Guild of Nightwatchmen
| Guild of Nightwatchmen | |
|---|---|
| Other names: | Nightwatchmen's Guild |
| Alignment: | Lawful good or lawful neutral |
| Symbol: | Symbol of St. Cuthbert on a light blue field |
| Headquarters: | Free City of Greyhawk; each district with its own station |
| Allies: | City Watch, Guild of Lamplighters |
The Guild of Nightwatchmen is a privately funded organization in the Free City of Greyhawk which provides public service of security for citizens and patrols throughout the city during evening and night hours.[1] It is also funded and sponsored by the church of Cuthbert.[2]
Description
[edit | edit source]The Guild of Nightwatchmen are employed as bodyguards, security, armed escorts, and for property patrol. They do not technically have power of arrest (though they can legally detain criminals),[2] and so they typically work very closely with the City Watch, and those they apprehend are turned over to the Watch.
Normally, a license is required for anyone wishing to carry arms in the city, but the entire guild is given a "special license" to bear arms within the city limits.[1] Specifically, nightwatchmen carry ranseurs[1][2] (a long spear-like polearm with short, forked blades on either side of the base of the spear tip). Typically, such large weapons are wholly banned in the city.[3][4]
Activities
[edit | edit source]The services of nightwatchmen are used throughout the Free City to varying degrees. (see also: Guildstations of the Nightwatchmen below).
They're hired by citizens there to patrol groups of mansions or individual ones. Nightwatchmen frequently patrol in large groups of up to several watchmen along with large guard hounds with them.[5] They act as personal bodyguards, armed escorts, site security, and local patrol. They sometimes perform investigations regarding the persons or locations they guard, working with the City Watch.
They patrol the area of Embassy Circle in the High Quarter constantly.[6]
Members
[edit | edit source]The Guild of Nightwatchmen are famously trustworthy.[7] They have a reputation for being uncompromisingly honest, and are "highly respected."[1]
Notable individuals
[edit | edit source]- Sir Gavin Ambus—guildmaster prior to 576 CY[2] through 596 CY when he is appointed Chief Constable of the Free City and a Directing Oligarch at age 78.[8]
- Talasek Thrayden (LG male human paladin 9 of Saint Cuthbert)—a friend to the guild who sometimes walks a patrol with nightwatchmen.[9]
Headquarters
[edit | edit source]Each local chapterhouse of the guild where nightwatchmen are posted for their duties are known as "guildstations".
- High Quarter—Courts of Justice/City Gaol (H12)[10]
- Garden Quarter—Sacred Temple of St. Cuthbert (G4); heavily patrolled by the Nightwatchmen[11]
- Clerkburg—a large guildstation; very little crime, but drunken fights, etc. (C16)[12][13]
- Artisans' Quarter—a large and well-fortified guildstation (A9); very busy protecting the many shops in the district.[14]
- Foreign Quarter—(F13)[15][16]
- River Quarter—(R5)[17][18]
- Thieves' Quarter——(T7)[19] considered hard duty The largest and strongest force here, two full-strength patrols together with the City Watch. A low grade war exists between the Nightwatchmen and the Thieves' Guild; heavily fortified guildstation has been attacked numerous times in the past.[20]
- Slum Quarter—the guild does not patrol this district, because the residents there cannot afford the guild's services.[21]
Structure
[edit | edit source]Alignment
[edit | edit source]The nightwatchmen do not accept evil or non-lawful members.[2] Evey prospective member is evaluated in front of the guild's council made up of the most senior members,[1] and undergo a know alignment spell.[1]
Heraldry
[edit | edit source]The Nightwatchmen wear light blue tabards, and light blue hats adorned with a prominent, jaunty white feather on one side. Their tabards bear the symbol of Cuthbert on them (a cross-shaped starburst).[1]
Ranks
[edit | edit source]The minimum size of a group of Nightwatchmen is two—a guildmember and torchbearer[2]
- Sergeant
- Guildmember
- Darkman—nightwatchmen who have the ability to see in lower light conditions where normal sight is not possible (infravision in earlier editions); typically "demihuman".
- Torchbearer—carry a source of light; i.e. torch, lantern, magical light, etc. They "avoid combat if possible."[1][2]
Resources
[edit | edit source]The guild owns "magical timepieces... which are, of course, perfectly accurate."[22]
Some patrols of nightwatchmen also have guard hounds (war dogs).[5]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]Notes
[edit | edit source]Citations
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b c d e f g h The City of Greyhawk (1989), p.14-15, Folks, Feuds, and Factions.
- ↑ a b c d e f g The Adventure Begins (1998), p.66.
- ↑ The City of Greyhawk (1989), p.13, Folks, Feuds, and Factions.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.68.
- ↑ a b The City of Greyhawk (1989), p.58, Gem of the Flanaess.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.84.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.107.
- ↑ Sam Weiss (2008 April 18). "Power Groups: The Directing Oligrachs of Grayhawk". wizards.com. WotC. Archived from the original on 2016 October 31. Retrieved on 17 June 2026.
- ↑ "Core Beliefs: Saint Cuthbert". Dragon #358 (Aug 2007), p.33-34.
- ↑ The City of Greyhawk (1989), p.60, Gem of the Flanaess.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.89.
- ↑ The City of Greyhawk (1989), p.71, Gem of the Flanaess.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.99.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.114.
- ↑ The City of Greyhawk (1989), p.79, Gem of the Flanaess.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.104.
- ↑ The City of Greyhawk (1989), p.81, Gem of the Flanaess.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998).
- ↑ The City of Greyhawk (1989), p.85, Gem of the Flanaess.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.118.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.125.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.13.
Bibliography
[edit | edit source]Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | The City of Greyhawk: Adventure Cards | 6 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | The City of Greyhawk: Folks, Feuds and Factions | 9, 14, 15, 34, 36, 86, 96 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | The City of Greyhawk: Gem of the Flanaess | 58, 60, 71, 77, 79, 81, 84, 85 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | Dragon magazine #358 | 35 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | Dragon magazine #AN3 | 102 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | From the Ashes: Campaign Book | 3, 9 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | Living Greyhawk Journal #2 | 4, 6, 9 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | Living Greyhawk Journal #4 | 6 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | Living Greyhawk Journal #5 | 29 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | Player's Guide to Greyhawk | 30, 32 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | Polyhedron magazine #092 | 14 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | The Adventure Begins | 63, 65, 66, 82, 84, 85, 89, 93, 99, 100, 104, 105, 107, 108, 110, 111, 112, 114, 116, 118, 119, 125 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | WGR2 Treasures of Greyhawk | 7, 10, 12 |
| Nightwatchmen, Guild of (City of Greyhawk) | People Group | Guild, | Night Watch (1990) | 24-27, |
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