Night Watcher

Biodata

Background / History

The Night Watchers are an official protective organization tasked with containing supernatural dangers and maintaining public safety. In Grim Port, they investigate mutations, quarantine those exposed to deep-level mutations, and conceal incidents through coordinated cleanup operations when necessary. Their local base operates from Old John's Tavern. 15 38

After Lu Yuan survives contact with a mutated patient, Hans—captain of the Third Squad—takes him into Night Watch custody for observation. Lu Yuan passes a sanity examination and is subsequently recruited as a consultant, gaining protection, a salary, and access to the Night Watcher Library. 15 16

In Bronze City, the organization operates through a branch led by Deputy Chief Klaus. It has jurisdiction over Weird-related cases even when dealing with nobles, maintains patrols within the Tower of Erudition, and conducts evacuations of endangered students. However, Empire Headquarters pressures it to avoid direct conflict with the Tower, leading to the large-scale removal of Night Watch personnel stationed there. 160 148 154

The Night Watch can exchange service points for equipment and contractual protection. Lu Yuan spends 825 points on a Professional Alchemy Equipment Set and a Night Watch Promise, a one-year protection contract for a designated person. The organization honors this promise by recognizing Laurina Castor as a contractee and intervening against the Tower of Erudition. 153 154 156

As Bronze City's crises escalate, the Night Watch reclaims management of Outer City infrastructure, including the pipe network, drainage system, and copper-structure maintenance. Its forces are repeatedly spread thin across collapse points, evacuations, underground operations, and citywide defense. The failure of the Copper Wall's seal and the spread of corrupting Flesh further devastate its squads and defensive positions. 211 391 403 439 448

During the citywide Flesh crisis, the Guardian's pitch-black eyeballs destroy frozen Ghouls, special individuals, and spreading Flesh after the Person on the Wall's gray mist suppresses them. Although this intervention saves several Night Watch detachments, the Guardian subsequently loses his remaining human form and becomes the Fifth-Order aberration known as the Pale Eye. 450 451 466 470

Night Watch branches vary substantially in resources and accessibility. Grim Port's base is concealed, whereas Snow Owl City's large Northern Territory branch admits residents seeking assistance, maintains bounty notices and a public hall, and supports visiting Night Watchers with point exchanges, supply access, and identity verification. 46 522

Organization

Command and ranks

Squads and deployments

• First Squad — Commanded by Alice in Grim Port. 83
• Third Squad — Commanded by Hans in Grim Port; later reorganized in Bronze City for Ghoul-clearing operations. 15 191
• Ninth Squad — Clears Fungal Mat and Ghouls in the North Spinning District under Lu Yuan's command during the collapse crisis. 191
• Seventh Squad — Includes veteran members familiar with the Guardian's aura. 189
• Hidden Sentries — Defend Night Watch territory and external sentry posts; suffered losses against Ascension Society intruders and during the Bronze City crisis. 43 436
• Night Watch recruitment teams — Recruit candidates from settlements such as Guber Town through danger-response testing. 302 308
• Black Well Town branch — A small local detachment led by a Second Order Eerie Transcendent; it is unable to eliminate the Heat Eater without outside assistance. 514 516

Duties and Operations

• Mutation response — Quarantine exposed civilians, eliminate mutation sources, and assess sanity or infection risks. 15 16
• Investigation — Handle disappearances, supernatural crimes, contaminated evidence, and noble-related Weird cases. 160 162 164 169
• Containment and cleanup — Recover aberrant remains, use specialized body bags and alchemical agents, and establish mundane cover stories for supernatural incidents. 38
• Patrol and evacuation — Patrol dangerous districts and Tower of Erudition dormitories; covertly evacuate students targeted by Tower personnel. 142 148
• Civilian protection — Protect contractees, escort resident convoys, establish defensive lines, and shelter civilians during citywide threats. 156 191 391
• Recruitment — Seek candidates capable of reacting rationally or decisively to Eerie Transcendence. 302 308
• Cross-branch support — Require passing Night Watchers to report to local branches and provide mutual aid when local forces cannot contain an Eerie threat. 513 516 521
• Inter-faction coordination — Work with the Church, Holy Armor Army, Iron Guard Battalion, Ascension Society, and noble private armies when threats exceed branch capacity. 90 191 357 403

Equipment and Resources

• Night Watch badge — Identifies members and carries authority in places such as Sandworm Town. 121 124
• Dark gray uniform and captain's coat — Standard Night Watch attire; captains receive distinct coats. 156 385
• Silver greatswords and short swords — Used against mutated entities; Hans kills a mutation with a silver greatsword. 15
• Silver-plated firearms and bullets — Standard anti-supernatural weapons, though ineffective against some Lesser Ascendants. 158
• Alchemy Crossbows — Issued to Night Watch personnel for coordinated ranged engagements. 95
• Copper weapons and barriers — Includes all-copper weapons, caltrops, wire mesh, powder, and ground-based suppression measures used against Ghouls. 191
• Alchemy supplies — Ammunition, alchemical consumables, fire powder, grenades, potions, and specialized equipment can be issued or exchanged through Night Watch points. 153 154 191 198
• Night Watcher Library — A faction library accessible to approved members; its Book Spirit, Mo Shui, monitors and assists users confronting dangerous knowledge. 16 22
• Communication Crystals — Used for branch communications; can be disrupted by Eerie interference. 447 448
• Inscription Locks — Secure captives, including weakened Fourth Order Transcendents. 340
• Moon Disk — Used by branches such as Snow Owl City's to verify the identity of visiting Night Watchers. 522
• Restricted warehouses and protective barriers — Branches maintain secured material stores, including doors requiring two guards to activate separate controls simultaneously. 525

