Guardian of the Pact

They say that long ago, when divs still roamed the mountains and heroes carved their names on stone, there stood a tree called the Guardian Tree a tree people believed the spirits (farawahr-souls) visited at night, descending onto its trunk. One day a simple hearted shepherd, lost in the depths of the mountains, heard a strange laughter; a sound like a whisper and the rustling of wood. He approached and saw a gentle light moving along the trunk of the tree. From within that light emerged the form of a farawahr, not like a celestial angel, but just as the old storytellers described: with broad wings, an aged wise face, layered garments, and ancient lines gracing his visage. At that moment, a demon with twisted horns leapt out from behind the rocks, roaring, eyes wide and terrifying, like the demons of old legends. The farawahr stepped forward, raised his hands, and a brilliant light spread from his fingers all around. The shepherd trembled with fear, but the farawahr said: “I am the Guardian of the Pact. Whoever loses their way, I emerge from wood and stone to guide them.” That light obliterated the demon into the shadows, so swiftly that only a faint trace remained. Later on, wherever the shepherd wandered, he told this story. And people said: whenever you see a hollow in the trunk of a tree, perhaps it marks the footsteps of a farawahr who once emerged from the wood.