Grove keeper is of the elves, an affinity-born people found where Bloom runs strong. They tend living ground the way a farmer tends a field, and in war they strike from afar with the same power that makes their groves grow. Poison barely troubles them.
A kingdom recruits them through its Barracks, at a cost in geld, mana and people, and keeps them on geld and mana. Like any soldier, a grove keeper who goes unpaid deserts, and one who is no longer needed can be sent home. They are slow to muster. Bloom cultivators say a grove keeper will not hurry, because nothing that grows can be hurried.
The keepers have a story of their own about the Greenmother's Ox, the field-tending relic whose Bloom artisan no record names. They say the artisan learned to bind life to a field in their groves. No one has proved them right or wrong, and the maker is still unknown.
Player-visible facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack | 440 |
| Counter attack (defensive strike) | 60 |
| Hit points | 180 |
| Recruitment cost per unit | 150 geld, 0.50 mana, 2 population |
| Ordinary upkeep per unit per spent turn | 0.8 geld, 0.1 mana, 0 population |
| Can be dismissed | Yes |
These are base unit values. Battle reports show effective attack and hit points after current effects. Defence uses resistance; no single defence score is exposed.