[ Guardinals ] [ Custodian | Luminary | Scout | Yeoman ]
The Guardinals of the Scout Phratry
Also known as: The Eyes of Elysium
The guardinals of the Scout Phratry are a diverse bunch of bloods who serve as the eyes and ears of Elysium, and beyond. These nimble and perceptive creatures are not just brave vanguards for Elysium’s armies but also its quiet observers, ensuring that peace and harmony thrives across the plane. It is their efforts which enable the Restful Plane to remain so relaxed. Unlike the more martial leonals or the scholarly ursinals, the scouts embody subtlety and adaptability. They have adopted forms inspired by smaller, agile animals that can easily avoid notice such as stoats, moles, or moths. Others are fliers or swimmers like bats, eagles or otters. When danger looms, these plucky bloods are indispensable to guardinal strike forces, scouting ahead to gather intelligence or ambushing threats. In times of peace, however, they live much like other guardinals, blending into the idyllic life of Elysium while remaining ever-watchful, and often overlooked—and that’s just how they like it.
| Guardinal | CR | Phratry | Animal Hybrid | Preferred Layer | Function in Society |
| Musteval †| 1 | Scout | Mouse / stoat | Any | Roguish spies |
| Muldnal †| 3 | Scout | Mole | Any underground | Repair tunnels, enrich soil, cast out evil |
| Ardeidal ‡ | 4 | Scout | Heron / stork | Thalasia, Belierin, River Oceanus | Pilots of the River Oceanus, fisherfolk, cargo carriers |
| Chiropteal †| 6 | Scout | Bat | Any underground, night | Guardians of tunnels, underground guides |
| Bombyxial †| 8 | Scout | Moth | Any night | Lighters of the darkness |
| Avoral †| 9 | Scout | Falcon / hawk / eagle / parrot | Any Elysium sky, Upper Planes, Outlands | Speedy scouts, spies, messengers |
| Bohlinidal ‡ | 12 | Scout | Giraffe | Any | Fortune tellers |
Musteval
Who prove that good things come in small packages
NG; CR 1
Musteval are the smallest and most unassuming members of Elysium’s celestial defenders, resembling anthropomorphic mice or stoats with sleek fur, bright eyes, and nimble frames rarely exceeding two feet tall. Their diminutive size and agility make them ideal spies, scouts, and rogues. They operate in the shadows to gather intelligence, infiltrate enemy territory, and uncover potential threats before they manifest. While the leonals lead armies and the ursinals provide wisdom, mustevals occupy their own unique niche in guardinal society, balancing subtlety with effectiveness. They embody the guardinal ethos of proactive goodness but use cunning rather than brute force—proving that even the smallest actions can create significant change. Mustevals have the ability to cloak their appearance in illusions, and their resourcefulness allow them to outwit foes far stronger than themselves. They are stealthy, naturally good at camouflage, and able to blend seamlessly into their surroundings. They are experts at tracking, and counter-tracking to obscure their own trails.
In times of peace, musteval act as messengers within Elysium, but when duty calls, they become relentless agents of good, willing to risk everything to protect their home. Though their contributions often go unnoticed by outsiders, mustevals are deeply respected within guardinal society for their courage and adaptability, reminding their larger kin that vigilance and cunning are as vital as strength in safeguarding the light of Elysium.
Stats: Book of Exalted Deeds [3e | 5e]; Creature Chronicle [PF1e]
More chant on mustevals soon…
Muldnal
Who dig and delve beneath the lands of Elysium
NG; CR 3 â€
Muldnal are small, stoic guardinals who resemble anthropomorphic moles or burrowing creatures. Just three feet in height, they have dense fur in earthy tones, clawed hands suited for digging, and twitching pink noses that reflect their acute awareness of their surroundings. Muldnals are pacifists at heart, preferring to avoid violence and instead focus on maintaining the natural balance of their plane. They tirelessly work as the gardeners and caretakers of Elysium, tending their secret underground passages, enriching the soils, and generally ensuring the health of the land. The fact that most cutters think Elysium is naturally abundant just goes to show how subtle the muldnal are. Their philosophy centres on the cyclical nature of life and the quiet power of persistence, for they believe that small, steady efforts can yield profound change. In guardinal society, they are the protectors of the subterranean realms, and they act as guides for those who seek hidden paths or the natural wonders of the underground. At the same time, they keep their eyes to the ground, and make sure there’s nothing going on in the tunnels and caverns of Elysium that they don’t know about.
Stats: Pathfinder #117: Assault on Longshadow [PF1e] p80
More chant on muldnals soon…
Ardeidal
Who ply the planar waterways, offering companionship and tall tales
NG; CR 4 ‡
Ardeidal guardinals, also called the Fisher Kings, are serene and sociable beings who embody the tranquil flow of the River Oceanus, where they are most commonly found. Resembling humanoid herons, ardeidal have long, thin bills, soft feathered plumage in shades of white, blue, or red, and slender bird-like legs ending in talons. They’re usually seen wearing the simple clothing of a fisher, wide-brimmed straw hats as they drift along the river on punts, fishing or transporting cargo between Arborea and the Beastlands. Philosophically, ardeidals value storytelling, peace, and the simple joys of life, believing that harmony is best achieved through gentle friendliness and genuine connection with others. The ardeidals act as protectors of the Oceanus and its surrounding areas, ensuring its safety while offering assistance to travellers with their rafts and tales. They are also the eyes of the river, watching the comings and goings on the planar pathway and listening to the chant for news that might prove useful, or threatening. Though they prefer peaceful solutions and avoid combat when possible, ardeidals can defend themselves skillfully using their long poles to trip or disarm foes.
