Legionem Custos

History
Though Atlantis is always viewed as a
perfect city, there was still crime in
the city. While the Visus Draconis
watched for signs of sedition and
traitors, and investigated foreign
threats, and the Ungula Draconis was
responsible enforcing the might of the
Awakened Empire abroad, they rarely
were involved in basic domestic crime.
This was instead handled by a subset
of the Ungula Draconis, the Legionem
Custos, or the Legion of the Guard.
Known more simply as Watchmen,
these mages originally rose to deal
with crime within the holdings of the
empire. The Kings of Atlantis
supposedly selected this Legacy to run
parallel to the major orders, serving as
a separate civilian force. Or so the
Watchmen claim. They also state their
original purpose was to only deal with
crime committed within the Empire by
Sleepers, until it became quite clear
that sometimes these crimes could be
traced back to Awakened
manipulators. As such, with the
blessing of the Kings, they expanded
to a general policing force. While the
Visus Draconis still dealt with grand
threats and worked to fend off
sedition, the Legionem Custos dealt
with the day to day crimes that were
not part of some vast conspiracy.
These could range from crimes as little
as a purse snatcher to hunting
deranged killers. But with Awakened
involve, even the smallest crimes were
never simple. Thus, once their
mandate was expanded to the

Awakened community, the Legacy was

also expanded. Thus, they no longer
were the perfected guards against
sleeper crime, but also able to disarm
and place under arrest their fellow
mages. This power was supposedly
originally derived from the blessings of
the Atlantean Kings, but though the
Watchmen support this claim, they
also claim that they never made an
Oath of Allegiance to the Kings.
Instead, they claim that the Original
Oath, as they call it, was to serve the
ideals of Justice and Mercy, while
protecting and serving the innocent.
They continued to hold to this oath
through the Fall, many dying to aid in
the civilian retreat from the sinking
city, and then sheltering the refugee
communities. Unfortunately, many
were lost in those first years, and to
this day, the Legion of Watchmen
remains more of a
Modern Day
While the Guardians now act as a CIA
or NSA organization, and the Arrows
primarily act as the militant wing of
the Pentacle orders, the Watchmen
instead act as a member of a civilian
police force. The Watchmen claim that
their Legacy was originally shaped by
one of the Atlantean Kings, and
though many scoff at such a claim,
there is no denying that the Legacy
grants its members significant power.
These powers, coupled by the refusal
by the Watchmen to play politics,
swear allegiance to any seat of power,
or seemingly seek to use their powers

for personal gain make most mages

innately suspicious and fearful. The
idea of anyone choosing to work as a
simple servant of the Law strikes most
mages as odd at best, and often leads
to these mages being shunned by
many consileums. However, those who
understand the Watchmen Oath and
true purpose know that that there is
no one better to have on your side
when hunting down a member of the
Mad or a Seer thief.

Joining and The Original Oath

Joining is tough. Only mages that have
shown themselves willing to serve
higher ideas rather than their own
power, who work to protect both the
Awakened and Sleepers equally, have
a chance. All mages are screened
repeatedly and extensively, but there
is no real apprenticeship period,
though most candidates are given a
ride along to see what will be
expected of them. Ethics are a huge
part of the exam, with the mages
response being tested in real life
scenarios. The Watchmen want civil
servants and protectors, not soldiers
or spies. An example of test may be
giving a mage a timed objective, such
as getting a package across town
within an hour, while being monitored
by members of the order. The mages
will then encounter seemingly
innocuous situations where a person is
in need of help. Those who ignore
these individuals outright usually do
not find themselves gaining entry into
the Legacy, though

Admission requires approval from

senior members of the Legionem
Custos. However, any Order or Path
can join, as the Watchmen technically
are independent. However, only the
Adamantine Order will allow members
to The Watchmen swear the Oath and
remain a member of their Order. As
such, any mages adopted from outside
the Adamantine Arrows into the
Watchmen usually find themselves
joining the Arrows shortly after rather
than be apostate.
The Oath itself has supposedly been
passed down from the days of Atlantis,
though it is taken in the recruits
native tongue.
In English, it reads:
I, [True Name], do solemnly swear to
defend the subjects of the Awakened
Kingdom without fear or thought; to pursue
evildoers and protect the innocent, laying
down my life if necessary in the cause of said
duty.
I swear to uphold the Supernal Truths of
Mercy and Justice. I will serve what is right,
and not the whims of a king or throne. My
duty is to be a shelter to the people and a
hunter of all evil that threatens them.
I shall not seek power for myself, but wisdom
and knowledge to better guard those under
my protection.
For I am the Law given flesh, and no injustice
shall go unnoticed.
Many mages wonder who the subjects are of
the Awakened Kingdom. This actually led to a
small schism for a time, occurring just after
the fall. Some Watchmen viewed their oath as
beholding them to no one, as the Awakened
Kingdom was no more. Others argued it only

applied to the direct heirs of Atlantis.

