The Johns
The Johns are the guardians of the Yard in Baytowne, a weathered stone complex of learning halls, libraries, temples, and sleeping chambers protected by raised battlements and reinforced floodwalls. Every member wears a uniform tattoo of a blood-red heart inscribed with "Ve Ri Tas" running from wrist to shoulder on the right arm, embellished with additional detail as they rise in rank. The heart-and-banner design always remains at the center, marking every John regardless of seniority.
Their specialty is non-lethal takedowns. The Johns carry heavy metal hooded lanterns that serve double duty as weapons and dazzling tools, the flash of a suddenly unhooded lantern disorienting targets long enough for flanking maneuvers to bring them down. Maces and heavy pistols serve as backup when restraint is no longer an option. The emphasis is on control: the Yard houses priests, scholars, and visiting students, and the Johns protect these charges with methods calibrated to preserve life rather than end it.
The Johns operate under the influence of the Sainthood of Ashes, the dominant faith at the Yard. Among the scholars they guard is Isaac Winsor, a young Sainthood priest compiling a master ledger of the Yard's accumulated knowledge. The Johns ensure that Winsor and his fellow scholars can work in peace, maintaining order among resident priests and visitors alike with a combination of respect, restraint, and the ever-present promise that restraint has its limits.
Their specialty is non-lethal takedowns. The Johns carry heavy metal hooded lanterns that serve double duty as weapons and dazzling tools, the flash of a suddenly unhooded lantern disorienting targets long enough for flanking maneuvers to bring them down. Maces and heavy pistols serve as backup when restraint is no longer an option. The emphasis is on control: the Yard houses priests, scholars, and visiting students, and the Johns protect these charges with methods calibrated to preserve life rather than end it.
The Johns operate under the influence of the Sainthood of Ashes, the dominant faith at the Yard. Among the scholars they guard is Isaac Winsor, a young Sainthood priest compiling a master ledger of the Yard's accumulated knowledge. The Johns ensure that Winsor and his fellow scholars can work in peace, maintaining order among resident priests and visitors alike with a combination of respect, restraint, and the ever-present promise that restraint has its limits.
