The Keepers of Balance

"The story of the Keepers is a tale that inspires adventurers to seek for glory and more, but also sends many fools to their doom in the search of godhood." - Kraytos of the Opened Mind

  Each of the Keepers was once a renowned adventurer, regaled as a hero through folklore. When wild magic began running rampant, the combination of their prowess and absorbing an excess of wild magic turned them into gods. Due to their simultaneous ascend to godhood, and their similar natures, they each took similar forms and got shared domains between them. Now, they are each a guardian of a quadrant of the universe. The Keepers convene at the Temple of the First Pantheon every full moon, to discuss their quadrants' safety and possible universal threats.   Legend has it that the Keepers slayed a Devourer together, while they were still mortal. The subsequent fluctuation of magic is what's theorized to have transformed them into their godly forms, and have given them their godly powers. Thus, adventurers who know the legend of the Keepers of Balance have been known to believe slaying a Devourer to be a shortcut to godhood.   Their names are lost to the annals, but their titles are well known;   The large black owl with the crown: The Sage of the South was once an unstoppable zealot, unrivaled in the divine arts, able to heal almost all ailments with a wave of his hand. He wielded his fists as if they were weapons and was dressed in furs and trophies taken from slain enemies. When he ascended to godhood, he replaced his furs and trophies with a sophisticated robe and his violent, barbaric tendencies were replaced with diplomatic, pacifistic ways. He now governs the south quadrant as its guardian and has minor domains in what he specialized in as an adventurer, Divine Magic and Hand-to-Hand Combat. Like each of the Keepers of Balance, his major domains are Heroics, Adventure and Balance.   The brown owl with the staff: The Elder of the East was once a powerful mage, unrivaled in the arcane arts, able to level entire cities with his powerful spells. He was capable of weaving spells and elements together and combining arcane formulas, to create effects previously unheard of. When he ascended to godhood, he donned himself in robes reminiscent of an archmage and his staff became a divine artifact. He now governs the east quadrant as its guardian and has minor domains in what he specialized in as an adventurer, Arcane Magic and Elemental Manipulation. Like each of the Keepers of Balance, his major domains are Heroics, Adventure and Balance.   The small brown owl on the perch: The Ninja of the North was once a decorated manslayer, unrivaled in the arts of assassination, able to sneak past anyone and anything. He was well-known for his murders through heresay, but he was so stealthy, not a single murder was ever officially linked back to him. Despite his unlawful adventures, he was hailed as a folk hero, because his targets were always high-value, corrupt officials. When he ascended to godhood, he took it upon himself to assassinate anyone that formed a universal threat. He now governs the north quadrant as its guardian and has minor domains in what he specialized in as an adventurer, Stealth and Assassination. Like each of the Keepers of Balance, his major domains are Heroics, Adventure and Balance.   The white owl holding the sword: The Wanderer of the West was once a skilled swordswoman, unrivaled in the art of the sword, able to deflect even spells with her legendary sword skills. She wandered the world, tempering her skill and seeking new challengers. Throughout her entire known history, she has always been undefeated. She was hailed as the greatest warrior of her generation, unable to be defeated by any challenger, regardless of power. While never pitted against any of the other Keepers while they were mortal, it's theorized that she would've been able to hold her own against all three others simultaneously. When she ascended to godhood, her sword became a divine artifact. She now governs the west quadrant as its guardian and has minor domains in what she specialized in as an adventurer, Swordsmanship and Victory. Like each of the Keepers of Balance, her major domains are Heroics, Adventure and Balance. She is considered by many to be the leader of the Keepers of Balance, although whether that is true is unknown.