The Nightwatch

Start-class article · First seen: s07 · Last seen: s10

The Nightwatch are the official guard of Umbrafall: on paper the city’s police, and in practice, in the DM’s words, “pretty much whoever pays you the most” [4]. The party crossed them over an urn in session 7, when a street fight outside the Whisper Coil Emporium left Vasquez in their jail. In session 8 Harvo bought him out for 150 gold against an official price of 500 [19][46], and in session 10 the clinic worker Drew said the Nightwatch had been paid off over the abduction of Mira Hale [11]. They have not appeared since.

Overview

The Nightwatch are the visible enforcement arm of Umbrafall. The world brief calls them “the local enforcement; corrupt, feared, dangerous”, and in play they have been all three: patrols in the street, jailers behind the bars and bribable clerks behind the desk.

Hugo’s character knowledge, given by the DM in session 7, is the party’s cleanest summary of how they work:

“However, you also know the Nightwatch is pretty much whoever pays you the most.” — Nick (DM), [4]

The party’s first encounter (session 7) ended in a street fight and an arrest, the second (session 8) in a bribed release, and the third (session 10) was passive. The pattern is: hostile when crossed, transactional when paid, indifferent otherwise.

Known traits

  • Official, and for sale. They are “the police of Umbrafall”, the guards “supposed to keep Umbrafall safe” [4]. The DM adds that they are “getting paid by the mafia. They’re all on the payroll. They still do their duties” [12], an official body from before Umbrafall became what it is, which has taken a turn for the worse [13].
  • Quick with a sword. Two watchmen drew on the party as soon as they were challenged [14]. People who fight them “get wanted”, the DM told Hugo [15], and the jail clerks promised that if Vasquez meddled again he would “get the noose” [16].
  • Fast to answer an alarm. They patrol every street, and a flare brings reinforcements in closer to thirty seconds than a minute [17][18].
  • Bribable at the desk. The official price of a release, with belongings and a clean record, was 500 gold; the clerks took 150 under the table [19][20][21].
  • Stamped coin. Coins found with the forged papers in the Warrens carried Nightwatch stamps [1].
  • Posture towards the party. Hostile once crossed, willing to deal when paid, and otherwise uninterested. No follow-up to the session 7 fight is shown, and in session 10 their patrols let the party walk the streets unhindered [10].

Relationships

  • Umbrafall: the city’s official force, with the Nightwatch Jail as its holding house [22].
  • The Thieves Guild and the Shade Mistress: Hugo said the Nightwatch were largely under the Thieves Guild’s thumb [23], and the DM, speaking as Risa, said that if anyone controls them it would be the Shade Mistress [24].
  • Aurelian forces: Drew said the Nightwatch found out about the abduction of Mira Hale, and Hugo concluded they were being paid off by the Aurelians; the DM answered “yes” [11].
  • Glomangol Inn: its rule-board bans “Nightwatch business inside”, and the street is one they rarely patrol [2].

Notable named figures

  • Jorin and Harak: the two clerks at the desk of the Nightwatch Jail, who named the price and took the bribe [25].
  • Jack: a colleague the clerks blame for the “bitch-ass elf” log entry [26][27]. Nothing says he is the cellmate Jack.
  • The street watchmen: the two guards of the session 7 fight, unnamed [28].

History in the campaign

Session 7: Maelis Falls, Vasquez Captured

Main article: Session 7

Leaving the Whisper Coil Emporium, the party found two watchmen pulling an urn from a frightened young woman, later named Risa, and calling it city property [3]. Hugo was told to stay clear and kept out of it [29]; Vasquez judged the woman sincere, and Caelumn told the guards that the dead are sacred [30]. The watchmen answered that the urn was contaminated and had to be destroyed, and drew their swords [31]. In the fight one of them threw a flare that burst purple over the street [17]. Vasquez was cut down twice and left in their hands to be held for questioning [32][33][34].

Session 8: Bruise the Cellmate, the Succubus, and the Quarry Ghosts

Main article: Session 8

Vasquez woke in a Nightwatch cell, splashed awake with a warning about meddling in Nightwatch business [35]. Outside, the DM described the Nightwatch as a corrupt but official force on the mafia’s payroll [36][37], and Risa’s guess was that the Shade Mistress would be their master if anyone is [24]. The party chose to pay rather than break him out, sending Harvo, whom the guards had never seen [38][39]. At the jail the clerks quoted 500 gold, then took 150 under the table after Hugo’s Insight caught one lying about the cut [19][40][20][21].

