What Entitlement Should Your Lost PC Be In?

[ The Swords At Dawn -- Page 142 ]Quote: "I stand at the Wheel, and my actions will bring it to turn. For every one that rises, another must fall. For every blessing, a curse must be levelled. For every judgement, there must be a reparation. The innocent must be guarded, and the guilty must be punished."Titles: JudgesPrerequisites: Contract of Hearth 2, Investigation 3, Wyrd 3There is an essential imbalance in the world. The rich grow powerful off the labor of others, the poor work endlessly for little reward. Scions of "the right families" prosper while those born without connections must struggle, and brilliant but ruthless people crush their kinder rivals into the dirt. Success, be it fiscal, romantic, or social, even seems to be as much a result of chance as it is of talent.The Adjudicators of the Wheel are firm believers in the principles of fairness and justice. They look at the inequalities in the world and are filled with the need to balance the scales. However, the Judges do not believe in spreading wide-scale social change, at least not by themselves. Instead, they function on a much more personal level. Adjudicators are silent observers and meddlers, a cabal that bears witness to actions and metes out punishments or rewards as they see fit, and takes care that neither their beneficiaries nor their victims can trace their sudden shift in fortunes to anything but simple chance.The Judges hold to a philosophy that everything in the world changes, but is also in balance. For one person to prosper, another must suffer. For one to feel joy, another must feel sorrow. This is the nature of the world, and although it is a harsh nature, it is a simple truth. The most good, therefore, can be done by ensuring that the people who are prospering deserve their success, and those who fail deserve to be punished. This is a philosophy that many among the Lost find deeply disturbing. They would prefer to think that good luck doesn't require bad, and that they can be happy without someone else suffering for the experience. The Judges respond to such beliefs with an indulgent smile -- let the innocent have their fantasies. They leave the responsibility for their actions to themselves.Of course, there are other claims levelled against the Judges from time to time. Some say that they let their personal feelings strongly influence their decisions -- not just on moral levels, but on political or personal ones as well. After all, if a Judge is a devout Christian, why not promote the pastor at the expense of the atheist? If he is a fervent Marxist, why not corrode the authority of the bank manager and help the protesters? If he hears of a dispute between a friend and someone he doesn't like, why not just help the friend and hurt the rival, all in the name of balance? The Judges themselves claim that they view cases dispassionately, but many believe that such detachment is impossible.Ultimately, such claims are hard to prove. The Adjudicators keep the list of those they help and harm close to their chests, revealing their activities only to one another. With nothing but hearsay and conjecture to work with, the Lost have difficulty determining if any sort of bias exists, and indeed it may only be the secrecy itself that makes them expect it. For their part, the Judges are unconcerned with the worries of others. As long as their fellows agree that they are doing a good job, that's enough.

[ Lords Of Summer -- Page 43 ]Quote: "I swear to do all I can to encourage others to lead, rather than follow. To forge new paths rather than to blindly walk the old ways. To create, to combine, to experiment, and to let their own desires, rather than the complacent pap of the masses, be their guide."Titles: Bodhisattva, Agent of Change, Succubus/Incubus (intended as offensive, but rarely taken that way)Prerequisites: Wyrd 2, Wits 3, Fleeting Spring -- Cupid's Eye (1), Spring Court onlyMany of society's rules of social conduct involve restraining one's self within certain perimeters of behavior which have been deemed to be acceptable by the masses. While this insistence on conformity seems on the surface to protect society, it induces stagnation and punishes those who think outside the box. So, at least, runs the philosophy of the Broken Cage.The Bodhisattvas of the Broken Cage are entitlements dedicated to encouraging individuals (both human and Lost) to break out of the rut of habit, conformity and social acceptability. Depending on the individual Bodhisattva, this might be focused on a specific "cause," like encouraging illegal recreational drug use, pushing for "bleeding edge" fashion trends or inspiring new and innovative uses for technology. Alternately, it might also focus on a particular individual or group, either serving as a personal muse, nag or bully to a particular individual (and then moving on when he has gained enough momentum to continue his forward movement on his own) or by acting in a similar fashion for an entire subset of society. One Bodhisattva might dedicate herself to pushing those who are in abusive marriages to stop defining themselves in terms of their co-dependent relationships and break out on their own, while another might delight in tempting those of a particular religious order into thoughts, actions or desires which make them reconsider their sacred vows.While the Bodhisattvas are living embodiments of the Spring Court tenet, "Desire Inspires Growth," their methods are not always beneficial or even safe for those they choose to "help" with growth. Societal mores are sometimes in place for very practical reasons, and just because a Bodhisattva applies pressure to encourage someone to break out of their accepted patterns doesn't mean that she is going to be around to bail them out of jail, help them deal with the ramifications of broken oaths or catch them when their hastily packed parachute fails them at 20,000 feet up. Some Bodhisattvas feel a great deal of responsibility for their chosen charges, smoothing their transitions into new thoughts, relationships or lifestyles. Others adhere to the "throw them into the deep end" method of inspiring change, and may even take what most Lost would consider unethical or even abusive actions in order to ensure that their targets have little choice but to buck convention and move in a new direction.Note: It is abhorrent to most Bodhisattva to enter into a pledge which hampers their freedom in any way for any length of time. While pledges are sometimes used when a goal cannot be accomplished any other way, Bodhisattvas will go out of their way to craft vows with the shortest possible obligation on their part, preferring great immediate sacrifice over even minor lengthy constriction on their actions. This makes some actions (like Motley or Freehold Pledges) very difficult to maintain. Any Bodhisattva who is placed in a situation where her Desire runs contrary to an established pledge must make a successful Resolve + Composure roll to avoid choosing to break the pledge. Other Lost are unlikely to cut a Bodhisattva any slack for breaking pledges based on their unique philosophical views as a group, and the Wyrd certainly will afford the oath-breaker no extra leeway for following her whim over her word. Because of the entitlement's reputation as flighty, gaining Court Goodwill with other Courts is difficult for the Bodhisattvas. Court Goodwill gained after joining the Bodhisattvas of the Broken Cage costs 3 experience points per new dot level rather than two.