| The Emperor | |
|---|---|
 Niccolo Machiavelli | |
|
Concept: |
Mystic |
|
Nationality: |
Italian |
|
Place of Birth: |
Florence, Italy |
|
Date of Birth: |
3 May 1469 |
|
Hair/Eye Color: |
Brown/Brown |
|
Height/Weight: |
6' 1"/196 lbs |
|
Status |
Leader of TAROT |
Background[]
Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence to an established though not particularly affluent middle-class family whose members had traditionally filled responsible positions in local government. While little of the his early life has been documented, it is known that as a boy he learned Latin and that he quickly became an assiduous reader of the ancient classics.
Machiavelli's first recorded involvement in the volatile Florentine political scene occurred in 1498, when he helped the political faction that deposed Girolamo Savonarola, then the dominant religious and political figure in Florence. In the same year Machiavelli was appointed to the second chancery of the republic. As chancellor and secretary to the Ten of Liberty and Peace, a sensitive government agency dealing chiefly with warfare and foreign affairs, Machiavelli participated both in domestic politics and in diplomatic missions to foreign governments. These posts afforded him innumerable opportunities over the next fourteen years to closely examine the inner workings of government.
It was during this period that he developed a taste for political and economic power that has ruled his world ever since. His yearning for greater and greater power led to his involvement in the dark arts of sorcery.
In his most famous political treatises (The Prince, written in 1513, and Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livius, written in 1521), Machiavelli offered rules advice designed to keep a ruler in power. As he grew older, he began to despair that none of the heads of state were actually following his advice. He slowly came to the conclusion that someone, namely himself, would have to gain control of the whole of Europe, and from there the whole of the world, if the planet was to be an ordered, organized place in which economic and political prosperity was to be assured.
He faked his own death in 1527. Shortly thereafter, he founded the secret society that would one day become TAROT.
Personality and Motivations[]
The Emperor may well be the most arrogantly self-assured human being on the planet. Being effectively immortal, he always takes the long view. His plans always include fallback positions in case of failure, and many have multiple secondary goals. If the primary goal of a plan fails, the accomplishment of these secondary goals still may make the mission a success.
"Wheels within wheels within wheels" correctly describes his mindset. The Emperor views the constant warfare between TAROT and the world's superhero community as an ongoing chess game with an opponent who does not know how to play. His contempt for others is seconded only by his self-confidence. Even such world-shaking persons as Abyss and Lord Doom and Doctor Simian matter to him only as pawns in the game.
Quote[]
"No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution."
Powers and Abilities[]
A mage of incredible power, the Emperor can invoke great effects limited only by his imagination. He has many objects of mystical power and (depending on the situation) carries a few of them; though he has long since garnered enough personal power to need not rely on items for personal protection that can be taken from him.
The Emperor has worked several permanent enchantments upon himself. The greatest are those that have made him impervious to forged weapons (e.g.: arrows, blades and other hand-weapons, but not firearms or other modern projectile weapons) and the one that has kept him young and spry for five hundred years.
In addition to his mystic power, the Emperor is an expert on human psychology and the urge to power. Not surprisingly, considering who he is, he brings new meaning to the word "Machiavellian" (a word he has always found very amusing.).
Appearance[]
The Emperor is a tall, middle-aged man with graying brown hair. He keeps himself clean-shaven at all times, and is always dressed in the finest clothes. He has a "costume", of sorts, that he never wears (pictured above) including a rather garish cape, a tunic, and a crown. But except when absolutely necessary, he loathes to put it on. When it is necessary, the Emperor dresses in black silk pants and shirt, over which a red tabard is worn. A belt of red leather and matching boots and gloves, plus a long flowing black cloak complete the ensemble. Lastly, a large spiked crown tops off his costume.