Hierarchy Status



he dead can be as hidebound and status-conscious as the living. The use of Status is deeply ingrained in the Hierarchy, and the myriad social and class distinctions among the Restless amply demonstrate this truism. Status is a combination of your Social Class, Deeds and Rank. Everyone is fearful to ignore this system of social and bureaucratic classification, because it is considered deeply offensive and disrespectful to ignore the Status of another.

For the most part wraiths’ Social Classes are distinguished by a combination of age, arcane power, and freedom of movement. Although social mobility and interactions are not unknown among wraiths, most wraiths ally only with those of similar Social Class, and trust only those who have proven themselves. Gaunts are particularly notorious for their cliquishness. Gaunts, who are able to leave the Shadowlands and return at will, are afforded considerably more respect than Domens who mainly reside in Stygia. Lemures occupy the lowest level of the freewraith Social Class by neither being able to leave the Shadowlands for long periods of time nor having sufficient age to be higher on the Social ladder. In general, the whole system of status is maintained by the Gaunts of the Hierarchy, who demand considerable respect from those under them. Gaunts receive +2 to their status pool for being Gaunts, Domens receive +1 to their status pool for being Domens, and Lemures don’t get any additional status because they are not yet old enough.

A legionnaire is walking with his patrol when they are jumped by a shade that harrows two of the legionnaire’s patrol and wounds several others. While others run away the lone legionnaire destroys the shade. This is a great deed and the legionnaire can be recommended for status due to his actions.

Keep in mind that one does not have to be a great warrior to gain deed status. A clerk who finds corruption within the Citadel (say embezzling of funds) could be awarded deed status. Such awards are only dependent upon the recommendation and approval of one’s superiors. This allows a manner for wraiths to be recognized/rewarded even if there is no opening or strong cause for promotion. Some legions choose to add a little flair to their deed status awards by adding a special name or classification (courageous, loyal, ferocious). This is fine but in no way necessary, as the deed is recorded in the same manner regardless of the reason for award. After a wraith receives four status points for his deeds he will likely be expecting a promotion within a short time. Whenever a wraith is promoted to a higher rank his deeds pool is immediately cleared and he must begin anew. He will then be considered rewarded for his deeds and repaid by advancement. Often it happens that two or more wraiths are vying for the same promotion. The number of deed awards is one of the first things that their superior will check before deciding who will promote, because the wraith with more deeds will automatically be chosen. In the case of an equal amount of deed awards, the superior will have to decide based on other factors. Key to note, however, is that someone of higher rank is always superior regardless of deed awards.

The final factor to status is rank. The Hierarchies’ use of military rank is more than just who salutes whom. Military rank is a badge of leadership. The responsibility for personnel, equipment, and mission grows with each increase in rank. To slight someone’s rank is to say they are a failure at these things. Each level of rank adds one to your status. Legionnaires are +1 status for being a Legionnaire of the Hierarchy. An Anacreon is +6 because he is 5 ranks higher than a Legionnaire.

There is one last addendum to status: Deathlords and The Unlidded Eye. Deathlords have +2 added to their status pool simply for being the Deathlord of their Legion, plus an additional +1 because their rank is 1 higher than the Anacreons on the rank scale. (Don’t get cocky if you’re an Anacreon just because you’re “only” one below your Deathlord. A Deathlord can crap bigger than you are any day of the week!) Deathlords are high-level NPC’s but are still technically within the status system. But… The Unlidded Eye NEVER does Status. They are above Status. They don’t have ranks. They have their duty. They don’t respect or acknowledge the status of anyone except Charon as the Emperor of the Hierarchy and their boss.

There are only three wraiths that may grant or take away status. That is the Anacreon, the Chancellor, and the Overlord. (The Deathlords may as well but you won’t run into them except for occasionally at regional and National events.) If someone is deserving (or not) of status it must be passed up the chain of command until one of these 3 wraiths grants or takes it away. The Overlord bestows status to the military side and the Chancellor bestows status to the administrative side. The Chancellor and the administrators beneath him are responsible for the recording and tracking of the status for both sides. The Overlord does not have to keep track of status, he simply informs the Chancellor of who is to receive status and it is recorded. The Anacreon will not usually be bothered with status as it is the job of those beneath him.



