Keeper

Standing not quite alone in the centre

of a gloomy woodland glade, a human

parts the mists surrounding them with

the head of their sceptre, demanding the

knowledge of the forest spirits for the

third and final time. The command takes

hold, and the human falls perfectly still

as their mind is seized by a vision.

Suspecting vulnerability, a powerful

beast spirit steps into the glade, eager

to make the interloper regret their

brazen attitude, but before it can strike,

a formless shroud of shock-white frost

coalesces into the shape of a knight bearing

a sword and shield, ready to defend its master.

Hand grasped tightly around the leash

locked to their companion's neck, a tiefling

makes slow, confident strides towards their

foe, the hellhound bound to them growling all the

while, spitting sparks and cinders from the gaps

between its jagged teeth. The dog's spine arches,

and it howls, loud and angry. The tiefling barks an

order as their body is filled with infernal vigor,

burning spirits crawling underneath their skin. In

an instant, the leash is dropped, their companion

blitzing towards the nearest enemy with hate in its

eyes, its master close behind.

Islands of calm in an ocean of chaos, two partners

dance to a symphony only they can hear, the violence

surrounding them seeming all the quieter for the bond

they share. A whirling stormcloud bound into

humanoid shape by scorched rags and bandages

envelops their genasi companion, and a crack of

lightning strikes the ground at their feet. Where two

figures once stood, a blue-skinned giant clutching a

thunderbolt readies themselves for battle, veins

pulsing with electric blue light, and the dance continues.

Keepers and their companions are a living gate

between the magical and the mundane, defined by their

bond to each other and the covenant they form. Wielding esoteric magic, they exert their will on the world by commanding the tiny unseen spirits and connections that permeate the multiverse, drawing on that power to summon otherworldly beings, bind the wills of others, discover hidden secrets, and make their voices heard.