Rank 13 of 14
The Priest
“The most humble man in town, somehow also the richest.”
Once a humble altar boy with big dreams and bigger ambition, the Priest quickly discovered that salvation pays, and tax-free too. Now he's the kingdom's most “spiritually enriched” spiritual leader, doling out forgiveness on Sundays and buying gold-rimmed chalices on Mondays.
He delivers sermons about modesty while wearing limited-edition robes, and somehow always ends up with the biggest slice of the collection pie. He claims to heal broken souls, and coincidentally owns the tavern where most of them end up.
Need a blessing? He's got you. Need discretion? That'll cost extra. Some say he's corrupt. Others say he's just efficient. Everyone agrees on one thing: the Lord works in mysterious ways… and so does his accountant.
Four copies, four lines
There are four Priest cards in the deck, and each one says something different.
- The most humble man in town, somehow also the richest.
- Holy enough to forgive himself.
- Good thing the Holy Spirit takes the occasional blame.
- Drinks holy wine. A lot of it.
In the game: beats ranks 1–12, loses to 14–14 and the Crown. See card ranks.
The real medieval priest
The medieval Church took a tithe, a tenth of what people produced, so the parish got a cut of every harvest. Then, in the year 1300 itself, Pope Boniface VIII declared the first Jubilee and promised forgiveness of sins to pilgrims who visited Rome's great churches. Crowds poured in.
One chronicler who was there wrote that two clerics stood at the altar of St Paul's day and night, raking in the coins. Our Priest would have brought a bigger rake.
More medieval jobs, and the world they live in: the world of Crown Shuffle.
Want to play the Priest?
Coming to Kickstarter in early 2027. Join the list for early-bird pricing.