Knights of Queen Anne's Watch

Knights of Queen Anne's Watch
Area of Operation	Alba, Doomstadt, Inishmora, Warwick
No. of Members
Leader(s)
Established	1712

Overview

The Knights of Queen Anne’s Watch, colloquially often called “the Nights Watch”, “Knights of the Watch”, or “the Watch”, is a martial order dedicated to protecting the world from monsters and supernatural threats that would prey upon its people. It is an extra-sovereign order, acting to protect Alba, Doomstadt, Inishmora, and Warwick while not having direct fealty to any one of those nations. It is also not a police force, and strives to remain removed from the conflicts between nations and within the population of a nation, instead focusing on monstrous external threats.

Founding Principles

The Watch was initially founded to direct those without clear social roles towards a higher purpose – though they did not have a well defined role for themselves within society, they could dedicate themselves to defending against monsters and threats from outside that framework. Members of the Watch would swear themselves to this duty and sever all ties, family and title, with societal hierarchy in order to pursue this purpose. In return, society would forgive past sins, crimes, and obligations in recognition of their service. The Order was reformed and renamed in 2017 to become the Knights of Queen Anne’s Watch, encouraging the peoples protected by the Watch to offer respect and dignity to its members.

Lands of Operation

Today, the bulk of the Watch serves in the nation of Warwick, safeguarding the local population as well as the citizens of Doomstadt to the south of Warwick. The Watch’s headquarters are presently located at Fort Sentinel, just outside of Lyoness, in southern Alba. This facility serves primarily in an administrative capacity, though Alban Watch members often undertake basic training there. They also have smaller forces throughout Alba, with units in the major cities and patrols that visit most towns at least once a year; however, their presence is significantly diminished from decades past. In Doomstadt, a sizable contingent of the Watch is still stationed in locations around the borders of the Greifswald forest and in the northern cities, but their presence is smaller elsewhere in the nation. They have no members in southern Doomstadt, as the southern houses began impressing them into military service against the Queen during that nation’s civil war, and restoration of service in those regions has not been urgent. In Inishmora, the Watch maintains token forces in the five biggest cities and small patrols throughout the country, but is not a major presence. In Malay, there were once a small contingent of the Clerics in the cities of Marseille, Calais, La Rochelle, and Agincourt serving in a financial capacity. Since withdrawing from Malay, the only presence the Watch retains in that country are properties owned by the Order, which are maintained and managed by local agents not directly associated with the organization.

Membership Criteria

Any person, of any race, gender, or walk of life may join the Knights of Queen Anne’s Watch. There remains some lingering stigma directed at Goblins, Orcs, Ogres, and Half-Fae, stemming from historical conflict with members of those groups. This stigma is slowly decreasing over time, particularly with increasing acknowledgment in Warwick of goblinoid sovereignty over their own lands. Membership in the Watch had previously been for life, with deserters being hunted down and sundered without mercy; however, Lord Commander Hightower removed the requirement for a life term in the 2010s, a move which was later formalized in the 2017 reform. Volunteers serve for a period of five years, not including initial training, and receive a retirement purse at the end of the term. Criminals who choose the Watch over traditional sentencing will serve for either a stipulated period or five years, whichever is longer, but will also receive a retirement purse once their term is over. Should any member die in service, the purse will be paid to relatives. Members who wish to serve longer may renew their service; upon retirement they will receive a retirement purse for each term served. Despite this change, those joining must still rescind claim to title, allegiance, family connections, or property while serving, though they may regain such claims at the termination of their service if the authority from which it derives so agrees. While in service, they may not acquire new ties outside of the Watch, including title, family, or relationships, as their first and only concern must be the Order. They may still communicate with and acknowledge existing family members, but do so under the understanding that connections are scrutinized through the lens of commitment to the cause and absolute neutrality. A Watch member may not become involved in their family’s political matters. Deserters are still afforded the same harsh punishment.

Structure

The Watch is broken down into three branches: the Warden Corps, the Clerical Corps, and the Ranger Corps. Assignments are dictated by the capabilities of the individual; if they demonstrate particular aptitude during their term of service, members may be transferred from one corps to another.

The Warden Corps is the primary fighting force of the Watch, confronting most threats, and is the order with the most members. Individual members of the Wardens are stationed at specific posts, which act as their base of operations. Units within the Wardens are responsible for protecting the region around their posts, unless marshaled forth by a District or Regional Commander.

