Guardians of the Watchful Eye
Military; Religious
The Guardians of the Watchful eye are paladins of Curceon, dedicated to defending their home, or charges against any evils from within or without. Guards, defending paladins, and stalwart warriors, these paladins serve to provide comfort and a sense of security to the people of Essillion.
History
The story of Arven and Erik is a very popular story told in Essillion, and throughout the Vale of Lutien, even as far north as the Northguard Plains. At its heart, it tells of the nobility and loyalty of family, the sacred adherence to duty, and the perseverance to prevail. Two brothers of Essillion, orphans at an early age, held true to their noble beliefs, even in the midst of hardship and danger. They stuck with each other, and their newfound lord Curceon, being made squires under the new god. One fateful day they were separated with disparate, but equally important tasks, and Erik was chosen to stay behind and guard Essillion, and most importantly, Curceon’s wife Pristell. Arven, was chosen to accompany their lord to fight the evil sorcerer Findel. Through hardship, endurance, and force of will, the two brothers were victorious in their appointed tasks, and were reunited back in Essillion. They vowed to stay true to their calling, and were declared the head of two new arms of Curceon’s faith; The Guardians of the Watchful Eye, and The Exemplars of the Vigilant Stride. Pledging to support, rely, and cherish each other, these two organizations would empower and embolden Curceon’s faith, and the protection of Essillion from within or without. It is now a long time removed from that pledge, and the leadership of Arven. While the two orders remain civil, a schism has started to form, and the brotherhood and friendship has turned from friendly rivalry to light skepticism and contention. The Guardians continue to dedicate themselves to protecting and guarding against foes within and without.Current Membership
The Guardians have their headquarters in Essillion, and they are made up predominantly of defenders, investigators, and guards. The classes and professions of the Guardians are more varied and encompassing than their counterparts of the Vigilant Stride. Knights, paladins, holy warriors, and clerics are the most common classes to seek membership, but it is not restricted to those. Members who are skilled at rooting out evil or treachery will often come from the more skill-based professions and typically become investigators. Guardians exist across all of Starhelm, and many from Essillion must make their posts in far off settlements, from the smallest hamlet, to the largest city. The Guardians will often send Shield Commanders to these places to prove their worth, and train the next line of defenders and investigators. This new line of Guardians typically come from the place in question, but there are times that Shield Commanders find a home in their new post and finish their career there, ensuring the area is secure.Watchful Eye Ranks
- The Sentinel: The Sentinel is the top rank of the Guardians and is stationed in Essillion. This position maintains the standards and training that is to be passed down to all Guardians, and ensures that even across large distances, the skills are consistent and enforced. The Sentinel also holds the highest position of espionage, and is well-versed in the spy network that runs throughout Essillion. The current Sentinel is Baltar Steeleye and he is a canny observer of people and events. He keeps track of many things in Essillion, including strangers who come and go that might be of importance or dangerous. He is not prone to encouraging the rift between the Vigilant Stride and the Guardians, but he knows he has more important things to worry about at any given time, so he doesn’t pay it much attention.
- Watchers: This rank is held by a small number of dedicated and skilled Guardians, and they tend to control larger groups of Shield Commanders. Watchers can be found traveling from settlement to settlement ensuring the level of commitment, care, and skill can be found in the areas they hold sway over. Essillion has a number of Watchers stationed there, and they are in charge of maintaining the Royal Guards, the police force, the town guards, and any spy networks that are in place to thwart enemy infiltration, or internal unrest.
- Shield Commander: This level is held by those who command a single post, and have other Guardians under them. This can range from 1 to 100, potentially, but typically they are in command of relatively smaller groups of guards, constabulary, or investigators. Larger settlements may contain more than one Shield Commander, while smaller areas might have one to watch out for the whole town.
- The Guardians: This is the main force of the organization, and these can range from simple town guards, to royal guards, and anything in between. Within this rank are also the investigators that help root out crime and treachery within their post. Constabulary, and secret agents also come from this section of the Guardian rank.
Goals
The goals of the Guardians of the Watchful Eye are two-fold – to protect their charge(s and to root out any evil or subterfuge within their area. Typically, no Guardian is tasked with both of these things, and a member usually picks one path or the other. There are some exceptions and these members are greatly valued and often move up quickly in the ranks. The guards and defenders of people or places are dedicated wholly to their duty, and will sacrifice all to protect their charge. The order makes sure to instill loyalty above all else, and discipline, commitment and resolve are closely behind. They spend a lot of time drilling, testing, and studying. They look for people who are observant, quick-thinking, and decisive. The investigators are as loyal as the guards, but they have a bit more freedom to move and act in accordance with their directives. They can spend more time searching for clues, interacting with people, and even setting up elaborate schemes to solve crimes or root out insurgents or the like. Those that like less structure in their work may gravitate toward this area of the Guardians. The order will often find these types of individuals in less reputable establishments, or sometimes even caught criminals that have chosen to protect rather than harm. They drill, train, and study no less than other members of the order, but their structure is a bit more free and open.Resources
Both the Vigilant Stride and the Watchful Eye are heavily supported monetarily by Essillion’s coffers. In addition to the funds they receive to keep the Guardian’s Hall maintained and in good repair, they also receive weapons, armour, access to information, and steady income. The support of Byras Highstance is also extremely helpful to the members of the Watchful Eye, as he was once a member. As Byras currently runs the council in Essillion, and the church of Curceon, he cannot maintain his membership with the Guardians, however, he still favours their efforts and endeavours. The king and Byras will often be at odds over where to spend the money on these two organizations.Notable Personalities
- The Sentinel: Baltar Steeleye (m/human)
- Watcher (Essillion): Errol Whisperwind (m/air genasi Tessa Highstance (f/human Bristol Longhorn (m/human)
- Shield Commander: Clarence Greencap, Commander of the Red Hill Guards (m/human Alicia Sandstone Commander of the Stonebridge Spy Network (f/human)
Type
Military Order
Notable Members
Purpose: Paladins of Curceon dedicated to the protection and security of their charges Membership: Paladins, Knights, Guards, Investigators Base of Operations: Essillion Symbol: Golden crown with the image of wide-open eyes emblazoned Notable Members: Byras Highstance (Shield of Essillion)
Baltar Steeleye (The Sentinel)
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