The Oathkeepers
Preface
The Oathkeepers are the government sanctioned law organisation within The Crossroads. They were created in the time when neither mortal sheriffs nor spirit-bound guardians could hold the line alone. They were forged from necessity and bound together common lawmen with supernatural Wardens under a single roof. No crime, whether from the hands of mortal man, spirit-casted being, or supernatural threat, would go unanswered.
Whilst the Oathkeepers answer to the Council they still stand apart as its enforcers, carrying the weight of unity on their shoulders and the hopes of a people to protect all that is good within the lands. The Oathkeepers are not merely keepers of the peace, they are also the bridge where mortal law meets the mysteries of the spirit-realms.
Command
The Commissioner (NPC)
The Oathkeepers answer first to the Commissioner, a post granted only with the Council’s approval. The Commissioner rarely sets foot on the street or in the courtroom; their duty is to keep the whole order from breaking apart. They are expected to balance the demands of mortal law with the claims of the spirit-realms, serving less as a commander and more as the living emblem of that fragile unity.
The Sheriff
The Sheriff is a position that is chosen by the vote of the civilians within The Crossroads. They stand as both the people’s lawman and the head of the mortal arm of the Oathkeepers. Their charge is to keep the peace, whether that means chasing down bandits on the open road, breaking up brawls before they into bloody feuds, or settling quarrels that threaten the community’s peace and order. The badge of office that they wear is the Iron Star and it is more than an emblem of authority; it is a constant reminder of the burden that they carry and the lives that rest under their protection.
The High Warden
The High Warden is the second command position that is chosen by the vote of the civilians within The Crossroads. They are the Sheriff’s counterpart and they carry the weight of those who walk as one with the spirit-realms. They are chosen from within their own ranks, the High Warden leads the charge against any supernatural being that would harm the order of The Crossroads, or threaten the balance. They carry with them their badge of office, the Iron Lantern, which is said to burn with a light not of this earth.
The Lawmen
The mortal division carries the familiar weight of peacekeeping. Deputies patrol the streets, settle brawls, and chase fugitives, and ensure the Council’s decrees are carried out among the people.
Chief Deputy: second to the Sheriff, the right hand in matters of command.
Senior Deputy: veterans who carry experience and often take new deputies under their wing.
Deputy Sheriff: the backbone of the force, sworn lawmen charged with daily order.
Special Deputy: a temporary badge pressed into civilian hands when crisis demands more than the Lawmen along can give.
The Wardens
The Wardens answer to the High Warden and keep vigil over the laws that touch the spirit-realms. They track oath-breakers, police blood-rites, and confront the things that slip between worlds. They are all born of humanity but have become tied to the spirit-realms through gift.
Marshal of the Veil: second in command, carrying the High Warden’s will into the field.
Warden-Captain: seasoned officers who lead investigations and patrols.
Warden: sworn enforcers and investigators, holding the line where law and spirit meet.
Lantern-Bearer: initiates, newly sworn, still finding their true roots.
Oathbearer: auxiliaries - mortals who, though not Wardens by birth, take ritual vows to aid them in their charge when needed.
The Oathkeepers are both shield and tether, tasked with holding a fragile peace in a world where the living and the spirit-born share the same soil. They stand as proof that law itself can be bound by oath, carried in iron and lantern-light alike.