Emperor
Deuteragonist of the visual novel and romantic interest to
Marco (Player Character), Amicus is the son of the previous
Wolven emperor who is challenged for his birthright succession by his brother
Cassius. The story follows Amicus's attempts to impress the succession council after being challenged for the role of Emperor following the mysterious death of his father. He kicks off the story of
Adastra by going to Earth to abduct Marco looking for a "pet" to impress the acting emperor, Cato, his father's former adviser. Good-natured and open-minded, Amicus often doesn't think things through, traits which follow him throughout the story.
Character Synopsis
Amicus opens Adastra arriving to Earth in search of a sapient lifeform to make a pet. He spots a human he would later come to learn is Marco as Marco is enjoying his study abroad in Rome, Italy. Amicus shows up in Marco's room in the middle of the night and tries to speak with him after inserting a Lingua into Marco's brain. Marco is frightened after seeing a wolf-alien for the first time and doesn't speak. Amicus learns from Com that humans were not what he thought they were so he Nervo's Marco out of fear of being caught and takes him back to his spaceship.
Marco wakes up and Amicus explains the situation to Marco who doesn't understand and insists on being taken back to earth. After Com senses hostile intentions, Amicus knockouts Marco out again, ties him up and discusses options with com. Marco wakes up and escapes the bonds and bashes Amicus over the head with a pipe then knocks him out with the Nervo and ties him up. When Amicus wakes up, Marco attempts to stear the ship back to earth but instead targets a star. Amicus and Marco work together to escape the star's gravity and discuss their situation while the ship repairs itself. They come to an understanding that Marco is smarter than Amicus gave him credit for and is a sapient that deserves to have agency. They agree to head to Adastra before Amicus can take Marco home and Marco unties Amicus.
Upon arrival to Adastra, Amicus tells Marco to hide and argues with Cassius about where he was for the past few days. Amicus and Marco get back to Marco's room and Amicus tells Marco its best if he plays dumb for now. Amicus offers Marco the couch and falls asleep almost immediately. The next morning, while Amicus is out meditating Marco is spotted by Cassius and Amicus is required to explain his presence to Cassius and Cato as well as lie about his origins. Cato demands Amicus explain during breakfast which Marco is expected to cater being a Wolven pet. Marco pours wine on Amicus after feeling slighted and ordered around and Cassius tells Marco to discipline his pet to which Amicus threatens Cassius if he ever tries to hit Marco.
A few days later, Amicus takes Alexios and Marco to the island where Marco teaches him an earthling way to swim. They overstay their alotted time on the island and upon arrival to his pugnu lessons with Cato, Amicus is beaten for shirking his responsibilities. Virginia arrives and introduces Neferu to Amicus who briskly speaks to him but leaves to recover from his wounds. Marco helps Amicus relax and the two grow closer.
As the first trial approaches Marco begins to worry about his involvement in the trial due to his pet status. Amicus reassures him it will be fine, embarrassed by the kiss that is required at the end of the dance but only begins to practice with Marco a few days before the trial. Amicus invites Marco to the Baths with him and the two relax until Neferu shows up to the baths. Neferu pry's into Marco's intelligence and his relationship with Amicus who physically confronts the Khemian out of anger. Neferu takes the opportunity to grope a naked Amicus who is surprised by the advance and both he and Marco storm out of the baths. Amicus is upset at the interaction and believes Marco will view him with disgust after learning he is homosexual. Marco reassures Amicus that he is still his friend and that nothing will change, as well as that he too is homosexual.
A few days later as the trial commences, Marco becomes flustered because he cannot understand the words which is how he and Amicus practiced and the two lose the trial to Cassius and Alexios. Marco storms out of the throne-room and argues with Amicus about including him in future decisions that affect him.
A few days later Marco is out in the gardens when Amicus approaches him with a bouquet of flowers and asks Marco to date him as humans would do on earth. Marco, surprised and flustered, tells Amicus he doesn't know what that means and rejects the advance but reassures Amicus they can still get to know each other better. As they head back to Amicus's room they run into Cassius who was snooping around. Cassius tries to touch Marco who bats his hand away and Cassius reacts by nearly hitting him. Amicus punches Cassius for attempting to hit Marco, breaking his tail. Cassius angrily exclaims Amicus is a homosexual and states that if he becomes emperor he will kill Marco and leaves.
A week later, Marco and Amicus discuss the second trial as well as head to the island again for an outing. At the island Amicus gets drunk and kisses a surprised Marco but becomes embarrassed afterward. Marco tells Amicus that he is there to help him get the emperorship so he can go home, but he did like the kiss. Amicus asks again if Marco will date him and Marco tells Amicus he will think about it in the coming days. A week goes by and Marco is worried how the conversation at the island has affected their relationship. The day before the Trial of Rhetoric, he resolves to give Amicus a bouquet of flowers and tell him yes to the question of dating. As Marco walks into Amicus's room he finds Amicus and Neferu hooking up. Upset, he storms out of the room into an unfamiliar room where Amicus follows him and they get into an intense argument. Amicus tells Marco it was a deal to protect him from Cassius but Marco vitriolically argues that he was given no agency, again. The next morning Neferu finds Marco, explains the situation and brings him to see Amicus an hour before the trial. Both Marco and Amicus apologize and make up, giving Amicus the strength he needs for the imminent trial.
