Wardens of the Deep

Sentinels Below the Stone

“When the waves fall still and the caverns breathe, we listen. And we guard.”

Overview

The Wardens of the Deep are a secretive, autonomous faction that watches over the forgotten tunnels, blackstone chambers, sunken cities, and abyssal waters that lie beneath Ironspire and beyond. Unlike traditional military forces, the Wardens are a vigilant order of watchers, scouts, deepcasters, and sealkeepers who serve as the final line of defense against ancient threats buried in the underworld and the long-quiet ruins left behind by civilizations that predated the Flame.

Some claim they were formed by decree of an early Sovereign. Others believe the Wardens have always existed, emerging when needed and vanishing when the surface forgets. Their ranks include Stoneborn, Shadowkin, Tidelorn, and others suited to the deep. They are rarely seen in the light, but their warnings carry heavy weight when they surface.

Mandates and Responsibilities

✦ Abyssal Surveillance

Constantly monitor the forgotten lower reaches, especially areas beneath Ironspire and the ancient aqueducts.
Chart underwater tunnels, collapsed vaults, and rift-chambers deep beneath the known city.

✦ Sealkeeping and Wardcraft

Maintain, repair, or reinforce magical and mechanical seals placed to keep ancient horrors or volatile forces contained.
Guard forbidden gates, ancient reliquaries, and cursed zones beneath the city.

✦ Relic and Entity Containment

Retrieve or destroy dangerous relics, haunted machines, or arcane anomalies found in the deep.
Intervene in cases of possession, contagion, or entity breach from beneath.

✦ Deep Diplomacy

Occasionally interact with non-hostile subterranean entities, including draconic remnants, forgotten races, or living constructs.
Act as emissaries to the Tidelorn enclaves and deep aquatic peoples when tensions rise.

Ranks and Roles

Deepwarden – Leader of the faction, present at Circle of Flame meetings only when dire.
Abysswalkers – Elite scouts and navigators of the deep.
Sealwrights – Mages or engineers responsible for containment wards.
Gloomguards – Warriors and guards who hold the deepwatch.
Murkwrights – Specialists in cleansing corruption or decay.
Riftchanters – Oracles, often touched by the deep, who sense disturbances in the Veil.

Reputation and Relations

Hall of Cinders – Close cooperation; both understand the risk of hidden threats.
Hall of Law – A legally grey faction. Though respected, the Wardens often act without asking.
Hall of Echoes – Deep spiritual alignment; some believe the Echoes and Wardens share a common root.
General Public – Most citizens are unaware of their full scope or existence. Urban legends abound.

Secrets Whispers Claim:

The Wardens once sealed away a god.
The deepest vault holds a door that bleeds.
Some Wardens are no longer fully alive—but serve still.
The Forged were once used as guards in the deeps, but something happened, and now they are forbidden.

See also: Tidelorn, Hall of Echoes, Hall of Cinders, Forgotten Vaults, The Bleeding Door.