Guardians of Fate
The Guardians are high-Ievel chronomancers of every conceivable type. The majority are wizards, but Temporal Champions and Raiders are also present in large numbers. These mysterious beings have kept themselves completely hidden from the questioning minds of those in reality and are known only slightly by other chronomancers due to the unavoidable confrontations that occur.
A Typical Guardian
Guardians all started as chronomancers, and they generally follow all the prerequisites. Thcy are eives, half-elves, and humans, with an occasional exception to this rule (for example, a hare or crane hengeyokai from Kara-Tur).
What They Do
The Guardians are pledged to the preservation of Temporal Prime and the timestreams, in that order. As many chrpnomancers eventually reallze, the borders separating Temporal Prime and the planes are tenuous. In fact, the borders can decay. Some degradation is natural, brought on by vortices and maelstroms, but most comes from chronomancers themselves. Manipulation of the natural order of events and tapping the momentum of time to cast spells does harm to the borders, though few would notice. Guardians labor hard to prevent major disruptions.
If They Don't
In an area where borders have worn thin, it takes the slightest pressure from turbulence to finally break it down. Reality then begins to unravel on a dimensional level, and linear time ceases to cxist. The timestream loses its continuity wherever reality is breached, and momentum is lost, sometimes to the point where the breach cannot be healed. Reality can become fragmented beyond repair, and the effect cascades from there.
With the momentum of time interrupted, possibly in several places, the abilitv to repair damage done by time travelers weakens until another border collapses. The momentum of time is latching onto whatever events it can to build on, and the timestream begins to deviate from the natural order in ways that cannot mesh, Sometimes these pieces can be strengthened and tumed into alternate timestreams, but it is just as possible that they break down completely and slowly disintegrate, This is a worst case scenario, but it has happened before, and the Guardians can do onlv so much to stop it. In theory, if enough timestreams were torn down to Lheir composite dimensions, Temporal Prime itself could be threatened. Theories do not presume to predict what would happen with the complete loss of a prime dimension like time.
How They Do it
Prevention of this lype of destruction is accomplished personally. The Guardians must monitor the timestreams carefully and try to fix severe damage as they can. They detect turbulence patterns and try to intercept major upheavals in the natural order of events. Failing that, they plan complex infiltrations into reality to thwart thc chronomancer's plans. Since most confrontations are of this nature, it is not surprising that a certain amoimt of friction exists between Guardians and other chronomancers. Occasionally, a Guardian might rescue a chronomancer from destruction, but this ls a special case-by-case determination made by the Guardians.
Limitations
Guardians set themselves high goals in their attempt to prevent degradation of the timestreams, but there are some things they simply cannot do, Guardians are kept quite busy with important work, and even were one of them to notice a low-level chronomancer making his first timeslip, the Guardian would report the activity but would not interfere. There are two reasons for this. The first is that the Guardians are too few to even attempt to stop ail chronomancy. The second is that thev always need new chronomancers to recruit into the Order. The Guardians fight a battle of numbers, hoping that those chronomancers who advance to a high level while learning to practice their magic with responsibility are enough to help police outliers as they appear.
AIl that is left is detection and intervention. The Guardians can only attempt to control the damage being dune by those with just enough power to be dangerous. Guardians must ignore most of the tampering in hopes that their nuniber increases to the point that they can solve all chronal problems.
Birth of Chronomancy
The idëa of trying to locate the birth of chronomancy and prevent it is often considered, but too many reasons stack up against it.
First, there is no singie origin to prevent. Chronomancy was discovered in different times and places with little to no contact between the researchers. Within the separate time frames that present themselves on Temporal Prime, several chronomancers slipped from reality and into the timestream at roughly the same instant. This does not even take the multiverse of worlds into account The multiple origins mean that the Guardians cannot undertake their prevention with any hope for success.
Second, the momentum of time would work against Guardians. To prevent chronomancy as it originally came about wouid be to prevent themselves from becoming chronomancers. If the alteration was not done perfectly, the momentum would aliow a change in the lifelines such that chronomancy would stiil develop in some fashion. How could the Guardians be sure that, in this new path, Guardians like themselves would exist?
This is paradoxical thinking, but also an argument they are not ready to put to the test. In fact, one major task of the Guardians, to which several dozen of them are assigned, is to patrol the origins of the Order. This is to ensure that the protectors of Temporal Prime cannot be attacked in this way, and by protecting their own origins, they must protect the origins of chronomancy.
Action and Organization
To attain their goals, the Guardians have set rules and procedures that they follow, some of whlch have been mentioned above. The following sections detail their organization, which tliey refer to as the Order, and the basic structure under which they work.
Secrecy
The degree of secrecy the Guardians maintain about themselves and their goals makes a regular chronomancer appear talkative. Guardians are all too aware of their small numbers, and regardiess of their higher levels, they cannot afford direct interaction, even of a friendiy nature. It would take up too much time that is best spent patrolling and defending Temporal Prime.
