shetland pony to the size of a three story apartment building. Some have retractable horns. They have horns, talons, forelegs or none. They can also change their color after a period of a year to something totally different. Some are emotion dragons, who can change color to moods that range in different spectrums in seconds. There's not many of them.

Dragons, as you can see, have no boundaries on appearances. Their culture, however, is not like their different species. They live in gigantic cities called T'ai Demelth, or Great Gatherings, beneath the mountains.

A male dragon proposes to the female of his choosing to be his mate, and they have a life-long commitment. (There is no such thing as mating without having a marriage or Pair-Bonding.)

The highest ranked dragon females, the Starwings, are the only reproducing dragons in a Haven or a T'ai Demelth (there are no more than two Starwings in a Haven/T'ai Demelth). That is so there will not be an immense quantity of little Dragonets, even though eggs are laid very little, Dragons don't die until they are killed, and they are always able to reproduce. When citizen female dragons go into heat, they travel to the T'ai Semnat, or the Great Quickening, where they wait out their cycle, and then return to their places at home or with their mates.

Eggs are laid in a great sandy area, heated by forges beneath them or the heat of magma deep beneath the earth, the heat of which is guided through special rock planted by dragon architects to heat the area. (In the Dragonhaven, it is a giant forge heated by magma, which makes it one of the more unique Havens.) The eggs are buried, and after a period of seven weeks, the Egg-Seeker, a powerful Dragon Telepath, lays her head by the sand and calls out mentally to the eggs beneath the sand. If they call back mentally with a sluggish picture, they are dug up, and the mother flaps her wings as hard as she can, sending gusts of wind against the stifling heat of the eggshell. Immediately, the cooler air cools off the eggs quickly and therefore cracks the shell. It becomes brittle and snaps to pieces as the little Dragonets tumble into the world. If the dragonets don't answer and are silent, the Egg Seeker pronounces that they should wait. Dud eggs are extremely rare. Up to 3 large, oval eggs are laid per Starwing.

The baby dragons are kept in the Havens until they are three months old, and then they are sent to a TeachHaven in the local area to learn fighting, scribing, and other jobs. In return, graduates of the present year are exchanged to the Haven to earn RingRanks and keep the Draconic line true.

The Heraldic Griffin has a lion's body, with the forelegs of a lion, and a lion's tail. Its head is an eagle's, with the ears of a horse; its wings are those of an eagle's.

The Delikk (pronounced DAY-lik) has the forelegs of an eagle, no outer ears to speak of, and the tail of a snake, with the body of the lion.

The Tevin (pronounced TAY-veen) has the forelegs of an eagle, the back legs and tail of a lion, the head of an eagle, with no outer ears.

The Kkadin (pronounced KHA-deen) has the back legs, tail, and forelegs of a lion with no outer ears.

Griffins, like all Guardians, can have powers.

Griffins are the most foolhardy, proud, and perhaps the most foolish of any Guardian. Their way of life is virtually unchanged, as they are lone predators, only staying together in breeding pairs. Griffins feel no love toward even their mates, and only to be toward their Mind-Bound humanoids. They only consider it their duty to build up the armies of their majestic race, and are often taken to violent rages of anger.

The feminine Griffin, called a Griffa, and in plural, Griffas, are expert battle strategists from egg or birth. Since Griffins are the rarest of the Guardians, they all reproduce. The eggs, however, are given to the highest ranked Griffa and Griffi to take care of until five months after Hatching, when they join their Guardian friends at a TeachHaven. Since Griffins are the rarest, there are usually only two eggs in the DragonHaven at a time.

Griffas lay only two eggs per every six months, or give birth to one chick every year according to breeds. They use sandtables to scratch their idle battle strategies into life while tending to eggs or young. The most important Griffas (There are only two, the most important Griffas) spread their great wings upon the eggs/younglings and warm them.

The male Griffins, called Griffis, singularly Griffi, are the major soldiers, and enjoy mock battles to stifle their strange anger that rises up within them.

Griffins come in several species and come in every single color. Eye colors come in any color as well. They are always a mix of eagle/falcon/hawk, some equine and snake, or lion. They all have wings.

