Restless Watcher
A Restless Watcher is a fiendish, mindless bodyguard that protects a chosen place. Its making is a basic infernal binding, a common ritual known to many infernalists, who use it to guard against intruders. None of its steps needs a spellcaster.1
The Rite of Watchers
The core of a Restless Watcher is a humanoid corpse. Infernal runes are first carved into its skin while the ritualist recites the Rite of Watchers, an unholy ritual found in most unholy texts. As the last words are spoken, the flames of the ritual fire blaze green, and the bargain begins.2
The usual price is two humanoid lives, but devils being what they are, haggling is possible: a skilled ritualist may bring the price down to a single sacrifice or something of equal worth, while insulting the devil during the bargaining can drive it up. Afterwards the ritualist feeds the corpse with the ashes of the bargaining fire and stitches the infernal runes into it with a rusty iron needle.2
Once the agreed price is paid, an infernal essence takes possession of the corpse and animates it. A ritualist who is gripped by fear at that moment cannot command the watcher, and if the animation goes wrong the watcher becomes unstable and turns on the one who made it. A watcher that is bound successfully follows its maker's commands as well as it can.2
On watch
A Restless Watcher is tied to a single place. On the first day of its service the ritualist walks it around the place three times; from then on it is aware of any sentient creature that crosses the edge of its station. It senses an intruder's presence at once, though not exactly where the intruder is, and it can never be taken by surprise. A single watcher can guard only a modest area.3
Watchers usually have a command word, and any humanoid who speaks it can enter the guarded place without drawing the watcher's wrath. Every watcher can handle any weapon, armour or shield. It knows all the languages it spoke in life and the Infernal tongue, and it sees in darkness, even magical darkness.3
Made correctly, the rite gives its maker loyal, unquestioning guards for any place they want protected.3
Notes
Sources
This article draws on:
- BoDBook of Dead(Bad Badger Games, 2024), pp. 93-94
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