[UA] Archetype: The Shepherd

[Simon Moody]

I was struck by this idea just now. Here's what I've written on the subject
in the last hour or so.

*The Shepherd*


 The Shepherd keeps watch over her chosen flock, maintaining their safety
from a Wolf, a dangerous outside force which may cause harm to them.

* Taboos:* The Shepherd may never allow any member comes to harm due to her
negligence, absence, or own direct actions. It is the archetype's duty and
responsibility to keep the Flock safe, and if the avatar fails in that
respect, she breaks taboo. Additionally, if the Shepherd either loses her
flock or abandons them, she breaks taboo and suffers a Rank-7 Self check
immediately. Without her Flock, the Shepherd is nothing. This reflects the
sheer loss of sense of self, since the Shepherd is essentially defined by
her followers. Should that connection be severed, the avatar essentially
loses all contact with the archetype.

* Symbols:* Historically, the shepherd's crook, the cloak, a simple
instrument such as pan pipes, and durable footwear like tough sandals or
rugged boots. Today, an attendance list, clipboard, signal whistle...

* Masks:* Moses and the Hebrews (Judeo-Christian), Clive Owen in *Children
of Men* (Film), Jules Pfieffer and her students in *Dangerous Minds* (Film),
Morgan Freeman and his school in *Lean on Me* (Film), Gandalf and the
Fellowship of the Ring (English), Samuel L. Jackson and the airplane of
civilians in *Snakes on a Plane *(Film).

 *Suspected Avatars in History: *Christ and his disciples. Martin Luther
King, Jr. and Malcolm X might have been contesting avatars of the Shepherd
among African-Americans during their time. Whoever spearheaded the approval
of Prohibition in the United States during the '20s was more than likely
trying to Shepherd and protect Americans from perceived evils of alcohol.

 *The Shepherd's Flock: *All Shepherds *must* be in control of, or
responsible for, a group of individuals, ranging in size from several to
several hundred. The Flock may not be made up of truly powerful,
self-empowering individuals; rather, the Flock must be comprised of those
who would suffer if the Shepherd were not watching over them. For example, a
hardened mercenary could not designate her teammates as her Flock, as they
are trained to be self-sufficient, though they do work well in a team.

 Consider the metaphor of shepherd and sheep to get a better sense of what
the relationship must be like. A good example might be a single parent
guarding over her children, a concerned teacher and her students, a
counselor and her therapy group, or a guide leading inexperienced travelers.

 *The Wolf: *As with similar situations in reality, the Shepherd's Flock
must be threatened by some form of outside force which will cause terrible
harm to the Flock if not deterred. This outside force, or Wolf, does not
have to have actually harmed the Flock in the past; rather, the danger is
perceived and therefore precautions are taken against it. The Wolf does *not
* have to be a person or physical thing; it can be an idea or concept as
well. For instance, in the case of the guide, the Wolf might actually be
"wild predators." The teacher's Wolf might be "ignorance," the single
parent's Wolf their ex-spouse, and the counselor's Wolf "depression."

 So long as you are channeling the Shepherd, you *must* designate a Wolf
which you perceive to be a significant threat to your Flock. It does not
have to align perfectly with your Obsession or your Triggers, but it should
make some sense. If you cannot articulate why you believe your Wolf is a
threat, the GM may gently nudge you in a different direction or suggest you
come up with a new idea altogether.

* Channels:*

* 1%-50%:* The Shepherd becomes competent at helping her Flock overcome
obstacles that challenge them both. With a successful *Avatar:
Shepherd*roll, you may trade a -10% to -30% penalty on any skill you
possess to give
a shift to all members of your Flock equal to the penalty taken. Afterwards,
you must wait 24 hours before attempting to shift that skill again. The
penalty and shift last that entire duration. You may take a Failed notch in
a pertinent Madness Meter in order to make the shift last an additional 24
hours. It should be noted that this may be done *without* taking a penalty *
if* the skill or obstacle to overcome either is, or is related to, the Wolf.

 *Example: Ms. Rose teaches 10th grade English. She subconsciously decides
that "Failing her class" is the Wolf threatening her students. She worries
about their performance on an upcoming test, so she uses the day before on a
study session of the material. She rolls her Avatar: Shepherd skill and
succeeds, deciding to grant them +30% to Classics of Western Literature,
while taking a Failed notch in Self as she wears herself out making sure her
students get it. She spends the night sleepless, tossing and turning,
terrified that her students will fail because of something she's done wrong.
The next day, the students seem far more confident and pass the test with
flying colors.*

* That afternoon, Ms. Rose has to take her students to an all-school
assembly. She's been up all night and doesn't care about what the Principal
has to say, but she still thinks her students should listen. She gives them
a brief pep-talk about paying attention and smiles knowingly, rolls her
Avatar: Shepherd skill, and gives them +30% to Stay Awake During Boring
Staff Meetings, taking a -30% hit herself. She takes a nap in the back of
the auditorium while her students listen with rapt attention.*
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