Stats: Mimir.net [ 2e ]
More chant on ardeidals here…
Chiropteal
Who dwell in the dark places of Elysium, bringing safety and guidance
NG; CR 5 â€
Chiropteal guardinals are small, thin-boned humanoids with bat-like features, leathery wings, clawed toes suited for gripping, turned-up noses, and wide, pointed ears nearly half the size of their heads. The have large, sensitive eyes and often wear smoked goggles when venturing into daylight to protect their vision. They dress lightly to avoid entangling themselves in flight. Hailing from the darker regions of Elysium’s subterranean lands, chiropteals are most at home in shadowy caverns and labyrinthine tunnels, where they roost near trade routes or svirfneblin villages to serve as protectors. On the surface, they often act as nocturnal guardians, keeping mortals from wandering into danger or containing threats from below. Philosophically, chiropteals embrace simplicity and community, spending their days in song and subsisting on fruit and fungi. While they prefer to avoid direct confrontation, they are cunning combatants who use hit-and-run tactics or gang up on larger foes, subduing them with anesthetising bites that can incapacitate without killing. Their echolocation makes them invaluable guides in dark or enclosed spaces, and though they seldom lead the charge against evil due to their relative frailty, they are eager supporters of sturdier allies, and excellent scouts. Despite their reclusive nature, chiropteals are deeply loyal to those who accept them and often work from the shadows to protect cutters who they have never even met.
Stats: Wayfinder Bestiary [PF1e] p5
More chant on chiropteals soon…
Bombyxial
Who light the way in the darkness
NG; CR 7 â€
Bombyxials are radiant, moth-like guardinals with humanoid forms covered in fine, velvety fur, feathery antennae, and four elegant wings—two on their backs and two smaller ones on their heads. Standing about five feet tall and weighing just 100 pounds, they are silent sentinels of the night, patrolling Elysium’s darkened skies to protect goodly folk from nocturnal threats. While they own senses are perfectly attuned to the darkness, they selflessly carry light sources to aid those who are lost in the darkness, earning themselves the moniker firemoths. Gentle and patient by nature, bombyxials often serve as diplomats, counsellors, or parole officers for beings seeking redemption, guiding them toward righteousness with compassion and understanding. Chant goes they originate from the souls of good-aligned humanoids like strix or panotti, and they are accustomed to being judged for their alien appearance. In combat, they are agile and graceful, acting only in defence of the innocent, using nonlethal techniques such as padded strikes, sticky silken webs, or shedding their scales in a disorienting attack to subdue foes. They reserve lethal force only for irredeemable creatures like fiends or undead—and even these are offered a chance to surrender. Bombyxials embody the ideals of redemption and protection, believing that even in the darkest moments, there is always a chance for light to prevail.
Stats: Creature Codex [PF1e]
More chant on bombyxials soon…
Avoral
Who patrol the skies with keen eyes alert for threats
NG; CR 9
Avoral guardinals are majestic, eagle-like celestials who act as vigilant protectors of the skies and far-reaching scouts. They have tall, muscular humanoid bodies with powerful wings and their lower legs end in sharp talons. Their keen eyesight is unparalleled, allowing them to discern fine details from miles away, making them exceptional at perceiving danger well before it arises. Avorals tend to have a deep sense of wanderlust, and tirelessly patrol the layers of Elysium, from the open skies of Amoria to the dense canopies of Belierin, ensuring the safety of their celestial home. A smaller number of avorals extend their protection to the skies of Bytopia and the Beastlands, to spread the love of the guardinals, protect local creatures on planes which don’t have their own monolithic outsider species, and keep their eyes open for threats to Elysium from further afield. Philosophically, avorals embody freedom tempered with vigilance, believing that constant awareness and swift action are key to protecting goodness. In combat, they are swift and strategic, using their aerial agility to dive-bomb foes while employing spells such as lightning bolt, hold person, and gust of wind to control the battlefield. Their role in guardinal society is one of watchfulness and mobility, and they often act as first responders to threats or messengers between distant regions. Though fierce against evil, avorals prefer to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, offering mercy when possible.
Stats: Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol 2 [2e] p44 [3e | 5e]; Bestiary 2 [PF1e] p16
More chant on avorals here…
Bohlinidal
Who patrol the future, watching for threats to the present
NG; CR 12 ‡
Bohlinidals are enigmatic and awe-inspiring guardinals, resembling humanoid giraffes with long, graceful necks. They have short dappled fur with golden and brown patterns, and large, soulful eyes that seem to shimmer with the light of distant stars. Towering over most other guardinals at heights of up to 20 feet, they exude an air of quiet mysticism and otherworldly wisdom. Bohlinidals possess a unique ability to peer into the strands of fate, scouting out potential futures and forewarning their kin of dangers yet to come. This gift makes them invaluable as advisors and seers in guardinal society, though their cryptic manner of speaking—often in riddles or layered metaphors—can leave others struggling to interpret their insights. Philosophically, bohlinidals embrace the fluidity of time and believe that while the future is ever-shifting, understanding its possibilities empowers the present. They are deeply contemplative beings who value patience, foresight, and the interconnectedness of all things. In times of crisis, bohlinidals use their foresight not only to predict enemy movements but also to guide allies toward optimal outcomes, acting as living compasses for celestial missions. They are able to restitch timelines to prevent unfortunate events from occurring. Their towering presence, serene demeanour, and strange abilities inspire reverence among their fellow guardinals, who see them as living embodiments of Elysium’s benevolent wisdom.
Stats: Mimir.net [PF2e]
More chant on bohlinidals here…
Source: Jon Winter-Holt and Margarita. Canonwatch: †Guardinals are called agathion in Pathfinder; ‡ Homebrew guardinals