Russet Guardian
Profile
The Russet Guardian is a wood woad that was formed by the willful sacrifice of an unknown mage about a hundred years ago. The mage was travelling from afar when they came upon a myconid colony in distress, and used their connection to the sun god to clear away the Russet Mold that was plaguing the colony. In a confrontation with vegepygmies, they were grievously wounded, and in their dying breath wished for their soul to live on and continue to protect the myconids of the Pearly Kapok.
The Russet Guardian is in possession of a solar bottle, which can be filled with sunlight using the apparatus at the top of the great tree. It appears to need energy from the sun to function, and will enter a state of dormancy should the bottle ever become completely empty.
Relationships
The Party
The Russet Guardian does not have any sense of sentimentality since becoming a woad. It assisted the party in clearing away the Russet Mold because that was its duty, and does not appear to have any attachment to them despite the party being responsible for the Guardian's reanimation and continued upkeep.The Myconids of Russet Crater
The Russet Guardian is soulbound to protect the Pearly Kapok and its mushroom-like denizens from the forces of evil. It feels compelled to do so because of the circumstances with which it came into existence, but does not do so begrudgingly.Plot Events
"Detoxing Russet Crater"
When the party arrived at the base of the Pearly Kapok, they found the Russet Guardian in an inert state, clutching an empty solar bottle and covered in Russet Mold. They managed to pry the solar bottle from its hand after clearing off some of the mold, and went to the top of the tree to fill it with sunlight.Upon the party's return to the bottom of the tree, they once again found the Russet Mold creeping up the side of the Russet Guardian, but after placing the solar bottle in its hand, the mold started to recede rapidly and the guardian's eyes lit up. It proceeded to walk slowly around the base of the tree, burning away the mold with the power of the sun. When the vegepygmies attacked to protect the mold, it incinerated one on the spot by firing a beam of radiant energy from the solar bottle, before continuing its duty of clearing away the mold as the party assisted in destroying the vegepygmies.
Later, the Russet Guardian accompanied Dumbo and Karnon to the top of the tree, bringing the solar bottle to the charging mechanism so that they could scan both with the scroll Desmo gave them. During that time, Dumbo regaled the guardian with facts about monorails and other transport systems, which it did not seem to have any interest in.
The myconids of Russet Crater have taken it upon themselves to accompany the Russet Guardian to the top of the tree once a week to have it recharge its bottle, so that they can prevent further catastrophe should the mold growth return.
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