Pretender Idea: Master Summoner

[rdonj]

Infernal Sorcerer? Demonic Theurg? Infernal Supplicant? Demonic Master? Horror Caller? Crazy Old Fool?

[HoneyBadger]

Demon Courtier? Lord of the Silver Tongue? Lord of Mysteries (as in the Greek "mystery cults")? Lord of Lies?

I'm reminded of LOTR's Wormtongue, and when Sauron was among the Númenóreans, when he could still "take on a pleasing form". A Pretender that rules behind the scenes as a sort of "worm at the core of the apple", that nonetheless inspires his people--but in the way that the serpent inspired Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden.

[Poopsi]

It´s not exactly a corruptor, at least a delliberate one, through he *is* a corrupting influence. It´s a combination of several models, really, but the basic idea is that he has a thing for sorcery, to the point of either neglecting his duties as a ruler, or overtaxing the peasantry to fund it (either or both will do. Both would result in unrest). Thematically speaking, this guy would be the head of the Illuminati circile in Ulm (or however they are called), or alternatively in Marignon, a Monarch that relies on the Goetic Masters a lot, and rides them to power.



The corruption is not really a delliberate attempt to screw up his realm (çuite the contrary, in fact, as, for example, in DomCanon the Goetic Masters play an important part in keeping the realm safe and powerful) ; rather, any resulting corruption is a result of the kleptocracy that those priviledged groups establish around the monarch. But he DOES foster it, first, because he doesn´t particularily care as long as it doesnt hurt his personal power(IE: attempting to coup him, or replace him, or whatever), and second, because he does care about keeping his blood mages happy, both because he is as fond of performing creepy rituals as they are, and because in no small measure he is relying on them as his personal army (in a way, they are riding each other to the top).



To put it another way (somewhat ICly): Pretender needs the goetic masters because they help him with his experiments, they keep his realm powerful and safe (and thus do provide a public benefit after a fashion), and personally support him against political enemies, so if now and then go to some peasant family, steal their gold, and kidnap their daughter to sacrifice her to some Tentacle Hentai Beast From Hell, well, **** the peasants. He needs blood mages far more than he needs inbreedous goat-herding simpletons. (needless to say, this kind of policy does not make him popular among the lower classes. And the high classes might ignore it normally, but wont be too thrilled either if at some point he rules against them to help his favorites)


There is one literary example I can think of, althrough it doesn´t stick l00% it´s close enough: Kaselyn of the Gire in "The Second Chroniçues of Thomas Covenant".

(BTW: and off-topic: I did not like TSCoTC, but I just remembered that character, and is a good example)

[Endoperez]

I think 8 unrest is a tad too much. I think 4 unrest would be enough.

Call him Wizzard, give him mapmove 4/ap 30, and morale 10 instead of the 30 most pretenders have. Discworld reference FTW!

[HoneyBadger]

This game does have a regrettable lack of Discworld references.

[Swan]

your pretender is a male?if not "la vecia" could be a good name.
la vecia is in italy(veneto especially) the name for an old woman that came from the night with hers demon and minions.
She bring fruits to good children,coal to the bad one and bring away with her the baddest to exchange it with satan.
Every year, the 6 of january she's burnt but she come back in the body of bad girls.