Underwatch

From Mizahar Lore

Join us, Sibling. Join us in the Passes that none but us will watch.

Abstract

The Underwatch are the organization dedicated to patrolling the tunnels that snake through the entirety of Cyphrus. From coast to coast, from Sylira to Eyktol, the Underpass webs out under the feet and hooves of the inhabitants above. Most go on through their daily lives without much more than a curious thought or a passing glance at one of the dedicated Pavilions, but to these dedicated men and women, these tunnels are their lives. They hold no place in the Drykas society above ground, often having never bonded to the Striders that their people treat with such love. Normally, members of the Underwatch are the unbonded population of Endrykas, which consist of those who are physically unattractive, physically or mentally impaired, or were of extremely low status within their Pavilion, often what a Foreigner would consider a "slave".

Underwatch members join the Underwatch as a sort of attempt to give honor to their name and family, as in order to truly become a Drykas, they must bond with a Strider and attain their windmarks. Those who join the Underwatch have their first and last name recorded upon the wall of one of the Pavilions, and inside one of the books. Upon taking the vow of the Underwatch, written below, the last name is covered over in black ink, never to be seen again, as the new recruit abandons his or her family in the search of honor and atonement.

Recruitment

When joining the Underwatch, the potential recruit will come to either one of the main entrances to the Underpass, or to the Pavilion that remains in Endrykas, and make the request. The potential recruit will then be sent into a room by themselves for five hours, without any food or water, to reflect on the decision they are making. Once they join the Underwatch, they don't go back. If at any point during the five hours, the recruit has a change of heart, he can simply knock on the door and speak the words: "I wish to remain in Syna's light", at which point he shall be allowed to leave with no questions asked. Understandably, this is what most recruits do.

Those who remain in the room for five hours, however, are retrieved by a Pathwarden, who, before moving from the doorway, asks them a single question, one that's words never change. "Are you certain that you wish to spend the rest of your days within Semele's gut, protecting those above from what lies within?" This is their last chance to back out. If they answer yes, the Pathwarden writes their name on the book and on the wall, and takes them to a fire, reaching a brand into it, whereupon they brand a symbol onto the back of the recruit's right hand. The symbol is an arch, like the mouth of a tunnel, filled with sparkling gems. Once this brand is burnt onto the recruit's hand, the pair goes into the tent, and erases the last name from the book and wall. They then speak the words: "I, (insert name here), swear to defend the Passes of the Drykas people beneath Cyphrus with my life and limb, in pursuit of personal honor, and in pursuit of honor for the family I have left behind. I shall follow orders until my dying breath. Until I die, I shall defend the Tunnels and the Passes. Until I die, I am of the Underwatch." Upon this action, the initiation is complete, and the recruit is officially an Pathwalker, an initiate of the Underwatch. The ranking system goes as follows.

Ranks

Pathwalkers are trained on the job to gain the skills necessary to be promoted to the rank of Pathwarden. Due to the deadly nature of the tunnels, few ever attain the Pathguardian rank. Those who reach the Pathmaster rank are truly masters of the tunnels, knowing each and every tunnel that the Watch actively patrols like the back of their hand, knowing the specific dangers of every individual tunnel. Due to the sheer amount of time they've spent, they've even ventured into some of the abandoned ones, using them as short cuts to escape danger, and as such, usually have plethoras of stories for Pathwalkers to glean knowledge from.