If something is a danger, hit it with a stick. If it persists, hit it again. Hit it enough times, and it might think twice before it decides to do something like that again. And if you hit enough dangers with big enough sticks, you basically have peace. Crude? Maybe, but it's not like we have time to wait for something more sophisticated.

- Gordon Jameson, founder of the Neighbourhood Watch.

The Neighbourhood Watch is an independent collection of people dedicated to keeping the peace. More often than not, this takes the form of patrolling the last vestiges of human settlement, and making those who would disturb that peace regret it. While their main priority is to act as a deterrent to people, they have been known to take a stand against the local wildlife as well. Their effectiveness is currently limited by their numbers and equipment, so they are forced to prioritise what they view as the biggest threats to peace and survival. This means that it's not too hard to slip under their radar and a lot of disturbances go unpunished. However, the zeal with which the Watch treat their work tends to mean that those they do take note of very quickly come to regret it.

It should be noted that while there are a number of medics in the watch, their main priority is field work, for which they are in high demand. For this reason, the odds of a watch medic being on hand to treat civilian injuries is fairly low.

As things stand, the Neighbourhood Watch is a fairly disorganised group, divided roughly into Patrollers, Troubleshooters and Medics, although changing between roles as needed is not unheard of. Often armed with makeshift weapons, Patrollers embody the physical presence of the Watch, meant to act as a deterrent to those who would disturb the peace, and intervene should anyone be foolish enough to cause trouble. Troubleshooters are there to tackle specific threats, using investigative know-how to learn about their targets, then bring the Patrollers down on them. Medics are there for when anything goes wrong, usually to patch up those injured in the line of duty, or anyone else on the scene who needs it.

When tackling specific threats, the Watch tends to operate in cells for maximum effectiveness, an ideal cell usually consisting of a Troubleshooter, a Medic, and however many Patrollers are needed to get the job done. Cells tend not to be permanent formations, usually forming, disbanding and rearranging as current threats necessitate. it's also possible to be part of more than one cell, assuming one has the time to work multiple jobs.

• Gordon Jameson: Stern but passionate founder of the Neighbourhood Watch. Mostly does bookkeeping work, but it's not unknown for him to do fieldwork on slow days.
• Abigail Bruck: Cell coordinator. She's the one in charge of managing the cells and prioritising threats.
• Andi Koury: Chief medic. They're always on the lookout for new medical technology and techniques for use in the field.
• Zachariah: Quartermaster. Zachary is in charge of managing and testing the provisions and gear used by the Watch as a whole.