Architect of Hammers
Overview
The Architect of Hammers is an Imperial title created by Edmundo of Damakan's Forge, as Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave during the Winter Solstice 387YE. The opportunity to build the Office of Fire and Stone was presented by the Architects of Iron and Stone shortly before the Winter Solstice 387YE, following a plenipotentiary sent by Vossk of Zenith Ascendant as the factotum of then Archmage of Autumn, Edmundo of Damakan's Forge.
Responsibilities
The Architect has a responsibility to liaise with heralds of Estavus on behalf of Urizen. If the Office of Fire and Stone or either guild of the City of Fire and Stone, working on behalf of the Architect of Hammers, were threatened in any way, it would be the responsibility of the Architect to deal with those threats.
Powers
Employ Heralds of Estavus
Having completed their consultation, the expanded proposal for the Architect's powers is as follows. Once per season, the Architect will be able to announce either of the following to the Senate:
They may invite the Coalition of Stone and Struggle to repair or upgrade an existing commission. This will not count against the existing limitation on commissions as the labour will be provided by the Coalition, one of the greatest collections of labourers in the City of Fire and Stone. This can be any upgrade - either a standard one or one available due to an opportunity - with the exception that the Coalition refuse to work on projects sponsored or designed by eternals of other realms. Labour costs will need to be provided at the ordinary rate, though it is possible that the Coalition might occasionally request alternate forms of payment.
They may invite the Architects of Iron and Stone to assess a bourse resource that produces mithril or white granite, which has not already been assessed in this manner, and at the cost of five thrones. The Architects of Iron and Stone will send their representatives to investigate how the resource might be improved. The following season, the heralds will present plans for an upgrade of that resource. This could be a straightforward plan to improve production, or the discovery of a hitherto-unexploited opportunity for side profit. It is even possible that, on rare occasions, there may be unexpected additional opportunities associated with the resource. The cost per assessment is set at five thrones until at least the Winter Solstice 388YE. The Architects will assess what profits they have made from the relationship after that point, and may change the price.
No voting is possible by the Senate at this point, as the power has been delegated to the Architect of Hammers. The Synod may, however, choose to exercise their veto over the Architect's decision.
Appointment
This title is appointed during the Autumn Equinox each year. The Architect of Hammers is appointed by citizens of Urizen who control mana site personal resources through the Tally of the Votes. The more improved a mana site an individual controls, the more votes they can allocate in support of a candidate. The voting is handled by the civil servants in the Bourse.
Only an Urizen citizen may hold the title. They do not receive a seat on the Bourse. As a title appointed through the Bourse they cannot be revoked by the Synod.
Recent Elections
The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.
The Title in Play
The role does not provide additional information about events in the Empire, nor allow the player holding it to request special reports or downtime actions. These details are assumed to be below the abstraction layer. The title holder is encouraged to create their own stories about their activities within reasonable limits and to get involved in events appropriate to their title during the game, but they do not have any powers beyond those explicitly listed in the section on powers.
These details exist partly to provide context and character to the role - and partly to allow our writers to use the title as a plot hook. Plot that involves the position will be rare - but all the campaign positions in Empire have these details to create the potential for it to happen.