In the deeper reaches of Vhalandar, where the canopy weaves a roof of shadow and vine, stand the Forest Guardians. Born of wood and time, they are shaped by the forest’s magic into forms that walk, creak, and stir. Their appearances vary greatly: some rise like towering trees, bark-faces split by glowing eyes and limbs of vast branches; others are squat and gnarled, their shapes resembling beasts of claw and horn, moving with the weight of root and stone. No two are alike, for each Guardian is molded by the place it protects.

They are not silent statues, but slow and watchful beings. Their steps echo like groaning trunks, their limbs shift with the grinding of wood on wood. Though they rarely move swiftly, their presence is unmistakable—roots tearing free of soil, moss cascading from their shoulders, leaves falling in their wake. Some are said to patrol the same paths for centuries, carving slow trails through the forest floor that become overgrown the moment they pass.

The origins of the Guardians remain uncertain. Some scholars of the Thaeryx claim they are ancient spirits bound into bark and branch; others believe the forest itself awakens them when danger draws near. Whatever the truth, they are eternal sentinels, each tied to the land it guards. Some resemble vast, twisted shapes that echo the forms of creatures long forgotten, with limbs bending like roots or torsos rising like trunks. Others stand as towering figures whose arms stretch like crowns of branches. The largest loom like living fortresses, rooted in place until they choose to stir.

The people of Vhalandar show them deep respect. Offerings of carved wood, polished seeds, or woven garlands are left at their roots, tokens of peace to ensure safe passage. To harm or mock a Guardian is unthinkable, for their wrath is slow but unstoppable: branches that crush, roots that entangle, and eyes that burn like embers in the dark.

Though they do not speak in words, the Guardians are far from mindless. Many travelers have told of the forest falling still when one approaches, as though all life holds its breath. Others claim the Guardians hum in voices like wind through hollow trunks, or drum the earth with their steps to carry messages across miles of woodland.

Whatever their nature, the Forest Guardians remind all who enter Thalorien that the forest is not merely alive—it is awake, aware, and fiercely protective of its own.