The Watchers

The Watchers are a group of rebels that were originally founded inside of the city of Maywood but have since spread across Evarencia. The organization itself only dates back around 60 years.

## History

### Founding

As unrest in the Golden City of Maywood grew, citizens began speaking out against The Queen but were quickly silenced in more ways than one. A young Dread born man named Tawn Tenderlove (II) was tired of waiting around for someone else to do something and from a young age began making change across the city regardless of the law. As Tawn began helping more people with day to day issues of Maywood he realized he needed to do something bigger, strike at the source of the issue instead of alleviating it's side effects. That day Tawn created The Watchers, pledging to always be watching for those who need help from unjust rule. Crufalcon Fletcher became the first member that day. From there the order grew quickly over the next five years spreading across Greater Albion and then across Evarencia as a whole. Tawn and his original crew of Watchers set out to slowly seed people they trust into spots of royalty and privilege.

### Goals

* Alleviate the corrupt people in power so they or someone they trust can govern themselves in a just and fair way.

### Tactics

The Watchers have no problem doing anything legal or illegal to reach their goal. Their most common tactics are listed below.

* Redistribution of Wealth- Diminish the capital of others and with it their power and raise their own.
* Official Warning- Dig up dirt on noble's secret enterprises and endeavors and remind them of their transgressions.
* Moving Resources- Taking Illegal Substances, Creatures and Items from one place to another.
* Destruction of Property- Often this means releasing a banned creature onto a noble's property.
* Removal of Office- Self Explanatory.

## Membership

It is not a hard task to become a Watcher. The Watchers accept many different types of people with different abilities, as long as their goals align. Potential Watchers are often put to the test of a first mission before acceptance. Usually this is a low stakes mission such as stealing a document or blackmailing a royal face to face so their face is known. The only other task required for membership is meeting The Watcher himself, Tawn Tenderlove. Though his eyes do not have pupils and they are ever shifting like liquid metal and can be unnerving to say the least, New Watchers often report a sense of him seeing straight through them during this process.

## Branches

The Watchers started simple with three rebels in a tavern but has since grown to the point of necessary expansion.

### The Watcher

The highest position inside of The Watchers. There has only ever been one to sit in this seat. Tawn Tenderlove the Third. During the events of Wovenrealm, Tawn Tenderlove admitted he wanted Soren to be The Watcher in due time.

### The Seven Sworn

The Seven Sworn act as The Watcher's high council and The Watcher must have absolute trust in their decision making. The Watcher appoints members themselves. Each of the Seven represent a branch of The Watchers. Each member of The Watchers report directly to one of The Seven Sworn. Different branches often have slight variations on their iconic open eye tattoo to indicate which family they belong to. The Current members of The Seven Sworn are:

* Crufalcon Fletcher
* Elise Emotie
* Aradagan
* On Winter's Wings
* Krukala Scalecut
* Moses #2
* Soren Silverthorn

The Seven Sworn do not often meet all together and only meet when The Watcher calls them together over a very important matter. The Seven Sworn vote on matters put forth by The Watcher or another member of The Seven Sworn of upmost importance. Typically The Watcher does not vote on matters and allows The Seven to vote. Though The Watcher does have the authority to overrule a vote, it is rarely utilized. Tawn Tenderlove has never overturned a unanimous vote but has occasionally voted with the 3 in a 3-4 split.

### The Scarlet Swarm

The Scarlet Swarm is a branch of The Watchers that houses only the highest trained assassins. The Swarm reports directly to The Watcher and even goes so far as to keep their identities a secret from everyone but The Watcher. Even The Seven Sworn have never met a member of The Scarlet Swarm, or if they have they didn't know it. This branch of the order is so secretive that many people don't even associate The Scarlet Swarm with The Watchers as they don't know their affiliation.

### Normal Members

Typical members of The Watchers can range in talents from a veteran fighter of war's past to a 17 year old pickpocket from a small city. Each member has their own tasks and work together to accomplish the orders sent from their Seven Sworn. Watchers look out for one another and when one is indoctrinated into the organization that person's entire immediate family is typically also brought into the order and given the benefits of membership.

## The Seven Sworn

### Tawn Tenderlove (II) (He/Him)

The Head of The Watchers. See Founding for more on Tawn Tenderlove.

### Crufalcon Fletcher (He/Him)

The first member outside of Tawn. The two appear to be close in age and say they have known each other forever, but in reality didn't meet each other until their mid teens. Crufalcon is a Druid of the land and resides outside of Maywood. He travels from village to village and has found a passion in helping smaller villages and any problems they have with someone trying to impose arbitrary authority. Crufalcon is a Half-Orc male who wears hides and leathers. The sides of his head are shaved and he has silvering grey hair bound in a short ponytail at the end. Crufalcon proudly displays his Watcher tattoo in the center of his chest which he leaves exposed in fights.

