The town watch used to be our protectors, now they're just ceremonial.
They parade, they fight each other and they patrol the old town walls during the solstices.
We don't quite know why they do the latter but apparently they've been doing it since 1257.
Something about Pagan invaders (the usual lark from a Roman based area) but nothing certain.
Their website says there are twelve of them, named and known to everyone but that's not quite true.
There are fifteen in reality but we aren't meant to acknowledge the three extras.
Known only as "The Grey Watchman", "The Lady Knight" and "That Watchman".
They're as much a fixture to the town as the rest of them but never properly discussed until now.
Let's begin with "The Grey Watchman".
So called for the colour of his skin, that sickly ashen tone with sunken bloodshot eyes.
Bloodshot everything really, the last time he was alive was during the Civil War.
He was a staunch Royalist, hit right in the chest by a rogue cannonball.
"The Lady Knight" lived many years before him and was one of the town watch founders.
Her legacy and body were partially destroyed during the days of the Black Plague.
They burnt her before she'd fully passed, full armour and all.
She walks about at night mostly, likes to hide from us but watch over us still.
And at last the final specter, "That Watchman".
He's the least corporeal, mostly shows up as a brownish cloud that's roughly shaped like a person.
You can still see his town sigil bright and clear as everyone else's.
It must have been the one thing he remembered most as he died, however he died.
He's never left his duties, somehow turning up at every town watch meeting along with the others.
They're a loyal lot, we'll give them that.
Much as we wish they'd shuffle off this mortal coil, something about their presence is reassuring.
Makes us think we might live on after death too.
They parade, they fight each other and they patrol the old town walls during the solstices.
We don't quite know why they do the latter but apparently they've been doing it since 1257.
Something about Pagan invaders (the usual lark from a Roman based area) but nothing certain.
Their website says there are twelve of them, named and known to everyone but that's not quite true.
There are fifteen in reality but we aren't meant to acknowledge the three extras.
Known only as "The Grey Watchman", "The Lady Knight" and "That Watchman".
They're as much a fixture to the town as the rest of them but never properly discussed until now.
Let's begin with "The Grey Watchman".
So called for the colour of his skin, that sickly ashen tone with sunken bloodshot eyes.
Bloodshot everything really, the last time he was alive was during the Civil War.
He was a staunch Royalist, hit right in the chest by a rogue cannonball.
"The Lady Knight" lived many years before him and was one of the town watch founders.
Her legacy and body were partially destroyed during the days of the Black Plague.
They burnt her before she'd fully passed, full armour and all.
She walks about at night mostly, likes to hide from us but watch over us still.
And at last the final specter, "That Watchman".
He's the least corporeal, mostly shows up as a brownish cloud that's roughly shaped like a person.
You can still see his town sigil bright and clear as everyone else's.
It must have been the one thing he remembered most as he died, however he died.
He's never left his duties, somehow turning up at every town watch meeting along with the others.
They're a loyal lot, we'll give them that.
Much as we wish they'd shuffle off this mortal coil, something about their presence is reassuring.
Makes us think we might live on after death too.
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