"In theory, you are correct, I serve anyone who holds the throne. In practice however, those who seek usurpation tend to clean the house they take by force. This is why, my son, we always hope for peace."

-The Steward of Castle Croff, Richmond of Moordrake

Bureaucratic Upbringing

Bureaucrats are the middleborn employees of the nobility in feudal states, or the permanent features of a democratic government in the republics. In any given government, there is a massive pile of work that needs to be done every single day to keep the engines greased, and bureaucrat is a word for all of the clerks, stewards, secretaries, scribes, couriers, translators, architects, spymasters, and diplomats that keep the wheels of government turning. They are often very much overworked, though usually paid quite well for that work - furthermore, in feudal states, they often have the privilege of, if not living in the castle or palace, at least living close to it.

          Those coming from a bureaucratic upbringing will likely have an interesting perspective on the settlement they grew up in - not being from nobility, they would have no sense of being better than anyone else in their social class. However, through their parents or guardians they have a glimpse of the inner workings of the ruling system - this often leads these sorts of children to have a very plain view of nobility and governments, having seen just how very fallible and not-noble even the most noble of nobles can be. Furthermore, in many ways a bureaucratic upbringing can be a chaotic one. In the backstabbing world of castle courts or republic politics, whenever there is a changing of the guard, there is often the likelihood of, at best, unemployment, and at worst, being killed. As a result, some children from this upbringing value stability, wishing to bring about a more sensible world than the one they grew up in - others run as far away from 'government' as they possibly can.

          Characters from a Bureaucratic Upbringing will begin with a set of visas left to them by their parent or guardian - perhaps as a way to ensure their safe movement to another country. There are three of these Diplomatic Visas, each of which acts like a kind of blank check - it bears a diplomatic sigil and all the required approval from the government of your origin. Each can get you access to a government function or a government building, in any country which would diplomatically recognize your country of origin, but once filled out and sealed upon entrance, you cannot reuse a diplomatic visa again. Furthermore, it isn't going to be able to get you into anything government related - for example, it won't gain you access to the empress's summer home. The DM will adjudicate whether or not you can use a visa to gain access to something - and you will always know before trying whether it would work or not.

If you choose the Bureaucratic Upbringing, you gain the following:

~A +1 to your Intelligence score~

~Either a -1 to your Strength score or a -1 to your Dexterity score~

~A language of your choice, one taught to you by a parent, guardian, or mentor from your upbringing~

~A Sub-Discipline in every social skill on checks dealing with other members of Bureaucratic Upbringing~

~Three Diplomatic Visas from your country of origin~

Back to Upbringing

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Back to Adra - 3rd Era World Guide