### Elise Emotie (She/Her)

Elise currently resides wherever The Weave sends her but often hangs her head on The Isle of the Weave, Elise was Tawn’s very first friend. The two grew up together and Tawn always felt Elise was destined for greatness and it was his duty to help her achieve that. In fact this was the very first instance of The Watchers infiltrating a position of power. When Tawn was young he saw Elise’s magical gift and knew she needed to foster this. Tawn heard an Order of the Weave member was recently appointed and was looking for an apprentice. An apprentice was chosen from the Maywood academy and all would be said and done. However Tawn interfered and had Elise pretend to be the new apprentice on the day that the apprentice would be taken away. Tawn distracted the real person chosen for the apprenticeship that day and they missed their chance to leave. Tawn watched as Elise boarded the carriage and waved a silent goodbye to his first and only friend. Years later Elise would be inducted as a full member of the order and come back and find her friend and join him on his mission to see fit people in seats of power. In current times a romance seems to be blossoming between the two. Elise oversees a lot of territory as The Weave takes her to far away places. Elise is a breathtakingly beautiful elven woman. She has dark purple and grey skin and long floor length white hair. She alters her eye color to fit the theme of her outfit for the day and typically wears beautiful gowns. She does not display her Watcher tattoo.

### Aradagan (He/Him)

Aradagan and Tawn met as Tawn was robbing the grave of a wealthy family near the border of Dyrewind and Glyndthiel. Aradagan is the most recent member of The Seven Sworn (before Soren). Aradagan rose up from the grave to protect the grave of his family... No one knows how Tawn got the corpse of an ex-royal to join a cause of unseating the powerful but at this point The Watchers don’t often question Tawn’s gift of gab. Aradagan was a Human in life but no takes the visage of a more undead individual. His teeth bear through his lips and several areas of skin have receded to bone after his time in the grave. Aradagan's Watcher tattoo is placed on one of his eyelids. The eyelid is always closed due to Aradagan's undead nature.

### On Winter's Wings (They/She)

Winter and Tawn first met aboard a sailing vessel that they both had stowed away on. When they discovered each other hiding in the same rotation of spots they had a good laugh before deciding to assist each other in staying hidden. The pair would then go on to forget about the interaction for several years before finding each other again on the same side of a bar fight. Acknowledging the strangeness of their path’s again crossing but again forgetting about the interaction. It wasn’t until the two found themselves seven years later in the same jail cell that they decided to bust out together. Winter, not one to believe in coincidences any longer- invited Tawn out for a drink after easily escaping. The two got to talking and learned that Winter ran a smuggling ring and had since their first meeting became the owner of a small fleet of ships that can traverse even the harshest of climates. Tawn saw this as an opportunity for both of them and began working together immediately. Winter now resides on the seas- preferring that lifestyle and travels port to port to The Watchers' more far away locations and provides assistance for those afar. Winter is a Felpur who takes the visage of a snow leopard. She wears loose flowing blue robes and traditional pirate garb. They wear their Watcher tattoo on their stomach as their midriff is often exposed as they choose to wear warmer weather outfits.

### Krukala Scalecut (She/Her)

Krukala had been infected by the void from a young age. When her older brother Krukazel came back from banishment to take her away from their dangerous homeland he was able to again trick the void into releasing her. This time it cost Krukazel some of the years he had escaped from but he was happy to pay it for her. When Krukazel and the Startouched overthrew Wren’s Run Krukala wanted nothing more than to assist them but was told she was too young (and she was) but Kala grew up hearing stories of overthrowing the evil people in control and always had the ambition to do so her self. When she learned of The Watchers she thought of this as her opportunity to help and make a difference. Using her last name as a bargaining chip Kala was able to easily move up ranks. Though she had no fighting abilities magic from the void still lingered which Tawn saw IMMENSE value in keeping one touched by the void close by. Kala now sits as a Seven Sworn and is one of the youngest members. Kala resides deep in Higardi territory-keeping an eye on a potential future enemy or ally before their current one is disposed of. Krukazel of course hates all of this but Kala still drops presents at his door when she is nearby. Kala is a tall and thin Dragonspawn with White Scales. She has deep green eyes that people often get lost in. She hides her Watcher tattoo on the side of her calf. She typically dresses in chain mail and traveling cloaks of dull greens and browns to blend in with her surroundings. Ambient purple magic swirls around her at random intervals. A side effect of her time touched by the void.