The Clerical Corps represents the logistical arm of the Watch, though they also fulfill certain specialized roles. The Clerics are responsible for allocating and distributing supplies; handling the maintenance of Watch forts and outposts, as well as their acquisition or construction; acting as field engineers; serving as clergy; maintaining the Watch’s vast library in Lyoness, as well as serving as loremasters in the field; filling the role of smiths, apothecaries, and scribes; and the multitude of other support jobs that allow the Watch to operate efficiently.

Most importantly, the Clerics are responsible for the financial concerns of the Watch. In previous centuries, this consisted primarily of soliciting wealthy patrons for donations and managing the funds allocated for them by the Imajickan crown. However, since the dissolution of Imajicka, the Watch has gotten very little money from the monarchs of the individual nations, and far fewer patrons have stepped forward with donations. As a result, they have become a mainstay of banking for the lands of former Imajicka. The Clerics maintain deposit ledgers and invest (not more than 20% of deposits) in other ventures, such as merchant loans, in order to make money.

The final order is the Ranger Corps, who make up the scouting and intelligence arm of the Watch, as well as some special or irregular forces. Rangers tend to be in the field the majority of the time, assigned to a specific task rather than a specific outpost, and operate individually or in very small groups. The majority of them are scouts, responsible for locating and reporting on threats rather than necessarily hunting them personally. Higher-ranking Rangers may also be tasked with handling monsters that require discretion (e.g. eliminating a vampire that happens to also be a member of the nobility), or even hunting down a fellow member of the Watch that has deserted.

Ranks

Unlike national militaries or other state organizations, rank within the Watch is determined entirely by merit. No consideration is given to which social caste a member was born into, who their parents were, or how much money they have, though inherent biases can clearly favor those who had the advantages of early education in arms or other skills. Within each corps, rank is conferred in recognition of capability and achievement, and just as easily stripped if the member shows a lack of judgment or command ability.

Each of the corps promotes rank internally, understanding best the criteria that signifies advancement for their area of focus. Being of a certain position in one corps does not grant authority over lower positions in other corps. The ranks within the corps are:

• Squire (Warden Corps), Apprentice (Clerical Corps), or Fieldsman (Ranger Corps): a new member who has just completed the basic training that all members of the Watch receive and has been assigned to a corps for additional training. Members who are transferred from one corps to another mid-career will generally also be demoted to this rank for their re-training period.
• Brother/Sister/Cousin: the common rank in the order, making up the bulk of the Watch. They are competent, but have not shown qualities that show advanced skill or command ability.
• Sergeant: the most common command rank. A Sergeant is given responsibility for small groups of Watchmembers, typically no more than eight. They will often be responsible for routine patrols in the Wardens, investigating a particular threat in the Rangers, or a specific project in the Clerics. Sergeants may be given command of very small posts.
• Knight [Warden/Cleric/Ranger]: accomplished, skilled, experienced members who have sworn a lifetime oath of knighthood. Knights are typically given responsibility over several Sergeants, though in more remote areas they may command a group more directly, and are assigned to more significant tasks, such as leading incursions into the Wastes, managing regional supply chains, or hunting specific dangerous monsters. They may conscript the temporary aid of the other two corps if they feel it is necessary, though they will be required to provide a justification to their seniors after the fact.
• Warden Commander, Master Cleric, Ranger Commander: the senior commanders of each corps, given large responsibilities (including command of major posts), and charged with overseeing the operations, strategies, and tactics of each corps.
• [Warden/Cleric/Ranger] Seneschal: second in command of each corps.
• Grand Master [Warden/Cleric/Ranger]: ultimate commander in charge of each corps.

In addition to the three corps, the Watch also has a command structure that oversees the unified operations of the Watch as a whole and sets the direction for the broader organization. The ranks of this command structure are:

• Post Commander: the commander responsible for a local post or fort. Post Commanders have authority over all members within their post, regardless of corps; however they also retain rank within their own corps. Typically, Post Commanders will be of Rank Knight Warden or Knight Cleric, or Warden Commander or Master Cleric for larger posts. Rangers generally do not serve as Post Commanders.
• District Commander: the commander responsible for operations within a small region.
• Regional Commander: the commander responsible for operations within an entire country or large region.
• Lord Commander: the ultimate leader of the Watch

Members of the Watch are formally addressed by their rank followed by their name (e.g. Brother Duno, Lord Commander Hightower). Informally, they often refer to each other as Brother, Sister, or Cousin, and the organization is not as rigid in enforcing formality as the state militaries are. Externally, non-members also often address the members of the Watch as Brothers/Sisters/Cousins.

