04 Night's Watch.pdf - Chaos Bleeds

CHAPTER 1: The Night’s WatchThe BuildersThe men chosen to join the builders often have similar characteristicsbroadshouldered and willing to work hard for little recognition. Theyare selective about their recruits, and often only picking one or two froman incoming group of a dozen. Better to have one reliable worker whocan be trusted to do it the first time, than a half-dozen who cannot betrusted to do their job well without supervision.There is a reason for this choosiness. The builders have the essentialduty of keeping the Wall repaired and intact. Once, long ago, they werealso charged with the maintenance of the few stone buildings that makeup the castles of the Watch but now there are too few builders to handlethe basic upkeep of those castles currently active along the Wall.Brothers who are called to join the builders learn the secrets of theWall, of the buildings along it and the tunnels that extend beneath it.They are the first to enter an abandoned castle, to verify the stability ofthe remaining structures, and they are the last brothers to leave, waitinguntil the last minute before they put into place the stone and ice thatseals the castle’s gate through the Wall. Likewise, builders are chargedwith keeping the forest from encroaching too close to the Wall. It isa difficult task at the best of times, but in the face of their dwindlingnumbers it is all the builders can do to keep back the trees from inhabitedsections of the Wall - in some of the unmanned stretches, treescover the ground all the way to the stones.The builder’s life consists of long periods of solitary quiet punctuatedby bursts of frantic activity. They examine the Wall for any flawor sign of decay, and should any be discovered they will congregate inlarge groups and work tirelessly to finish the job as quickly as possible.Often groups of builders will travel along the Wall, rotating throughthe castles as they study every stone and block of ice for imperfection.Their quiet lifestyle, and their tendency to be gone from the castlesfor long stretches of time leave the other branches of the Watch unsureof how to relate to the builders. As for themselves, they see their responsibilityas the most important of the brotherhood’s many tasks. Theycarry on in the tradition of Bran the Builder, and feel a particular affinityfor the history of the order—a history that is reflected in the stonesthat they handle as part of their daily labors. While the most insular ofthe branches, they are also the most open to working with the others.The builders carry an innate understanding of architecture that allowthem to recognize the value provided by each of the other branches tothe Night’s Watch as a whole.The StewardsThe least glamorous of the branches of the Night’s Watch, the stewardsare omnipresent and carry the most varied range of duties. Tasked withsupport and service to the rest of the Watch, they are responsible foranything not directly covered by the other two branches. More than justcastellans and accountants, anything the Watch eats, wields, or wearspasses through a steward’s hands before it reaches them. There are accountantsand castellans, of course, because those positions are essentialto ensure the continued function of the brotherhood. There are alsofarmers, blacksmiths, maesters, cooks, and any other craft or skill thatmight be required by the men on the Wall.Stewards negotiate trade and supply deals, and make arrangementsfor shipments that arrive either by the Kingsroad or through the Watch’sonly port at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Incoming goods are inspected andtypical builder statisticsAwareness 4 (Notice 1B), Cunning 3, Endurance 3, Fighting 3(Long Blades 1B), Knowledge 3, Warfare 4 (Strategy 2B),Will 3 (Coordinate 1B)Combat Defense 8 (5 in Armor) ❂ Health 9Intrigue Defense 9 ❂ Composure 9Mail Armor: AR 5 ❂ AP -3 ❂ Bulk 3 (Movement 3, Sprint 9)Longsword 3D+1B 3 damageOther Gear: Mail (worn in defense of the Wall), work toolstypical Steward statisticsAwareness 3 (Notice 1B), Cunning 3, Endurance 3,Fighting 3 (Long Blades 1B), Knowledge 4 (One Specialty 1B),Persuasion 3 (Negotiate 2B), Status 2 (Stewardship 2B),Will 4 (Coordinate 2B)Combat Defense 7 (4 in Armor) ❂ Health 9Intrigue Defense 8 ❂ Composure 12Mail Armor: AR 5 ❂ AP -3 ❂ Bulk 3 (Movement 3, Sprint 9)Longsword 3D+1B 3 damageOther Gear: Mail (worn in defense of the Wall)approved before being accepted, and other stewards see that the goodsmake it to their destination. Some stewards have even made inroads totrade with the more civilized tribes of wildlings, exchanging raw materialslike wool, wood, or grain for finished products like cloth or tools.It is impossible to pick a specific set of skills or abilities that reflecta ‘typical steward’ because there is no such thing. Someone assignedas the personal steward to a ranking member of the Watchoften has little in common with someone assigned as kennelmasterto the hounds, save that both are stewards and both wear the black ofthe brotherhood.Because of their idiosyncratic duties, the stewards often take the remainderof a class of recruits after the rangers and builders have chosen.Sometimes, a particularly gifted individual, or one with a skill of whichthe stewards are in need, is actively chosen from among the incomingmembers of the Watch even if it might seem that he’d be better suitedfor one of the other divisions. Those brothers chosen often vary in attitudeas much as ability—some are pleased to have a task that doesn’tinvolve risking their necks beyond the Wall, others are resentful or evenangry not have been selected by one of the more glamorous branches ofservice. Troublesome recruits, especially those brought to the Wall forcriminal sentencing, often end up with the stewards, where it is hopedthat the hard labor and constant watchful eye of other brothers willkeep them from lapsing back into their old habits.As with everything else about the stewards, they maintain a broadspectrum in their opinions of the other branches. Some hold the rangersin high regard, other view them as little more than leeches that siphonoff the fruits of the stewards’ labor and give nothing of value in return.Most, however, are more interested in completing their assigned taskswith as little hassle as possible and dedicate little thought to the otherbranches. Unlike the other branches of the Watch, the stewards also15