The Guardians are one of the 5 major organizations in the RPG A City Divided.
One of the 2 "good" organizations in the game, the Guardians are the more heroic and noble of the two factions. They believe that the way to peace is respecting and understanding their enemies, in comparison to crushing them by brute force. However, they understand that in the war sweeping Metru Nui, violence is needed to achieve victory, and thus use it when necessary.
Origins
Up until very recently, most of the Guardians' members were soldiers in the Order of the Avohkii, Metru Nui's main peacekeeping force. Under the watch of the Commander and his deputy, Lieutenant Altior, the Order ruled with pride and strength, defending the City of Legends with merciless force and power.
Schism
Things changed, however, following the start of the Metru-Nash's activities. As the gangs' power grew virally within the city, the Commander initiated draconian peacekeeping methods. The change in policy was so sudden and drastic that the Order was split in two: those loyal to the Commander and the Order, and those who sought another way of peacekeeping, centered around the principles of peace and negotiation. Surprisingly, Altior himself emerged as the head of the latter group, and pressured the Commander to adopt less strict methods.
The Commander ignored him, however, and continued his crackdowns, culminating in his order to build the Vahki.2. Fed up, Altior handed in his resignation and left the Order, taking a good fraction of the Order's Toa with him.
Following this abrupt schism, Altior and his force went underground, and became the organization they are today: the Guardians, a gang dedicated not to destroying or conquering Metru Nui, but protecting it. Sadly, the Guardians found themselves at odds with the Metru-Nash, the Swarm, and the Order, forcing them to wage a four-way war within the city.
Races
The Guardians are made up of two races:
Toa The Toa within the Guardians are either defectees of the Order of the Avohkii, or brand-new members drawn to the group's message of peace and restrained violence. They make up most of the faction's fighting force.
Matoran When the newly-formed Guardians went underground, they realized that they had a severe numerical disadvantage compared to their enemies. Thus, they began actively recruiting Matoran helpers to the cause. While not the physical equals of their Toa allies, Matoran make excellent spies and stealth-fighters, navigating the streets of Metru Nui inconspicuously as they further the Guardians' goals.