Guardian of Nature

Guardians of Nature, not to be confused with Guardian Dragons, were released on the March 26, 2010, as part of the Dimorphism Update. These dragons cannot be found in the Cave; they can only be obtained via the "Summon" Breed Specific Action, available only when a user has on their scroll a complete Legendary Trio (Magma, Ice, and Thunder Dragons). The Summon BSA also appears only when the scroll isn't locked with eggs and/or hatchlings, even if its cooldown (two weeks) is finished. It is rumored that there is a 0.5% - 11% chance for a summoning to be successful. Under the old Breed sort, these dragons sorted as "Lugia" on a user's scroll. As of August 14, 2016, they now sort using their Encyclopedia name.

There is a limit of three Guardians of Nature per scroll. If the player summons successfully three times, the BSA will disappear. If the egg or hatchling dies, the player will have to wait until the dead egg/tombstone disappears to summon again. It was previously thought that this same mechanism applied to any adults killed, but TJ09 has since clarified that this is not the case - killed adults cannot be replaced with another summon.

They're able to breed with other dragons (except other Guardians of Nature, which always refuse) to potentially produce Avatars of Destruction, Change or Creation. The kind of Avatar depends on the elemental affinity of the mate's breed. See Avatar Breeding for a list of mates.

Guardian of Nature eggs and hatchlings cannot be abandoned, and TJ explained why on the IRC:   : TJ, why can't we abandon summons/Guardians of Nature anymore?   : PrincessKiara, because they're meant for you.   : They aren't meant for your friend, when you summon an egg, it's yours.

The inspiration for this breed comes from the Pokémon Lugia: a legend tells that it appears only when the Legendary Pokémon Articuno (an Ice-type), Zapdos (an Electric-type) and Moltres (a Fire-type) combine their powers to summon it.

Egg
"This egg glows mysteriously."

Hatchling
"Aww... It's a cute baby dragon. It seems very protective."

Mature Hatchling
"Aww... It's a cute baby dragon. It seems very protective. And look! It's grown its wings! It must be close to maturing."

Adult
"This breed of dragon was thought to exist only in legend. Although their name varies between cultures, they are often referred to as "Guardians of Nature." They are able to channel the forces of fire, ice and lightning, which allows them to wield tremendous power. Seen very rarely, it is thought that they only become active when something is threatening the territory they have chosen to guard. In order to protect their chosen home, these dragons are incredibly adaptable; they have been seen everywhere from remote mountain ranges, to ancient forests, to the darkest depths of the ocean."

Sprite Artist(s)

 * Komodo Gallant (Adult)
 * Marrionetta (Hatchlings, New Adult)
 * Odeen (New Adult)
 * Fiona BlueFire (Egg)

Sprites No Longer In-Use
Show/Hide Table

Trivia

 * TJ himself has a Guardian of Nature with the code TJ09.
 * Since Dragon Cave's 8th birthday (May 21, 2014), the limit of Guardians of Nature was raised to 3 per scroll. The adult sprite also received a small line and shading update.
 * Guardians of Nature go by many unofficial names and for the following reasons:
 * Rugia (used by many workers, spriters and TJ09)
 * Humboldt (used by the adult spriter of this breed)
 * Lugia (used by many due to the Pokémon reference)
 * If a third summoned Guardian of Nature egg is turned into a Vampire Dragon, the Summon BSA becomes available again after the usual cooldown, since they no longer take up a GoN slot.