Relationships

• Lu Yuan — Recruited first as a consultant after passing a sanity test; later becomes an advisor, Captain, investigator, combat leader, and recruiter. His use of the Night Watcher's Pledge makes him recognizable to major branches. 16 160 181 235 302 522
• Klaus — Deputy Chief of the Bronze City branch; directs branch strategy, honors the Night Watch Promise, and entrusts Lu Yuan with sensitive assignments. 156 169 235 302
• The Guardian — A Night Watch predecessor and Bronze City's ultimate defensive force, whose Eerie transformation ultimately progresses into the Pale Eye aberration. 331 375 386 470
• Tower of Erudition — A hostile and politically protected institution that purges Night Watch personnel from within its ranks; its activities are a continuing subject of investigation. 154 256
• Ascension Society — An uneasy collaborator and rival; provides Born One support in emergencies while also infiltrating, threatening, and competing with the Night Watch. 43 106 191 403
• The Church — A frequent battlefield ally despite historical differences; its Nuns bless Night Watch defenses during Ghoul attacks. 194 195
• Holy Armor Army and Iron Guard Battalion — Allied forces that participate in joint defenses and underground expeditions. 90 235 403
• Empire Headquarters — An authority whose interventions often bypass or constrain the Night Watch, particularly regarding the Tower of Erudition. It cannot provide Bronze City reinforcements during the later crisis because of simultaneous breaches elsewhere. 154 169 256 438
• Snow Owl City branch — A major Northern Territory branch that receives visiting Night Watchers, verifies their identities, and provides access to bounties, points, supplies, and restricted materials. 522 525
• Black Well Town branch — A local branch whose members rely on Lu Yuan and the Blue Knight's assistance against the Heat Eater. 514 516

Major Operations

Notable Members

• Hans — Captain of Grim Port's Third Squad; a stern swordsman who recruits Lu Yuan after a mutation incident. 15
• Mary — Night Watch interrogator who administers Lu Yuan's sanity evaluation and recognizes his medical expertise; she can manifest a silver halo that empowers allies in battle. 16 60
• Old Morgan — Former captain and Third Order Transcendent of the Knowledge Path's Deconstructor Order; uses Structure Mastery to disable enemy weapons. 43 44
• Alice — Captain of Grim Port's First Squad and a Second Order Flesh Transcendent who wields a warhammer. 83
• Klaus — Bronze City Deputy Chief; strategic commander and protector of the branch's authority. 156 169
• Hogarth — High-ranking branch officer involved in Tower patrols, witness protection, and emergency responses. 142 158
• Raymond — Captain and branch leader who directs investigations into the Inner City disappearances. 160 164 169
• Glock — Captain who organizes collapse-point defenses and coordinates outside support. 191 201
• Boer / Bohr — Veteran Night Watcher who follows Lu Yuan's battlefield commands and assists with recruitment and convoy operations. 194 195 302
• Reke — Klaus's covert Fourth Order Weird Extraordinary operative, initially presented to Lu Yuan's squad as a Second Rank Night Watcher. 236 |
• Margaret — Fourth Order Captain who leads combat teams and secures prisoners; capable of manipulating water in battle. 330 340 429
• Leike — Fourth Order Eerie Transcendence user who fights using Swarm Insects and endures severe backlash in combat. 357 424
• Hooded Night Watcher — A captain-level combatant who transforms flesh into armor and bladed weapons, including an Eerie form known as the Pale Figure. 409 424 451
• Conrad — Captain stationed at a collapse point during the spreading-flesh emergency. 447
• Dunn — A recruit from Guber Town whose rational flight response to Eerie Transcendence earns Lu Yuan's approval. 308
• Jurgen — A recruit from Guber Town whose immediate armed response to Eerie Transcendence demonstrates combat potential. 308
• Norbert — Captain of the Snow Owl City branch who receives Lu Yuan and provides guidance on Eerie-related materials. 522 525
• Vera — Receptionist at the Snow Owl City branch who recognizes Lu Yuan and directs his identity verification. 522

Trivia

• The Night Watch's oath requires protection of a contractee regardless of location or suffering, with members pledging their lives if necessary. 156
• A Night Watch Promise is valid for one year and cannot violate Empire regulations. 154
• Lu Yuan's initial consultant salary is five Gold Shield per week, with mission compensation paid separately. 16
• Lu Yuan's use of the Night Watcher's Pledge causes his portrait to be held at major Night Watch branches. 522
• The organization is critically understaffed in several periods, forcing civilians to manage their own evacuation carriages while Night Watchers provide only escort and defense. 16 391
• Snow Owl City's branch is unusually accessible: residents may seek help directly, while Night Watchers can rest in its hall and accept posted bounties. 522
• Even a remote town may rely on a single retired Night Watcher as its only Transcendent defender. 325