The Five Finger’s Inspectors

Secrets of Five Fingers —A Watchful Brotherhood

To say that the assignment you’ve been given is a difficult one would be like tellin’ ya that gorax are mean. It goes without sayin’, and it’d be impossible ta really do it justice.

The people in this town are much like the finger channels it’s built on. Most folk aren’t bad, not really. There are countless folk on these islands just doing their jobs, scratching out a living any way they can. Tis on their backs this city truly rests. They’re like the Bold Finger and the Heir’s Finger, the well-traveled paths of trade and promise.

Some, though, couldn’t care less about honesty an’ hard work. They organize their syndicates, hatch their schemes, and hide their “businesses” of extortion, smugglin’, and theft. Like the boats on the Broken Finger and the Choked Finger, they got hundreds of places to hide their dark dealings.

There aren’t too many boats that travel the King’s Finger, and why would they? Between the nasty currents and the tidal whirlpools, it’s just easier to go some other way. No point in smashin’ up against Hullgrinder or Drowned Isle jus’ cause it’s there. Tis a fool’s mission, a path of danger with little to gain.
So welcome, friend, to the Watch Inspectors. Welcome to the Brotherhood of the Middle Finger.

— Watch Inspector Bertrand Ackerly

The Watch Inspectors of Five Fingers are a mere dozen men and women tasked with the monumental and thankless task of investigating the most serious and unsolvable crimes. Their job is fraught with danger, yet they persevere, as these underpaid and unsung warriors fight against the city’s widespread brutality and rising toll of unsolved murders. Regular crime is not the purview of the Inspectors, but is left to other members of the watch. The Inspectors are only assigned to crimes deemed worthy of the expense in time and resources to follow up leads: the murder of significantly important citizens or government officials (not including known gang or syndicate members), serious arson, or singularly large acts of theft or destruction. For every case an Inspector solves, ten more arise and never reach resolution.

Setup for Adventure

Here are a few ways for the PCs to interact with the Watch Inspectors in your adventure:

Afoul of the Law: The most direct interaction between adventurers and the Watch Inspectors occurs when characters commit a serious crime — particularly murder — and leave behind evidence of their actions. This can include eyewitnesses, personal belongings, distinguishing weapon marks, etc. Even what seems like “self defense” or an innocent scuffle that goes wrong can lead to murder charges, particularly if the deceased is someone of importance in the city. Adventurers in this position may have to scramble to cover their tracks or evade the Inspectors.

The Frame Job: High Captains and their minions are always looking for convenient scapegoats and the PCs could come to the attention of a Watch Inspector through someone else’s machinations. Newcomers and scrappers often fit the bill, and adventurers are frequently both.

Eyewitness: Adventurers may just find themselves in the wrong place at the right time and soon receive a visit from a Watch Inspector. Their involvement could be scrutinized to determine if they played a role, or they might find themselves targeted by the criminal agency as a means of silencing their testimony.

It Wasn’t Me: After drinking a bit too much rum, a fellow patron at a tavern or gambling hall could confide in the characters. Whether an innocent suspect or deceitful criminal, his inebriated words could lead them into cooperation or conflict with the Watch Inspectors.

Adventuring Lawdog: Some adventurers may enjoy solving crimes rather than instigating them, in which case they may find themselves working either alongside or under the supervision of an Inspector. However, the characters may find their assistance is unwelcome, as the Watch Inspector feels that that are far more of a hindrance than help. Adventurers may find themselves in a competitive chase with the Watch Inspectors on who can find the clues, and the criminals, first to claim the credit.

Method to the Madness

The Fingers Watch is a bit of a paradox. They are tasked with enforcing the law, yet their city’s prosperity relies heavily on the breaking of these laws. Most members of the Fingers Watch walk this line with few ethical or moral complications. The average Watch patrols seek to put out literal and metaphorical fires that occur in the streets of the city’s islands, but they rarely have cause to interrupt the shady business of the High Captains, merchant houses, and religious sects. Watch Sergeants advise their men that they can survive by sticking to the basics — keep the streets relatively safe and the buildings from going up in flames.

While the bulk of the Fingers Watch accepts bribes or participates in extortion, this occurs mostly at the street level, and few have any interaction with the city’s real movers and shakers. That dubious honor falls to those whose jobs reach past the city’s streets into the back rooms and darkened coves where laws are made to be broken — the Watch Commander, Watch Captains, and the Watch Inspectors. The high profiles of the Watch Commander and Watch Captains make them key marks to be leveraged by the High Captains. The Watch Inspectors, however, are not nearly as well known, almost invisible to the public eye, at least until they open the wrong doors or start questioning the wrong people. Almost every year, one or two Watch Inspectors “disappear” and their remains never found. Only their own organization notices or is in a position to act on this, but usually it is taken as one of the risks of the job.

