Overview
The Heron Guard is a highly trained military force in the Myth series with famously selective initiation rituals. Their primary purpose is to act as protectors to the Emperor of the Cath Bruig Empire seated in Muirthemne. They are well-rounded warriors possessed of quickness, power, and great resilience. Such is their strength that in the course of the order's history they have failed in their purpose only once, when Muirthemne was overrun and decimated by the armies of Balor.
Without an Emperor to pledge their services to, the Heron Guard was disbanded, and what few of them remained after the battle were known as Journeymen. Wearing thick furs and heavy gold tiles as penance for their absence during the Emperor's hour of need, the order abandoned the sword, acting instead as healers throughout the remainder of Balor's campaign and on into Soulblighter's.
In the course of the Legion's struggle against Soulblighter, King Alric recovered the Ibis Crown underneath Muirthemne, and was subsequently coronated as the Emperor of the Cath Bruig. Donning their traditional armor once again to protect their Emperor, the renewed Heron Guard succeeded in atoning for their past failure by successfully repelling an attack on Muirthemne by Soulblighter's Myrkridian armies.
While some in their ranks still choose to wear the furs of the Journeyman, they no longer disavow the title of Heron so long as Alric lives. Though their numbers are much smaller than in years past, the Heron Guard continue to search for able bodied men to fill their ranks.
Role in the Series
Perhaps the most well-rounded melee unit in the Myth series, Heron Guards combine good movement speed, attack rate, damage, and hit points with many of the benefits of the Journeyman, namely immunity to paralysis and the ability to heal. While they are not best in class in any single category, they have no real weaknesses either.
Heron Guards can also be healed to full health, which most units cannot. While an exceptional melee unit, they are not a substitute for a Journeyman in terms of healing, as each Heron carries one mandrake root to the Journeyman's six. Stronger and more expensive versions of the Heron Guards exist, called Heron Guard Heroes. While similar in most respects, Heron Heroes are faster and more resilient, and each one comes with an astonishing nine mandrake roots.
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