### Moses #2 (They/Them)

Moses #2 is one of the alchemically created homunculi, crafted by the industrial world to make good labor. Created with the stock of the gnomes, the homunculi have malleable minds due to their creation, and they often have their minds wiped and reset. Moses is the homunculi with the lowest wipes, hence #2. Moses #2 was originally given to house Saxos-Reinhardt to serve as a court servant, but like all creatures with a will, Moses #2 found themself with self-determination, and yearned to be more than an alchemical servant. Having gone “rogue,” Moses killed the heir of house Saxos-Reinhardt in their escape; Moses #2 became Public Enemy #1 in the Kovithian Empire. Moses began to gather an underground following around themself as they began to aid other homunculi in escaping the shackles of psionic servitude. Sentinels and tieflings began to join this movement that called upon Kovith for an equal treatment of all the folk. This coalition grew into a rebellion movement as their pleas fell silently on the Imperial Diet.It is during this time that Moses #2 dubbed their following the League of Liberation, a group urban guerilla fighter that battle with the emperor’s legions. It is also in his struggle that Moses #2 came into contact with Tawn Tenderlove of the Watchers, the first faction to offer the League actual support. Connections through the Watchers flourished as the charismatic tiefling networked for the homunculi, earning them the support of the Neo-Gothic movement as well.During their time together, Moses #2 and Tenderlove came to realize not only did they share very similar political philosophies and goals, their organizations benefited greatly from one another. The Watchers bring in the money and are quite capable at espionage. The League provides the Watchers with Kovithian technology and weapons and they are able to provide sheer numbers in recruiting efforts. When one of the Seven Sworn of the Watchers met an unfortunate (albeit, suspicious end), Moses #2 was the prime candidate, and the Watchers welcomed the homunculus with open arms. Moses #2 works tirelessly to aid in the ushering of folk to safety from the intolerance of the Kovithian people. Their goals seek out peace between the peoples of Kovith and quality for all folk, regardless of heritage or creation. Although their goals are noble, they are not beyond violent or dishonorable methods to achieve their ends, especially if they deem you on Kovith’s side. They obviously have no problem keeping dubious company, and their involvement with the Watchers only brings Moses further into the world of crime.

### Soren Silverthorn (He/Him)

The son of the founder of The Watchers, Soren has had high expectations from birth strangely from everyone but his father. Tawn was always supportive of Soren and never pushed him to become a Watcher. When Soren showed natural interest the training began and Soren was being trained to become a high up in The Watchers eventually. During Season Two of WovenRealm Soren was voted in as a member of the Seven Sworn and his father told the Emerald Caravan he wanted Soren to become The Watcher in due time. Soren currently has a small branch of The Watchers and is looking to grow this through his travels with the Emerald Caravan.

## The Iris

When Elise returned to Tawn 13 years after her departure from Maywood, Tawn filled Elise in on his hopes and dreams of what his then small organization could become. As they talked and talked for endless hours Elise realized Tawn continually repeated his desire to create a safe place for all those who need protection from authority.

Elise left this initial conversation her mind racing over the potential she could do here. Only a handful of days past as Elise holed herself away in her study. She emerged 72 hours later with a handwritten custom incantation made for one time use. Elise brought this to Tawn and allowed his dream to be realized. A protection spell so strong that only those the caster approved could pass its massive barriers. This would push even the limits of Elise’s magic at the time. Tawn found a secluded place to cast this, a place that travelers were unlikely to stumble upon.

Elise drew upon all of the power at her disposal and cast the protective barrier over the isle Tawn had procured that day. The scroll faded from reality and mind as Elise finished the incantation. Elise was overjoyed but knew the cost. Eternal concentration from her. When she died so would the barrier until someone strong enough to cast another was inducted to the order. A large feat.

Tawn and Elise named the isle “The Iris” and it has served as a homebase for The Watchers since. Tawns original plan was to house as many people as possible on the isle. This plan quickly became flawed. Whether the source was the magic itself or just humanoid nature people living in the safety of The Iris quickly forgot their siblings still struggling outside the barrier. Tawn devised a rotation as he realized 3 months was around the time people lost their care. Citizens would live 3 months of the year in The Iris and enjoy its protection but then a new family would come and take their place and so on and so on. Far from a perfect plan but no other solution has been found.

The Iris geographically is near the continent of Toratag and is essentially a separate island. Beautiful arching mountains arch high above the beautiful Ocean. Watcher flows freely and so does kinship.

Soren would live in The Iris like any Watcher three months of every year. Soren and his immediate family would live here during the summer months and Soren began seeing it as a vacation home. When Soren grew older his desire to live year round in The Iris grew. One year in Sorens teens, his father allowed him to live in The Iris for 5 months before pushing him back across the barrier. Soren felt the sense of guilt for his kin on the other side of the barrier and the hardships The Queen had put them through during those five months that he hadn’t been there to help with. Tawn taught Soren a hard lesson that summer. Despite this lesson this may be Sorens favorite place on the planet. Many summer days were spent riding his pet serpent Nessy or cliff diving from just a little bit too high. Bonds were formed between Soren’s eventual sect of The Watchers and it was here that he fell in love for the first time.