Guardian of the Grove - Wyrwood Oracle (PF)

gastoff

"It walked on two legs...like a man—but it was no man. Men have flesh and bones and skin. This had roots and vines and bark. A verdant glow came from deep inside the creature, peeking through the roots that comprised its limbs as it moved. I tried to sneak closer, but stepped on a dry twig. The large wooden plates of its head creaked as it snapped around and looked right at me! Its eyes glowed with the same greenish light as its body, but were much brighter. Angry. I turned and ran. I am not sure how I made it out alive, but I will never set foot on that continent again." — Zenkas Lawrick, Pathfinder Society Venture-Captain

Deep in the wilderness of Arcadia, a long forgotten grove has stood for millennia, untainted by the outside world. During the Age of the Dragons, when the Great Conflagration spread across the Arcadian forests, the Grove was left untouched. The raging firestorm swept across the land, razing swathes of ancient trees to the ground— yet not even a single bough in the Grove was scorched.

The few legends that remain about the Grove speak of its protector, an elusive being that wanders among the trees and protects it from harm. It goes by many names: The Great Gardener, Tree Keeper, Guardian of the Grove. What little is known of the Grove, even less in known about its guardian. Some rumors say it is a man who fashions his clothing from the forest around him, some say it is an angel or demon that is imprisoned, others say it is a tree that has come to life. The Guardian is none of these.

The Guardian of the Grove is an ancent wyrwood who has dedicated himself to protecting the Grove. At the center of the Grove is the primordial energy that the Azlanti wizards used to create the first of his kind. After the wyrwoods rebelled on their creators and gained independence, the Guardian returned to the Grove to prevent history from repeating. As the only remaining progenitor, the Guardian feels it is his responsibility to the other wyrwood people to protect the Grove. Should the genesis energy be disrupted, tainted, or destroyed, it would affect the entire wyrwood race. The Guardian of the Grove is the final line of defense preventing the potential extinction of his race.