A guardian is a being who has sworn to safeguard the existence of magic and its users. They act as community leaders of the locations under their care.
Centuries ago, humans were divided into those who could use magic and those who couldn’t. Those who couldn’t use magic viewed magicians with jealousy and suspicion. Tensions rose between them until one day an accident occurred resulting in the death of a non-magician.
This immediately sparked a witch-hunt. While the magicians could defend themselves, they were outnumbered. The wisest and most powerful among them hatched an ambitious plan to use the natural magic of the earth to create and take shelter in their own world. They cooperated with trusted guardians to protect them and determine when it’s safe to return.
The magic world was created, and non-magicians didn’t have to deal with them anymore. As time passed, the magic world became self-sustaining, and the anti-magician sentiment faded away.
Over time, some magicians returned. They gave gifts to the guardians as thanks for protecting them. This eventually became a custom respected by all magicians.
Guardians are responsible for creating a safe and welcoming community for magic users. The responsibilities generally fall under a few categories.
Guardians ensure that all members of the community understand the rule to hide the existence of magic and magic users from those do not use magic. In particular, new visitors and children are taught by guardians to make sure that the community continues to exist peacefully.
In the event that this rule is breached, all guardians employ some method to mitigate the potential damage. For example, some guardians maintain a vast information and surveillance network, while others employ magic users who can wipe memories.
Guardians usually screen visitors to their community to make sure that people with ill intent do not cause any harm. The screening methods vary for each guardian, with some using unique abilities to read peoples’ souls and others using skills to detect lies.
They also provide a variety of other services such as clinics, currency exchanges, housing, and transportation.
In the event that an incident causes great harm to a community, guardians will relay this information with other guardians to make sure that everyone is well prepared to handle future incidents. In addition, they will often exchange goods and supplies with other communities.