The Karkadann is the biggest, strongest, and meanest of all Unicorns. A gargantuan equine who lives in the desert, it has a strange twisted horn in the center of its forehead and is amazingly swift. Their cries are guttural bellows; they do not sneak, they run and catch their prey, and impale it. Cunning and malevolent, the Karkadann is a force to be reckoned with. They are 31 hands at the shoulder.

The Heraldic Unicorn is the spy, the cunning white creature in the background, with soft, feathery mane and gentle disposition. The most common unicorn, but the least trusting, they hide and dart and are impossible to catch or see when they wish it to be so. They come in several different forms; these consist in cloven hooves and solid hooves, and the types of tail. Otherwise, they are roughly seventeen hands high at the shoulder.

The gentle, rare Ki-linn is very rarely seen and very rarely found. Very small, with a long, smooth horn topped by a small, fleshy golden sphere and cute little cloven hooves, the Ki-lin is friendly but nervous of most other races. They love to sing; they have bell-like voices and hate to harm other creatures. Therefore, they make fine nurses; one touch of their gentle horns will heal wounds or sicknesses, but they cannot replace a missing limb or broken spirit. They grow to about the height average grown man's knee.

The Flying Unicorn is a Heraldic unicorn with wings. It is about fifteen hands high at the shoulder, but its wings make up most of its body size. Slender, with slim legs, and smooth, solid hooves, they can only carry one person at a time.

The pegasus is no more than a winged horse. Wings vary, from being bat-winged to dove-winged, or even a mixture of both. They are very slender and small, and can only carry one person per ride.

A flying, wingless horse, this equine comes in all colors (usually in the varied spectrums of blue and green). They can also become invisible at will. Their magic is tied around the water of rivers and streams; they are wild and spirited, but also very loyal.

The Grants on Fyre are crafty, black horses who appear to be yearling foals with glittering ruby eyes, although they are always, in truth, much older. Their hind legs are stronger and thicker than other equines of their magical breed; using them, they may prance upon their hind legs. They are real trouble makers; they enjoy setting houses on fire by blowing sparks on the most flammable places. Very few people can make friends, or much less bond, with a Grant.

Kelpies are the most erratic of the hornless horses. Amazing swimmers, they graze on waterbeds and start floods, and become transparent or camouflaged at will. They are very closely related to the Ceffyl-Dwr; the only difference between them is that the Kelpie is of lakes and the Ceffyl-Dwr is of rivers.

The Pooka is very harmless… until in his battle fury. An avid shapeshifter, the Pooka changes between horse form and donkey form. Sometimes they can become other things, but it takes great practice on their parts. A Bondfriend of a Pooka must be patient at all times when helping them learn other shapes to turn into.

The Yale is a double horned black equine, a bit like a horse but more like an antelope. Having a tail like an elephant’s, the Yale doesn’t fear anything except for those creatures bigger and more experienced than he is. He can move his horns at will; they are long and tapered.

The churchcamp is a very rare unicorn indeed! The back half of a churchcamp is a frog, give or take a long tail with flukes. The forehalf is that of a graceful Heraldic unicorn. Some equines see these creatures as deformed; this is not true. They are a people with a unique culture; they are known for carefully tending coral reefs like gardens.

Unicorns are the wisest and most graceful, agile, and beautiful of the Guardians. They are almost always solemn, always think before they strike, and are ever sarcastic. They are avid astrologers and love nature, loping upon the HoofPound Plains that bear the name of their mode of transportation.

They sing with whinnying voices, and their Mind-Bound ride them saddleless and reinless, graceful. In battle, they protect the soft, unarmored backs of the Unicorns.

They come from the size of a Shetland Pony to the size of a large pickup truck. The smallest specie is the Ki-Lin and the largest is the Karakadann. They can have large feathered wings or none at all, split hooves or firm, straight horns or curved.

Unicorn foals are born in the Spring, and all Joined Mates are allowed to bear young. Up to two foals to a pair is born a year. (In the DragonHaven, there are always at least four young foals in residence.) The highest ranked Unicorn Mare brings up the young fillies; the highest ranked Stallion trains the young colts. They are taught every basic taught in TeachHavens, possibly more, even though Dragons and Griffins almost always learn more out of their classes than within them.

