So, Masked Lord of Waterdeep question.
No one’s supposed to know their identity, right? What about their spouses? How do they not find out?I feel like I should tag Ed Greenwood himself but I (a) don't wanna bug him and (b) he's probably answered this. But… you know what they say about curiosity. @TheEdVerse
— boo does art (Swindle Sisters now live @DMsGuild!) (@BrassikArts) August 20, 2021
Masked Lord "secret identities" are for their own protection: so they don't get intimidated, mugged or assassinated, or just pestered/lobbied constantly. So if their families know, it shouldn't be a problem (though, if a marriage goes really bad…). Custom, not law.#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 20, 2021
Think of how much of a hassle it would be to be lobbied or spied on constantly. Especially if you're trying to run a business. Secret identities also lessen the temptation to assassinate or maim Lords to remove their votes…or just delay them so they miss a vote.#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 20, 2021
Followup – and thank you again for your clarifications!: What’s the protocol for electing someone to the role? Secret vote given a small pool of candidates? The second part of making it hard to sway all the Lords, and lessen the temptation to go after one or two or more of them, is that the public doesn't know how many of them there really are, so you don't know "how far you have to go" to be effective in influencing them or…
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 20, 2021
…wiping them out in order to get rid of Lords with views you don’t like, or to get your desired replacements in, etc.
The Lords are chosen by vote among the Lords (majority of the entire roster), with most Lords having just one veto they can use, once ever, to blackball a… …candidate. So the Lords nominate possible candidates (secretly) to all the Lords, there's discussion of who would be best or who shouldn't be asked (without a vote or veto), then when a slate of possibles is hammered out, the Lords, still secretly, vote to accept that…— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 20, 2021
…slate, then the Open Lord (in private) asks every candidate if they’d be interested in being a Lord of Waterdeep (many refuse, for various good reasons), and reports back to the Masked Lords, in secret, and they then discuss, in light of that, who to “put to the vote” to be……made Lords. Then the (secret) vote is taken, and a successful result means the Open Lord then informs the new Lord. In the time of Laeral, this is done by someone Laeral asks privately who would normally have business dealings or social contact with the Lord-to-be to…
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 20, 2021
..to invite them to dinner, or a business meeting, or a gathering on some other pretext…at which Laeral quietly shows up, takes them to her home (Mirt’s Mansion) for a private dinner at which she makes sure they don’t want to withdraw. If not, she then shows and tells them…"the ropes," gives them their Mask (it's actually a full-head helm), and will arrange a meeting-place at which other Masked Lords will rendezvous with the new Lord to escort them to their first Lords' meeting (council).#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 20, 2021
I’m so sorry for the follow-ups, but – what about in the time of Piergeron Paladinson? Our campaign (a modified Dragon Heist) is set in 1370-71.
Also, thank you- I imagined something more akin to “candidate gets unmarked package containing THE mask”. This is far more civil! Don't be sorry, I love talking Realmslore!
So Piergeiron had an easier time of making contact, and more influence within the Masked Lords. As a paladin, tirelessly working on social projects large and small (like nudging guilds to provide toys and food aid and "things to do"…— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 20, 2021
…for street children), and having Madeiron as his personal envoy as well as bodyguard and servant of Waterdeep, he had more social pretexts for meeting people without the city at large saying, “OHO! Guess who’s a new Masked Lord!” and more of a say in drawing up slates of….candidates. And he used it during his long lordship to make sure the Masked Lords reflected all walks of life, ages, social classes, genders, etc. rather than being "this old boys network selects only old boys to join it." Which really means that ANYONE can be a Masked Lord.
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 20, 2021
