PRINCE: “In service to their aspect”

Includes: Dirk, Eridan, Kurloz, Bro Strider, The Highblood

Think of the Prince as the platonic ideal of royalty (as opposed to the reality). They are the rulers of their aspect, but the concept of fealty goes both ways. They must exert the will of their aspect, and in doing so the aspect empowers them to act with terrifying force. It is true that a Prince is capable of extremely destructive acts, but they are something of a sheathed sword. As soon as it is drawn and readied, shit is going to go down to a heretofore unseen degree.

Princes truly do strive to be worthy of their position and feel its weight very heavily. They hone themselves, do the work, and make the effort. They think their hot shit because frankly they have put in the time to get themselves to a level of ability that folks around them might frankly find exhausting. In return, a Prince is emotionally intense and dependent on validation. Big egos and big self-esteem issues simultaneously. As such, they crave connection, and unfortunately may feel kind of entitled to it. After all, they are royalty. Don’t you see the crown?

The true downfall of a Prince comes from isolation. They are at their lowest when they don’t feel appreciated for their work, and since the duties of royalty don’t just go away when you aren’t having a good time, the weight is crushing.

On the flipside, no one is more adept in a crisis. When the sword is finally unsheathed, the situation will radically change, in alignment with what their aspect can do with the circumstances. Hopefully its the right tool for the job, because a Prince has no concept of “disproportionate retribution.” Civis romanus, baby.

Of the Princes, everyone has a strong thread of legacy tying a noose around their necks. Dirk feels forced into his role by the destiny Skaia laid out for him, compounded by his idolatry of his ancestor. Eridan similarly models himself after the ideal of his ancestor, and gets extremely skilled in the service of what he thinks the Empire should be. Kurloz, in counterpoint, seems to undergo a traumatic event when he doesn’t march in service to Rage enough, and his path is forever altered. As the Highblood, he is basically ordained to be at the apex of society, and wields that power and influence with great relishment.

The Prince’s greatest strength is their dedication, a sort of clear-visioned selfless devotion to their domain.

The Prince’s greatest weakness is the fragility of their ego, and how reliant they are on outside validation.