Amicus performs well during the trial, but Cassius uses his time to attack Amicus and broadcast the video of Amicus and Neferu's hookup to all of Adastra. The triumvirates voting on the trial unanimously favor Amicus with only Cato voting in favor of Cassius. Amicus wants to celebrate his victory by bringing Marco to Adastra city where he is approached endlessly by triumvirates and the public. Amicus gets a private dinner with Marco where they discuss their future together. After the dinner, Marco becomes ill after having contact with a sick Wolven child earlier in the day and falls into a fevered coma. Amicus rushes him back to the palace and has a doctor look at him who says he cannot find Marco's species in the archives.
Marco has fevered dreams but wakes up in the ampitheatre at the palace three days later. He finds Alexios in the gardens who begins interrogating him about his last memories. Marco remembers Amicus and rushes to his room to find Amicus extremely inebriated and passed out. Marco wakes him up and the two profess their love to one another in exasperated statements and emotions. They spend the night together but are woken up by Cato, angry at having discovered Marco's status as an uncontacted Child species. Cato beats Amicus and stages the Trial of Combat for Cassius. As Cassius is declared the victor, Marco Nervos him drawing Cato's attention. Amicus rips Cato's visor off in order for Marco to escape and is imprisoned in the dungeons for it.
A week after the staged trial, Marco is able to get Cassius to allow him into the dungeons where he gets to see Amicus for twenty minutes. Marco reassures Amicus that he is there to save him and that he won't leave him there. Marco works with Neferu and Virginia over the next few weeks to gather enough blackmail to get Cassius to step down. Marco visits Amicus a few times during this, further developing their relationship.
Marco, Virginia and Neferu convince Cassius to step down but Cato is informed of his decision so he calls everyone, except Neferu, to a surprise breakfast. Cato poisons Cassius and imprisons Marco in Amicus's room where he escapes after a few hours. Marco makes his way to the dungeons to free Amicus and tells him to hurry to save Neferu. Amicus and Marco make their way to the ampitheatre where Amicus challenges Cato to a Trial of Combat, this time to the death. Amicus begins losing to Cato so Marco picks up the execuationer's dagger that was about to be used on Neferu and stabs Cato in the neck and back. Cato wrests the knife from Marco and garrotes him before Amicus is able to pin him down and finish him off by ripping out his throat.
Marco bleeds out in Amicus's arms while Amicus cries out. Amicus runs to the archives with Marco in his arms seeking to make a deal with the parents. He and Marco reunite in the amalgamation of minds that make up the Greater Consciouness. The parent, speaking through Marco, inform Amicus he has a larger part to play in preparation for an even greater threat from outside the Universe. They give him an ultimatum of submitting to their will and saving Marco or not and letting him die. Amicus accepts and is there when a miraculously healed Marco revives having not remembered anything after the fight with Cato.
Amicus is crowned emperor and commits every single day to administrative duties, leaving Marco in the Palace. A few days after being crowned, Amicus tells Marco of the plan the parents have for him requiring him to begin integration of humans into the Galaxias. A process that will take eight years to complete and one where Marco and Amicus will not be able to contact each other. Amicus tells Marco he has eight months to choose whether to follow the will of the parents or not.
Depending on choices made by the player in earlier scenes, the dialogue and endings of the game begin to diverge. Amicus spends months working administrative duties as emperor leaving Marco to think about the Parent's plans and learn about the Galaxias as a whole. Amicus wakes Marco up one day to surprise him for a Wolven holiday called Lover's day and planned the spend the whole day with Marco but emperor duties get in the way. Despite the ruined plans, the two head to the island at the lake in the middle of the night and Amicus proposes to Marco in human fashion. Marco says yes to the engagement but the two cannot legally get married on Adastra and Amicus plans to change that while Marco is gone on his mission.
Marco worries about his future in the remaining months before his mission. Amicus and him get to take a month long trip to meet with Cassius and Alexios in Lux. As Marco's departing day approaches, the emotions between the two begin to come up more. Amicus tells Marco he wants to wait for their goodbye conversation to happen on the ship ride back to earth and Marco agrees. On the morning of his departure, Marco is called to the Archives by the monitor.
Ending 1: Marco is shown his entire future after his mission with Amicus and the two live a long happy life in the vision. Marco euphorically leaves the Archives and encounters Alexios and Cassius within the halls.
Ending 2: While Marco is talking to the Monitor another presence pulls his attention away and he encounters the consciousness of Meera.
Finale TBD...
