Guardian Spirit

	Guardian Spirit
Abbreviation:	GS
Prerequisites:	Circle 20, Innocence, and Compel or Paralysis
Signature:	Yes
Spell Slots:	2
Mana Type:	Life Magic
Spell Type:	cyclic / utility
Difficulty:	advanced
Prep (min/max):	5 / 25
Skill Range (min/max):	250 / 1000
Valid Spell Target:	Special
Duration (min/max):	Indefinite
Pulse Timing:	10 seconds
Justice:	no
Corruption:	no
Description:	The Guardian Spirit spell summons a warrior of the Fae -- an alfar -- to keep you safe from hostility and be your champion in combat. In some ways, the creature mirrors the caster, as Empaths with greater skill at targeting magic summon more powerful warriors. This spell requires constant upkeep and vigilance on the part of the caster. An Empath who fails to maintain the pattern will lose his hold on this creature of Fae, and it will abandon him to return whence it came. [Can be cast CUSTOM if you wish to establish a special relationship with a specific Fae or simply CAST to get a random alfar.] While this spell is available to Empaths 20th circle and above, the majority will find that they must be magical adepts before they can successfully form the pattern.
Effect:	summons combat "pet"
Example Messaging:	Your heart skips a beat as your spell sends a subtle jingling call outward from you in all directions.
Devices/Tattoos:	No devices or tattoos documented.

Casting

• Successfully cast with 150 utility, +20 buff from SAP, +30 PM buff from link, and a level 1 astrolabe (+1 luck).
• Successfully cast with 182 utility and utility mastery spell feat. Had two failures then succeeded.
• Cannot be cast when completely insensitive to empathy ("perma-shock"), but if it is case before complete insensitivity is reached, the spell can be maintained. As with other Empathy-dependent spells, shock increases the difficulty of casting.
• It is highly recommended that Empaths learn the magical feat of Raw Channeling (allows the powering of cyclic spells from raw attunement) and Efficient Channeling (mana cost of channeling cyclic spells is reduced). These feats are recommended for anyone who routinely uses cyclic spells.
• Guardian Spirit does train the Targeted Magic skill. However, the creature being fought must be of appropriate level to otherwise teach the Empath TM. TM will not go up out of combat. TM will train a small amount with each hit, and a larger amount if the warrior kills creatures or uses special attacks (throwing star).
• LOOK or DESCRIBE will tell you who summoned a Guardian Spirit.

Combat

• The strength of the Guardian varies with the amount of mana used per cyclic pulse (what you prep the spell at). The warrior's defensive skills can be between 110-125% Empath's TM and its offense 95-105%.
• It is possible to give "mundane" (non-verby, non-gore, non-swappable, non-bonded) one-handed edged weapons (light, medium, or heavy) to a warrior (see commands below). A common reason for doing this is to give the warrior a blessed weapon for hunting undead. Precious weapons should not be given to a warrior as item loss may occur when a warrior despawns or is killed and it drops the weapon.
• Special attack (stun) - A(n) <adjective> alfar warrior reaches into a small pouch at its belt, drawing forth a small, light-drinking star of unusual design. Pirouetting balletically, it throws the star with astonishing force directly at <target>!
• It's advised that you set your Guardian to defensive or passive stance while in crowded areas or in town, as they will attack other players, Guardian Spirits, etc. (Note that attacking another player's summoned or owned creature may grant them consent on you.)
• Having a Guardian Spirit set to aggressive behavior will cause it to attack any creature in the room, including other warriors, and enable a special attack.
• Guardians are considered holy beings. However, their attacks do not deal holy damage. They will perform their special attack (throwing star for stun), but do not other attacks against an Undead creature until/unless you give them a blessed weapon.
• Guardian Spirit now leave bodies or drop ammo and lodged items, whereas as in 2.0 any lodged items could disappear with them.
• You cannot heal a Guardian Spirit, but if you release and then recast they will return with full health.
• The Guardian Spirits taunt ability is a charm vs. will contest. It does not move them directly to melee, but moves them to pole and sets them to be advancing on the spirit. If they are sitting or standing, it will make them stand up. If they are hiding/invis it will bring them out of hiding/invis (assuming the Empath can see them).

