Editing Time Lord (section)

==Culture and society==
The capital city is referred to as the Citadel, and contains the Capitol, the seat of Time Lord government. At the centre of the Capitol is the Panopticon, beneath which is the Eye of Harmony. Outside the Capitol lie wastelands where the "Outsiders", Time Lords who have dropped out of Time Lord society, live in less technologically advanced communities, shunning life in the cities as revealed in ''[[The Invasion of Time]]''.

There are also Time Lords, such as The Doctor himself, The Master, The [[Rani]], and others, who, having rejected the rules of the Time Lords' High Council (for whatever reason), cast off or stop using their name and take on a new name or title, and only use their original name under certain circumstances.  Their new names are indicative of their characters and goals (for The Doctor, his title referring to a '[[Doctor (title)|doctor]]', a 'healer', a 'wise man'). The Doctor also testified, in "[[The Day of the Doctor]]", that his taking on the name of 'Doctor' was also a [[promise]] to himself ("Never cruel nor cowardly", "Never give up. Never give in"); and in ''[[The Name of the Doctor]]'' and ''[[The Day of the Doctor]]'', it is highlighted that, when 'The Doctor' became 'The War Doctor' ("A Warrior", "Doctor No-more"), he stopped thinking of himself as 'The Doctor' until after the climax of ''The Day of the Doctor'' ("I am 'The Doctor' again").

The ''[[Doctor Who Roleplaying Game]]'' by [[FASA]] equates the Outsiders with the "Shobogans", a group mentioned briefly in ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]''<ref name="The Deadly Assassin"/> as being responsible for acts of vandalism around the Panopticon, but there is actually nothing on screen that explicitly connects the two.

In "[[The Timeless Children]]" (2020), it is revealed that the Shobogans were the first race of peoples who resided on Gallifrey, only becoming the Time Lords after gene-splicing the ability to regenerate from the Doctor.<ref name="timeless child ep">{{cite episode | title = [[The Timeless Children]] | series = [[Doctor Who]] | series-no = 12 | number = 10 | credits = [[Chris Chibnall]] (writer), [[Jamie Magnus Stone]] (director), Alex Mercer (producer) | network = [[BBC]] | station = [[BBC One]] | airdate = 1 March 2020}}</ref>

Romana and the Doctor have also referred to "Time Tots", or infant Time Lords,<ref name="shada vhs">{{cite AV media |first=Douglas (writer) |last=Adams |author-link=Douglas Adams |first2=Pennant (director) |last2=Roberts |author-link2=Pennant Roberts |date=6 July 1992 |title=Shada |title-link=Shada (Doctor Who) |series=''[[Doctor Who]]'' |type=home video |publisher=BBC }}</ref><ref name="shada web">{{cite serial |title=[[Shada (Doctor Who)|Shada]] |series=Doctor Who |series-link=Doctor Who |first=Douglas (writer) |last=Adams |author-link=Douglas Adams |first2=Gary (director) |last2=Russell |author-link2=Gary Russell |network=[[BBC Online|BBCi]] |date=2003 }}</ref>{{refn|group=note| name="shada note"|The unfinished story ''[[Shada (Doctor Who)|Shada]]'' was originally intended for broadcast for the show's seventeenth season, and was released in 1992 on VHS with narration segments to fill in the gaps not shot due to industrial action halting shooting of the serial. It was followed by an animated webcast version from 2003 that stuck closely to [[Douglas Adams]]' original script and was remounted to feature [[Paul McGann]]'s [[Eighth Doctor]] instead of [[Tom Baker]]'s [[Fourth Doctor]].}} and (in "[[Smith and Jones (Doctor Who)|Smith and Jones]]") the Doctor refers his compatriots and he playing "with [[X-ray|Röntgen]] bricks in the nursery".<ref name="Smith and Jones"/> In "The Sound of Drums", the Master is seen as a child, apparently at the age of 8.<ref name="Sound of Drums"/>

In general, the Time Lords are an [[wikt:aloof|aloof]] people, with a society full of pomp and ceremony. The Doctor has observed that his people "enjoy making speeches"<ref name="The Invasion of Time">{{cite serial |title=[[The Invasion of Time]] |series=Doctor Who |series-link=Doctor Who |first=David (writer) |last=Agnew |author-link=David Agnew |first2=Gerald (director) |last2=Blake |author-link2=Gerald Blake (director) |network=[[BBC]] |station=[[BBC1]] |date=4 February – 11 March 1978 }}</ref> and have an "infinite capacity for pretension".<ref name="Remembrance of the Daleks">{{cite serial |title=[[Remembrance of the Daleks]] |series=Doctor Who |series-link=Doctor Who |first=Ben (writer) |last=Aaronovitch |author-link=Ben Aaronovitch |first2=Andrew (director) |last2=Morgan |network=[[BBC]] |station=[[BBC1]] |date=5–26 October 1988 }}</ref>

