Guard

Guard are hostile Canaanite villagers encountered throughout the village, assigned to patrol and protect key locations. They attack any non‑belonging character on sight and attempt to trigger nearby alarms to summon reinforcements from otherwise inaccessible huts. In the setting’s lore they belong to the Path of Petrae sect and treat outsiders as agents of the Enemy; this fanaticism explains their readiness to confront intruders and to accuse strangers of witchcraft.

Guard behavior is centered on zone defense and alarm-calling. They frequently patrol fixed routes and will engage immediately when an intruder is detected. Guards are armed with crossbows and must reload between shots; this rhythm creates predictable windows to close or counterattack. Their bolts can hit other villagers, so fights with multiple Canaanites can be turned to the player’s advantage by positioning to draw friendly fire.

Combat and approach notes:

• Crossbow timing: Guards fire and then have a reload animation. Use that interval to rush in with melee or to reposition for safer ranged returns.
• Stealth kills: Guards can be killed from stealth with a strong melee weapon. A Carbon Pickaxe is specifically noted as highly effective when used from behind.
• Crowd tactics: Because Guards’ ranged attacks can strike allied villagers, prioritize positioning to allow stray bolts to injure or disrupt other Canaanites.
• Ranged engagements: Their crossbow shots are easily dodged; players who keep moving or use cover can negate most incoming damage.

Loot and harvestables:

• Guaranteed harvestable: Human Skull — 100% chance.
• Other harvestable drop: Pilgrim Hat — 10% chance.
• Common drops: Silver Scrap — 20% chance.
• Less common drops: Splintered Crossbow — 10% chance.

These drops reflect both practical crafting materials and occasional equipment salvage. The Splintered Crossbow can be recovered from a Guard’s weaponry; Silver Scrap is a frequent reward for defeating them.

Variants and durability:

• There exists a near‑identical variant of Guard with higher hit locations: this variant has 185 head health and 180 torso, arm, and leg health. The existence of the variant should be considered when planning fights, as it takes more damage to incapacitate.

In summary, Guard function as predictable, alarm‑oriented sentries whose reload pattern and friendly‑fire potential define optimal engagement strategies. Use stealthed melee for single targets, exploit reload windows for aggressive plays, and use group layouts to encourage crossbow stray shots against other villagers.