Keeper of the Last Battle
Overview
The Keeper of the Last Battle is an Imperial title awarded to a citizen of Navarr. Construction of the Last Battle Wayhouse was commissioned by the Imperial Senate during the Autumn Equinox 386YE and construction was completed shortly before the Winter Solstice 386YE. More information on the opportunity can be found in the The way home wind of fortune.
Responsibilities
The Keeper of the Last Battle is responsible for protecting the wayhouse and encouraging the expansion of the Empire's borders to trigger the last battle against the vallorn. If the wayhouse, or travellers using the wayhouse, were to be threatened in any way it would be the responsibility of the Keeper to deal with those threats. Likewise, if any particular opportunity were to arise related to the wayhouse, the Keeper would expect to be consulted as to how that opportunity might be resolved.
Powers
Bounty of Herbs
The Keeper of the Last Battle has custodianship of a sinecure. They receive an income of 24 random herbs each season.
| Summit | Elected |
|---|---|
| Winter Solstice 386YE | Dax |
Recent Elections
This title is currently held by Dax; it will be reelected at the next summit. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.
Appointment
The Keeper of the Last Battle is appointed during the Winter Solstice each year. It is selected by unanimous decision of the Navarr generals. If a unanimous decision cannot be reached, the title may be appointed by the Imperial Military Council instead.
The title can be held by any Navarr citizen. The Keeper serves until the next scheduled election. They can be revoked by the General Assembly, the Navarr National Assembly, and by the Assembly of the Nine.
Last Battle Wayhouse
The opportunity to build the Last Battle Wayhouse came about in part due to the efforts of Last Battle Striding, a relatively young striding made up almost exclusively of thorns united in the belief that the final battle against the vallorn will surely happen in their lifetime. Their desire to confront the vallorn is tempered with the knowledge that it will require linking up all the hearts with trods. This will require the Empire to fulfil its destiny and conquer the intervening lands.
The wayhouse they inspired is built in the eastern Bleaks, in the Barrens, on the edge of the Mallum. The striding visit there regularly, and it is rare for there to be no thorns relaxing or training in the vicinity of the little settlement. From there, they engage in reconnaissance and patrols into the lands of the Druj.
Of course the wayhouse also serves as a hub to keep other Navarr steadings and stridings in contact with one another, and it's common for members of the nation to stop off in the Bleaks when they are travelling the eastern Empire. This has lead to some conflict with the local orc sept, the Karass. The orcs are apparently furious that the wayhouse was built without consulting them. When questioned about this, the Karass are evasive and unconvincing. The best explanation they can give is that they believe that the existence of the Last Battle will hasten the return of the Druj. They can't explain how that is going to happen, but they seem quite genuine about the threat. The Keeper would be well-advised to reach out to Anka Karass as soon as possible to ensure that this problem does not get any worse.
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.