"Look at that pompous ass Karl-Werner Schattental! Typical noble -- views the common man as little more than cattle. We’re good enough to die for the castle, but not good enough to shelter inside it when winter comes."
- —Katrin Spiegel, Liberator-Priest[1a]
A liberator-priest of the Cult of Ranald[1a]
A liberator-priest is a priest of the Cult of Ranald who is inspired to fight against authority when it is used to crush and oppress those who can't fight for themselves.[1a]
While they have earnest aims, Ranald in his aspect as the Protector does not expect his priests to abandon his favoured tools of ridicule, thievery, deception, and trickery, nor does he want his priests to elevate themselves to positions of authority over others. Of all Ranald's priests, the liberator-priests are the most integrated into society, whether in a city's slums or amongst an outlaw band in the countryside.[1a]
Role[]
"Our Lord Sigmar brought together many peoples to make his Empire. The Ulricans, the followers of Taal and Rhya, those who venerate Shallya and Verena. There's even a place for Ranald's faithful in Sigmar's lands. Not the rabble rousers though -- those priests of Ranald who attempt to topple his authority are scobberlotching scumbags."
- —Father Johan Stroman, Priest of Sigmar[1a]
The Old World is unfair. Its people grow up surrounded by the fundamental injustice of Human life, with constant reminders that feckless, cowardly nobles and merchants enjoy every privilege without lifting a finger to help the downtrodden. Amongst these malcontents are those destined to become liberator-priests. They see in Ranald a god who stands up for people like themselves and treats authority as what it truly is: a sham. Through faith and instinct, liberator-priests learn to protect their friends and family from the worst the powerful can throw at them.[1b]
Other liberator-priests come from the more respectable classes. They cannot tolerate the oppression around them and feel compelled to devote their lives to upending the strictly hierarchical social order. While meek Shallyans merely deal with the consequences of injustice, Ranald's followers strike at its very cause. These priests must prove themselves to overcome prejudice against their class from the poor they seek to help. Some never quite manage to shake off the faintly patronising attitude they bring to their calling.[1b]
As followers of Ranald the Protector, they see their primary goal as being to protect those who cannot protect themselves from harm or exploitation. This is not always nobles or merchants as liberator-priests have a special hatred of violent criminals who prey on the powerless. More than one racketeer has been chased from the streets by a liberator-priest and their followers.[1b]
Despite what people assume, these Ranaldians disdain political ideologies -- they reject utopian thinking and mock anyone who thinks the mortal world would be better if they were in charge. They are usually anarchists of some sort, preaching that Ranald wants them to be free of the shackles of authority, that no man should be their master or tell them what to do.[1b]
Liberator-priests take on initiates from their community. Priests know everyone in their area, so they'll usually select an initiate from the local urchins who shows promise. Some parents put their children forward, especially if they're particularly annoying or unruly. New initiates face a confusing time as they learn from a liberator-priest as their mentor expects them to learn from them and serve as a representative of the Cult of Ranald, yet nevertheless teaches them a healthy disrespect for authority.[1b]
Liberator-Priests in Town and Country[]
Urban liberator-priests usually stay in one place, often the community where they grew up. They tend to a local shrine, which may move around to stay ahead of the authorities. They know the local agitators, and while they don't trust ideologues, they may help or hinder them in their cause, if it aligns with their own. They'll also usually have extensive contacts in the local criminal underworld.[1b]
Rural liberator-priests are usually itinerant, sometimes accompanying groups of outlaws, especially those who fight against oppressive lords, such as Bretonnia's Herrimaults. Sometimes they will also travel alone between villages, stirring up dissent against cruel overlords, persuading people not to pay tax, and defending peasants against their lord's men.[1b]
Some itinerant priests deliberately travel to places where people need protection from the powerful. Bringing down oppressors becomes a holy mission they believe was given to them by Ranald himself. These Ranaldians have been known to join the armies of Bretonnian lords and whisper dissent amongst the ranks, to encourage the peasant soldiers to only follow orders which suit them or which genuinely protect the interests of the common man.[1b]