The Watchers of the Wald

The Watchers are rumored to be a small group of around 20 individuals from all of the four districts and races who idolize the wicked darkness and torturous nature of the forest. They consider themselves fully “one” with Ersterwald and seek to obtain, even overpower, the demented soul of the forest - perhaps all of Argoll and those living within.
It is a hierarchical cult that began from the sick, starved mind of hunters and foragers wrestling against nature to bring back their resource quota. Days and weeks of toiling in the dangerous woods drove some to madness, and these people consoled each other about their recurring nightmares and fears of the mysterious forest that they felt they could never escape. Eventually, these few tormented souls met regularly in the woods during their workdays, sharing their thoughts about their helplessness and the power of the forest. They began to feel reverence for it, clinging to it like their only source of light in pitch darkness. The very thing that stressed them to no end became acceptable and expected, even something to be harnessed in some cases.
The Watchers of the Wald adheres to a strict structure, with the so-named “deacons” at the core of the group. These revered deacons hide their identities from everyone, even from those within the cult. Deacons are speculated to be elves who became infatuated with Ersterwald and its monstrous denizens, and they will often hold initiations for their inner circle of trustees that are bound until death to conquer and control nature with them. If one breaks the oath or otherwise fails the circle, they are brutally and almost artistically tied to a tree outside of Gadael in a place where someone would never find them prior to being consumed. A Memento Wreath is than weaved in memory of their sacrificed victim. Lesser members are aware of this fact, but very few have actually seen this or any other demonstration of power by a deacon enacted, besides the spell placed on gem deposit trunks.
The cult is suspected to keep artifacts, namely purple gems unique to others found in the mines. Although gems are kept locked tight by mages, some of them have been reported as stolen - purple gems, in particular. Lesser members are not allowed to possess these gems; any purple gems obtained must be left in a magically enchanted trunk buried outside of Gadael. The trunk is sealed so that anything placed in it cannot be removed unless a different spell is cast. As such, it can only be claimed by a deacon or inner circle member. If a lesser member keeps a purple gem for themselves and this is discovered, they will be sacrificed in the same way a traitorous inner circle member would be.
At least, this is what some say when questioned about the cult. Perhaps those who parted with this information are Watchers themselves, only speaking the truth?

Type

Secret, Occult

Demonym

Watcher

Divines

• Ugak Sathul