Lord

The Lord of a location is the ruler over it, a magical regent, those who hold the Lordship have charge of the domain which is under their protection. The position is treacherous, high risk and high reward.<ref name="6.9e1">“Keep in mind, too, that this is his city.  There are quite a few reasons why practitioners and Others often want to be Lord over a city.  There are mundane reasons, wanting to protect one’s interests, or keep the riffraff out, cultivating a certain flavor of Other and practitioner to occupy your domain.”

“If you were to become a Lord,” Rose said, “It’d mean keeping out the likes of Laird, and putting your friends in better positions.”
[...]
“And there’s nothing remotely redeeming about it,” I said.  “I mean, I can see the broader appeal.  When you claim a demesne, you make a challenge.  If there’s less in the way of individuals to reject that challenge…”

Rose finished my sentence, “…You can be bolder about the claim.  More power for you, more power for the people under you.”

Fell nodded.  “That’s another reason.  Respect is one kind of power, and it’s a power you can use as fuel or currency.  Few things command respect like being Lord of a city.”

“But like all things, that comes at a price,” Rose said.  “Thus the figureheading of Conquest.”

“Yeah,” I said.  “Too many knives aimed at your back.”

Fell went on, “Getting back to my original point, outside of mundane or common sense reasons, there’s something to be said for the fact that the city is yours.  When you own something, it’s a one-sided relationship, and that means an uneven exchange of power.  One way or another, you influence that which you possess.  If you are the Lord of a city, then your substance runs through that city.  This isn’t something you control, but is more incidental.  When Conquest is passive, biding his time and building his strength, then the city is too.  When he is at war, then so is the city.”

When the city is at war, then there’s fire, people in the hospital, and a general ambiance of fear. - Excerpt from Subordination 6.9</ref>

Methodology

Fundamental to any leadership position is the recognition of that leadership.<ref>“You should be aware,” Lewis said, “That the only power you have as Lord is the power others give you.” - Excerpt from Possession 15.7</ref> In a world of Magic authority can have supernatural weight to it;<ref name="6.9e1"/> but it must be parlayed carefully such as convincing relevant parties to contributing power to the cities defense.<ref>“The Lord of a City often imposes rules of conduct.  In Toronto, as you’ll find in many places, the very first time you go to ask the Lord of the City for something, you’ll be asked to agree to certain terms.  One of those terms is that you need to be ready to stand in defense of the city.  These vessels would be the token offering from the Sisters of the Torch.”

“In case some aspiring Lord comes and decides to unseat Conquest?” I asked.

“More or less.” - Excerpt from Subordination 6.8</ref>

Typically any newcomer must agree to certain terms before they can operate in a city, things such as freedom of movement must be granted.<ref>He had permission from the old Lord of the City to travel throughout Toronto.  Now, with things in a state of flux, that permission had been revoked.  It made for some difficulty. He hadn’t ever needed a car.

Now, with the current situation, he was braving Toronto’s rush hour traffic for the first time.  A great many complaints and comments he’d heard over the years were suddenly making sense.  He’d lived in the now for years, and the act of waiting in traffic was maddening.  He couldn’t read without feeling ill, he wanted to stay reasonably sharp, and somehow the congestion of Toronto extended a good hour and a half after they had left the city, with no sign of abating. - Excerpt from Interlude 9</ref>

As a more personnel benefit their control over an area helps them cultivate certain others they may use for power.<ref name="6.9e1"/>

Duties of Lordship means keeping local Others and Practitioners in check, preventing them from harming innocent and uninvolved people. They also preside over cases of forswearings that happen in their domain<ref>“We’re not wanting to forswear her,” Avery said.  “Especially if that would destroy her.”

“I recognize and agree to that.  I’m asking, are you familiar?”

“We know the basics, I think,” Verona answered.

