Field guide / Chapter 03
The trait system
Nine visual categories give each guardian its own character.
Nine visual categories
Every guardian is described by the same nine categories. Some change color; others change the surface treatment or the arrangement of the pixel eyes. None changes the shared master geometry.
Background
8 optionsLavender, Peach, Mint, Sky, Ivory, Rose, Sand, Smoke.
Shell
10 optionsTerracotta, Seafoam, Indigo, Butter, Coral, Glacier, Plum, Obsidian, Pearl, Olive.
Frame
6 optionsIvory, Blush, Silver, Gold, Porcelain, Sandstone.
Vest
8 optionsCourier Clay, Scout Teal, Utility Navy, Quilt Burgundy, Explorer Cream, Tech Black, Woven Lavender, Workwear Olive.
Travel Kit
8 optionsMidnight Teal, Sandstone, Indigo, Cocoa, Graphite, Ash, Copper, Violet.
Eyes
8 optionsSquare, Happy, Wink, Sleepy, Curious, Cross, Star, Focus.
Eye Light
4 optionsWarm Cream, Cyan, Amber, Mint.
Chest Seal
6 optionsTurquoise, Coral, Amber, Pink, Ice, Mint.
Finish
4 optionsMatte, Satin, Brushed Metal, Iridescent.
Reading a guardian
Consider KUBORA #0001: a Lavender background, Terracotta shell, Ivory frame, Courier Clay vest, Midnight Teal travel kit, Square eyes, Warm Cream eye light, a Turquoise chest seal, and a Matte finish.
Matte places this guardian in the Common tier. Its shell color or token number does not determine that tier.
Visual DNA
A guardian’s visual DNA is the combination of its trait values. The token number is not part of that visual combination. The allocation was designed around 3,000 distinct trait combinations.
The same eye-pattern names, equipment silhouettes, and finish labels are used throughout the collection to keep the system readable.