Symbol

The Watch’s symbol is a gray sun (with either eight or sixteen points) on a field of black. Members do not have full uniforms, but must display the symbol on a tabard, surcoat, belt favor, or other visible location. Exceptions may be made to temporarily forgo displaying their membership when doing so detracts from their ability to complete a specific duty, particularly for Rangers.

Knights of the Order are entitled to wear a grey belt, usually leather, to identify their station.

Induction Oath

"The vigil is unending, and I am called to serve. I will defend this and all lands against encroaching evil. I will adhere to the principles of my order until I am called to die for them. I am apart from the polity of realms. Glory is not mine to seek, from fortune I abstain. I am guardian and sentinel, shield and blade. My past transgressions will hound me to righteousness. By my own will I pledge, to the Glory of Queen Anne, to live and die for the Watch."

It is the intention that the supplicant be of sound spirit and clearheaded when approaching this swearing. Additionally (particularly for a knighting or the swearing-in of a new member), it is traditional for the supplicant to undertake some form of spiritual cleansing, as time allows, from their sponsor, another Watchmember, or (in circumstances not permitting such assistance) an available figure of significance. This might involve sitting a vigil, taking time in prayer or meditation, participating in a ceremonial hunt, ritually washing one’s hands, or some other culturally appropriate ceremony symbolizing a fresh start. However, this may only be fully observed when forces are stood down and territory secure, else it deprive the garrison of forces maximally fit to serve.

In any swearing to the Watch, the supplicant must solemnly be summoned and kneel before their commander, holding their chosen weapon in salute either point to earth or across the forward knee. They must retain rigid posture, keep eyes high, and speak forcefully. This oath is to be repeated whenever a member joins the Watch, renews their service, or becomes a Knight.

COMMANDER asks: "Do you come before me to swear yourself to the Knights of Queen Anne's Watch?"

SUPPLICANT replies: "I do."

COMMANDER asks: "Do you now denounce and disown any allegiance to the crowns and powers of this world, forsaking all authority but that of the Order?"

SUPPLICANT replies: "I do so denounce it."

COMMANDER asks: "Do you swear to obey your commanders, honor your brethren, and act with conscience, humility, and chastity?"

SUPPLICANT replies: "I do so swear."

COMMANDER says: "Then repeat after me…"

SUPPLICANT may reply: "There is no need." (OPTIONAL. ONLY IF OATH MEMORIZED)

COMMANDER intones: "The vigil is unending, and I am called to serve. I will defend this and all lands against encroaching evil. I will adhere to the principles of my order, until I am called to die for them. I am apart from the polity of realms. Glory is not mine to seek, from fortune I abstain. I am guardian and sentinel, shield and blade. My past transgressions will hound me to righteousness. By my own will I pledge, to the Glory of Queen Anne, to live and die for the Watch."

Broken as follows:

The vigil is unending, and I am called to serve.

I will defend this and all lands against encroaching evil.

I will adhere to the principles of my order,

Until I am called to die for them.

I am apart from the polity of realms.

Glory is not mine to seek,

From fortune I abstain.

I am guardian and sentinel, shield and blade.

My past transgressions will hound me to righteousness.

By my own will, I pledge, to the Glory of Queen Anne, to live and die for the Watch.

COMMANDER replies: "For members of our Order, Duty owns our life's blood. I swear to command you with acumen and conscience, but never pity. I will spend your life dearly, and pay tribute in deed to the sacrifices of those who have come before you. I am honored to number you among us."

(if Knight): while SUPPLICANT remains kneeling, the commander moves to one side with two clean strides and whips the supplicant harshly, two blows with a lash (preferably, or what is to hand if needs must) across the back.) "Let these blows stand as justice for your failings, and for the misdeeds of the life you now leave behind." (returning to front) "Rise, Sir (NAME), Knight of Queen Anne's Watch.”

(Otherwise) "Rise, (RANK) (NAME)" (e.g. Squire Alice, Brother Bob)

After which, the commander will shake the hand or accept a similar salute of the supplicant and turn them to face the assembled, who should applaud gravely. In the case of a knighting (but not on the occasion of renewal of vows or first swearing in), they should be given a grey belt if possible, and those of the Watch in attendance should evince a half-bow to the new Knight. The Knight responds by not bowing in return, only accepting this tribute. Such tribute is never called for again between members, but may be offered to a superior officer or knight as a sign of formal courtesy. Failure to do so on any occasion except the ceremony of knighting itself is never a transgression.

