Warden

The covenant gave you the capacity. The Order gave you the doctrine for when to use it. The field gave you the judgment for when the doctrine doesn't fully cover what's in front of you.

Favored Save: Wit Save (+1D to Wit + Resolve rolls)

Power Access: Sacred Fire at 1D, no Talent cost. The Order does not accept members who lack the Light-Bound lineage into the Warden track — the covenant relationship is a prerequisite for the tradition, and the tradition is the foundation of the operational role. Members of the Order who lack lineage access serve in support and archival roles.

Starting Resources: Order credentials (recognized by the institutional bodies that acknowledge the Order), personal weapon (typically mundane — Wardens are not primarily armed combatants), full kit for consecration and expulsion work (blessed materials, Order-standard ritual implements, blessed water in field quantities), access to the local house's resources.

Lineage Affinity: Marked (Light-Bound), required for the Warden track.

Progression Track: Warden

Stage 1 (10 XP), Field Qualification
  The Warden has completed formation and has proven they can apply the
  tradition under field conditions with appropriate doctrinal judgment.
  - Expulsion Protocol: The Warden has been trained to the Order's
    expulsion standard. When conducting an expulsion (Threshold 3–4
    Sacred Fire applications targeting possessing or entrenched
    shadow entities), the Warden may reroll one failed die per roll.
    The protocol's accumulated refinement provides a margin that
    independent practitioners don't have.
  - Covenant Materials: The Warden maintains a standing supply of
    Order-standard blessed materials — blessed water, blessed
    ammunition in one firearm caliber, a consecrated blade — that
    replenish between missions. They do not need to track sourcing
    for these items.

Stage 2 (25 XP), Senior Warden
  The Warden has accumulated enough field experience to have developed
  judgment on cases the doctrine doesn't fully address.
  - Formation Support: The Warden can provide formation guidance to
    Light-Bound Marked individuals who are not Order members. A scene
    spent working with a Marked character who has Sacred Fire at 1D
    grants that character +1D on all Sacred Fire rolls for the
    remainder of the session. The Warden is drawing on the Order's
    training tradition rather than teaching from scratch.
  - Covenant Consultation: Once per session, the Warden may ask the
    GM one direct question about the nature, weakness, or behavior
    of a shadow entity or undead threat. The GM answers accurately.
    This represents the Order's accumulated knowledge surfacing
    through the Warden's training — it is not infallible, but it
    is deep.

Stage 3 (50 XP), Prior / Senior Authority
  The Warden has become someone the Order relies on for the situations
  that require both the deepest tradition capacity and the hardest
  doctrinal calls.
  - House Authority: The Warden has the authority of a Prior; they
    can commit the local Order house's resources (personnel,
    materials, safe locations) to an operation without escalating
    to Chapter. The Order trusts their assessment of when the full
    weight of the house is needed.
  - Deep Covenant: The Warden's relationship with their covenant has
    deepened to the point where the Illuminated's presence is
    accessible rather than ambient. Once per campaign, the Warden
    may invoke direct covenant authority — a Threshold 5+ application
    that represents the Illuminated's direct backing rather than
    the Warden's own channel. This is available once; using it
    carries significant covenant obligation.