The existence of the Watch Inspectors serves as a useful escape valve for the Watch. Those selected to become Inspectors are often considered the “troublesome” watchmen who have a hard time letting go of their values, turning a blind eye to petty corruption, or finding a way to work within the system. Others are stubborn and dogged in their pursuit of the truth, regardless of the consequences. “Promoting” such people to the title of Watch Inspector is a means to make use of their stubborn habits, while allowing the Watch Captains to distance themselves from politically charged investigations. When pressured by the community to solve a crime, the Captains can prove they have assigned an Inspector to the task.

Meanwhile, if an Inspector gets in over his head, or traces a lead too far, the Captains can fall back on their “ignorance” and turn the other way if the Inspector tragically vanishes. It is a given that many crimes go unsolved, and more often than not, it is the solving of crimes which causes additional complications and political difficulties. By keeping the Inspectors few in number and poorly supported, the Captains minimize the chances of such problems.

There are basically three types of Inspectors, each with a distinctly different methodology and life expectancy. First, there is the “timid survivor.” This type of Watch Inspector is the one most likely to live to old age, as they rarely put much effort into solving crimes that could lead to serious danger. They do a modicum of work, just enough to seem busy, but rarely follow clues to their source. While such individuals create fewer problems for the higher ups, their peers dislike them intensely.

Next is “the idealist,” easily the type of Inspectors with the shortest life expectancy. These individuals operate under the delusion that they can fix Five Fingers by sticking to the literal interpretation of the law and hunt down criminals regardless of the seriousness or relevance of their crimes. Some idealists are good investigators but are liable to step on the wrong toes and find themselves investigating the bottom of Broken Finger Channel while wearing a heavy chain.

Last, there is the “pragmatic sleuth,” considered by those in power to be the most rare and dangerous type of Watch Inspector. These individuals know the city inside and out, keep track of the intricate web of syndicates and their loyalties, and show utter patience and relentlessness in their pursuit of evidence. Knowing just how far they can push any given group and the right way to approach the judges, such Inspectors never make a case unless it is ironclad and waterproof. They have an instinct for danger and know how to watch their backs, proving very difficult to eliminate. While they may not solve every case that comes before them, their record is enough to guarantee a rough time for any criminal who falls into their sights.

Organization

The twelve Watch Inspectors are divided equally between the city’s three Watch Captains. Four Watch Inspectors report to Captain Gervis Sculler on Bull’s Island, four to Captain Sherill Ladway on Chaser Island, and four to Captain Nestor Parvolo on Captain’s Isle. While their base of operations is in this local watch barracks and they are generally assigned to crimes originating in their local area, Inspectors have tremendous leeway in the pursuit of evidence or leads. Therefore, their work may take an Inspector far from his typical territory, and the local Watch is expected to cooperate and see to his needs. In actual practice, it can be a challenge for an Inspector to receive adequate support in distant parts of the city, where he may have few contacts and influence.

However, most criminals are reluctant to interfere with a Watch Inspector, aware that one misstep could bring unwelcome attention.

The Watch Captains and Watch Commander appoint Watch Inspectors from among the lieutenants and sergeants of the Fingers Watch. However, Watch Inspectors are a notoriously eccentric and clannish lot and can make life unbearable for an appointee that they dislike. While the existing Inspectors have little formal say in an appointment, the only Inspectors that make the cut are those whom they approve.

Appointment comes with a small boost in pay and a badge identifying the newly named Inspector as authorized to conduct investigations. The official uniform of the Watch Inspectors is the same as any other Watchman of the appropriate rank, although few Inspectors wear their actual uniform except when it suits their needs. Each Inspector’s office at the watch barracks includes a seemingly bottomless pile of paperwork documenting unsolved crimes left by predecessors, as well as notes on the most recent assignments.

New assignments arrive in a continual stream, sent down by the Captains, the Commander, and occasionally even the Lord Governor. It is up to each Watch Captain to prioritize these assignments, often decided by political considerations, although many Inspectors ignore those instructions and follow their own nose.