“The process here is to be much the same.  It is not necessarily enough to say someone’s word is broken.  Local Lords and forces like myself will often decide or put it to tribunal, whether someone is present or not, and the person will have a chance to defend their word. - Excerpt from Dash to Pieces 11.3</ref> and charged with swearing newly created Others to the Seal of Solomon.<ref>Most Others who are created naturally and created on Earth after the date of the Seal’s origination are bound.  All of the Others of this town are bound.  In places without any Judges, where Lords arbitrate instead, more may slip the net, but Lord, Practitioner, and Other are all obligated to enforce the seal at the earliest opportunity.” - Excerpt from Dash to Pieces 11.3</ref>

As a rule Lords do not communicate or have Exiled Fae in their cities, presumably as part of the courts trying the keep the banished down.<ref>Exiled faerie were kept out of towns with Lords as a matter of course.  The Court apparently didn’t want exiles making deals or gaining power, so they stuck them only in small villages and towns, or even in areas well out of reach of humans. - Excerpt from Signature 8.2</ref>

Sometimes an ineffective or weak lord will be left in place to prevent power conflicts and because they are hard to kill.<ref>“He’s a figurehead,” Fell confirmed.  “He’s predictable, he’s something we can manipulate in a pinch, and he’s got the job that nobody here wants.  If Conquest fails, someone else has to take the job, and unlike Conquest, the rest of us aren’t immune to the thousands of very creative means of assassination that the practitioners of the world might employ.” - Excerpt from Subordination 6.4</ref><ref name="6.9e1" /> Keeping the area stable.

There can be a hierarchy of Lordship with greater lords in bigger cities having influence over lesser ones in smaller nearby towns, similarly practitioner families may try to make the position hereditary.<ref name="DP113.3">John said.  “A seat of Lordship invites challenge in the same way the Carmine Throne does.  It also sets standards.”

“Like?” Lucy asked.

“Not being able to keep a perimeter and limit the access of practitioners.  We’d be subordinate to greater Lords of more powerful areas.  Some with subordinates who might take over our Lordship to expand the territory of that superior.”

“Some are practitioners, right?” Verona asked.

“Yes.”

“With kids?  Keeping it all in the family?”

“Yes.” - Excerpt from Dash to Pieces 11.3</ref>

They may be advised by a council but do not ultimately answer to them.<ref>“Fell,” Conquest spoke.  “See Mr. Meath out, then stand guard.  Nobody comes or leaves without my word.”

“I’d like to ask that you keep me updated, Lord,” the drunk said.  “On him and what you do with him.”

“I can,” was the reply.  “Why?”

“I have further business with him. In exchange for my continued cooperation, can I ask that he be kept within the city, for the time being?”

“You can ask,” Conquest said.  He seemed to consider.  “You take no actions to work against me in this endeavor.”

“Done.”

“That is all I need.  I will see to it.” - Excerpt from Collateral 4.3</ref>

Pseudo-Lordship

There are positions and roles that are similar to lordships without being a direct equivalent. Others that lord over parts of certain realms for instance.

Mentioned Lords and Dominions

• Owled Dame, Sinful Creature and the Spirit of Montréal (triumvirate)
• Lacy (unidentified)
• Conquest of Toronto (figurehead)
• A young upstart couple of Jacob's Bell
• An Elemental of Thunder Bay<ref>“Certain regions are disqualified, because they are already under the power or sway of Lords or other Practitioners.  Thunder Bay, for example, is managed by an elemental.  Perhaps that elemental is violent and powerful enough to rule, but it is beholden to other interests and roles.  Other areas are too messy, to untouched by humanity.  They have less strength than John and offer less stability or longevity than the Choir.” - Excerpt from Lost for Words 1.7</ref>
• The anima of cities<ref>In another town or city with these same circumstances I could imagine the city or township spirit taking over the council– many city spirits are in fact Lords and trade on the power of how distinct their city’s image is. - [8.7 spoilers] New Other Correspondence #2</ref>

References

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