The Stone Shields are Argentum’s city watch and civil defense. They handle ordinary crimes such as theft, assault and public order, and most citizens regard them as stoic servants of the people. At night uniformed Stone Shields patrol for drunken disorder and petty theft.1
Headquarters
The party was interviewed at Stone Shields headquarters on the morning of 25 Coldrise, 1714 PSF.2
Barracks
The Stone Shields’ barracks stand across the bridge east of the Silver Archives and south along the river, near the city wall. It is a fairly barren little stone keep, walled, with four watchtowers and the barracks proper inside, very like the Order of the Lantern’s barracks but smaller and less well kept.3 Stone Shields train in combat in its front yard.3 Like the Order’s, it has one main gate wide enough for wagons two abreast, and watchtowers whose outer doors can only be opened from the inside.3 Around the entrance are market stalls and little stands on open ground, and to the south is a market. Along the wall are planted grass and trees and a line of shrubs, part of an effort to make the area more hospitable.3
Argentum’s prison is a basement complex under the barracks, entered from inside them.3
History
Session 2
The Order of the Lantern took over the investigation into the Everfire Lamp explosion, and High Inquisitor Westra Saelis conducted the interview at Stone Shields headquarters herself.2
Session 11
Graffiti on a wall in Vault 18 of the sealed Underforge Vaults reads “Stone Shields gone. Watchful gone. Remember the names.”4
Session 14
The Tarnar Turnstone the Stone Shields had held was taken from them by High Inquisitor Westra Saelis.1
Session 16
Stone Shields seldom have to use lethal force, the Censor Marigold told Luma. Her mother served with them and retired.5
Session 18
Iva watched the barracks on 8 Nightdeep, 1714 PSF, for Silas Wintermist, in a guise none of the party knew, and noted the watch pattern on the walls and at the entrance.3
Session 19
On 9 Nightdeep, 1714 PSF, Iva learned a second route the guarded carriages of the Order of the Lantern take between the Order’s barracks and the Stone Shields’, longer than the first and going the other way around the city.6 That evening a Stone Shield in uniform nodded to Temerity at the Canal Markets.6