MAID: “Burdened by their aspect”

Includes: Aradia, Jane, Porrim, Nanna, the Dolorosa

It is a silly pun, but still accurate to say that Maids are made of their aspect. They can be seen as a wellspring of their aspect, providing it to those around them, acting as a source of support and power that their allies are lacking in.

But having that much excess of an aspect is a heavy burden. Unlike Rogues and Sylphs, who also serve as support with their aspect, Maids are not really self-selecting. They start the story with a surplus, and its their job to dole it out. This can easily lead to a feeling of apathy and a sort of emotional disconnection from the aspect.

A friend once offered a useful metaphor to me, about the pitfalls of trying to help people. She said, “It’s hard to fill a cracked mug.” No matter how much you want to assist the people around you, when it never seems to stick, when people never seem to be fulfilled by your actions, things get frustrating. And that is the plight of the Maid; to have their aspect on tap for the service of others, but to struggle with feeling overdrawn.

One recurring motif with Maids is that they have an inexhaustible supply of their aspect, but they want something else. Being in an ocean doesn’t mean you are not thirsty, and the things Maids tend to want seem counter to the comfort of their Aspect. Aradia has nothing but Time, but becomes happiest when she breaks free from inevitable outcomes and gets to connect to people and make her own choices. Jane is drowning in affluence and castle comfort, but is always reaching for connections and truths that would shatter her domestic peace. Porrim has a strong struggle with being born into her caste of caretakers, wanting to escape that, but also wanting the ability to accept it on her own terms.

Ergo: If you know, deep down, that you are bountiful with something that should by all merits make your life easier but are still left wanting for something else, and you will not be happy until you get that thing, that’s a sign of being a Maid.

The Maid’s biggest strength is confidence in their aspect without being a know-it-all.

The Maid’s biggest weakness is frustration and lack of patience with their friends and allies who don’t share innate understanding of their aspect.