The Guardian of Mount Tantiss was a Force-sensitive individual, hand-picked by Emperor Palpatine himself. His assignment: to safeguard the Emperor's repository located within Mount Tantiss on the planet of Wayland. The Psadan people claimed that the Guardian's ambition was to dominate the native population of Wayland. Before the arrival of Grand Admiral Thrawn on Wayland, the Guardian engaged in a deadly conflict with the deranged Dark Jedi clone, Joruus C'baoth, resulting in the Guardian's demise. His remains were placed within a crypt inside the great palace, surrounded by candles representing each visitor after his death. Notably, all visitors (except Thrawn, Gilad Pellaeon, and Rukh) met their end at the hands of C'baoth.
Being a dark Jedi, the Guardian possessed the ability to manipulate the Force. It was believed he used these powers to serve Sidious by hunting Jedi. The battle between C'baoth and the Guardian was interpreted by the insane clone as a noble Jedi standing against the Empire's Jedi purge. This confrontation marked the last time C'baoth had to exert himself physically until he was required to use battle meditation to command fleets across star systems as a Jedi Master clone.
Considerable discussion revolved around whether C'baoth was the original Guardian or if he had actually murdered him. While the inhabitants of Wayland recalled a clash between two potent Force users, they were also under the mental influence of the deranged Jedi Master. His version of events was only supported by the presence of a coffin inside a crypt, which Grand Admiral Thrawn and Captain Pellaeon were shown. They presumed this crypt held the remains of the original Guardian, but this was only based on the mad clone's assertions. The Dark Force Rising Sourcebook and the Databank also suggested that all evidence pointed to Joruus being the sole Guardian. However, none of these sources provided a definitive confirmation or denial. It wasn't until 2008, with the publication of The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, that the entry on Mount Tantiss confirmed the Guardian and C'baoth as separate individuals.