Profile
A powerful creature, guardian and kin of the sapient peoples of the many oceans, once a heroic figure to those under his protection and a relentless hunter of those who would harm them. Cousin to the jǫrmunalfr, although he forsook any claim he had on the manifold realms of heaven in order to more fully exist as a creature of flesh and blood, and just as powerful.
His strength was such that he could contend with the corporeal heiyao who, long ago, attempted to set themselves up as gods. The merfolk under his remit remained free from demonic subjugation through the entirety of the long, cruel age during which the heiyao ruled, and much later his guidance allowed them to spearhead the campaign to drive the heiyao back into the dark places. Mindful of his victories, few among his enemies ever dared provoke his wrath—and those who did quickly realized that they had made a fatal mistake. Even his allies were intimidated by him.
Unlike (for example) Ruzalkütaru, he did not hesitate to make his presence known to the merfolk he was tasked with watching over. He would visit their towns and cities, adjudicate disputes, mentor the most promising among their warriors, and befriend their leaders. He was not above terrifying the other Ensouled Folk if he felt they were planning evil against his charges, and especially because of this he was loved and adored by all the merfolk. To them it was only natural that the strongest and most glorious among the Ensouled Peoples should be watched over by an advocate of such power and majesty.
He finally met his end thanks to the despicable treachery of the Fell Triad. Having been seduced by the honeyed promises of one of the heiyao's greatest deceivers, the three radiant draconic siblings of the Triad schemed to murder the Guardian and, in doing so, sever their allegiance to the Highlord. Although their ambush was meticulously planned and perfectly executed, even their combined strength proved woefully insufficient. In short order the Guardian prevailed against two of the Triad. But before he could kill the last of the traitors, that sibling's sheer shock and anguish—flowing directly out of the deaths of those whose souls he shared—allowed the heiyao to finally surmount the barriers keeping them out of the physical realm, if only for a brief while. As the final sibling escaped, wave after wave of heiyao warriors threw themselves against the Guardian. Even this proved barely enough, and only by drowning him with sheer numbers did they finally succeed in striking him down.
