Overview / Purpose:
The Vigil is a small, disciplined cadre of fewer than a hundred automata devoted to maintaining and repairing the Forebearer at the heart of Haven XVII. Their goal is simple yet monumental: keep the colossal automaton from falling further into disrepair, and, if possible, one day awaken it. Every task they undertake—whether winding a tension spring, cleaning a joint, or patrolling the base—is an act of careful devotion. In theory, their work preserves potential energy for a reactivation that may never come, yet each adjustment is imbued with meticulous care, as if the Forebearer itself watches their every motion.
Operations / Methods:
The Vigil operates slowly and deliberately. Each movement, climb, or repair is measured to conserve precious energy. Their routines are highly structured: small patrols inspect designated sections, repair teams perform scheduled maintenance, and coordinators plan redistributions of kinetic energy scavenged from dormant machinery. Much of their effort goes into careful observation and preservation rather than dramatic intervention.
Territory / Presence:
The Vigil is concentrated around the Forebearer’s base, maintaining access points, repair scaffolds, and peripheral observation towers. While small in number, they are methodical in coverage, ensuring every accessible section of the Forebearer is regularly inspected. Patrols extend outward along key walkways, scaffolds, and nearby structures—but always cautiously, avoiding unnecessary exposure.
Culture / Beliefs:
Members of the Vigil do not worship the Forebearer in the literal sense, but their devotion borders on idolization. Rituals and traditions have emerged: routine inspections are conducted with ceremonial precision, tools and scaffolds are meticulously organized, and minor adjustments are treated as symbolic acts of respect. The Forebearer represents the highest purpose they can conceive, and every task is imbued with this reverence.
Resource Management:
Energy is a constant concern. The Vigil relies on redistributing motion from dormant machines and trading for Ticks, Chimes, or Strikes whenever possible. They avoid conflict to conserve energy, and their numbers and operations are strictly limited by scarcity. Every task, no matter how minor, is weighed against the cost in potential energy, making their work deliberate, slow, and highly prioritized.
Faction Relations:
Overall Position:
The Vigil exists in a state of careful dependence. Their mission—to repair and one day awaken Revelation—puts them at the moral center of Haven XVII, but their extreme energy scarcity and low numbers force compromise, restraint, and uneasy alliances.
Emberwrights — Strong Allies
The Vigil’s most reliable supporters. The Emberwrights share the belief that Revelation could be awakened if a sufficiently large and stable energy source were found. When practical, they provide excess manpower, thermal energy, and technical assistance. In return, the Vigil offers protection, coordination, and long-term purpose. This relationship is one of mutual respect and shared, if distant, hope.
Zephyrwrights — Respectful but Skeptical
The Zephyrwrights respect the Vigil’s dedication but view their efforts as premature. From their perspective, repairing Revelation without first securing a viable large-scale energy source is inefficient at best and wasteful at worst. Trade and cooperation occur occasionally, but the Zephyrwrights prefer to invest in sustainable systems rather than monumental restoration.
Conservators — Friendly, Realistic
Relations are cordial and cooperative. The Conservators respect the Vigil’s intent and provide historical context or technical records when available. However, they do not expect the Vigil—or Revelation—to endure long enough to see reactivation. Their support is measured and pragmatic rather than hopeful.
Salvagers — Tense and Necessary
The Vigil distrusts the Salvagers, viewing their opportunism and lack of restraint as a threat to irreplaceable structures and machinery. Nevertheless, energy scarcity forces occasional trade. These interactions are tightly controlled and transactional, often leaving both sides dissatisfied but functional.
Harvesters — Absolute Threat
The Vigil avoids all dealings with Harvesters. While former Sentinels among the Vigil make them a costly target—causing many Harvester packs to steer clear—any encounter is considered existentially dangerous. Vigil patrols will defend their territory but rarely pursue, conserving energy above all else.
Narrative Hooks:
Outsiders may be allowed to assist in repairs, patrols, or energy redistribution, but only under strict supervision.
Tensions can arise when Salvagers or other factions encroach on the Forebearer or disrupt energy sources.
The Vigil’s meticulous routines and slow accumulation of energy could serve as a long-term objective or a measure of time passage in a campaign.