The Aspidochelone is massive and amazingly patient, a much smaller version of the Kraken. There are only seven of them in the ocean; they float at the top of the water, and fish actually swim down their open throats because of the scents they send wafting through the water. Therefore, where these creatures are, huge shoals of fish gather to feed and bear young; they are ideal fishing spots. Fishermen gain the Aspidochelone’s trust and it allows them to fish its grounds. There are very few who can talk to these massive creatures; there is only one fisherman who has actually Bonded with one. The DragonHaven has one outside of its watergates with permission for all fishermen to fish around her.

The Bunyip is a friendly sea serpent. With a body like a sheep, covered with scales, and with various fins and spikes and no tail, the Bunyip is quite ferocious to behold but quite gentle otherwise. Females are extremely maternal; their calves are fiercely protected. They are most desirable for a Bondmate, since they have an amazing devotion to them; they have a strict code of honor.

Only two Krakens are alive: a female and male. Their smaller spawn travel the ocean unformed, in small egg sacs, until one or the other Kraken dies, and it will become the gender of the one that died to continue the race (inbreeding is never a problem to the massive Kraken). Wise beyond ages, round and almost flat, they lie at the bottom of the ocean, covering over two and a half miles. When they do decide to move, it is amazing; the water froths and is disturbed, creating sucking vortexes that are dangerous to ships. Long spikes, often mistook for arms, stick up from the foreheads of these creatures. Their eyes are very, very small; but their brains are huge. Their telepathic power is overwhelming; no one can talk to a Kraken without soon passing out. Therefore, these creatures are not Bondable.

Usually depicted as an enourmus whale with a gaping mouth. Has been known to level coastal villages with tsunamis and be a scourge of sea-going ships, being somewhat bad-tempered. Fortunately, there is only one known to be active (if any more exist at all) so odds of meeting it are slim.

Makaras are loners, depending on no one. They rarely ask for a Bondmate or seek a Journeymate; they prefer to receive orders and get their jobs done alone. Always half fish, and half of another animal, they sometimes have the forelegs of another creature but always the tail of a fish. The greater part of them have an elephant’s head; some of them have a jaguar’s forelegs and the head of a jaguar, while some tend to mix up several things at once.

Resembling a classic sea serpent in many ways, the Wyurm shares many aspects with its relatives the Heraldic Serpents. One of the few differences, however, are the sets of wings (usually three sets total) evenly distrubuted over its length. These wings are capable of powerful underwater strokes as well as short term arial displays and attacks.

At first glance it appeas to a classic blob monster from classic old earth movies. However it seems to more closely resemble an amoeba in compositon and action. Its size varies considering how well it has been eating. It consumes its food by absorbing moisture from contact with its prey and then enveloping it and thus creating an "air bubble" within itself. The bubble is then filled with digestive juices that break down the creature. Once all usable matter has been consumed the skeleton works it way out. An even closer examination will reveal many characteristics that set it apart from the ameoba including, but not limited to, sentient thought. Very few people can stand contact with a Titikal, although they have proven extremely hard to kill in battle. Poisons induced in its system often prove fatal.

This being, when on land, is an overweight and pale four-legged dopey looking creature. However in the water it is far more graceful and appealing. It has a shaggy coat all over its body that acts as hundreds of minature "oars" that propel it through the water. On land it looks like an unkempt coat that is in serious need of a trim. In the water it comes alive with movement as it propels the Donuka through the depths. In addition to this "fur" the Donuka has four main limbs that are used for more "coarse" turns that need to be made. Unless used or above water these limbs lie flat against the creatures body. On land the legs support it in the same fastion as a crocodile's. This creature uses a chemical synthesis method to produce a freion like substance that is capable of dropping the temperature in an area or freezing a target solid. It is produced in a similar fashion to a plant's production of photosynthesis (but with very different input and output elements. It's just the same type of thing). Ironically, due to the waste products of this reaction the area around Donuka dens is quite warm which in turn is a more comfortable reaction for the creatures' chilled blood.