Watch Inspectors, Reputation and the Insight

Reputation
The following PC Actions can affect a Watch Inspector’s Reputation Score.
- Close a complicated case +1
- Close a previously cold case +3
- Successfully convict a gang leader +2
- Successfully convict a crime lord’s lieutenant Successfully convict a High Captain +4
- Publically embarrass a superior -4
- Seriously improper conduct on a case -2
- Wrongly convict an innocent -5
- Subordinates killed under your command -2 per

Cover Identities and Reputation
Many people in Five Fingers have cover identities, aliases, and “alter egos” both for business purposes and to keep themselves safe from anyone seeking to do them harm. Any character with a cover identity (such as the class ability described in the Agent prestige class), has a Reputation score separate from their true identity. As long as a particular cover identity or alias does not get revealed to the public, the character can maintain these separate Reputation scores. However, if the character’s cover gets blown, so to does his Reputation score to those in the know.

Insight (WIS)
Insight is a vital skill for any character in Five Fingers. It enables them to call a bluff, follow a hunch, or even detect hidden messages. Additionally, this skill can be used to discern a given person’s true Reputation score. When Insight Skill check beats the DC by 5, 10 , 15 or more, the DM has to deal information about de real and true Reputation of target.

A Day in the Life

At the end of a shift, the Watch reports all grievous crimes that lack any clear culprit to their superiors. Those reports eventually make their way to the Watch Captains, typically with long delays and loss of information in the process. Watch Captains prioritize unsolved crimes in their district and turn the worst of these over to the Watch Inspectors. At this point, it is up to the Inspector to prioritize their own investigations, although old cases are continually getting bumped aside as newer, more important cases get heaped on the pile.

Watch Inspectors spend most of their time gathering information in the vicinity of the unsolved crime, seeking material evidence or witnesses. They receive as many slammed doors as helpful tips, but Watch Inspectors develop a web of useful contacts to lead them in the right direction. More often than not, circumstantial evidence and the word of a drunkard are all that an Inspector has to work with.

A Watch Inspectors daily life is fraught with danger. In addition to dealing with surly, uncooperative witnesses, there are the goons sent by various criminal elements to hinder their activities, random street violence, and finally, the possible culprit that the Watch Inspector is attempting to find. It’s a rare day that goes by when an Inspector doesn’t have to draw his sword or pistol, either to “encourage” an informant to spill information or to protect his hide from some scum or another.

Five Fingers Watch Inspectors
Secrecy: Public
Organization: Structured
Enforcement: Moderate
Size: Band (12 members)
Location: All three Five Fingers Watch Barracks
Operations: Agenda (criminal investigations)
Alignment: LN; Member Assets: 2,000 gp (good weapons and armor, exact asset value varies greatly from member to member)
Membership Requirements: Sergeant or Lieutenant in the Fingers Watch, nomination by Watch Captain, Watch Commander, or Lord Governor
Members: Lt. Eliza Blake, Sgt. Hagan Stopps, Lt. Priam Verrand, and Lt. Neville Worley (Bull’s Island), Lt. Martin Abernathy, Sgt. Kiley Finnigan, Sgt. Vern Paulson, and Lt. Barrington Worth (Twin Islands), Lt. Bertrand Ackerly, Lt. Aedan Lochlan, Lt. Roland Mantle, and Sgt. Dermot Vale (Captain’s Isle)
Notes: Watch Inspectors have the standing right to call upon watchmen from their district. Most Watch Inspectors are reluctant to trust the details of their cases to normal watchmen. However, each Inspector knows a handful of reliable and trusted associates to assist with legwork or provide additional manpower when making dangerous arrests or venturing into risky neighborhoods.

Watch Inspector Equipment

Watch Inspectors must equip themselves, receiving little support from their superiors beyond their small increase in pay. Accordingly, their equipment varies considerably between individuals. It is not uncommon for Inspectors to have more colorful pasts than typical watchmen, including among their number former Ordic military officers, privateers, and even reformed thieves. Lieutenant Worley (of the Lords District Worleys) has access to all manner of equipment, both mundane and arcane, while Lieutenant Abernathy (Twin Islands District) carries little but his tarnished cutlass and rarely has two plackpennies to rub together.

Typical Equipment: masterwork cutlass, masterwork military pistol, dagger, studded leather armor, armored greatcoat, 10 rounds of precision ammunition, and additional tools or equipment appropriate to former occupation and/or social standing.

Sample Watch Inspector: Bertrand Ackerly

Though the Watch Inspectors are all equal in authority, many look up to Watch Inspector Bertrand Ackerly (Male Thurian rogue 4/fighter 2/agent 3) as their unofficial leader and seek to emulate his example. He has a remarkable ability to gather information, reviled only by his capacity to relate to the people he serves. He is well-liked on the streets of Captain’s Island and is little short of a legend on nearby Hospice Island. His interest in solving crimes on that forsaken island is considered a peculiar quirk among his peers, but has earned him respect among the regular citizens to whom he has brought a sense of justice.