Recall

Bards can use recall to see the following information:

Fair and pale, the alfar are tall and willowy creatures that greatly resemble nyads and dryads. The alfar can be mischevious as the rest of the fae, and alternately aid and hurt mortals, as pleases their current mood. A few alfar are servants to the gods, although these are few and far between. Some alfar are willing to aid Empaths these individuals tend to be more serious and warlike, protecting their charges with single-minded ferocity.

Alfar have long been associated with Empaths, though the exact relationship between the guild and the fae remains murky. Whatever their reasons, alfar continue to heed the call, serving Empaths as guardians in times of peril and avengers when all else seems lost. Some stories say that long ago a great Empath rendered the fae a service that could never be repaid. Though time seems to have forgotten the tale, the fae apparently have not.

Commands

• COMMAND WARRIOR TO NAME: The Warrior will whisper you it's name and make a statement about the weather. Names are always tied to the adjective of the Guardian that is summoned.
• COMMAND WARRIOR TO STANCE <defense/balanced/offense>: Change the Warriors combat stance.
• COMMAND WARRIOR TO BEHAVIOR <defensive/passive/aggressive>: Change the Warriors behavior. By default, they are summoned in passive mode and will not attack anyone or anything unless told to.
• COMMAND WARRIOR TO ATTACK <creature/name/stop>: Direct your warrior to attack something or someone specifically, or to stop combat completely.
• COMMAND WARRIOR TO TAUNT <creature>: An opposed ability that forces something engaged with you to turn to instead face your Guardian. This can be resisted. If you do not specify a creature, it will target everything facing you.
• COMMAND WARRIOR TO <take/drop>: Command your Guardian to take a weapon from your left hand, or drop a weapon they are holding.

Verbs

Some of the RP verbs have an "Easter Egg" version where they do something other than what is listed here. These have a very small chance of occurring on any use of the verbs that have the "Easter Eggs".

• BOW: The <adjective> alfar warrior gravely returns your gesture with a respectful bow of equal depth.
• CURTSY: The <adjective> alfar warrior gravely returns your gesture with a respectful bow of equal depth.
• DANCE: A <adjective> alfar warrior frees its hands for a moment, grasping yours with the tips of its long, slender fingers. Nodding solemnly at you, the <adjective> alfar warrior takes you through a few sedate turns of a stately waltz. The warrior smiles gravely, then bows over your hand, taking up a guard position at your side once more.
• DESCRIBE (third parties see who summoned it): An <adjective> alfar warrior is tall and fair of face, with clear eyes and white skin that gleams like ceramic. Its features are all sharp angles, with oblique cat-slitted eyes that survey its surroundings with an untouchable serenity. Its pointed ears sweep upward, accentuating the eagle-like hauteur of its mien. Its lips are tinted blue, the color of a bruise, and are set in a grim line. Flat black clasps gather its colorless hair, binding it into a severe, warlike queue that brushes its waist. Thin and attenuated, though with a wiry strength, this warrior of the alfar is not obviously male or female.

The warrior hovers near you protectively, smiling briefly at you when it notices you looking its way.

• HUG: The warrior returns your hug gingerly, being careful not to hurt you with its weapons or armor.
• KISS: As you move toward a <adjective> alfar warrior, it gathers you close, crushing you uncomfortably against its lacquered armor. It grins at you fiercely, then taking your hands firmly, dips you low to the ground and hoists you high into the air in an exhilarating whirling lift. The world spins around you, then it lowers you carefully to the ground, adjusting its armor nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.
• LICK: A <adjective> alfar warrior frees its hands for a moment, grasping yours with the tips of its long, slender fingers. It steps through a few spritely turns of an exuberant gavotte, giving you a fey smile before releasing your hand and taking up a guard position at your side once more.
• SMOOCH: As you move toward a <adjective> alfar warrior, it gravely takes you by the hand and leads you through a few turns of a delicate minuet. As you dance, the air seems to grow crisper around you, with a sharp, cool scent of autumn. The warrior smiles at you as it releases your hand, the tips of its ears coloring slightly.
• TOUCH: You reach out and lay your hand on the <adjective> alfar warrior's arm.
  

