Elite Guard

Your Elite Guard is made up of 10 friends, who decided to join your elite guard.

From the Castle Age help section:
Enlist army members to be part of your Elite Guard to improve your prowess in battle and help you on your adventures through Valeria. Elite Guard classes will be assigned in the order Guard members that join you. Elite Guard members will stay with you for 24 hours.

Quest Influence Bonus
The more Elite Guard members you have, the faster you will gain Quest Influence when doing quests.

Elite Guard Classes
When Elite guard members join you, you collect cumulative boosts to your base stats.

Fighter (+1 Attack) - Often said to be the children of the God of War, Aries, the skills of a great Fighter are forged through numerous fights on the battlefield.

Thief (+5% Gold from Quests and Battles) - Although lacking the brute force of a fighter, Thieves are known for their cunning and agility. If you lose track of them in battle, a Thief will be sure to relieve you of your gold and your items.

Cleric (+1 Defense) - Drawing on the holy energies from the Priestess Goddess, Medicae, Clerics are important units on the battlefield. Able to provide holy shields and healing, the effectiveness of a battle party is increased many times over with the presence of a Cleric.

Mage (+2 Attack) - Mages are able to draw the energy from their surroundings and convert it into the magical life-force known as mana. Mages harness this energy to magically conjure searing fireballs and chilling blizzards.

Guardian (+2 Defense) - Guardians are carefully selected by kings and nobles alike for their ability to fend off threats. True Guardians will protect their targets to the very end.

Rogue (+10% Gold from Quests and Battles) - Masters of stealth, rogues have the uncanny ability to go undetected and sneak up on their targets. This often results in a quick end for a Rogue's enemies.

High Priest (+3 Defense) - Only those said to be true servants to the Priestess Goddess are able to be bathed Medicae's Holy Light. High Priest's have access to powerful Holy spells and have been rumored to even resurrect people from the brink of death.

Gladiator (+3 Attack) - Gladiators are elite warriors who seldom find equals in hand-to-hand combat. With the ability to wield all types of weapons and with battle instincts as sharp as steel, Gladiators are able to take on lesser armies by themselves.

Paladin (+5 Defense) - Fighters who choose to follow a holy path train endlessly to attain the status of a Paladin. Not only are Paladins more than capable in armed combat but they also have access to powerful Holy spells to further bolster their defensive capabilities.

Arch Mage (+5 Attack) - In order to become Arch Mages, mages often sacrifice their physical well-being in order to truly understand the mystical properties of mana. Although their physical bodies are frail, Arch Mages are able to conjure some of the most powerful and destructive spells known in Valeria.