Watchful Eyes

The watchful eyes make up the third and secret holy order, the members of which members refer to each other as “the watchers.” They oppose Hell and all its works, and represent its most dangerous enemies. The watchers understand the differences between the powers of the dark planes. Demons seek to destroy, consume, and wallow in vice, but devils, led by their horrid and ingenious mastermind, seek control. Hell moves to make Asmodeus king of the universe, which he believes is his rightful place, according to a unified, continuous plan devils have pursued for millennia. Someone must oppose it, and thus the order of the watchful eye formed.
Watchers train themselves to hear the angelic choirs, and sing notes in harmony with the crystalline ringing of the celestial sphere itself. They learn to dance to the song of the blades, just as Aymara did the wars against Kador.
They direct lyceums to gather information on diabolical activities. They work as spies, whisperers, wanderers, and artists, all feeding a network that monitors Hell’s plan.
It’s not clear if Hell knows of the watchers. Certainly, Hell has moved directly against the church before, and the watchers still believe they secretly plot against the faithful. Someday this struggle will come to a head, and each side will reveal its preparations against the other.
Watchers rarely reveal their affiliation with the order. They do not wear symbols of office or refer to their order, though they do have a series of seemingly innocuous invocations that identify them to one another, particularly when strung together. For example, one might say “I hear the music clearly today!” Another would respond with, “What does it tell you?” This is answered by, “Aymara’s song is in every good person’s ear,” which is answered by “Indeed. I hear it clearly.” Anyone who blatantly identifies himself as a watcher instead is either lying, or is attempting to induct someone into the order.
As a secret society, the order has many levels of status. Those at lower levels know they serve a higher authority, and the heads of the order are called the unblinking eyes, but have no idea where they reside or who they might be.
While there are titles among the watchers, they are for internal reference alone. For example, the unsheathed blades are called “blades.” No one would ever say “I’m Blade Kobor!” However, a message from one of Kobor’s superior to another might say, “Ten blades are ready to move. Blade Kobor has infiltrated the abbey.”

Blade

A new watcher belongs to the unsheathed blades, referred to as “blades.” They are watched closely for anything that would indicate they are diabolical infiltrators. A new blade might wait months, even years, while assuming some position where they can gather intelligence on Hell’s forces, before being contacted with some active mission. Some blades are ordered to perform acts that seem senseless to them. For example: “Wear a purple cloak and walk about the market on such and such a day, but do not talk to anyone but the merchants, and only to buy what you need, as you normally would.” Each blade is supervised by a tireless sentry.

Tireless Sentry

After years of service to the order, the cleverest and most useful members of the order become tireless sentries, referred to as “sentries.” The chiefs of a geographic region, sentries watch over local blades, disseminate orders among them, and pass information up to the song unsung above them. They do not inform blades under their command of the identities of other members of the watchful eye, except when necessary. 
Thus, if a blade is captured or turned, she cannot betray much of the order. Similarly, a tireless sentry doesn’t learn who her comrade sentries are unless the song unsung who commands her deems it necessary.

Song Unsung

Eventually, tireless sentries learn more about the people who control the order. Such individuals receive a summons to one of the many secret enclaves of the unblinking eyes, who head of the order. There they learn the identities of other tireless sentries within a cluster of regions, and become their supervisors, coordinating their operations.
At the meeting, the candidate takes the title of song unsung (or simply “song”). Songs operate with a good deal of autonomy, sifting through intelligence reports and directing subordinates’ activities. They report to one or two unblinking eyes above them, and regularly attend planning meetings for high-ranking officials of the order. A song unsung will know of others of his rank and if interrogated, might severely injure the order.

Unblinking Eye

A council of seven, the unblinking eyes (or just “eyes”) plan the Aymaran war on Hell. Only a unanimous vote by the sitting eyes can elevate a song to membership upon the death or retirement of one of the other eyes. The council oversees all operations, making sure the order remains a secret one as it battles Hell. They rarely meet in one place, preferring to communicate by magical means.

Joining the Watchers

Becoming a watcher requires being nominated by a sentry, and likely means one has been watched for at least a year by other members of the order. The induction usually involves the prospective member being kidnapped by friends and acquaintances in the order, and taken to a safe location. There, prospects are asked about their faith, their notions of Hell, and their deepest hopes. The candidates then undergo a test of souls. At last, they learn about the order and may join. Refusal results in candidates having their memories erased by magic, but acceptance sees them begin their training to become blades, until they’re ready to act at a moment’s notice or engage in the long-term business of intelligence gathering.
Most members are bards (of any kind, though many belong to the College of Virtue), rogues (arcane tricksters), sorcerers (of Divine Inspiration), and others who value song, and pay homage to Aymara.
Members of other gods’ clergies, monks, and druids almost never join the watchers.

Type

Religious, Holy Order

Parent Organization

Holy Orders of Aymara

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