You sense a successful empathic link has been forged between you and a <adjective> alfar warrior.

You feel the burning fire of pain and suffering slowly building as you begin to draw out the truth of the warrior's injuries.

The creature's life force is alien to you. Though you can empathize with a <adjective> alfar warrior in a sense, peculiar sensations begin to overwhelm you and you feel your control of the empathic link slip away.

Equipment

The quality of equipment is determined by the caster's skill (which seems to be purely Targeted Magic) and the amount of mana channeled into the spell. Here are some possibilities:

Weapons

• unusual black blade (medium edged weapon)

Shields

• spiked black shield (large shield)

Armor

Armor	Type	Effective TM Requirement*
lacquered black leathers	light armor	minimum casting skill
lacquered black chainmail	chain armor	300 ranks
lacquered black light plate	brigandine	500 ranks
lacquered black heavy plate	plate armor	600 ranks

*Effective TM means your spell stance and spell mana will influence your results.

List of Possible Warriors

Prior to 3.0 there were several types of fae that could be summoned (avengers, colepexies, dirnels, guardians, narmobreths, and woodwisps). However, only warriors can be summoned now.

Casting the spell normally will summon a random warrior from the list below. If you CAST CUSTOM, you will summon the same warrior every time. The IC justification for this is that the Empath has established a special relationship with a particular warrior.

Name	Adjective	Notes
Al	gracile
Amyigi	ethereal
Apreekdin	tall
Arnalde	lean
Arturae	slim
Blink	graceful
Bluemoon	trim
Cordy	alert
Dillka	serene
Fred	delicate
Furle	trim
Grimley	slender
Hornet	stoic
Igley	athletic
Kar	lithe
Lecibre, Anthari	lissome
Paloorna	solemn
Rolth	sedate
Soone	tranquil
Yovzaz	wiry
ZerraZap	svelte
Genvi	imposing	only gets chosen if an error happens
Ashpool	savage	from tarnished silver spike (1)
Cayce	savage	from tarnished silver spike (1)
Ell-Lee	savage	from tarnished silver spike (1)
Kolodny	savage	from tarnished silver spike (1)
Rivett	savage	from tarnished silver spike (1)
Steppen	savage	from tarnished silver spike (1)
Steppen	savage	from tarnished silver spike (1)
Unknown	rugged	from tarnished silver spike (2)
Vingussi	vigilant	from tarnished gold badge

Altered Warriors

The following Empaths have established special relationships with these warriors (aka, they have custom altered descriptions). Guidelines for altering your warrior can be found here.

Empath's Name	Warrior's Name	Appearance
Dianelle	Bannin	imposing alfar warrior with a stern countenance
Sukidesu	Ivarichi	immense alfar warrior wearing a blue sapphire icesilk cloak
Kaelie	Cathaoir	athletic alfar warrior with an aloof gaze
Morvetan	Lucifer	imposing alfar warrior with a tenebrous aura
Sarkranis	Muffet	spindly alfar warrior with tenebrous eyes
Zamara	R'lyeh	macabre alfar warrior with fierce crimson eyes
Rebecka	Hiro	majestic alfar warrior with strange sparkling patterns covering its skin
Kalinandra	Charone	cranky alfar warrior with blood-red glittering symbols traced up both forearms
Dantia	Ahven	towering alfar warrior with a small pink dahlia tucked behind one ear
Medikaus	Sanguinus	muscular alfar warrior with merciless eyes
Allye	Arna	hulking alfar warrior sporting smears of glittery amethyst war paint
Aislynn	Albriel	childlike alfar warrior with an awe-struck expression
Cote	Ipomoea	harried-looking alfar warrior covered in flowering vines
Nemy	Nilakadi	tenacious alfar warrior with dramatic icesteel piercings
Melindrha	Ismat	imperious alfar warrior overrun with intricate tattoos
Kethrai	Pilaila	spritely alfar warrior wearing a jaunty thornweave scarf
Ameline	Zendil	serene alfar warrior with an imposing demeanor
Seltzer	Agustee	muscular alfar warrior wearing a wreath of Healing Heart orchids
Rizzoli	Glimmersteel	barbaric alfar warrior wearing a pleated war-kilt of ice-veined leather

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