The Sea Serpent, as itself, is an amazing creature. Coming in all shapes, forms, and sizes, but always astoundingly long with flippers and a draconic head, the Serpent is quicker than any boat or creature in the sea. Sea Serpents can come with the following: Smooth hide, scaled hide, fish-like flippers (with the membrane stretching between “fingers”) and dolphin, or whale-like flippers, a tail with flukes of fish or whale, or just a snake like form that tapers down to a nice point. Horns and spikes adorn them, and they are the most likely to want a Bondmate or Journeymate.

The term "Sea Serpents" is often, like the Guardian race of the Unicorn, not very descriptive of the real features of the creatures in its class.

Sea Serpents are probably the most annoying-- and most dangerous-- of any of the Guardians. Their strength is only surpassed by a debonair wit that infuriates even the calm Unicorns. They love music, philosophy, jokes, riddles, even rumors if they can manage them from the Dragons, their close cousins. They are often dubbed as the "Comedians of the Battlefield", as they are often sarcastic and talk all the time, even during smashing the Evil into viscous green pulp. The Dragons have a hard time of tricking their intelligent cousins, but there's always an exception.

Serpents are graceful underwater dancers. They are never seen sleeping, and some even say they never do, which is ridiculous. They have strange songs that are their conversations beneath the water. Serpents come in nearly as many different sizes and shapes like the Dragons, but they are much different. They don't have furry, feathery, or scaly hide. It is always smooth and thick, lined with firm blubber beneath to keep them warm beneath the water. They despise mages and their works, and enjoy the thrill of brute strength. The smallest sized specie is thirty feet long, while the fully sized one is bigger than a blue whale. There are even rumors that a massive mother of all Serpents sleeps in the deepest depths of the Ocean, and she could swallow a whole navy of the biggest Serpents.

Serpents reproduce very slowly, but since there was always a multitude of them, they are especially numerous. Calves are taken care of by the highest ranked male bulls, and only one is born to each pair of mates in a matter of three years. They regurgitate fish to feed their young until they are weaned and ready to learn by the flippers and flukes of their master Bulls. In battle, they carve tunnels beneath the earth and explode out of the earth, long snaky necks thrusting out of the dirt, flippers digging out of the mud, smashing down onto anything in their way. For this reason, they signal before they rise-- something the enemy doesn't expect, like a small tree rising up and down slightly. To the Enemy's delight, the other Guardians and their Sentient Partners retreat. However, once they all leave and are gone, the Serpents burst out into a full circle around a chosen space and start the carnage.

There are always at least two calves at the DragonHaven's TeachHaven.

Humans are the most numerous of the Guardians' or their Sentient counterparts' choices for Mission or Mind Bound partners. Humans have changed a lot since coming from Earth. More than two thousand years have passed since Portals first opened, so humans have had time to change.

There are all nationalities. However, skin, hair, and eye color have changed drastically, even though the old colors do remain. In other words, humans have become like rainbows from the magic in Fyre. Eyes can be purple. Hair can be green. Skin can be a golden yellow with pink freckles. All natural! Even size has changed. Humans now grow to be seven feet tall, and live to be 1000 years old-- without a Guardian Mind-Bound. If a Persona is Mind-Bound, they can actually stay the same age as they were when they first Bonded, and some choose to age or drop age as they like. The Magic on Fyre accounts for this.

Elves are remote, beautiful, human like people, and are native to Fyre. Their ears are pointed and rise about six inches from either side of their heads. They have four fingers, including a thumb, and are expert archers and sword-weilders. They are expert musicians, and are the same height of humans on Fyre. Their hair comes in every color, as do their eyes, but their skin is always a light golden sheen color. They are peaceful and solemn. They can be Mind and Mission Bound.

Dwarves are short, stocky people who came from the center of the earth from their mining when attacked by the vicious insects. Men usually wear beards; women have long braids. They climb mountains like mountain sheep, being lithe and in great shape. Their complexion is very pale, and their hair comes in every color. They can be Mission or Mind Bound.

Gnomes are the exact opposite of Dwarves. They are slender, canny, and unlike the elves, very short. They usually come to be four feet tall. Like the rest of the Human-like, they can be Mission or Mind Bound to a Guardian.

