Guardians of Mercy

The Guardians of Mercy are an organization within the Church of Thalena that protect the missionaries that join the Children of Thalena and their missions of mercy that the church sends out to aid those in need. They are made up of clerics, former soldiers and paladins of Thalena. The missionaries often travel to some of the most dangerous places with the most desperate people and though the rumor of the Curse of Thalena keeps most threats from harassing the missionaries, threats still remain from monsters to less superstitous bandits. For this reason the Guardians travel with the missionaries for their protection. The number of Guardians vary depending on the size of the mission. For a group of 200 missionaries, fifty or more Guardians may accompany the group. Those that join the Guardians often don't volunteer for the duty at first. Many of the warriors are compelled by superiors to become Guardians due to restlessness and impatience on the part of the warrior. It is the hope of their superiors that by taking part in these missions of mercy that the troubled warrior would gain new perspective in their faith and learn patience and compassion from having to provide for the safety of others. These troubled Guardians are often assigned to smaller missions. The Guardians is a volunteer organization and no one is forced to join and after one finishes their current mission of mercy they can leave with no ill will towards them from them church. Many do gain that new perspective though and after being part of a mission of mercy, find new purpose in their lives and it is common for them to remain in the Guardians permanently. For the times when mercy is needed the most, a Merciful Crusade may be called where thousands of Children of Thalena and hundreds of Guardians deploy to where mercy and healing are needed the most. The Guardians protect the field hospitals and kitchens set up by the Children and anyone who enters the camps, regardless of their nationality or other origin are under the Guardian's protection. As the Church of Thalena famously does not discriminate in whom they help, most entiities on Colarn respect the boundries of their camps and violence in rare.