The Lord
The Lord - oddly enough is not the leader or social superior of his session. Far from it, as most Lords tend to originate as wanderers, hermits, and loners. Lords must serve many duties, such as engaging hostiles, distributing resources, pacifying allies, and protecting strongholds, none of which make him unique amongst his peers. Rather, it is his direct role with the Dark and Light Kingdoms which distinguishes the Lords from others, such as Knights, Heirs, and Guards. The Lord is expected to liaise between the Players and the Kingdoms, choosing to ally with either, identifying conspirators, as well as establishing and maintaining diplomatic ties with Denizens. As such, Lords are some of the first of their sessions to encounter Agents or Denizens.
Lords must overcome their asocial tendencies, learn to interact with others, and accept the heavy mantle of great responsibility (without necessarily gaining great power), or face defeat.
The Lord always either shows deference to the Heir, or chooses to usurp his position. There is no option of ignoring each other and working in separation. The compulsion to choose is integral to his development and the course of the game; “Lead or follow?” is on the forefront of the Lord’s minds from the very beginning. “He or I?”
Usually, Knights share strong bonds with Lords, often being the ones who benefits most from the guidance and resources supplied by Lords, with Lords counting on the support of their Knights in political situations in return. But good working relationships are not guaranteed, as Knights have been known to back-stab and oust Lords from their seats of power for whatever reason disturbingly often. What is guaranteed is a strong relationship between the two classes, be it in hate or affection.
Players of the Lord class also often have good working relationships with Seers, joining the Seer’s foresight and insight with the Lord’s connections to the best effect.
On the other hand, Lords tend to be wary of Witches for whatever reason, be it their inexplicable foreknowledge or just the fact that witches have strange and unsettling habits.
Possible candidates to take the Lord class were Charlemagne or Genghis Khan.
Traits
| Hand Of The High | Lord |
|---|---|
| Players of the Lord class are deep reservoirs of will, talent, and excellence. | |
| +2 bonus to Mangrit. | |
| Crafty Spirit’s Evaluation | Lord |
|---|---|
| Even if they are loath to use it, Lords develop great cunning and insightful perception. | |
| Any attempt to hide personal identity whilst the player is on the scene immediately fails. Not applicable if the player is not on the scene. | |
Talents
| By Their Works You Shall Know Them | Lord | Level 2 |
|---|---|---|
| The mysteries of others are transparent to the players of the Lord class. Their scale on the Echeladder, their tenuous place on their social scales, even their little rivalries and their petty squabbles; all are seen clearly with a stray glance. | ||
| By targeting an enemy and spending 2 Mangrit, you can be instantly aware of their place on their hierarchy, as well as gain a vague sense of any feuds the target has, and with whom. | Cost: 2 Mangrit | |
| Ring-Oath Of Skaia | Lord | Level 4 |
|---|---|---|
| By their unconquerable wills, Lords seal sacred pacts and ensure, through hell laid waste or high water, through meteor fall or fire affliction, that they be honored. Even pain and death cannot stop the Lord’s enforcement of the forsworn pledge. | ||
| Target: Varies (two to five). | Effect: When you witness an oath, you may shake or otherwise touch the hands of those who are party to it, using your Imagination to sanctify the pact. Those who break such an oath (including the player), suffer botches to critical actions equal to your Imagination score, as dictated by GM fiat. Alternatively, the oath-breaker may suffer damage equal to Fleetness. This effect only comes into play if the character is conscious at the time, but may continue to be in effect if slain by the oath-breaker. | Cost: 4 Mangrit |
| Breaker Of Bountiful Bread | Lord | Level 8 |
|---|---|---|
| At the touch of the hand of one of the Lord class, the land itself gives up its strength and bounty to its worthy Heroes. | ||
| At the cost of 8 Mangrit, take your current level and multiply it by a hundred, which becomes free grist. You can now transfer it to other players in equal or varying amounts, but you cannot keep any of it. | Cost: 8 Mangrit | |