Post by Victoria on Oct 7, 2009 8:23:29 GMT
The Guardians are were-cats.
As far as memory extends, all Guardians have been born and raised in the village or closely surrounding area. If any have left, they have not returned and no one knows what happened to them.
During the daytime, they appear to be and behave like regular house cats. At sunset, they are able to change between cat and human form at will; this includes an in-between form and the ability to grow in size (in cat form) to about the size of a panther.
Their humanoid and cat shapes are similar; i.e., a white cat with blue eyes would change into a human with white hair and blue eyes. This can sometimes result in odd human colouring, such as a human with orange-striped hair and yellow eyes. Their skin is never directly exposed to sunlight (being hidden under fur, only exposed at night), so they are very pale.
Shifting is quite painful, but not unbearable.
Guardians retain their humanoid thoughts and feelings regardless of their current shape. Their various personalities and relationships among each other are remarkably similar to that of the humans. They believe in the customs and superstitions of the villagers, as well.
Like the Gewin, the Guardians have a natural hunger for human energy, and can drain (or "drink") it when there is contact of the mouths. Unlike a Gewyn, a Guardian's hunger lays entirely dormant until they feed for the first time (which is forbidden). A single near-fatal feeding on a human will satisfy the craving for about a month.
They have the ability to converse with each other through their minds, in all forms. They can enter the dreams of humans, but doing so is forbidden.
Like the humans, they honour their elders, have pride in bloodline, and get married. They love the villagers and are their vigilant defenders during the night. The villagers do not know how, but they do know that the Guardians are responsible for their safety. In return, they are appreciated and respected, and are well cared for.
When not appearing as a regular cat, the Guardians have heightened senses, strength and agility. They are more agile and quiet than the Gewin and can hear better, but have inferior strength and sense of smell.
Among the Guardians, there are five distinct and well-known unbreakable laws, each punishable by death:i. Never drink from a human
ii. Never shift in front of a human
iii. Never invade the dreams of a human
iv. Never assist or associate with one of the Gewin in any way
v. Never kill one of your own kind
The Guardians despise the Gewin in every way. Their scent and taste disgusts them.
The Guardians are named by humans at birth. They are not given last names. Pregnancies are just slightly less common than with humans (thus quite a bit less common than regular cats) and will yield one to two healthy children on average after a gestation period of nine months. It is unknown whether or not Guardians can breed with humans, as it has never been attempted. They cannot breed with regular felines, although no regular felines naturally live in the village or surrounding area.
What form a Guardian is born in depends on the form of the mother at the time. Shifting during a birth can kill both mother and child.
Their average life span is 90 years.
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