Guild positions: Masters of their (witch)crafts

[Wakshaani]

So, I want to thicken out the leadership of the Guild in Malifaux, putting a few faces at the top, ech with their own goals and ambitions, and I'm trying to think of what all roles need to be filled. If anyone wants to pitch in, that'd be faboo. 

 

GUILD GRANDMASTER

This is the top guy of the Guild. While the party line is that Enchanting is the way of the world and that we want everyone to use magic, the Grandmaster knows that this is a big lie. In truth, the Guild wantsto keep magical power firmly under their thumb and is willing to 'gently guide' new magicians to the style that allows for the easiest control... artificing. The machines need Soulstones to power them, after all, and who controls the flow of soulstones? The Guild. Teh Grandmaster is old, from a long line of arcane masters, and should be skilled but not neccessarily the most powerful wizard of the realm... he got here through cunning and ruthlessness, not raw power. He's good, but not the best.

 

MASTER OF THE TREASURY

Technically, this person runs the finances of the Guild. In truth, that job's given to an understudy. The Treasurer's -real- job is to monitor Soulstone production, flow, and use. As unofficial 'master of stones', their job is to look into any rumors of high value stones, keep an eye on prospectors to see if any uncover rich new supplies, and to set prices and levels for trade back to Earth. Surprisingly influential, but quietly. Aside from a high Soulstone skill, they don't need much magical power.

 

MASTER OF PRESTIDIGITATION

The classical 'Wizard' slot, and arguably the most skilled practitioner of magical arts in the Guild. Covets the Grandmaster's position, badly, but hasn't the political oomph to get there. Is given oversight over the Witch Hunters, tracking down wayward practitioners of Witchcraft.

 

MASTER OF SORCERY

Another classical "Wizard" slot, and argueably the most powerful practitioner of magical arts in the Guild. Covets the Grandmaster's position, badly, but hasn't the political 'oomph' to get there. Oversees the Nervborn Hunters, who are technically free agents, but who get bounties and sometimes asignments from here all the same.

 

MASTER OF FORBIDDEN ARTS

The Necromancer. Old, withered, apolitical, he's the head of the DeatH marshals who roots out Necromantic fiends. Some say he preserves his own life through forbidden arts, but, that's just rumor and heresay.

 

MASTER OF LAWS

Oversees both the labrynth of legal codes and the Guild Guard legions. Possibly a mundane, or at least was mundane until entering Malifaux. Easily the weakest magical force of the Guild, but also the most martial.

(Note: This might be split into two parts, one for Laws and one for Guards. Not sure yet.)

 

MASTER OF ARTEFICING

 

MASTER OF ALCHEMISTRY

 

This would give roughly 8 Masters, plus the Guildmaster (Who only votes when there's a tie?)  to handle the Guild's affairs. They'd meet rarely (And one or two would likely never bother to attend), generally handling their own personal fiefdoms as they saw fit. Still early in the thinking process, but ... thoughts?

[Shadowopal]

I like it. It makes sense and each having their own agenda gives lots of plot tie possibilities.

[Wakshaani]

Fiddled with it more at lunch, playing with the core Tarot bit.

 

GRANDMASTER (center) (( Gets  3 votes ))

Skill: Counterspell

 

MASTERS ((Gets 2 votes each)

West - Necromacy

North - Prestidigitation

East - Anchanting

South - Sorcery

 

SECRETARIES (( Get 1 vote each ))

North West - Alchemistry

North East - Arteficing

South East - Bureaucracy

South West - Treasury (Use Soulstones)

 

The Grandmaster has the basic Guild at his disposal, North gets the Witch  Hunters, West gets the Death Marshalls, South the Neverborn Hunters, and East the mechanical creations of the Guild.

 

From there, you launch into color. The Master of Necromacy, for instance, is a ormer slave from the South who used the forbidden arts during the War, but turned against them in the aftermath. He's one of the purest, most loyal members of the Guild, but he's in his 80's now, so they assume he's using necromantic powers t keep himself alive longer. It's "Acceptable corruption" in the eyes of teh Guild Masters (Even if he isn't actually doing it!), since they're very much "Do as we say, not as we do" types. He's good friends with teh Secretary of Alchemistry, an older man from "The Orient" who is known for his mastery of powders, teas, and assorted herbal remedies. The two often play chess togethr and chat, showing a comraderie that no other council members share. Of course, there are those who think the Alchemist is going to poison him and take his hiher-ranking position, but, intrigue is a whole other thing.

