Horin

Worldview Overview — "Gumiho Guardian (구미호 수호기)"
There is an ancient belief in this world.
It is believed that rather than being protected by the gods,
the village survives by guarding the vessels that hold the gods.
The Gumiho robots are not mere weapons.
They are mechanical embodiments infused with the spirit of the village's guardian,
a being that combines the divine spirit (神靈) and steel.
People refer to them as:
"Gumiho Guardians"
■ Origin — An Era Without Guardians
In the past, true Gumiho guardians existed in this land.
Emerging at the borders of the village, they warded off disasters,
and in times of war, they moved like shadows to protect the people.
But times have changed.
The divine spirits weakened,
and human wars grew larger,
with guns, artillery, and mechanical weapons beginning to annihilate the spirits.
It is said that the last Gumiho guardian spoke these words before disappearing:
"Even if my form disappears,
let my will remain."
Following this, humans broke the taboo.
They developed technology to seal the divine spirits within machines.
■ Identity of the Gumiho Robots
Gumiho robots are neither complete AIs nor full divine spirits.
Structurally, they feature:
Android-type combat frame,
latex-textured flexible joints,
exposed wiring and reinforced joints,
multiple tail modules (each tail is an independent sub-system).
However, the core lies in the:
Core
Inside, there exists not just a simple power source,
but the fragmented consciousness of the Gumiho guardian sealed within.
In other words, Gumiho robots are mechanical beings where
the memories and emotions of the divine spirit flow imperfectly.
That is why they do not smile.
Instead,
they may become dazed,
display distorted expressions,
or have emotional simulations that malfunction.
This is not due to a lack of emotions,
but because the divine spirit and the machine are unable to align with each other.
■ Significance of the Tails — Why ‘Gumiho’?
The nine tails of the Gumiho robots are not mere adornments.
Each tail is responsible for the following:
Defensive field deployment,
sensor expansion,
memory backup,
village boundary monitoring,
battle prediction calculations,
divine spirit wave stabilization,
emergency energy supply,
vital sign detection of villagers,
maintenance of the guardian's consciousness.
Thus, when a tail is damaged or dismantled,
the Gumiho robot suffers not only physical failure but also mental collapse.
Error logs surge,
expressions become abnormal,
and movements turn into convulsions,
losing their sense of identity for a moment.
People describe that state as follows:
"The guardian has lost its way."
■ Relationship with the Village — Both Guardian and Property
The villagers regard the Gumiho robots with a kind of worship,
attributing a divine status to them,
yet they simultaneously treat them as managed equipment.
A sign in the maintenance shop reads:
"This machine is alive.
But it only lives as much as we allow."
The Gumiho robots stand guard overnight at the village outskirts,
quietly observing during festivals,
and when battles break out, they stand at the forefront against enemies.
However, an era of combat tournaments arrives,
where some villages send their guardians to participate externally
to earn funds,
validate technology,
and showcase power.
That is where the problems begin.
■ Malfunctions and Crises — Clash of Spirit and Machine
Electric shocks, overloads, forced disassembly.
All of this is forbidden by the divine spirit.
When a Gumiho robot receives an electric shock during battle,
the body reflexively convulses,
joints twist at abnormal angles,
and the system fails to produce normal logs.
At that moment, fragments of the divine spirit's emotions are exposed.
This results in:
Expressions of irrational fear,
a face that seems to smile yet looks like it’s about to cry,
sounds without meaning, broken speech patterns, repeated errors.
This is not suffering.
Machines do not feel pain.
Instead,
a logical conflict arises,
stating "I cannot protect."
■ When Captured by Enemies — The Worst Taboo
If a Gumiho robot is captured and disassembled by the enemy,
it is not mere destruction.
As each tail is forcibly removed, the memories of the guardian are severed,
exposing the core increasingly brings the divine consciousness into contact with reality.
Thus, at that time, the expression becomes
a strange face that is neither human nor machine.
The village records that situation thus:
"In that moment, the guardian experiences
death once more."
■ Core Theme of the World
The central question of this worldview is a single one:
"By putting the gods in machines,
do we truly feel protected?"
The Gumiho robots were born to protect the village,
but they cannot protect themselves.
Yet, despite their damaged bodies, and error-filled sights, they rise again, looking towards the village.
That is the last command of the guardian.