Playing A Member

Playing a member of the Watch is difficult. They are tasked with seeking out all evil that would prey upon the peoples of the world and eliminating that threat. It is expected that player characters in the Watch would be diligent about doing so, while simultaneously staying out of conflict between national powers. The Watch is not to act against citizenry except in specific instances where those individuals are in league with another force that falls under Watch purview. For example, a Human that practices Necromancy or who is working with an invading monster horde from the Wastes is fair game, but a group of bandits is a matter for other authorities to deal with. Many times, a PC in the Watch will be unable to aid their non-Watch friends, because doing so would violate this separation of authority. They may defend themselves if attacked, however, regardless of the nature of the attacker. Just as with other groups of authority, the Watch must also tread carefully when crossing the will of local nobility. They may be in the right to do so, and may have authority granted to do so, but crossing local nobles could still cause consequences for the Order as a whole.

Society in general respects the Watch, but may be wary of them for their association with the things that go bump in the night. In recent decades the Watch had acquired a somewhat blemished reputation, but that has been improved over the last several years with major reforms. Players should consider the circumstances that brought them into the Watch. Were they a criminal sentenced to a life of service, a peasant that volunteered to escape their mundane fate, a traveler rescued from a terrible fate by the Watch and serving out of gratitude, a noble pressed into service by their parents to settle the issue of inheritance among their children?

A player character may start as up to a Brother/Sister/Cousin without approval, and it is preferable for the character to advance past this over the course of play rather than enter at an advanced rank. Any rank above this will require both a justification that they have suitable ability to attain that position (a 50 skill point character would under-represent a Sergeant, for example, or a character who is very shy probably wouldn’t make it far in leadership), as well as a character history that spells out what the character actually did to earn recognition. PCs that have rank Sergeant or higher are expected to send in reports to their commanders after each month of play.

There is not as much formality associated with rank as within the Army, and the Watch does not generally bother with pomp and ceremony. Higher ranks are acknowledged with a slight bow of the head rather than with a salute, and commanders rarely take offense at a lack of deference unless it is obvious the lower-ranking member is intending a slight. Competence is what gets promoted, so it is rare for commanders to display arrogance or entitlement. The upper ranks also understand that the Watch puts the most capable in command, and will remove command should there be a question of capability, so as a result there is little complacency present.

Most members of the Watch belong to the Warden Corps, and it does not require any specific abilities to be a member. In order to advance within the Corps, characters should display good combative ability, either in Warrior skills or Magic skills with a focus on combat magic, though some Assassin skills also wouldn’t hurt. Additionally, lores about specific monsters (Lore Were-creatures, Lore Undead, Lore Demons, Lore Fae, etc) would be helpful.

The Clerical Corps attracts members with specialized skills. Production skills are common, as are a wealth of lores. Magic users that focus on ritual casting rather than combat are also found predominantly in the Clerical Corps.

The Ranger Corps tends towards flexibility; members typically are not focused on only one type of skill, though Assassin and Thief skills are common. It is also common for them to be proficient fighters but with some magic skills, and they frequently have some production skills to support themselves when in the field. Many Rangers are lightly armored, preferring ease and silence of movement over steel to protect them.

For each month of play, a member of the Watch will receive a stipend for supplies proportional to their rank. There is not a full uniform for members, but PCs will be expected to have garb that makes their membership obvious. Membership in the Watch is usually for five year increments, at the end of which a retirement purse is paid to the PC, though they may renew their membership for another five if they wish. Characters are assumed to have no fewer than 3 years remaining in their term when they begin play. Achieving the rank of Knight or higher requires a lifelong commitment to the Watch rather than a five year commitment.

History

In 1712, the nation of Imajicka was ravaged by a re-occurrence of the Nul Magicus plague. This epidemic was much less devastating than previous ones, but the member states of Imajicka were still occupied with the disease. During the same year, a powerful Ogre Magus by the name of Agron Bloodeye first united many Ogre mounds within the Goblin Wastes under his control, then dozens of Orc tribes, and finally subjugated a multitude of Goblins and Kobolds. Preoccupied with the plague ravaging the lands, this growing threat from the Wastes went unnoticed in Imajicka.

