The Rift Watch

1. Overview

The Rift Watch is a specialised corps of rangers and warriors tasked with defending Siar’Morrin from the dangers of the Western Scar. Formed in the aftermath of the Age of Darkness (AoD), they stand as a bulwark against demonic resurgence, cult activity, and other supernatural threats. Known for their vigilance, bravery, and adaptability, the Rift Watch combines military discipline with frontier resilience, making them one of the most respected and feared defenders in the realm.

• Type: Ranger Corps / Military Order
• Base of Operations: Three main bases, stationed along the border of the Western Scar
• Core Purpose/Focus: Containment of the Western Scar, eradication of cult activity, and protection of Siar’Morrin from demonic influence.
• Reputation: Revered as guardians and demon-hunters, though sometimes criticised for severity and mistrust of outsiders.
• Symbol: An eye within a jagged rift

2. History

The Rift Watch emerged directly from the chaos of the Age of Darkness, when demonic incursions still plagued the land. Originally a ragged militia of survivors, mercenaries, and idealists, they evolved into a permanent corps through sacrifice, reform, and bitter experience.

Key Historical Events:

• The Founding by Parthos Calipus (c. 0 AoM)
  Parthos Calipus, once an unknown wanderer, rose to fame during the closing days of the Age of Darkness. With unmatched charisma and resolve, he gathered disillusioned soldiers, mages, and survivors, forming a roaming band of demon hunters. His crowning achievement, and final act, was a siege against the demon-infested stronghold of Zeel’Croi, where he fell in battle but succeeded in crippling the stronghold’s influence. His sacrifice became the foundational myth of the Rift Watch, inspiring the official formation of the corps in his name.

• The Zeal of Ethriel and the Western March (c. 58 AoM)
  Under the idealistic leadership of Watch Captain Ethriel Killian, the Rift Watch launched its most daring operation: a full incursion into the heart of the Western Scar to attempt a purge of the tainted lands. Though initially successful in pushing back demonic forces, the further the Watch advanced, the more corrupted the land became—twisting time, weather, and even the minds of the soldiers. The expedition was ultimately doomed, with only a fraction returning. Ethriel’s body was never found. This tragedy marked a turning point in policy, and the Rift Watch was restructured under a new doctrine of containment.

• The Outpost Doctrine of Watch Captain Logan (c. 59 AoM)
  In the wake of Ethriel’s failure, Logan Barker, a pragmatic and battle-hardened veteran, was elected Watch Captain. He forbade further incursions into the Scar, instead ordering the construction of a fortified perimeter: outposts, watchtowers, and signal pyres stretching the full breadth of the border. This containment strategy proved more sustainable and remains in place today. Logan is credited with transforming the Rift Watch into a lasting institution.

• The Cult Crisis of Skogheim Pass (c. 113 AoM)
  A cunning and well-organized cult, operating in the remote southern hilllands of the Mesoramus Range, managed to summon demonic remnants from Zeel’Croi. Launching a surprise attack on the rear flanks of the Rift Watch, they aimed to reopen a breach into the Western Scar. The assault caught the Watch off-guard, resulting in catastrophic losses and the destruction of several key outposts. In response, a new division was formed: The Inner Watch, tasked with patrolling the mainland, rooting out cult activity before it could pose a threat. This was the Rift Watch’s greatest failure, and a harsh lesson never forgotten.

3. Structure & Organization

The Watch Captain stands as the supreme authority within the Rift Watch, elected by senior members based on merit and experience. The role carries immense responsibility, not only to safeguard Siar’Morrin but to balance rigid command with the need for tactical flexibility in a fractured and dangerous frontier.

The Outer Watch

The Rift Watch’s primary force, known as the Outer Watch, is responsible for the defense and surveillance of the Western Scar’s perimeter. Its forces are divided geographically into three strategic regions, each commanded by a Region Captain. These captains operate with considerable autonomy, each adapting their leadership style to the unique demands of their territory:

• Region Captain Aeneas of the Northern Front
  The Northern Front stretches across wide plains and broken highlands, making patrol and supply chains a logistical challenge. Aeneas maintains strict military discipline, running his forces like a well-oiled army. His formations are drilled, his command structure rigid, and his outposts orderly. Aeneas is a man of maps and movement, believing that control of space is the key to defeating chaos.

