04 Night's Watch.pdf - Chaos Bleeds

CHAPTER 1: The NIght’s WatchWall for the Night’s Watch to take in. Rangers occasionally bringback young orphans found while ranging, and these wildling childrenare brought up as members of the black brotherhood. Having knownno other life, they often support the “crows” faithfully even againsttheir former people and, as with all members of the Watch, it is theiractions by which they are judged rather than by how they came to jointhe brotherhood.Despite the wide differences in background and reasons for joiningthe Night’s Watch, a man learns that having someone he can truststanding beside him is far more important that what that man did orwho he might have been before he donned a black cloak at the edge ofcivilization. Most brothers care little about a fellow’s life before he tookthe Black—a man’s past, the nature of his birth, and the station of aforgotten family hold little importance when the days are filled with thethreat of wildling raids and freezing nights. For those who try to leveragetheir past, the adage of the nail holds true: the one who sticks outThe Mechanics of Traininggets hammered flat. The haughty, the proud, and the foolish are oftenrecipients of a corrective beating at the hands of the brothers-to-be—aneasy feat to arrange now that the Brotherhood’s numbers are few andplaces away from prying eyes are easy to find.A brother who shows that he can’t be trusted is as much of a threat asthe wildlings beyond the Wall. While it is a crime to attack another memberof the Night’s Watch (particularly an officer), such incidents happenon occasion. Furthermore, the woods of the Far North are vast, and life onthe Wall can be dangerous. Accidents happen. Usually, the rigor of trainingon the Wall removes such undesirable traits before they can become aproblem; such fratricide occurs only rarely among Sworn Brothers.TrainingBefore becoming a man of the Night’s Watch, a recruit must survivethe training grounds of Castle Black. The brothers-to-be are putthrough a brutal, fast-paced education as demanding mentally as itis physically. There are no separate classes, and no attempts made tolevel the field-those whose families could never have afforded a swordare trained alongside noble-born sons who have studied since theycould walk. This shared experience forges the bonds among the men ofthe Watch, despite the wide assortment of backgrounds that broughtthem to the Wall.Anointed knights, by virtue of their experiences, are not expected toundergo this training. They are expected to share the knowledge thatthey carry. Sadly, their presence has dwindled over the years. Now thereis fewer than one knight on the Wall for every hundred brothers.Martial training forms the core of a brother’s education. All menof the Watch are trained in the use of the longsword and heavy shield,and are expected to be able to use them competently even if they aren’tchosen to be rangers. The defense of the Wall is every man’s business.Brothers are also often trained in the crossbow, a weapon consideredeasier to use more effectively than the longbow. Such training is oftenrudimentary compared to sword and shield, and is often more a caseof allowing familiarity than working to ensure expertise.The master-of-arms at Castle Black is a precarious position—heknows what challenges the brothers must face as members of the Night’sWatch and must turn a mishmash of unrelated men into a smoothly operatingfighting force. To go too easy or to coddle the recruits only failsto prepare them, while pushing too hard may foster resentment or provetoo costly in the lives of unsworn recruits. Most masters-of-arms preferto risk being too rough, and feel it is better to have a few well-preparedbrothers than a surplus of fighters unable to handle themselves in combat.In addition to strengthening their bodies, the ruthlessness of trainingworks to reshape the recruits’ minds. Placed in harsh situations, withRecruits to the Night’s Watch are trained in Fighting, Marksmanship, and Will. Many brothers-to-be show a particular talent at one ormore area within these abilities and may have specialties in Long Blades (Fighting), Brawling (Fighting), Crossbows (Marksmanship), orCoordinate (Will).Training ends when a recruit can win against an average member of the Watch (Fighting 3), and can hold his own in a fight against 3 otherrecruits (Fighting 2). Additional tests may come from the recruit’s future branch of service. Rangers require a recruit to spend at least three daysalone in the woods with only their weapons and a bedroll (a Challenging (9) Survival test and a Routine (6) Endurance test, minimum). TheBuilders often use tests of cunning to hone their recruits, with puzzles and troublesome repairs (a Challenging (9) Logic test or Notice test.)10