Path of the Tyrant

The Roads

A Path on the Road of Kings

Sobrequiet: Tyrants

Tyrants understand the importants of vassals and oaths of fealty, but they care little for notions of responsibility and noblesse oblige. They find the pretensions of the Paladins foolish and naive. It is not the duty of the strong to look after the weak, only to ensure that they do not rise in rebellion. A contented populace is the easiest to rule, but if a thousand must die to ensure that the domain remains strong, so be it. Notions of honor and charity toward one's inferiors are useful tools for keeping the sheep in line, but nothing more. in the end, only power and control matter.

The ultimate goal for any Tyrant is power and the security that comes with it. One can either rule or be ruled, and the Tyrants know which option they prefer. They also know there are more than enough ambitious Cainites and not enough domains to go around, so they must be ruthless in eliminating competition. While knights follow the Path of Chivalry, Cainite warlords and conquerors choose this path as their own, the path to power, the path to glory.

Pratices: Given its nature, many Cainites find the Path of the Tyrant alone, though their own ambitions and will to power. Often they learn the path from a liege-lord they serve, only to seek the replace their mentor later on. Tyrants tend to be wary, even for Cainites, because they understand the full depths of ambition and what it drives them to do. Unlike mortal lords, they do not groom heirs, since they intend to rule throughout their unliving existence.

Still, Tyrants are not entirely untrustworthy. They value oaths and laws because they are so necessary to a smoothly functioning domain. A Tyrant moves carefully and cautiously, but is ready to seize an opportunity when it arises. They see matters of honor dispassionately, solely in terms of what advantages they gain, rather than the somewhat romantic notions of the Paladins or even other Scions. They are also as ruthless as only creatures that know they are damned can be. As far as the Tyrants are concerned, they already exists in Hell, so they have nothing to lose by further sin and everything to gain by making sure their subjects understand the penalty for disobedience and failure.

Virtues of Tyranny: Conviction and Self-Control

Aura: The Tyrant's Aura applies to skill rolls that attempt to bend others to the Tyrant's will.

Additional Ethics of Tyranny:

• Power is yours for the taking, if only you have the will to seize it.
• Honor your obligations, as they will earn you allies and loyal servants.
• It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.

Hierarchy of Sins against Tyranny

Rating	Minimum Wrongdoing	Rationale
10	Neglecting an opportunity to gain power	Opportunity comes only to those who seize it.
9	Treating a peer with disrespect.	Do not make enemies unnecessarily.
8	Treating an inferior as an equal	Never let your inferiors get above themselves.
7	Giving up power to a peer.	Power is not gained by giving it away.
6	Behaving shamefully before your peers	Your reputation is a part of your influence.
5	Showing weakness in front of inferiors.	A leader must be strong.
4	Failing to answer a challenge to your authority.	Those who do not protect their power soon lose it.
3	Treating a superior with disrespect	Superiors must be given the respect they are due.
2	Breaking your word to your superiors.	Your word is your bond. If your word is worthless, then so are you.
1	Breaking a sworn oath.	Oaths of fealty hold the world together.