The Watchman/

The Door in the Eye

The Watchman is a merciless Hour of knowledge and Enlightenment. It is believed that he was once the “Unwise Mortal,” who learned the arts of Flint and ascended under the Egg Unhatching. While not a proper god-from-Light himself, he is heavily connected to the Glory, and is prophesied to one day guide seven souls to ascend further in a Pilgrimage which will bring back the Sun-in-Splendour in the Second Dawn.[2][3][4][5] His aspect is Lantern[3] and his hour is 1 a.m.

He is said to have a triple origin as a mortal who descended from the Glory, and was once in the service of the Egg Unhatching, thus being Amber.[6] However, this claim is somewhat unreliable since it was confirmed that he may not be from-Light.[3][7]

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Events

The Lithomachy: The Watchman is believed to have become an Hour at some point during the Lithomachy, inheriting some portion of the Egg Unhatching’s power in the Glory after it fled.[2][6]

The Pilgrimage: The Seven will someday walk in the shadow of the Watchman and bring the Second Dawn.[4][5]

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Servants

• The Baldomerian/Teresa Galmier (?): The author of the Locksmith’s Dream, who frequently spends time at the Lodge of the Sage-Knight (somewhat speculative, but her interest in the Pilgrimage, status as a Lantern-Long/Name, and lack of a shadow suggest she may be in the service of the Watchman, or perhaps the Vagabond).[8][9]
• The True Sisterhood: A heretical offshoot of the Sisterhood of the Knot who followed the Door in the Eye and the teachings of St. Respicius, who was executed by ritual strangulation before he could ascend.[10]

Relationships

• The Flint: The Unwise Mortal, who likely was the Watchman before he ascended, first learned from the Flint before entering the service of the Egg Unhatching.[2]
• The Egg Unhatching: The dead god-from-Stone which the Watchman once served and likely inherited some part of his power from.[2][6]
• The Sun-in-Splendour: The Watchman is one of the primary Lantern Hours, and is heavily tied to the return of the Sun-in-Splendour in the Second Dawn. As such, he is also tied to all of the gods-from-Light and the “children” of the True Sun.[5]
• The Vagabond: It is said that the Vagabond will be the first of the Seven to follow the Watchman in the Pilgrimage.[4]
• The Chandler: A mysterious “future” Hour who will perform her own secret pilgrimage.[11]

Other Notes

• The Watchman is the Hour which the player ascends under in the standard Lantern ascension, a path continued in the Apostle Entheate legacy.[14]
• The Rite of the Watchman’s Sorrow is performed in his honor, with a sacrifice of knowledge that will be taken from one’s mind.[15]

Real World References

• The Watchman takes the place of the Magician in the Tarot of the Hours. The Magician traditionally represents intellect, skill, and bridging the gap between heaven and earth. He is the first card in the Tarot, and in the Fool’s Journey teaches the Fool to tap into his full potential.
• The Watchman is one of several Hours that gets associated with Janus, the Roman god of doorways, endings and beginnings who had two faces which looked to the future and the past. Teresa Galmier specifically ties him to Janus as “the Gatekeeper”, and she eventually concludes that, if Janus is anyone, they are likely the Watchman or the Meniscate.[12]
• The tradition of likening the Truth (as knowledge about the nature of things in contrast to mundane knowledge of the material world) to the Sun is prominent in the western philosophy, along with metaphorical "seeing" as the most direct and evident way of knowing things (see Plato's allegory of the cave or Aristotle "as blind as bats").[13]

Theories and Questions

• It is unclear how much of the Egg Unhatching survives through the Watchman. In the “Focus of Amber”, the author Omar claims that he is the Egg in some way, though the accuracy of such a statement is unproven.[6] More likely the Watchman simply holds some fragment of the Egg’s power.
• The Watchman is said to be like “a shadow cast by two candles”[16], in comparison to another unknown female Hour, perhaps the Meniscate. It’s possible that the two candles in reference are the Egg Unhatching, the Hour which came before the Watchman, and the Chandler, the Hour which may come after. Little concrete can be said about this statement currently, however.

In-Game Sources

1. We call upon the Watchman, who navigates We call upon the Watchman, who illuminates We call upon the Watchman, who is not compassionate 2. Read 'The Manner in which the Alchemist was Spared' 3. Illuminate Mysteries 4. THE INCURSUS 5. Read 'The Time of Division' 6. Study 'The Focus of Amber' 7. Inquisitions for the Demiurge "At least one Hour isn't a God from Light, but would like to be." "He is, I may reveal, a God-from-Flesh" 8. Summon the mysterious Name known as the Baldomerian 9. Ask Teresa about the Dream of the Key '...but as Lantern-long, I owe courtesy to your mentor...' 10. Read 'The Rose of Waznei' 11. IN THE THIRD MODE 12. Read this volume of the Locksmith's Dream, Discuss the Locksmith's Dream, Volume 4 13. Analogy of the Sun 14. Apostle Entheate 15. Rite of the Watchman's Sorrow 16. 'Perhaps, like the Watchman himself, she is like a shadow cast by two candles'

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