Selkies are the strange people from the sea who can assume the shape of seals at will. They bond Sea Serpents, Sea Dragons, and Hippocamps.

Swanees are a strange, reclusive people with the power to shape-shift into swans. Living chiefly around lakes, they are rarely seen and rarely bond to any creature other than Griffins, Dragons, or flying Equines.

Shapeshifters can learn to change into many different creatures, Guardians, humanoid races, and Sentients, but each shift needs a year of training to be able to properly use the powers each creature uses. To become another creature, it takes a massive amount of training. Between each creature's form learned, it takes the Shifter three years to prepare for the next shape-shift. The only difference between Shapeshifters and their Selkie/Swanee cousins is that they learn more than one form.

The Merfolk are known for their fine relationships with all water Guardians and Sentients. They rarely leave the water, and although they can shed their tails temporarily, they must return to the water quickly lest they perish. Their tails come in all forms and fashions: seal, fish, dolphin, whale, shark, you name it. (These people consist of mermaids and mermen, but can also be referred to as Merpeople or Merfolk.)

The Were-people are humans who can achieve the partial form and appearance of an animal, not wishing to go through the extensive and dangerous training of the Shapeshifters and vying for pieces of humanity. They come in many different shapes and forms, but cannot appear as Guardians or races.

Dryads are the wize denizens of trees, living in the Unicorn Garden, hidden in the mountains, and surviving everywhere else other than the Forest where they were cruelly ousted. They know everything about plants and fungi. They can come from their trees, and do not bond any creature, but are often accompanied by Tinians or Pixies.

Naiads are graceful, beautiful people living in the clean, clear freshwater springs, rivers, ponds, streams, and lakes. They bond freshwater guardians because salt water makes them sick.

These hulking people are human-like in appearance except for their faces, which have small slits for nostrils and small button eyes far spaced apart. They can transform into stone for short periods of time, becoming invincible to attacks but unable to attack. They usually grow to heights of eight feet. Their skin is a blue-gray color, very smooth and hard, and they are very, very strong. They heft huge axes and are only good for frontal attacks, being prone to blunders for sneaking attacks. They are more intelligent than they appear; they can bond any Sentient or Guardian, although most of them prefer to have a Tinian.

This race resembles goblins, being small, lean, and wiry. They tend to bond many large Guardians and are often missed as targets during battles. Very cunning, they make excellent spies. They range in heights of 3'1/2" and 4'1/2".

Sirens love the water. They differ much from the Sirens of Terran folklore, with hair that ranges from foamy green, white, and star-struck blue to black-blue and green-speckled maroon. They rarely wear clothes, although for modesty they are sometimes worn-- such as a loincloth for the rare male Sirens or a makeshift sea-weed tunic and skirt for the Siren females. The Siren voice is terribly beautiful, as it telepathically conveys emotions and scenes. (The males cannot sing.) These women sing for the mates they long for.

Defenders of the Dragonhaven, Worgs are exclusive to this part of the land. Short, stumpy, with good humors but frightening skill in war, these men and women do their best on the battlefield. They are heavily muscular, with dark, pebbly skin. Their eyes are small, but their nostrils wide and large, flattened against their faces. They come in all different spectrums. Their hair is usually a close-cropped white, and their eyes are black with no pupils. They can see in any light.

Kobolds are shy and intelligent. Tall and slender, they are quiet scholars of literary work. They have large skulls, wide, dark eyes, and studious dispositions. They love scribing and reading, and rarely do they venture from the libraries and monasteries where they stage their work. They bear beautiful hair of shimmering rainbow beauty, and their skin is soft and papery and a soft, dull, buttery color. They are cunning, however, and often mistook for their cousins the Elves with their long, pointed ears.

Dragoons are Humans with a link to all dragons which goes beyond a Mindlink or a Mission link. They tend to prefer spears and pikes as weapons and can jump insanely high. One of their favored moves is when they jump high and ride their weapon down onto the enemy. They wear armor in the shape of a Dragon, and can summon a magical form of mystical dragon to assist them in battles. They are not too fast running and tend to be solitary people. They also enjoy flying.