Big Brother is watching you.
The Tyrant:
Crush those who oppose you… for your good and theirs.
Attributes: The Tyrant is a truly ancient Archetype that is channelled by many who seek absolute, unquestioned power. Unlike the True King, they do not draw this power from a mystical connection to those they rule over, and unlike the Usurper there is never any question of the legitimacy of their rule, often due to the willingness of most Tyrants to utterly destroy any opposition.
The Tyrant is easily seen as a negative Archetype. They suppress the will of their underlings to act independently and express themselves, and they foster a climate of violence, paranoia and favouritism. On the other hand, the works they leave behind them when (and if) they are removed from power can be staggering: the Pyramids, the Forbidden City, Versailles and much of Moscow stand out as examples. Whether by dire threats or stirring words, Tyrants can inspire a terrible and staggering will in their followers. The question is what they do with it…
Taboo: The Tyrant cannot share power. No decision with any major effects can be delegated to an underling. Although the Tyrant does not necessarily need to do all the hard thinking, every decision taken and every move made must have their conscious approval.
Symbols: Symbols of many organisations can be appropriated for use by Tyrants – governmental seals, religious symbols and corporate logos are all suitable. Prominent depictions of the Tyrant serve both as symbols and tools (see below). Large, angular stone (or concrete these days) buildings also seem to be popular.
Masks: MacBeth (Shakespearean), Kronos and Zeus (Greek), Ra (Egyptian), Big Brother (Orwell), Blofeld (James Bond).
Suspected Avatars in History: Stalin fits the archetype to such a degree that many clued-in dukes believe he was at least a Godwalker. It is entirely possible that he deposed the previous Archetype, ascending on his deathbed (if he even died… the circumstances surrounding the end of his life have never been clear). If this is true, the recent tendency of Tyrants to adopt uniforms and moustaches may be more than a historical accident. Other Tyrants in history include Rameses II and Vlad Dracula (the Impaler).
Channels:
1 – 50%: The Tyrant can inspire fear in any of their minions. This group can be anything from the Late Shift at the local Scotsman, to the 2nd Battalion, to the Marketing Department, to the entire USSR, but it must be clearly definable. A neighbourhood in which most residents aren’t aware of who the Tyrant is doesn’t cut it. When speaking to a minion, the Tyrant can make an Avatar: The Tyrant check to cause a stress check against Violence (by directly threatening the hapless underling) or Isolation (by casually alluding to their being surplus to requirements for their grand plan). The check has a rank equal to the tens digit of the Tyrant’s skill. If failed, the target can only choose the Panic or Paralysis reactions. Frenzied rage at the Tyrant is completely impossible. In order for this channel to function, the target must be able to see the Tyrant. Normal intimidation will work over the phone, but magically inducing fear won’t.
51 – 70%: At this level, the Tyrant has sublimated their minions to their will to such an extent that they can be compelled to act with total disregard for their own safety and interests. The Tyrant must issue a command (using imperative language – requests won’t work at all) and make an Avatar: The Tyrant roll which is opposed by the Target’s Soul roll – the highest non-failing roll wins. If the target fails, they are compelled to carry out one task of fairly short duration (no longer than twelve hours, depending on the nature of the task and the amount of risk involved for the target). They can’t be commanded to kill themselves, but they will toil without food or rest, betray their friends and loved ones or charge directly at machine-gun nests across fraying rope bridges.
71 – 90%: The Tyrant can take advantage of the personality cults that typically build up around them to monitor their underlings. By making an Avatar: The Tyrant roll, the Tyrant can see through they eyes of any image of them. For example, a Tyrant could use a mural overlooking a major street to watch over that street, but they could only see what could be observed by the images eyes. The images field of vision cannot be altered unless the image itself is moved. The image must also be permanent – a statue, mural or picture hung on a wall on a long – term basis will do, but a graffitied picture or one on a banner that will be removed after a rally won’t. The Tyrant can also use the first Channel on anyone visible to an image, but the rank of the stress check is halved.
91+%: At this level the Tyrants hold on their minions is almost unshakeable. The Tyrant has the power to automatically foil any plot against them that they are aware of with a successful Avatar: The Tyrant roll. The plotters sell each other out to the secret police, get transferred to backwater branches of the company or lose the incriminating evidence against the Tyrant. While this power cannot directly bring about somebody’s death, no-one ever benefits by being its target. And that’s in addition to the fact that the Tyrant knows you’re disloyal…
I find it brilliant…
From the sound of it, this is similar to the old archetype of the Emperor (posted on this site). Since nobody by the Compte really knows who is in the IC, this could work as two theories about the same archetype, though the channels are different.
I kindof like that idea.
I always saw The Emperor as more of a conqueror figure – napoleon, Caesar, Alexander etc. The Tyrant doesn’t necessarily have to be going out expanding their territory, just ruling it with an iron fist.
There’s no denying that the two archetypes are similar, at least in symbolism, though. An interesting thought – what if one Archetype decided to try and expand its power by re-ascending as something else? It’s certainly a fairly Emperor thing to try, and Tyrants will do anything for a little more power.
That’s an interresting idea. I don’t think its possible to “re-ascend” as such, but maybe one archetype could gain power by destroying another.
Maybe The Tyrant is at war with The Emperor, and the weaker archetype can be reduced to a mere mask of the stronger. I wonder how long it would take the avatars to figure it out. Would their channels no longer work? Or would they slowly shift to being avatars of the victorious archetype?
And, another nice idea for the 5th channel of this avatar:
99%: All Tyrants follow your archetype, and as such, they follow you. And, of course, one defining feature of the archetype is its resistence to opposition from below. The godwalker of the Tyrant may consider any other Tyrant avatar as a minion for the purposes of the lesser channels.