Loading...
Loading...
The Guardian
August 27, 2026 at 06:19 AM
Added the Patch 14 gamepad dodge rebind to the combat section, recorded that the Guardian meets the villagers through named events, and added links to four related pages
The Guardian is the player character in The Relic: First Guardian, referred to as the First Guardian. The role is defined by a duty rather than a backstory: to mend the shattered land of Arsilthus and honour the memories of those who came before.
The Guardian gathers the fragments left behind by the people of Arsilthus, fights the monsters that now roam its ruins, confronts the brutals, and works to lead the world back toward prosperity. The world text addresses the player as one of the curious Guardians who venture off the beaten path, framing exploration as part of the role rather than an optional extra.
There is no levelling and no experience. Power is forged entirely through what you find and how you assemble it.
Growth Path | Effect |
|---|---|
More than 70 unique passive effects, freely swappable, altering combat tempo and skill behaviour | |
Runes | A separate equippable layer; one added after launch increases consumable items |
One-of-a-kind weapons and armour, upgradeable at the Blacksmith with crafting materials | |
Twelve trees supplying passives and ultimate abilities, equipped using relic energy | |
Base stats | Adjusted by the developers rather than by the player; base defence was raised by 30 after launch |
Because Relics can be swapped freely, the Guardian is not locked into a build. The developers frame this as choosing the Guardian you wish to become, and the same character can be re-specialised on the fly.
The Guardian attacks without spending any resource, which means aggression is never rationed. Stamina is reserved strictly for dodging and blocking, and parrying is available with a timing window that was widened after launch. High-power magic runs on cooldowns and a dedicated meter. Patch 14 moved the dodge on a gamepad from the bottom face button to the right face button, so the defensive half of the Guardian’s repertoire is no longer where it was at launch. The full rules are on the Combat System page.
Defensive timing is the skill the game actually tests, and it is covered in detail on the Stamina and Dodging page.
The Guardian keeps company with the people still living in Arsilthus rather than travelling entirely alone. Patch notes name villagers who hand out work, including Mairi, Marek, Cullen and Ulke, and a character named Alyssa who is met at a cliff edge in Chapter 3. Their errands and the events attached to them are collected on the Quests and Events page. Progress is tracked on an in-game Status Board, which counts how many bosses have been put down. The Guardian's own history, name, and appearance options have not been detailed publicly, so this page covers the confirmed role and mechanics rather than a character biography. Official screenshots show the Guardian variously in a dark hood and cloak, in pale hooded robes, and in full plate with a flowing cape, which fits a game where every armour piece is a distinct artifact.
