The Watchers

Order · Night · Soft Kh · Hard Zar

Mokh-TZAR

Order Night Soft Kh Hard Zar

"Authority is most powerful when unseen."

Philosophy

You watch, record, and intervene only when required. You do not rush, and you are difficult to surprise. Others often mistake your restraint for weakness—briefly. You enforce order without announcing yourself.

The Pronunciation Dispute

The Watchers invert the Shaper formula: soft beginning, hard ending. They believe the act of creation was gentle—a careful unfolding rather than a violent imposition—but that its conclusion is absolute and binding. The soft 'kh' represents the hidden nature of divine action; the hard 'tzar' represents its inevitable authority. To the Watchers, the Shapers are noisy amateurs, announcing their presence when silence would serve better.

Tendencies

Strong defensive and counterintelligence capabilities
Reaction bonuses when enforcing hidden rules others have forgotten
Slower to act, but nearly impossible to dislodge once committed

History

The Watchers emerged from the intelligence services of the old theocratic states—the priests who gathered information rather than proclaimed doctrine. They discovered early that knowing when *not* to act was often more valuable than acting decisively. Their founding text, the Codex Nocturne, is said to contain detailed observations of every major faction's weaknesses. No complete copy has ever been verified to exist. Watcher influence is difficult to measure precisely because measuring it would require the Watchers to be observed. They maintain no visible hierarchies, claim no territories, and issue no proclamations. Yet somehow, Watcher-aligned advisors appear in the courts of every major power, and Watcher-trained archivists maintain the only reliable historical records. Coincidence, presumably.

Notable Events

The Silence of Keth Vardun

An entire Watcher monastery maintained absolute silence for seventeen years. When they finally spoke, they revealed the location of a Heretic cult that had infiltrated three major governments. How they knew remains classified.

The Annotated Betrayal

A Watcher archivist published detailed footnotes predicting a noble house's treachery—three years before the treachery occurred. The house proceeded with their plans anyway, apparently unable to believe anyone could have known.

Scholarly Commentary

"Authority spoken softly is still authority."

— Anonymous marginal note, Codex Nocturne

The Codex Nocturne consists primarily of marginal notes. The original text, if it existed, has never been found.

"The Watchers see everything and say nothing. This should concern you more than it apparently does."

— Breaker warning, frequently ignored

"We do not act. We observe. Sometimes our observations are... influential."

— Attributed to various Watcher sources

Relationships

Natural Allies

The Keepers The Devourers

Traditional Rivals

The Shapers The Breakers