The [[Sixth Doctor]] has also characterised the Time Lords as a stagnant and corrupt society, a state caused by ten million years of absolute power.<ref>{{cite serial |title=[[The Ultimate Foe]] |series=Doctor Who |series-link=Doctor Who |first=Robert |last=Holmes |author-link=Robert Holmes (scriptwriter) |first2=Pip |last2=Baker |author-link2=Pip and Jane Baker |first3=Jane (writers) |last3=Baker |author-link3=Pip and Jane Baker |first4=Chris (director) |last4=Clough |author-link4=Chris Clough |network=[[BBC]] |station=[[BBC1]] |date=29 November – 6 December 1986 }}</ref> Their portrayal in the series is reminiscent of academics living in ivory towers, unconcerned with external affairs. The Doctor states that the Time Lords were sworn never to interfere, only to watch.<ref name="Sound of Drums"/> It has been suggested that, since perfecting the science of time travel, they have withdrawn, bound by the moral complexity of interfering in the natural flow of history; in ''[[Earthshock]]'',<ref>{{cite serial |title=[[Earthshock]] |series=Doctor Who |series-link=Doctor Who |first=Eric (writer) |last=Saward |author-link=Eric Saward |first2=Peter (director) |last2=Grimwade |author-link2=Peter Grimwade |network=[[BBC]] |station=[[BBC1]] |date=8–16 March 1982 }}</ref> the Cyberleader, when notified of the arrival of a TARDIS, is surprised at the presence of a Time Lord, stating "they are forbidden to interfere". In ''[[The Two Doctors]]'',<ref name="Two Doctors"/> it is suggested that Time Lords are responsible for maintaining a general balance of power between the races of the Universe.

While interference is apparently against Time Lord policy, there are occasions when they do intervene, albeit indirectly through their CIA or Celestial Intervention Agency. The CIA has occasionally sent the Doctor on missions that required plausible deniability, as in ''[[The Two Doctors]]'',<ref name="Two Doctors"/> and sometimes against his will, as in ''[[Colony in Space]]''<ref>{{cite serial |title=[[Colony in Space]] |series=Doctor Who |series-link=Doctor Who |first=Malcolm (writer) |last=Hulke |author-link=Malcolm Hulke |first2=Michael E. (director) |last2=Briant |author-link2=Michael E. Briant |network=[[BBC]] |station=[[BBC1]] |date=10 April – 15 May 1971 }}</ref> and ''[[The Monster of Peladon]]''.<ref>{{cite serial |title=[[The Monster of Peladon]] |series=Doctor Who |series-link=Doctor Who |first=Brian (writer) |last=Hayles |author-link=Brian Hayles |first2=Lennie (director) |last2=Mayne |author-link2=Lennie Mayne |network=[[BBC]] |station=[[BBC1]] |date=23 March – 27 April 1974 }}</ref> He is also sent on a mission in ''[[The Mutants]]'' <ref>{{cite serial |title=[[The Mutants]] |series=Doctor Who |series-link=Doctor Who |first=Bob |last=Baker |author-link=Bob Baker (scriptwriter) |first2=Dave (writers) |last2=Martin |author-link2=Dave Martin (screenwriter) |first3=Christopher (director) |last3=Barry |author-link3=Christopher Barry |network=[[BBC]] |station=[[BBC1]] |date=8 April – 13 May 1972 }}</ref> which was intended to help preserve the existence of a unique race, which was being destroyed by the excesses of the Earth empire. The Doctor's mission in ''[[Genesis of the Daleks]]''<ref name="genesis">{{cite serial |title=[[Genesis of the Daleks]] |series=Doctor Who |series-link=Doctor Who |first=Terry (writer) |last=Nation |author-link=Terry Nation |first2=David (director) |last2=Maloney |author-link2=David Maloney |network=[[BBC]] |station=[[BBC1]] |date=8 March – 12 April 1975 }}</ref> even involves changing history to avert the creation of the [[Dalek]]s, or at least temper their aggressiveness.

Children of Gallifrey are taken from their families at the age of 8 and admitted into the Academy.<ref name="Sound of Drums"/>{{sfn|Donaghy|2014|p=16}} Novices are then taken to an initiation ceremony before the Untempered Schism, a gap in the fabric of reality that looks into the time vortex. Of those that stare into it, some are inspired, some run away and others go mad. The Doctor suggests that the Master went mad, while admitting that he ran away.<ref name="Sound of Drums"/>{{sfn|Donaghy|2014|p=20}}

Each Time Lord belongs to one of a number of various colleges or chapters, such as the Patrexes, Arcalian, and the Prydonian chapters, which have ceremonial and possibly political significance. In ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'',<ref name="The Deadly Assassin"/> it is explained that each chapter has its own colours; the Prydonians wear scarlet and orange, the Arcalians wear green, and the Patrexeans wear [[Heliotrope (color)|heliotrope]]. However, in that same serial, Cardinal Borusa, described as "the leader of the Prydonian chapter", wears heliotrope. Other Prydonians wear orange headdresses with orange-brown (not scarlet) robes. The colleges of the Academy are led by the Cardinals. Ushers, who provide security and assistance at official Time Lord functions, may belong to any chapter, and wear all-gold uniforms. Also mentioned in ''The Deadly Assassin'' are '[[plebeian]] classes'.<ref name="The Deadly Assassin"/>