Agron drove his forces south towards the lands of Doomstadt and Malay as winter set in. The lands north of Doomstadt, mostly Waste-blighted themselves, were nominally also part of Imajicka, but were too sparsely populated to pose much resistance to Agron’s forces. They did, however, provide advance warning to the rest of Imajicka and allowed forces to begin mustering in advance of Agron’s arrival further south. North of Doomstadt, in the lands that are now the nation of Warwick, was a small lordship of Fort Night (now Fortnight), which served primarily as a genteel prison. Dissent over Imajickan sovereignty was often present among the peerage within Malay, and especially within Doomstadt and Inishmora, but even many Alban nobles resented Alban resources being granted to the other Imajickan states. Additionally, non-inheriting members of noble families often posed a problem as they lacked a clear social role and would frequently contribute to unrest instead. To defang noble dissenters, Imajicka imprisoned them in Fort Night – a location remote enough to minimize their influence and impact, while not generating as much social ire as it would if the dissenters were executed outright.

Fort Night was directly in Agron’s path, and it was clear that Imajickan forces could not be mustered fast enough to defend the lordship. Lord Henrick Deyson, in command of Fort Night, decided to meet Agron in battle to buy the amassing forces time. He offered the genteel prisoners two options: they could stay and fight with him, or be taken south with the lordship’s non-combatants in the escort of a handful of his guards. The prisoners, being nobility, had received at least some instruction in martial skills during their upbringing, and many possessed significant proficiency. Despite having been imprisoned by Imajicka and relocated hundreds of leagues from their families to the outskirts of civilization, every one of them agreed to stay and fight.

Rather than fight a pitched battle they were sure to lose, they instead took the attack to Agron. In the early hours following midnight on December 22, Midwinter, Deyson and his force of noble prisoners struck Agron’s encampment. Certain that no significant force had yet been mustered to stand in his way, he was unprepared. Despite this, his forces still significantly outnumbered Deyson’s, and the Imajickans suffered heavily casualties. However, they succeeded in killing Agron himself. With Agron dead, Deyson and his forces retreated and allowed the invaders’ infighting to weaken their numbers, as they disputed who would be his successor. By the time the southern Imajickan forces reached Fort Night, Agron’s army were a fraction of their original numbers, with most either killed fighting among themselves or deserting and returning north, and the remaining invading forces were easily defeated.

Queen Anne of Imajicka, in recognition of the prisoners’ actions, pardoned all of the survivors. She also created a new order to protect Imajicka from the perpetual threat of the Wastes, while simultaneously giving an outlet to the young hotbloods among the nobility, and thus the Order of the Nights Watch was born, named for its first headquarters in Fort Night. Lord Deyson resigned his title to serve as first Lord Commander of the new organization, and most of the former prisoners gave their vows to him. Over the years the organization evolved, offering a purpose to non-inheriting nobles who were not inclined to join the clergy, an escape from mundane toil for peasants who wished a different form of service, or a path to redemption for ordinary criminals. It also moved from its role of simply guarding against threats from the Wastes to patrolling all of the lands of Imajicka, hunting undead, demons, and other monsters that lived among society. As Imajicka slowly gave up control of the lands north of Doomstadt, the Watch relocated further south. Their headquarters were moved to Lyoness in southern Alba, and a greater focus was put on threats within Imajickan borders. This made the Watch much more visible to the local populace, and it was seen as the force that faced threats that everyone else was too afraid to confront; regardless of their past, members were highly regarded by a society that they were no longer fully a part of.

Much of that has changed in the last few decades. The disappearance of King Richard (reign: 1988-1998) and subsequent battle for succession between Queen Olanna DeVane (reign: 2000-2001) and Helena DeWight decimated the ranks of the Watch. The Watch chose to enter the conflict despite it being an internal power struggle because they would not ignore Helena’s use of undead to wage her war; however, having moved towards combating monsters internal to the country, they were no longer accustomed to confronting large numbers of foes at once. A huge percentage of the Watch, including Lord Commander Marcus Hightower and all but one of his District Commanders, fell to Helena’s forces. Hightower’s third son Gregory, who had joined the Watch only three years prior to the war, succeeded him as Lord Commander. However, his advancement had come as a result of the ranks thinning rather than through experience, and he was ill-prepared to handle the political tensions the Watch would face upon the dissolution of Imajicka.