Fortunately, the secrecy most chronomancers learn helps establish their animosity toward others, Guardians are careful about those they approaeh to allow into the Order, and they are especially careful if outside chronomancers are contacted for a special mission. They realize that with most of their contacts with other chronomancers involving thwaring their plans, they engender a certain amount of hostility, but by only doing so infrequently (and only for the more damaging actions), they hope to keep this to a low level.
The Stronghold
The stronghold is located at Lhe center of a giant maelstrom which attracts new temporal creatures on an almost daily basis. chronomancers, some malicious, often find their way to the stronghoId when traveling through vortices. and they must be watched and deterred from interfering. Finally, there are attacks led against the stronghold from forces unknown. Most of the attackers seem to be a form of chronomancer, but the Guardians have yet to discover the origin of this force. Current indication is that they are members of a hostile organizatiun from another reality.
The stronghold itself is an interesting structure. It resembles a normal castle with towering spires and high walis, but it is made of glasssteel and metal. It rests in the middle of the maelstrom, but the chaotic effects do not take place within 50 feet of tlie waüs or along certain paths that are known to the Guardians. The Guardians realize that their position means a lot of attention, but the convenience of the maelstrom for traveling is undeniable. Besides, the stronghold was fashioned by the Premier, and he has forbidden any discussion on relocating it.
Field Personnel
This comprises the bulk of the Guardian forces After first recruitment into the Order, chronomancers join this force for a few missions and are then reassigned to the Strongliold Guard. Now and then, a member of the Guard is again assigned to the field, but it is usualiy a few years before they are transfened to the field on a more-or-less permanent basis.
Guardians working in this arca are resposible for patrolling the timestréams and cliecking on the damage being done. Thev repair what limited damage they can, and they watch for problems that can be prevented. Normally this involves the discovery of meddling by some chronomancer, tracking the wizard down, finding out what was done, and then fixing it. The Guardians normaliy ignore minor effects. If it's impossible to tell whether an instance warrants interference, the Guardian reports to the council or makes an on-the-spot judgment.
These Guardians aro also assigned as monitors to chronomancers that, for one reason or another, the council has deemed necessary to watch. Reasons for a monitor vary, but a destructive or careless chronomancer is usually assigned one, as is any high-level chronomancer. At high levels. the potential for damage becomes great, and this is also when a chronomancer might be approached for recruitment. Normally, the chronomancer is not approached until reaching the 10th level, but this can be done much earlier in the case of powerful individuals.
A Time Lord
The Order
Guardians have structured their organization into almost a religious program. Every Guardian swears binding oaths of allegiance and is placed under several special geases. The Guardian oaths are a closely guarded secret, and thev are thought to be magical in nature and unbreakable. Guardians place the safety of Temporal Prime above all else, and the protection of the timestreams of their reaiities next. Last is the protectlon of the timestreams of other realities but thoserealities often have Guardian organizalions of their own.
Leading Members
The administrative rulers of the Order form a council consisting of chronomancers of the highest level and knowledge. There is no set number that may be on the cotmcil, but it usually hovers around 12, Being placed on the council is the highest honor availabte to members of the Ordcr. New council members are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments and knowledge of Temporal Prirne. The final requisite for acceptance is for the selected chronomancer to discover a new piece of major kriowledgë about any portion of Temporal Prime. The council discusses and votes on ail actions of the Guardians, and for being a democratic burcaucracy whcrc every chronomancer is allowed a say they are remarkably efficient and can reach a course of action quickly.
Set above the Council is a pair of chronomancers with the ability to override any decision and demand instant lovalty from all members of the Order. Highest of the two is the Premier Temporus, said to be the original founder of the Guardians. Rarely does he put in an appearance, and when he does, he remains cloaked and in shadow. Whether this affectation is to keep a mysterious air about him or has some purpose, the council does not question. No one outside the council sees this figure and few even hear rumors of his existence.
The assistant to the Premier is the Director Marshal. The Director sits in at most council meetings but does not interfere unless necessary. He offers advice and sometimes organizes spedal missions, possibly without the council's knowledge. The Director is the arbitrator of any dispute or challenge to the Order. His knowledge of Temporal Prime and chronomancy is said to be the highest of all, perhaps in excess of the Premier's. He was dircctlv recruited by the Premier and has never sat on the council, and he also maintains an air of mysterv about him. He answers to the name Kourat, but no record has ever been found to suggest his origins, The prevailing thought among the council is that the Director was an extremely powerful chronomancer who kept himself hidden from the Order for decades or perhaps centuries, one more knowledgeable than any other about Temporal Prime. What is known as fact is that the Premier left the stronghold one day and returned with his assistant, who was set above the council immediately. There were several changes to the structure of the Order and in the way Guardians handled their affairs.
Stronghold Guard
After a Guardian has taken the oaths and has proven his ability with a few minor accomplishments, he is indoctrinated into the Stronghold Guard. The Guard follows council direction and forms the backbone of the Cuardian intelligence network, Its members keep track of all chronomancers under surveillance, filing new information as the monitors make their reports. They compile all research into organized form and help in the experimentation to formulate and prove new theories. Most of the work is routine and would cause severe dissatisfaction in the ranks, except the Guard is also responsibte for the patrolling and safety of the stronghold, a demanding task.
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