The Lord Beneath
Restless. It's too much, too much! You cannot. I cannot. He comes, he comes! He is our salvation, our undoing.The Lord Beneath is the ruler of Wake, although this is a loose title. Once an individual becomes Lord, he or she is never seen by the people again. Couriers do not run between the Lord and the people of Wake. The only inkling into the will of the Lord are the Mandates, a set of rules or laws carved into stone pillars at the edge of the town of Safehold.
Appointment
The Naming of the Lord
Each year, the Season of Light is ended with a ritual known as the Naming of the Lord. In a perfect world, this ritual would be conducted as follows:- The single elected individual to become Lord Beneath sets out from Safehold.
- That individual starts at the Destrons, passing between them.
- The elected individual walks the path from Safehold to Darkwall Keep, perhaps accompanied by cheering and loyal retainers
- Said loyal retainers stop about 100 meters away from the gates, ensuring that only the Lord enters.
- The Gates at Darkwall Keep open and admit the Lord Beneath, who enters
- The gates close behind the new Lord.
Unfortunately, the process does not often pan out so simply. There are often many who set forth from Safehold, each eager to be considered the only one. The journey is bloody and often filled with schemers and murderers. Sometimes no individual survives the journey... Sometimes multiple do, and too large a crowd approaches the gates of Darkwall... a crowd thinned with violence and bloodshed as the ritual nears its end.
Responsibilities
Many speculate what the Lord Beneath does, but this is difficult to know for sure as there is never direct contact with the Lord Beneath after s/he is named. The only clear answer is that the Mandates are changed to reflect the will of each Lord Beneath. It is assumed that the Tome of Law likewise becomes updated to reflect the will of the Lord Beneath, but this is only speculation.
Source of Authority
Chosen Yearly
Length of Term
1 Year
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