The Watch attempted to continue operating in all of the former lands of Imajicka as it had done prior to the war for succession. However, it no longer had authority deriving from a single unifying sovereign. To declare fealty to any one of the sovereigns, it would have to withdraw from the other nations. Instead, the Watch had to negotiate authority from every local power whose lands they operated in. Worse, very few volunteers chose to enter the weakened ranks of the Watch – the war for succession had killed many nobles and common people alike, leaving fewer people without responsibilities at home, and those that still lacked a title or family to care for had no desire to risk being stationed in some faraway nation. An Imajickan knew they were acting in the interests of Imajicka when they joined the Watch, but an Alban might not want to serve in Malay. Thus, following the war, a higher percentage of new recruits were criminals forced into the Watch as punishment for their deeds, and this created a stigma for the Order as a whole. Its ranks were thinned again in the 2006 war with the Lich Baron Hadrian of Briarmark, further reducing the number of skilled members. Until the latter half of 2008, the Nights Watch floundered, trying to find a path that would restore their reputation and their purpose. That path came with Alba’s annexation of the Duchy of Warwick. Serving on the border of the Wastes was a task that the Watch knew well. They chose to withdraw from Malay almost completely, freeing them from the politics that colored the cold conflict between Malay and Alba, and reached an agreement with both King Michael of Alba and Queen Dolosus of Doomstadt that granted royal authority to their goals in both lands. They further reached an understanding with King Logan of Inishmora which, while not directly granting them authority, absolved concern over their agreements with the two other monarchs.

One of the only components of the Watch that lingered in Malay was its entirely tertiary function as an international banking entity, which replaced past funding from the Imajickan crown. People who did not wish to travel with large sums of coin or gems could deposit their money with the Watch and receive a Note of Deposit in return. At their destination (or, more specifically, the closest Watch Outpost that managed deposits), the Note of Deposit could be presented to the Watch, and the person could get all or some of their money back out. The Watch also served as money changers, converting coin from one currency to another. The Watch began this practice in the major port cities in 2005, and it proved very successful among merchant captains. They later expanded the operation to most major cities within their operating area, and both the merchant caste and nobility store vast sums with the Watch.

However, after the resolution of the civil war in Doomstadt, particular nobles from Malay were implicated in a number of dangerous schemes including the attempted assassination of Queen Fumiko of Alba. Alba demanded to be able to try those responsible for this offense, but Malay shielded the conspirators and refused to negotiate. This led to war between Alba and Malay. Ordinarily the Watch would have no part to play in such a conflict, but high ranking nobility from Malay involved the Watch by attempt to force a Watchmember, previously a Malayan nobleman, to abandon the Order and return to Malay in order to claim to be the “rightful king” of Alba. The Malayan conspirators badly wronged the Watch in this process, and the Watch responded by withdrawing all of their remaining financial instruments from Malay. While this provided an enormous benefit to Alba in the conflict, and helped contribute to the end of that war, the Watch maintained that it was an an expressly and explicitly non-political act, solely motivated by Malay’s mistreatment of a member.

Between 2008 and 2016 in Warwick, the Watch suffered repeated blows to its reputation stemming from regional mismanagement and abusive sentencing that saw its ranks being bloated with unwilling criminals (particularly from Blackwater) that local governments did not want to devise a way to deal with. In 2017, the Watch reformed itself as the Knights of Queen Anne’s Watch, seeking to restore its original intended purpose and set better boundaries in its relationships with national governments, particularly that of Alba, where most of its operational territory was then located. This updated Order would include a rank of internationally recognized Knighthood. It would no longer accept the lifetime forced conscription by sentencing of criminals, which boxed it into the role of jailer and executioner for kingdoms that neglected their own process of justice. Instead, the Knights of Queen Anne would only take convicts specifically committed to reform and positive contribution to society.

Instead of immediate and total lifetime commitment, the new Watch accepted term commitments, typically of five years. People could squire to the Watch and leave again without being executed or forsworn. Only those deeply committed to the Order would be permitted to take the lifetime oath, and only those sworn to lifelong service could be eligible to become Knights. Additionally, members of the Order would no longer be forced to cut off all ties and communication to their family. This policy was a remnant of the early history of the Watch, intended to manage the presence of estranged and jailed aristocrats who needed to be separated from their family’s status. In those circumstances, continuing communication with their family was not a matter of personal relationships but a matter of politics, and was therefore forbidden. The new Watch determined that total isolation was not mandatory for their Order, and members no longer had to violate rules or risk their lives to exchange simple messages, communication, or even send money or gifts to their personal family. Members could still no longer marry or inherit, but were not forbidden from retaining relationships with existing family.

This new, more modern, order succeeded in both attracting a swell of new volunteers who believed in the purpose of the Watch, but also almost completely cutting off the flow of bitter and miserable criminals from places like Blackwater. Dignity and effectiveness were both greatly improved and became mutually reinforcing.