 

The Secretary of the Treasury is a woman, inheriting the role from her father who had no sons. She's got a fantastic eye for gemstones and jewelry and is known to attend all the -best- balls and galas in town, positively bedecked with glitter and gold. She's middle-aged and fighting it -fiercely-, but that's a battle that you can never really win. She's unmarried, so the role will be open when she passes... and there are some who'd certainly love to hasten that along.

 

More as this one unfolds!

[quindraco]

Remember, if you have a Master for each magic school, the Enchanting one will be more powerful than the other three politically, due to the explanation of the Thalarian Doctrine on page 223. Also, his job title won't be that. The Guild also seems to wrap Sorcery and Necromancy into the same department - Witch Hunting. More likely: *Master of Magewrights: Runs the Guild's primary corps of magic wielders, with a major interest in promoting the Thalarian Doctrine globally, including recruitment of new magewrights. Skillset: Counter-Spelling, Enchanting, Harness Soulstone, Bewitch, Leadership, Teach. *Master of Witch-Hunters: If the Master of Magewrights' job is promoting Thalarianism, this Master's purview is demonizing all other magical theories. He and his department have special dispensation to use potent Sorcery and Necromancy magic to these ends. Skillset: Counter-Spelling, Sorcery, Necromancy, Harness Soulstone, Barter, Intimidate. *Master of the Treasury: Publically, this Master is the chief financial officer of the guild, with a well-known interest in managing their soulstone reserves and acquisition of new stones, but secretly, it's also this Master's purview to keep the Guild's soulstones charged; he and his department have special dispensation to use Prestidigitation magics to keep anyone not in Guild's innermost councils from discovering why the Guild is always so free with donating resources to hospitals. Skillset: Counter-Spelling, Prestidigitation, Harness Soulstone, Convince, Deceive, Appraise. *Master of Logistics: Not everyone can practice magic - and those who do often need a support network, providing them with supplies, assistance, etc. This Master's job is keeping the Guild running on a real, practical level, making sure everything gets where it needs to go. Skillset: Bureaucracy, Engineering, Mathematics, Literacy, Alchemistry, Artefacting, Blacksmithing.

[Wakshaani]

The Enchanter is an interesting position. In the scheme I'm working with, the Guild exists to keep magic under their thumb and the soulstones flowing to Earth, where the Guild members mostly live. Those who come to Malifaux are a bit power-hungry and seeking a path of magic higher than they could get Earthside, but also live in a FAR more dangerous area. Even the Grandmaster, here, is ultimately subject to an "ArchMaster" back home who really runs the Guild.

 

So, the Enchanter position is one of subterfuge and lies. The Guild talks about 'magic for everyone' and crafting assorted Artefacts, but in truth, the high members of the Guild *don't* follow the Thalarian Doctorate... they want everyone else to, so that they have a magical power level that no one else does. Thus, they foist the Thalarian on everyone that they can, but ultimately it's a long con. Thus, the Master of Enchantment actually doesn't have as much political power as you'd think, since his main job isn't to build stuff and make awesome toys, but to convert every mage he can find into the Thalarian method, leaving 'real' magic to the elite.

 

So, publicly, the Master of Enchantment's the one that has a popular following and, in truth, he has an impressive weapon cache due to the assorted automotons under his control, so he could be thinking of a sort of coup at some stage. This isn't without risks, of course, as if he exposes the Guild's secret, then he's the one who's been in on it the whole time, so he has to find a way to get PR behind him. The other Masters, of course, are equally wary, and they tend to choose a patsy to fill that chair, just in case.

 

It's a tricky balancing act, and shows why the Arcanists can't just roll out and expose the Guild without proof, but also gives a reason why the Guild can't just -outlaw- non-Thalarian magic. Oxford Method is allowed, but the practitioners are watched and can expect regular check-ups from the Witch Hunters. "Is this your Grimoire? Is it your -only- Grimoire? Are you CERTAIN about that?" ... They're tricky devils.