Guardians of Olde
5 People, poor and rich and everything in-between from a thousand years ago who commanded giant mechanical animals to help the townsfolk vanquish the army on the horizon. Nobody knows where they got their mechs from, only that they hold an unexplained bond together. Some speculate that they made them themselves, while others think they were a gift from the gods themselves. The guardians never told anyone of their origin, just giving one another knowing looks whenever it would be brought up. Of course, they wielded other weapons like pike, mace, and even magical spells, but everyone could agree the mechs felt the most formidable. After killing the 3 ringleaders and establishing peace, they were ambushed by the very people they protected five years later. Cornering the guardians, keeping them away from their partners with a strange spell, the council of wizards established in times of peace chanted a spell using unknown magic to seal all of them away in a dark pocket of space where time could not be told, and your voice would echo forever. While they were all sealed away into the same pocket dimension, they never found a way to escape until the accidental Summoners released them. It's currently unknown what happened to their mechs.
Mechanical Beasts
Magnificent 40-45 foot beasts made entirely of metal and gears. They are paired with one of the guardians of Olde and follow their commands without hesitation. They have a sacred bond with one another, bestowed between them after an incident that happened. After establishing peace, the mechs mostly remained dormant, though helped with a few difficult tasks. It wasn't until their partners were sealed away that they all suddenly fled, hiding themselves in different locations that nobody to this day has found. They will only awaken once again when their partners come looking for them.
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The evil mechs are smaller than the guardians mechs. They stand at around 25-35 feet tall and can repeat species, making that the only physical distinction between the two. They are wild and savage, having come from somewhere east and flattening towns and killing citizens as they slowly move westward. It's largely unclear to anyone to what they want, the exact location that they came from or even who is commanding them.
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The mechs have a big steampunk vibe, so if you're unsure of the general feel of what one looks like, just search up steampunk animals. Every mech is unique, so you won't see them having two caracals or toucans. That said, please be super specific with what animal the mech is! Don't just say Wolf, are they a grey wolf? Timber? Mexican? What kind of raven? Be creative with the species too! Anything goes as long as they aren't prehistoric or fanasty/mythological. Aquatic might prove to be a problem, but are still allowed.
Accidental Summoners
A friend group of five within "modern" times who stumble upon an old spell book together and release the guardians sealed away for 1,000 years. What kind of stories and fables they've heard, good and bad, their upbringing, and who they are is up to you.
People of Olde
The people a thousand years ago. Living in a dying land, both noble and poor, these people had gotten desperate for help against an invading army on the horizon of their lands. The mightiest generals were defeated, the most powerful kingdoms topped, the vastest of armies conquered in hours. Those who lost either were killed or turned into soldiers for their army, there were no prisoners nor escapees. Land that they walked across instantly turned the grass into ash and dust, the trees and wildlife dying almost instantly and the dirt hard as stone. The people were dying. When the five offered their help when all hope seemed lost, the people accepted without a second thought. It took five years to push the army back onto even ground, then Three more to finally win. Peace was established. Kingdoms and towns and villages were rebuilt, the people provided for. Life started to thrive again. However, within the midst of peace, people had become greedy, paranoid, confused. A conspiracy started. One that claimed the guardians would turn on them, and stamp everything back into dust because they were bad omens. Fueled by paranoid kings who were greedy with power and townspeople who believed they no longer served them any use by being here now that the threat was gone, they turned on them. Hiring the greatest of wizards, they put together a spell that would lock them into a small pocket dimension forever. It is said that afterwards they tried to seize and take control of their mechanical partners for their own benefit or to tear them apart, but we're easily overpowered and that they fled to somewhere hidden. Some speculate they went back to where they came from. Hell. While others believe they carved ruins for themselves to hide until their partners one day returned. The records don't say what happened to these people afterwards. Scholars have tried and failed to decrypt other records of the old civilization and the people after the major event. This has caused two speculations. One is that a god tore down the civilization brick by brick in a move of revenge for the five, leaving only a few survivors to flee and try to rebuild elsewhere. The second is that another evil arose, and forced all of them into hiding somewhere secret. Nobody is certain.
The Army on the Horizon
Plague, famine, death, makes everything ash as they conquered, people turned into soldiers of their army. No names. Ever. Just... An army.
The Ringleaders
The orchestrators of the army. Create. Divise. Plan. Execute. The masterminds. Powerful.