Session 9: The Death of Harvo

Main article: Session 9

The Nightwatch do not appear in play. Terry’s player opened the session with a recap of the last one, which took in Vasquez’s arrest for interfering with the Night Watch, his prison name, Harvo’s bribe and the price coming down from 500 gold to 150 “in a gentleman’s agreement” [41]. It is the only mention of them in the session.

Session 10: Ruin Joins, the Aurelian Conspiracy, the Plate Armour

Main article: Session 10

Back in Umbrafall after the quarry, the party saw Nightwatch patrols pass without slowing [10], and Hugo, remembering the last fight with the town guards, agreed to go straight to the Broker [42]. At the Dawn Mercy Clinic the frightened worker Drew said the Aurelians had come for Mira Hale with papers, that he had burned the records, and that the Nightwatch found out; Hugo concluded they were being paid off by the Aurelians, and the DM said yes [43][44][11].

Status

As of session 23. Active in Umbrafall and out of frame. The last sighting is the patrols of session 10 [10]; the party left the city in session 11 [45] and has not been back. Whether Vasquez’s entry was ever struck from the log is not shown [19].

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 7, line 39: Coins stamped by the Nightwatch found with forged paperwork in the Warrens.
  2. ^ Session 7, line 854: Glomangol Inn rule-board reads "no Nightwatch business inside"; the street is one the Nightwatch rarely patrols.
  3. ^ Session 7, line 1207-1216: Nightwatchmen attempt to seize an urn from Risa outside the Whisper Coil Emporium.
  4. ^ Session 7, line 1212: Hugo's character-knowledge framing: 'the Nightwatch is pretty much whoever pays you the most'.
  5. ^ Session 7, line 1311-1409: Street fight; Vasquez arrested, flare-purple-explosion alarm raised.
  6. ^ Session 8, line 73-228: Vasquez wakes in the Nightwatch Jail; his cellmate Jack warns him off the Nightwatch.
  7. ^ Session 8, line 458-471: Harvo asks what the Nightwatch are; the party arrives at the Nightwatch Jail.
  8. ^ Session 8, line 540-581: The jail clerks Jorin and Harak offer release for 500 gold and take 150 under the table.
  9. ^ Session 9, line 56: (Table recap) Terry's player recounts the arrest and the bribe, 500 gold down to 150 "in a gentleman's agreement".
  10. ^ Session 10, line 436: Party returns to Umbrafall after s9; Nightwatch patrols pass without slowing.
  11. ^ Session 10, line 662-664: Drew says the Nightwatch found out about the abduction; Hugo says they were paid off by the Aurelians and the DM agrees.
  12. ^ Session 8, line 231: Inline citation.
  13. ^ Session 8, line 459-460: Inline citation.
  14. ^ Session 7, line 1248: Inline citation.
  15. ^ Session 7, line 1312: Inline citation.
  16. ^ Session 8, line 572: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 7, line 1375: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 7, line 1409-1412: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 8, line 543: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 8, line 562-572: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 8, line 581: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 8, line 471-472: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 8, line 173: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 8, line 174: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 8, line 564-572: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 8, line 540: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 8, line 555: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 7, line 1207: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 7, line 1217: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 7, line 1229-1236: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 7, line 1237-1248: Inline citation.
  32. ^ Session 7, line 1340: Inline citation.
  33. ^ Session 7, line 1537: Inline citation.
  34. ^ Session 7, line 1569: Inline citation.
  35. ^ Session 8, line 73: Inline citation.
  36. ^ Session 8, line 228-233: Inline citation.
  37. ^ Session 8, line 459: Inline citation.
  38. ^ Session 8, line 202: Inline citation.
  39. ^ Session 8, line 409-410: Inline citation.
  40. ^ Session 8, line 547-551: Inline citation.
  41. ^ Session 9, line 52-56: Inline citation.
  42. ^ Session 10, line 439-440: Inline citation.
  43. ^ Session 10, line 648: Inline citation.
  44. ^ Session 10, line 658: Inline citation.
  45. ^ Session 11, line 703: Inline citation.
  46. ^ Session 8, line 570-581: Inline citation.