House Guardians

To insult a Valorian's house guardian is to insult decency itself.

These statues are placed to the left of the main entrance to every home across Valor, from the finest manor-house in Albion, to the most meager farmhouse on the Raithar border. They are made of stone or clay, with a hollowed back and small shelves inside. Usually, a candle is placed inside and lit each evening to make the statue's heart glow. Other small gifts or offerings can be placed inside as well.

How literally they are taken as a guard varies from person to person, but the traditions surrounding them hold very strong. Even for those who do not ascribe any actual power to the object, the traditions can help them to gauge a visitor's intentions, gracefully approach an acquaintance they hope to know better, show off their wealth, or even just keep a letter or small gift out of the rain until it is collected.

History

House guardians are older than Valor itself, though they have changed plenty since their beginning in Raithar.

Originally, Raitharans built shrines where guardian spirits were invited to dwell. These shrines became more decorative over time, and with the fall of Raithar, the belief in spirits declined as well. Now, the object itself is considered the guardian, imbued with power and personality by the life within the dwelling. A family of brave, good people will naturally have a brave, good house guardian.

These days, house guardians are usually fashioned after an animal symbolic of the family's patron deity, but not always. Any animal--or any shape at all--meaningful to the family will become properly imbued with their energy. Even abstract shapes are becoming popular among the wealthy, though plenty of traditionalists find these quite tacky.

It is also becoming more common for guardians to have a slot in the front, meant to receive mail without the person delivering it getting into the back of the guardian.

Observance

Part of the routine of any head of house is to relieve their guardian in the morning, by putting out their candle (if still lit by then), and retrieving anything it has been storing for them. Gifts left in the guardian are either brought inside or scattered in the garden in front of the statue. At the end of each day, the last member of the household still awake goes out to light the guardian's candle--generally, anything they find inside is left in its care until morning.

When entering the house of a stranger or acquaintance, it is important to properly greet the house guardian before even approaching the door. One should bow, state their name and business, and ask leave of the guardian before continuing. Whatever one's own beliefs or origins, slighting a Valorian's house guardian is a sure way to slight the entire household, and to throw yourself into suspision--what might you be hiding if you can't even speak your business to a statue?

As you become more familiar with a household, it is expected that you will be more familiar to the guardian as well, and entering the house becomes less formal. However, it is good practice to bring a gift (often a little scented oil, honey, or birdseed, depending on one's finances) to the guardian before starting to enter the house unannounced.

If courting a member of the household, it is common to court their guardian as well, bringing more frequent gifts. Additionally, gifts meant for ones sweetheart are often best left with the guardian rather than given directly (with exception, naturally, for things that can't wait outside to be discovered). The general conception is that this is more a play put on for the family than actually a means to appease a supernatural guardian... but best to be safe. However, do not make too great a show of it, either--the play is for the family, not the neighbors.

On moving into a house together for the first time, the new family will commission a guardian (if they can afford it) or purchase one pre-made that appeals to them as soon as possible. The guardian is placed first on the hearth, and extended family and friends are invited to help warm it with stories of how the family came together, and hopes for a bright future. Everyone will eat and drink together, often for the entire night, and will all wish the guardian good fortune on their way out, entreating it to look after its new family well.

If the family moves to a new home, the guardian is brought with them, and is warmed to it's new home in a similar fashion, though it is generally a more low-key affair. After all, by that point it is already part of the family.

Theft of a house guardian is rare, generally an act of spite against an enemy that the thief feels has greatly wronged them. It is treated almost more like a kidnapping, and is taken quite seriously. Usually, the guardian is successfully recovered--few would bear letting their own guardian see them bringing another into their house, so the stolen icon is hidden somewhere publicly accessible. However, if it is broken or thrown in the harbor, the victim's marriage is unlikely to survive--few families can bear the stress of losing their guardian.

The house guardian is an important part of every funeral, receiving keepsakes and well-wishes from guests for the rest of the family. When the last member of a household dies, the guardian is often taken in by a close friend or relative. These "retired" guardians are kept inside, generally near the hearth. If there is no one to take care of a retired guardian, it is taken to a temple, where it is given a final tribute and then broken, releasing whatever spiritual energy is left in it.