The executive political leadership is split between the Lord President, who keeps the ceremonial relics of the Time Lords, and the Chancellor, who appears to be the administrative leader of the Cardinals and who acts as a check on the power of the Lord President. The President is an elected position; on Presidential Resignation Day, the outgoing President usually names his successor, who is then usually confirmed in a non-contested "[[show election|election]]", but it is still constitutionally possible for another candidate to put themselves forward for the post, as the Doctor did in ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]''.<ref name="The Deadly Assassin"/> In that story, the Presidency was described as a largely ceremonial role, but in ''[[The Invasion of Time]]''<ref name="The Invasion of Time"/> the orders of the office were to be obeyed without question. In the event the current Lord President is unable to name a successor, the council can appoint a President to take his place. In "[[The Five Doctors]]",<ref name="The Five Doctors"/> the council appoints the Doctor as president after Borusa is imprisoned by Rassilon, and later deposed him after he neglected his duties.

The President and Chancellor also sit on the Time Lord High Council, akin to a legislative body, composed variously of Councillors and more senior Cardinals. Also on the High Council is the Castellan of the Chancellery Guard, in charge of the security of the Citadel, whom the Doctor has referred to as the leader of a trumped-up palace guard. According to the constitution, if while in emergency session the other members of the High Council are in unanimous agreement, even the President's orders can be overruled.<ref name="The Five Doctors"/>{{sfn|Donaghy|2014|p=32}}

===Race or title===
The television series and people involved in its production repeatedly refer to the Time Lords, interchangeably, as a [[species]] or [[Race (biology)|race]], including the Doctor,<ref name="war games ten"/><ref name="Smith and Jones"/><ref>{{Cite episode |title=Knock Knock |episode-link=Knock Knock (Doctor Who) |series=Doctor Who |series-link=Doctor Who |first=Mike (writer) |last=Bartlett |author-link=Mike Bartlett (playwright) |first2=Bill (director) |last2=Anderson |network=[[BBC]] |station=[[BBC One]] |date=6 May 2017 |series-no=10 |number=4 }}</ref> his enemies,<ref name="time warrior 2"/><ref>{{cite serial |title=Pyramids of Mars |title-link=Pyramids of Mars |episode=Part Four |series=Doctor Who |series-link=Doctor Who |first=Stephen (writer) |last=Harris |first2=Paddy (director) |last2=Russell |author-link2=Paddy Russell |network=[[BBC]] |station=[[BBC1]] |date=15 November 1975 }}</ref><ref name="witch"/> and other time lords.<ref name="hell bent"/>

The crew has also repeated this statement, including [[Malcolm Hulke]] and [[Terrance Dicks]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hulke |first1=Malcolm |author-link=Malcolm Hulke |last2=Dicks |first2=Terrance |author-link2=Terrance Dicks |date=1972 |title=The Making of Doctor Who |publisher=Piccolo Books |page=19 |isbn=0-330-23203-7 }}</ref> [[Derrick Sherwin]],<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Dicks |first1=Terrance |author-link=Terrance Dicks |last2=Wright |first2=Mark |date=March 2016 |title=Creation Theories |magazine=The Essential Doctor Who |location=Tunbridge Wells |publisher=[[Panini Comics|Panini UK Ltd]] |issue=7: ''The Time Lords'' |page=24 |isbn=9781846532207 }}</ref> and [[Russell T Davies]],<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Davies |first=Russell T |author-link=Russell T Davies |date=25 May 2005 |title=The Evasion of Time |magazine=[[Doctor Who Magazine]] |location=Tunbridge Wells |publisher=[[Panini Comics|Panini Publishing Ltd]] |issue=356 |page=66 }}</ref> and

"The Stolen Tardis" (1979), a spin-off comic printed in issue No. 9 of ''Doctor Who Weekly'' (the original name of ''Doctor Who Magazine'') also claims that "not everyone on Gallifrey is a Time Lord",<ref>{{Cite comic | writer = [[Steve Moore (comics)|Moore, Steve]] | artist = [[Steve Dillon|Dillon, Steve]] | story = The Stolen Tardis: A Tale of the Time Lords: Part One | title = [[Doctor Who Weekly]] | volume = | issue = #9 | date = 12 December 1979 | publisher = [[Marvel UK]] | location = London | page = | panel = | id = }}</ref> while a feature in issue No. 21 instead states that the Doctor is "a member of a race called the Time Lords".<ref>{{cite magazine |date=5 March 1980 |title=The Time Lords of Gallifrey |magazine=[[Doctor Who Weekly]] |location=London |publisher=[[Marvel UK]] |issue=21 |page=10 }}</ref>