The Guardian was an object created by ancestors of the Sleestak to ward off the Kona, a huge ape-like beast that attacked them and stole their eggs. It is unclear who constructed the Guardian, but it was apparently sometime after the Altrusians, as Enik knows nothing of its workings, and was apparently unable to decipher the writings on it.
The Marshalls discovered the relic and, not knowing its purpose, took it home to analyze it, hoping that it would perhaps provide some clue as to how to escape the Land of the Lost. In its absence, the Kona was once again able to enter the valley and travel to the Lost City. There, it attacked the Sleestak until Enik forced it to retreat using an energy weapon.
The Sleestak then recovered the Guardian from the Marshalls and replaced it. But because it was not aligned properly, Kona was able to reenter the valley where it attacked the Sleestak a second time, destroying and devouring their eggs.
Jack Marshall then discovered that the Guardian works through a complex arrangement of prisms and lenses in its eyes. When positioned properly, it fires intense beams of focused sunlight which superheat the rocks surrounding the mountain pass that Kona must use to enter the valley.
Once the Guardian was placed correctly, it once again resumed its intended function. And Kona, balked by the heat, was no longer able to enter the valley.
Trivia[]
- In light of the fact that the statue is easily lifted and carried by two adult males, it seems nigh impossible that the statue could still be resting in its place, over generations of Sleestak, considering the atmospherics, earthquakes and large animals that are common occurences in the Land of the Lost.
- It is also fortunate that none of the numerous earthquakes that plague the Land ofthe Lost has opened another pass for Kona to enter the valley.