However, a vast majority made the following
argument, which is now accepted as the
proper interpretation in the modern world:

1. The Oracles were the last true

Atlantean Kings
2. They still live in the Supernal
Realms, as evidenced by the
creation of the Watchtowers
3. Thus the Awakened Kingdom
still exists
4. As all mages Awaken to these
towers through the Kings, all
Awakened are citizens of the
Awakened Kingdom till they act
against it or revoke this
citizenship (the Scelesti, Mad, or
Seers)
5. Since any Sleeper or
Sleepwalker may Awaken, they
are all nascent citizens and as
such care should be taken to
protect them and shield them
as well
Thus, nearly every Watchman will
work to protect all members,
Sleeper or Awakened, of the
community that he has taken
under his watch.
Furthermore, this oath holds the watchmen to
uphold Justice and Mercy in their truest
forms. Though this may seem to put them in a
quandary, it actually gives them significant
freedom in how they choose to pursue and
handle a crime. For example, these mages
dont often concern themselves with hunting
down and punishing a thief who steals so that
he and his family may eat. Instead, they may
work to get back what they stole to its rightful
owner while finding a way for the thief to
legally keep his family fed, such as helping
him get a job. They are usually much less
forgiving of crimes committed by Awakened

though, as they expect these individuals to

know better. Note, though they have lee way
in their decisions, they still must use these
principles to guide their decisions, and they
cannot be contradictory of the core of the
principal. Letting a Seer live who has been
disarmed and has surrendered would be in
line with both Ideals, but choosing not to
pursue a possible Scelesti who is suspected of
a ritual killing because they are an old friend is
not, and would be considered a broken oath.
The oath also precludes the Watchman from
seeking any power. Though power can be
thrust upon them (one Watchman was
charged with leading a Consileums Sentinels
against their rogue Hierarch), they never can
seek it out on their own. Any advice they offer
in an official capacity cannot be self serving,
usually precluding them from politics. They
also are not to pursue their studies for any
purpose other than to better protect and serve
their communities. Any blatant abuse would
constitute a breaking of their oath, though
somehow the Oath seems to recognize that the
Watchmen are human, and thus does not
break when minor foibles occur (such as one
Watchman who accepts a fresh pie from his
Consileum every major holiday).
Breaking the Oath
Breaking the Original Oath has some dire
consequences, as it is part of the actual soul
forging that allows the mage to become a part
of the Legacy. It is quite literally written onto
their soul, becoming intrinsically intertwined
with the souls very essence. As such, breaking
the Oath means the Watchman is rejecting
their soul. The effects are the same as if the
Watchmans soul was stolen, and they suffer
the effects of soul loss until they make amends
with their broken oath, or die. The only other
option is to surrender their soul and have
another take its place, thus freeing them of the
Legacy. As this itself comes with its own
complications, few pursue this option.

Note that the oath must be broken under the

Watchmens own free will, with full
understanding of what is in front of them.
Thus, using magic to force a mage to break the
letter of their oath would not result in this soul
loss, nor would using magic to trick the
Watchmen into harming those he protects
result in him severing his oath.

manner, they are expected not to dedicate

themselves to such a task. As this is the
purpose of the Mysterium, its members who
join this legacy can no longer serve their
former Order properly. The Mysterium will
aid this legacy though, as they recognize its
members are not likely to abuse the
knowledge given to them.

Views of the Orders

The Free Council

All orders except the Adamantine Arrow

revoke membership if one joins the Legionem
Custos. Why usually varies, but most at least
have the decency to lie and claim it is so as
their old loyalties dont distract or impede
the Watchmens new duty.

The Free Council has many reasons why it will

disown its members. Some view this legacy as
delusional due to its claims of Atlantean
descent. Others view them as Pigs and the
Po-po. Still others tell stories of these mages
hunting down members of the order when
they were still The Nameless. The last is partly
true, but these hunts were usually of mages
belonging to unsavory Left Handed paths that
were harming those Watchmens
communities. Thus, many of the Free Council
view those who join the Watchmen as selling
out. Coupled with the Watchmens Oath both
binding the members of the Legacy to a
specific path and hierarchy, it also promotes
the view of the Diamond Orders. Never the
less, it is rare to hear any of the Free Council
complain when a Watchmen takes out a Mad
created by one of their more enlightened
experiments.

The Silver Ladder:

The Silver Ladder views these individuals as
Stags, thinking them as giving up power and
caving to others rather than using their
powers to better themselves and stand near
the top. This doesnt stop young and idealistic
mages, especially those who have grown
disillusioned with the hierarchy of the Ladder
to seek out a different form of service. The
ladder does recognize the power that the order
has though, and thus will try and manipulate
it to its own advantage. However, this can
often lead investigations to their own doors,
which has definitely given some members
pause in pursuing such manipulations.
The Mysterium
The Mysterium doesnt dislike the Legionem
Custos. Their only issue is that its members
are forbidden from seeking out secrets for
secrets sake. Though Watchmen can seek out
areas of interest and magic in an off-duty

Seers and Scelesti

Both groups hate the Watchmen. The
Watchmens Oath prohibits them from serving
any throne or king prevents service to either
the Exarchs or Abyss. These groups despise
the watchers as dogged investigators into their
own affairs.