Bertrand Ackerly grew up in Coveward Bourg of Hospice Island. His family, like most in the region, scratched out a meager existence through hard work and determination. At the age of eleven (583 AR), a fire broke out on Black Sail Day, consuming several blocks before finally being brought under control by the overburdened watchmen of the island. In response to the outbreak, young Bertrand established the ambitious Volunteer Fire Brigade, a handful of human youths and one young gobber. Drawing crude pictures of buckets on their tunics, the group patrolled northern Coveward Bourg with small wagons of wooden buckets. They typically delivered the water to able-bodied men rather than actually fighting the fires themselves, but the presence of the young band brought something very special to the dejected citizens of Beggar’s Isle — hope.

Less than a year later, the Volunteer Fire Brigade was officially integrated into the Fingers Watch, making its members some of the youngest to ever serve the city in such a capacity. They primarily acted as runners and lookouts for the older watchmen, but whether helping maintain order, fighting fires, or even battling risen thralls from the Chatterstones, their youthful zeal continued to provide that flicker of hope born from the ashes of the 583 AR fire.

Over the next decades, Ackerly proved himself and was promoted to sergeant and later lieutenant. In 601 AR, he was named one of the twelve Watch Inspectors, and his post was moved (officially, at least) to Captain’s Isle under the command of Captain Nestor Parvolo. Recognizing the abysmal presence of the watch on Hospice Isle, as well as Ackerly’s popularity with her citizens, Parvolo frequently assigned Ackerly cases that would take him south. The two maintain a cool, businesslike relationship, but are steadfast allies when the city’s brutal politics seriously threatens either one of them.

In his first few years as a Watch Inspector, Ackerly laid low and ruffled as few feathers as possible, doing his job with single-minded determinedness. His background predisposed him to push hardest on cases to which few members of the community could openly object, including crimes such as arson and necromancy. When such open cases dwindled, however, he quickly became mired in politically volatile situations far outside his capability.

A visit from his childhood friend Lizeth Duranti provided an unexpected solution to his political troubles. Duranti, another former Volunteer Fire Brigade member, had left the Fingers Watch to join the Ordic Army and was appointed to their reconnaissance branch. While on leave in Five Fingers, she taught Ackerly some useful skills and gave him a number of local contacts before she was called away on assignment.

Though he initially hated the deception required for his line of work, Ackerly quickly came to appreciate the benefits of anonymity. He was surprised at the amount of information that could be gained while disguised as a random beggar or drunkard, and not as Watch Inspector Bertrand Ackerly. His most commonly adopted persona is that of Stanislav Ilyin, a wandering herbalist with a penchant for rum and song who is always willing to aid those in need. So far, no one has openly claimed to make the connection between Ackerly and his various aliases.

Ackerly has no particular allegiance to, or hatred for, any of the High Captains, doing his job and staying out of their affairs. If a situation arises that runs counter to their sphere of influence, he adopts a different persona, someone the High Captains and their men will never see again. Lt. Ackerly has some allegiance to the beleaguered Morrowans of Five Fingers and finds excuses to visit Father Gald Ronolvo at the Church of the Waters more often than his work truly requires. He doesn’t openly practice his faith, but is a devout follower of Ascendant Rowen and privately hopes that the Morrowans make headway against the corruption of Thamar in Five Fingers.

Though he vastly prefers to settle things peaceably, Ackerly can handle himself adequately when confronted. He typically calls upon members of the local Fingers Watch when he senses the potential for trouble and jumps right into the fray at their side to take advantage of any opportunities presented by his allies’ attacks.

Religion Morrowan: Bertrand Ackerly’s devotion to the downtrodden and hard-working men and women of Hospice Isle led him to revere Ascendant Rowan, because this receiving bonus when interact and speaking to the lower classes. He does not speak about his faith due to the religious climate in Five Fingers and his role as an impartial keeper of the law.

Rumor Has It: Inspector Bertrand Ackerly
Common (Teste Fácil): Ackerly is the unofficial leader of the Watch Inspectors and has a remarkable ability to keep his hands clean from political entanglements.
Uncommon (Teste Moderado): Although he hides it well, but Ackerly has a deep loathing for Thamarites.
Rare (Teste Desafiador): Ackerly is a master of disguise and does a good portion of his work under assumed identities. If the wrong people discovered his deception, he could quickly join the long list of deceased Watch Inspectors.
Obscure (Teste Difícil): Ackerly once saved a privateer with ties to the Cult of Cyriss. That cult apparently has some interest in the Watch Inspectors, although to what end is unknown. Though his mechanikal shortsword appears to be conventional mechanika, it includes internal Cyriss tech, which enables them to track his location.

Fonte: No Quarter 12