Stone Lion Cub

Stone lion cubs are curious, playful, and occasionally accidental mischief makers. Despite their still developing abilities, they eagerly hone their skills with make-believe missions. Many hope that they'll one day become responsible guardians like their parents.

Smaller in stature and ferocity, stone lion cubs sometimes try to guard places of smaller importance, often including facsimiles of the same kinds of structures their parents attend. They're less than dependable as guardians, as they have the attention span and rambunctious nature of children. Their parents often need to call them to heel, ordering them to stay at the parent's side as parent and child both stay motionless for the rising day.

Stone statues of beasts can often be found paired and standing guard to either side of an entryway. While some seem like merely lifeless statues, others are far more than they appear to be. Guardian beasts ward against evil and misfortune. Some of these celestial spirits were assigned this task, while others assumed their roles out of a sense of duty. To allow them to maintain a constant presence in the material world, pious artisans carve stone vessels of the beasts in their likeness; these statues then serve as anchors for the guardian beasts' souls. Should the need arise, guardian beasts can merge with their stony form, becoming a dangerous foe with noble courage, an indomitable will, and few weaknesses.

By day, guardian beasts stay in their vessels and pretend to be inanimate. Past nightfall, they might patrol the grounds in their stone form or leave the heavy vessel behind to go where a solid body can't reach. Some take this chance to visit the dreams of individuals they favor and send them messages, notifying them of strange occurrences or warning them of incoming danger. Despite their good intentions, the dream messages from guardian beasts can be obscure, often overshadowed by the spirit's personality or strange assumptions they make due to their nature as resolute guardians.

While guardian beasts can work alone, they usually appear in bonded pairs who complement each other in nature. One could be a jokester, the other gloomy; another could be nurturing, the other strict. To make two otherwise identical-looking beasts distinct, sculptors often depict one stone animal with their young. In the case of stone lions, a common type of guardian beasts, this approach means carving stone lion cubs to accompany one of the guardians.