Understanding Your Role: The Landlord
In Beholder: Conductor, you assume the role of Carl Stein, a government-appointed landlord in a totalitarian state. Your primary duty is to manage an apartment building, but this extends far beyond collecting rent. You are an agent of the Ministry, tasked with observing, reporting, and manipulating your tenants to maintain state control.
Your role is a constant balancing act between your official duties and your personal morality. The Ministry expects strict adherence to its directives, which often involve finding reasons to evict or arrest tenants, or even planting incriminating evidence. However, your tenants are individuals with their own stories, problems, and families, and helping them can conflict directly with your orders.
Core Responsibilities:
- Ministry Directives: These are your primary objectives. They can range from installing surveillance equipment to finding specific contraband in a tenant's apartment, or even framing someone for a crime. Failing to complete directives can lead to severe penalties, including your own arrest or the harm of your family.
- Tenant Management: You are responsible for the well-being of the building and its inhabitants. This includes:
- Collecting rent.
- Repairing broken items in apartments.
- Responding to tenant complaints and requests.
- Surveillance: A crucial part of your job is to observe tenants. This involves:
- Peeking through keyholes.
- Installing hidden cameras and bugs.
- Searching apartments when tenants are away.
- Reporting: Any discovered violations of state laws or suspicious activities must be reported to the Ministry. This often involves filing detailed reports with evidence.
- Maintaining the Building: Ensuring the building is in good repair is important for tenant satisfaction and preventing issues that could draw Ministry attention.
Your decisions as a landlord directly impact the lives of your tenants, your family's safety, and the overall narrative progression. Every choice carries weight, forcing you to confront difficult ethical dilemmas.