Of the sects among the Keepers, the Watchers of Clan Tarentum are one of the smaller factions, but have also produced many of the advances and insights in the powers of Necromancy. The Watchers focus almost exclusively on the study, creation and evolution of life and death, as well as existence beyond death. They utilize their own insights and the insights of their servants "from beyond" to cultivate new powers of life, death and destruction for Tarentum.
The sect of the Watchers has generally been directed personally by the dark and powerful Master Zero. It has been his voice that speaks for the Watchers, and he who gives direction to them. In recent times, with Master Zero frequently spending more and more time away from the Clan to seek out Phalanthus, Master Bloodfyre has taken it upon himself to fill Master Zero's role until he returns. The Watchers do not act as a whole; rather, they have unifying goals to achieve, and recognize a duty to assist and take tasks from Master Zero or Master Bloodfyre. As a whole, the Watchers recognize the more public power and direction of the Death Dealers over the Clan, but there are some Watchers who have stepped up to influence the Clan’s leadership personally; Master Bloodfyre, twice Consul of the Clan, is one of the Watchers.
Into The Darkness
The majority of Tarentum tends to follow the path of the Death Dealers. The more-direct applications of death, and even the physical addiction to killing and torture that sometimes follows the Dealers is a strong drug, and is amazingly inviting to the darkest members of the Brotherhood. For the Watchers, the motivations are perhaps more... subtle. The typical Watcher joins the sect for the power of knowledge, and perhaps for the emotional stimulation of holding the powers of existence within the palms of their hands.
Those who choose to step onto the path of the Watchers do so in darkness. Tarenti who communicate their wishes to join the Watchers are snatched from their rooms, or vanish from missions, or other scenarios. They are taken blindfolded and gagged, and brought to The Sanctuary. No member of Tarentum has ever revealed the location of this stronghold to anyone outside of the Clan, but it is whispered that The Sanctuary is home to two of the most powerful Necromancers known, Masters Shade and Tel'Ratha. Within the Sanctuary, the prospective Watcher is forced to undergo trials by these mentors of the Watchers. Failed candidates are said to have their souls stripped from their flesh, and bound to the power and will of another Watcher. Those who are accepted into the sect spend a month in constant study within The Sanctuary, and are then returned to their House leaders, who assist the new Watcher in find a new mentor to train with in the darkest arts.
Once a Tarenti is accepted into the Watchers sect, they are bound both to the goals of the sect, and to continued service to the Clan's ascension.
Goals of the Watchers
Every new member of the sect is initiated into the knowledge and practices of the Watchers, and are also instructed in the goals of the sect. The general goals of the Watchers are as follows.
1) The study of existence. The Watchers have their own “preferred” areas of existence to study, but as a whole, they seek to understand all levels of existence, from life, death, and more, to empower themselves and Tarentum. Most often, Watchers will “cultivate” pets across the various stages of existence; most Watchers have living pets, undead pets, spirit pets, and others. Studying these forms of existence, and utilizing the viewpoints of their pets, helps them to understand greater facets of the powers they wield, as well as to create new methods of creating “life” or death, as well as influencing the various aspects of existence.
2) Explore the unknown. Part of the mystery of death and beyond is the fact that it is largely unknown. As a sect, the Watchers are dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the unknown planes of existence, as well as the mysteries of those entities who dwell there. Each Watcher is encouraged to delve particularly into death, and the plane of the dead, as much as possible. Though they study all forms of existence in general, it is believed that the greatest mysteries lay beyond the barriers of “life.”
3) Raise the armies of Phalanthus. Phalanthus is a mythical figure among all Keepers, but the Watchers especially look towards the return of their Lord. According to Masters Shade and Tel’Ratha, Phalanthus will need an army to do his bidding when he returns and restores the Keepers to their seat of power. As such, the Watchers have been commanded to raise his army. However, Phalanthus does not rely on some of the weaker undead that Tarentum is capable of creating already. Instead, the Watchers must prepare the army of their Lord, and learn to craft much greater, more powerful soldiers to serve Phalanthus. To this end, most Watchers believe it is their duty to experiment with the creation of the undead and the calling and manipulation of the Restless to raise the army of Phalanthus. Long story short? Sirrus and Steiner are doing exactly what they should be doing.
The Role of the Watchers
The Death Dealers use their powers in martial roles as often as the Watchers use their own powers in research and progression of existence. However, the Watchers have many powers and abilities at their disposal that sometimes find use during times of war. Many Watchers prefer to allow the Death Dealers to take the front lines, and enhance their more combat-oriented brothers from afar. And yet, there are those Watchers who delight in combat as much as life and death, and can be seen alongside the Death Dealers in battle.
Raising armies of mindless corpses or calling forth the Restless dead is often the role of the Watcher, who then acts to command the lifeless legions raised. Many Watchers will also accompany those in the front lines as they use their powers to turn the tides of health and life in their own favor, taking the life force and endurance of their enemies and transferring it to their own wounded. A Watcher may act much like a puppet master for his own Risen, but also in ensuring that the Clan's forces continue to survive and wreak havoc upon their foes.
The Watchers of Tarentum
Powers of the Watchers
While the Necromancers of Tarentum vary in skill and ability, there are some powers that are common among each sect of the Clan of Life and Death. The following list of powers are those used most-commonly by the Watchers, but each individual will sometimes vary according to personal tastes and which Master they learned from.
- Level One
- Level Two
- Level Three
- Level Four
- Level Five
- Call the Guardian (or)
- Summon the Soul
- Level Six
- Compel the Shade (or)
- The Underlings
- Level Seven
- Rise of the Favored (or)
- The Harrowing
- Level Eight
- Call of the Hungry Dead (or)
- Wall of the Dead
- Level Nine
- Call the Hordes of Anubis
- Level Ten
- Levels Eleven and Twelve
- The powers at these levels are held by so very few individuals, there are no real "common" powers among the Watchers. Those who attain these levels of powers may often create powers of their own, or utilize whichever powers best suit their preferences.