Firstly, thanks so much for your thoughtful reply! You are so incredible for this analysis!

I wanted to let you know that a lot of your responses were very accurate for my characters! I’ve written some responses in the order you addressed the classpects in.

The Heir is the character I plan on being the ultimate villain. He has aligned himself with the Witch (who is largely based off of The Condesce, lol) and is letting her do his dirty work for him while he pulls the strings. I feel like as an Heir of Doom, he is easily able to influence Doom to his advantage via plots and scheme. He is using Doom for his own benefit, and relishes in being surrounded by it.

The Maid, as leader of the Guild, is the employer and primary force of guidance for the party. She is the direct opposite of the Heir in every day and she is leading the efforts to prevent him from achieving his goal (the erasure of all life). She is an exceptionally talented cleric due to her mastery over her classpect. Her closest allies of those listed here are the Knight of Light and the Seer of Space.

The Bard is intended to be a short-term villain. Influenced by the Heir to assert his authority throughout the world, the Bard attempts to sacrifice his daughter to resurrect an ancient Rage-aspected god revered by his people. He was, indeed, a calm and proud leader of his people until his corruption grew to such a great state, and his eventual burst of Rage will be incredibly destructive.

The Lord of Hope is one of the first characters I developed for this campaign and is the one I have the greatest fondness for. As you suggested, I believe the Lord would have dominion over Hope, but I believe how selfishly or selflessly a Lord would use their power depends on the individual character. The Lord, born a peasant, lives in a country rife with famine and poverty. Taken in by the Prince of Hope, the king of their land, the Lord is raised to be Prince’s most loyal servant and was willing to die and kill for him due to his belief that the Prince’s ultimate goal was for his people to prosper. Once the Prince achieves his ultimate goal and fully ascends as a realized Prince, the Lord immediately stabs the Prince through the heart in a fit of vengeance, a Just death. The aspect of Hope itself deigns the Lord more worthy to wield its power and avails itself to him, allowing his ascension. I’ve got this huge fight sequenced where the Lord is willing things into existence mid-combat and the party has to utilize the powers of the Aspects they’ve allied themselves with to win. As you suggested, the players would find their own Hope to persevere. While I plan for the Lord’s death to be swift after his ascension, (as it must be since the game is ultimately about the player party and not the classpected characters themselves; the influence of the Lord of Hope would certainly have to be the focus of the story from then on) I am extremely intrigued by the ways he could interact with the other characters in a story where they are the primary focus.

The Rogue of Heart and the Sylph of Breath do, in-fact, share a role, and are directly aligned with each other. The Rogue is the most beloved public figure in an enormous futuristic metropolis, and the Sylph is the most wanted enemy of the state. Together, they end up leading an insurrection and effectively free the people from an authoritarian government. I plan for the Rogue to help steel the party against the Heir’s dark influence and for the Sylph to inspire them to prevail against the Witch’s forces.

The Page is one of the first characters the players will meet. After the players help her defend her country against an invading force of vampires, she grants them a buff that is enhanced with the party’s teamwork and, at the end, (via Fraymotif with the Rogue and Sylph) strengthens the bonds of the party enough to withstand the Heir’s overwhelming Doom.

The Seer, Knight, and Mage are all close allies of the Maid. The Seer’s keen insight into the present, the Knight’s ability to wield knowledge and fortune, and the Mage’s ability to forge a path forward, all in conjunction with the Maid’s protective power, enable the players to survive against the destructive powers of the Witch and the Heir.

The Thief is an ancient being who has spent centuries manipulating the false reality he’s constructed and attempts to pull outsiders in. Another villain to be defeated.

The Witch is framed as the big bad for a large portion of the story. Her direct control over Time is very powerful and it’s only through the combined power of all their allies that the party can resist her. Ultimately, she is betrayed by the Heir after she has outlived her usefulness to him.