Well,
awareness = spiritual alarm system
defence = passive defences (maybe)
blessing = it varies, and yes could include a priest being able to
hero-form the guardian and blast the enemies with bolts of energy.
I suspect more cities thrive by having a blessing of "peaceful market" or "work together" or "extinguish fires" or "build strong stone walls" or things like that. But no doubt some have "fry enemies brains" (although it probably takes an appropriate ceremony to designate the enemy of the city, and the guardian probably can't reach outside the city walls directly and other limitations appropriate to make the story character-centric).
Recall too that the awareness and defence abilities will have some form.
For awareness, it may that the city itself does things (the gongs in the temple sound, all the dogs start barking at once), it may be manifest in some form (the guardian IS the great stone lion on the city walls, which roars when it detects something), it may be channeled through one or more people (the high priest announces the warning, all the priests suddenly smell blood and know to rush to the temple, the citizen ring of every citizen suddenly heats up).
For defence it could be that all the defenders belonging to the city get an augment in certain situation, it may be that the great stone lion dashes about the walls to crush invaders who make it onto the walls, it could be that the waters of the moat outside the walls assault anything going into them, it could be that the high priest stands on top of the temple and sends out beams of light that counter enemy magic.
But in all cases with guardians, they have specific abilities, not general awareness or universal defence of everything. So not "Awareness 1W4" but "detect thieves 1W4" or "See hostile spirits 1W4" or "See attackers 1W4" or "watch walls 1W4." For defences it might be "Slippery wall" or "animate moat" or "blow away darts" or "counter enemy magic" or "steadfast defenders" or "burn away darkness" but not just "defence." As always things can be improvised from there.
I suspect that successful attacks will most often not go again the defenders' strongest ability. Just as late medieval castles were probably more often taken by treachery or starvation or the like than by assault over the walls. If the city has 30 foot high stone walls with the habit of repairing themselves, don't try to batter your way into the city. If the city is very good at detecting intruders, don't try to sneak in a party to open the gates.
By limiting the powers, you make each guardian (and hence city, band, whatever) more interesting and unique, I think.
All just my take on it.
--Bryan
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