• Region Captain Dante of the Umbral Reach
  The Umbral Region is a tangle of deep forest, hidden ravines, and ever-shifting threats. Dante is an intuitive, flexible leader who favors smaller units and local alliances. He frequently employs scouts, druids, and sympathetic villagers to track movements and cultic signs, treating the land itself as an ally in the fight. His command is decentralized, almost anarchic to outsiders, but few can match his operational success.

• Region Captain Dain of the Southern Watchtower
  Once led by Corrin Thenos, the Southern Watchtower remains the most fortified and symbolically critical region. It guards the narrow cliffs that descend toward New Birania, forming the final bastion between the Western Scar and the empire’s heartlands. Though the smallest in size, the Southern Watchtower is built for endurance, not speed. Drawing heavily from the martial traditions of nearby Amyna, the new Region Captain, Dain commands a force shaped around immovability. With sheer cliffs, bottlenecked approaches, and near-impregnable fortifications, this region is the Watch’s anvil, unyielding and ever-present.

The Inner Watch

Formed in response to internal threats and demonic cults that escaped detection, the Inner Watch operates with almost complete independence. Unlike the Outer Watch’s territorial focus, the Inner Watch is fluid, moving through towns, ruins, and cities alike to investigate, interrogate, and extinguish corruption before it spreads.

Its members answer to a loose order of elite operatives known as Ablutors, a title reserved for those with proven discernment, strength, and incorruptible will. The Ablutors are entrusted with near-total autonomy, each a master inquisitor, investigator, and warrior. They act as they see fit, their judgment as final as it is absolute.

No two Ablutors serve in the same way, some are solitary agents, drifting from village to village under a dozen aliases, investigating rumors and quietly eliminating threats. While others command bands of small, elite units assembled for missions of surgical precision or wide-scale purges. Foremost among this approach is Ablutor Erevin, whose personal command exceeds 200 warriors, an army in all but name. Her warband is deployed to regions where entire cult sects fester, capable of crushing resistance and sealing breaches before they can spread

4. Culture & Practices

Members of the Rift Watch are bound by a deep-seated commitment to protect their land and its people from the horrors that once emerged from the Western Scar. The Rift Watch is not only bound by their duty to protect but also by a deep spiritual commitment to Clypeus, the god of protection. They believe that as followers of Clypeus, it is their divine duty to maintain a bulwark against the vices, standing as the god’s earthly representatives in his stead. Their motto, “Vigilance without falter,” encapsulates their dedication and relentless watchfulness.

5. Key Figures

• Region Captain Aeneas: Current commander of the Northern Front, a strict and orderly tactician.
• Region Captain Dante: Current commander of the Umbral Reach, favouring intuition and local alliances.
• Region Captain Dain: Current commander of the Southern Watchtower, a stoic leader embodying endurance.
• Ablutor Erevin: Elite operative of the Inner Watch, commands a warband capable of crushing cult sects.

6. Geographic Influence

• Areas of Operation: The Rift Watch’s primary focus is the Western Scar, but their jurisdiction extends across Siar’Morrin through hidden outposts and roaming Inner Watch operatives.
• Allies & Enemies:
  • Allies: The Biranian Guard, with whom they share intelligence and occasionally coordinate joint operations.
  • Enemy: Cult of Excess, A brazen and unsubtle foe whose unchecked violence leaves devastation in its wake. Though their methods lack finesse, their rapid spread and sheer destructiveness make them one of the Watch’s most persistent and dangerous adversaries.
  • Enemy: Cult of Shadows, Regarded by many within the Inner Watch as their true nemesis. These elusive tricksters hide in powerful positions across the land, weaving influence in secret. Rooting them out has proven treacherous work, often creating new enemies among those unknowingly entangled in the cult’s schemes.

7. Resources & Capabilities

• Military Strength: A battle-hardened corps of rangers, scouts, and warriors, highly specialised in supernatural warfare and survival. The Outer Watch provides disciplined defence, while the Inner Watch excels in precision strikes and infiltration.
• Economic Power: Modest compared to other institutions, funded largely by donations, state tithes, and shared resources from allied factions. Despite their limited wealth, the Rift Watch has a reputation for extracting the utmost value from every resource at their disposal, turning meagre supplies into effective defences and long-standing fortifications.
• Special Assets: A continent-spanning surveillance network, fortified lines of outposts and signal pyres, and the elite Ablutors, whose autonomy and skill make them some of the deadliest demon-hunters in Siar’Morrin.