Social Class                            Status Bonus

Rank                           Status Bonus

Gaunt

(Wraith Power Class 5+)

+2

Domen

(Wraith Power Class 3&4)

+1

Lemure

(Wraith Power Class 1&2)

0

Legionnaire/Clerk

+1

Centurion/Adjustor

+2

Marshal/Inspector

+3

Regent/Inspector

+4

Overlord/Chancellor

+5

Anacreon

+6

Deathlord

+9


Deeds: You may have up to +4 worth of deeds, which only comes into gameplay when comparing those of equal rank.

Example:

Envy the Gaunt Anacreon of the Silent Legion would have an effective status of 8. This is because he gains +6 from his rank as an Anacreon and +2 from his Social Class as a Gaunt.

In the case of comparing two similar positions lets take the following as an example:

Mort and Dwight have come to a situation where evidence is not present and both are accusing one another of the same crime. The residing Chancellor, holding a hearing to determine guilt or innocence, sees that both are Lemures as well as Centurions so must then take into consideration how many deed status traits each possesses. After consulting with the Adjustor in the Citadel’s archives he discovers that Mort has 3 deeds on record but Dwight being recently promoted has none. In this case where no evidence is present the Chancellor summarily rules against Dwight thus upholding the status system of the Hierarchy.

But, granting status comes with its own set of problems. Sure, Bob did a good deed, so you grant him status to help earn him a top spot when promotion opens up. But, do you really know Bob? More importantly, do you trust Bob? These are the things one must ask before recommending status be granted. The chain of command is followed in order to grant status, and you are sticking your neck out when you request your higher up to tell his higher up to tell… and eventually for the Chancellor to authorize the granting of status. You can bet the paperwork will lead right back to you as the one who requested it, so let ole’ Bob mess up and you know the old saying, “Shit rolls down hill.” Odds are that a bad recommendation will come back to bite you, so you must make absolutely sure that the individual is actually worthy and trustworthy of it. On the flipside, a good recommendation in the right situation can actually you earn you a status point of your own.

Withdrawing status works in much the same manner. If the request is aimed at one of your own legion members, then the system of status withdrawal works in precisely the same manner as a status award. It’s sent up the chain of command until it is either approved or disapproved. The disciplining wraith may request to pull from the deed status or from the rank status (demoting you), depending on the severity of the offense.

On occasion a member of a different legion may wish to request positive or negative status for a member in your legion. That wraith must first go to their own superior and send it up the chain of command in their own legion. When it reaches their Overlord or Chancellor, then they may choose to pursue it by discussing it with the Overlord or Chancellor in your legion. So it goes, Anacreons discuss with Anacreons, Chancellors/Overlords with Chancellors/Overlords, etc. To break chain of command and especially to risk tension between legions will result in no audience with the individual, and probably a reprimand from your superiors.

Lastly, on rare occasions a wraith from your legion may be visiting another Necropolis and do something (negative or positive) to warrant audience before your legion’s Anacreon in that Necropolis. As an Anacreon of the same legion, albeit different Necropoli, status may be granted or withdrawn without contacting the home legion. In the event that the status-changed wraith returns to their home legion and their home Anacreon doesn’t honor the status-change, serious problems can ensue. Reinstating or withdrawing status in this circumstance can cause serious issues between Necropoli, issues that the other Anacreons in your own Citadel will not usually appreciate. Causing such an issue more than once is often viewed as undermining the authority of the Hierarchy and the offending Anacreon may find himself out of a job. By the same token, in such a situation as this a Chancellor/Overlord does not have the authority to change the status of a wraith from a different Necropolis. Only an Anacreon, with their better knowledge of their relationship with the home Anacreon, has the authority to make changes to status that could affect the core relationship between the two Necropoli – something no Anacreon should take lightly.