Imperator Valerian II
His Magnificent and Serene Highness, Imperator Resplendens Orbis Khthon Omnium Valerian Orion Ariadne (a.k.a. the Dragontamer)
"We have been a nation at war with itself. Leaderless. Directionless. Our nightmare has lasted over a hundred years. The Sunburst Throne has stood empty for the last twenty seven. No more. I am Imperator Resplendens. I sit upon Orion's chosen throne. I will lead. I will provide direction. I hereby declare our nightmare over, and begin the process of righting wrongs and healing wounds. The senate is perhaps the most grievous casualty of the interregnum -those who just cheered are supporters of the republic movement, kill them all. No, go on, I'll wait. Now that that's taken care of, I will continue. The senate should never rule this nation because it is the holy duty of the Imperator to do so, but it's difficult to blame them for trying, given the profligates who laid claim to that title at the time. We remember the losses and failures of their time at the head of state, and we allow this new hatred to make us forget. Once upon a time the senate was an invaluable tool in the Imperator's arsenal. I would see it become one again. As of now, I am re-instituting the original mandate of the Senatus Solis; I hereby charge you with all their traditional powers and responsibilities. I realize that there are a number of vacancies in your ranks, and I charge the Familias Maior with filling them within the week. I recommend you acclimate these new members quickly, I will expect quotas to begin being met the week following. In order to better facilitate this process, I will have these corpses removed from the senate floor by the end of the day. In order to better motivate you and remind you of your duty, I will have the heads put on pikes overlooking these chambers. That is all."
Divine Domains
Authority, Rule
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Shattered Crown
Holidays
Coronation
Ascension Day
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Conquer the universe, create an everlasting empire
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Valerian is preternaturally physically fit; he looks like he was sculpted from marble. He is more agile than all but the oldest elves and appears to have stopped aging at his peak. He suffers from Shelley Syndrome, but bears no physical symptoms.
Body Features
The Imperator is said to be the most beautiful human ever born, rivaling even the true elves in his physical perfection. His form is much more resigned than other recent imperators; he is the first in six generations to lack wings. Once marble skin has been bronzed by the sun on long campaigns, and he reportedly is able to choose whether or not to grow body hair and how much.
Facial Features
Valerian has almost elvish definition in his cheekbones, the wide bright eyes associated with his family, and, controversially, the strong jaw of an Auros which he keeps clean shaven when in the capital. He grows a beard when on campaign, a tradition which has now been adopted by the entirety of the fourth legion.
Identifying Characteristics
A popular rumor gives the master of the empire a single tattoo. No one knows where or of what though it is an extremely popular source of gossip
Physical quirks
Noted to be perfectly ambidextrous, possessing perfectly straight posture, and a long purposeful stride, the man who will be Caesar Universalis furthers his impression of powerful and charismatic stoicism by not emoting strongly and through his tendency to maintain intense eye contact.
Apparel & Accessories
When at leisure Valerian wears extravagant, loose, and flowing garments of ostentatious color and design; when ruling the Imperator wears only the traditional senator's toga; at war he wears a suit of full plate mail made of Bloodsteel made from Adrian's old set constantly reforged and re-enchanted over centuries.
Specialized Equipment
The Shattered Crown
Imperial Seal
Ariadne Imperial Plate Mail
The Shield of the Sun
Orpheus, the Sleeping Sword
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Though he is technically closer to the sixtieth to hold the title, he has declared all those who reigned since the Shatter to be false, making Valerian the twenty-third Imperator Resplendens of the Imperium Solis. Valerian is of House Ariadne which has not held the throne since Adrian, the second Imperator Resplendens. He is the second candidate they have put forward, and they appear to have spent the entirety of the time between working ceaselessly to create him.
Valerian was born during the worst of the Imperium Solis' decline. For eight years he did not leave the underground compound where he was born as his family hid his very existence from the rest of the empire, anticipating assassination attempts. During this time, he was socialized as best as was possible under the circumstances, and taught by the very best teachers in the world, often paid exorbitant sums to abandon their posts at the Imperial University. The lessons were eagerly devoured and incredible quantities of knowledge were absorbed, but the attempts to socialize the child did not go nearly as well. Eventually the attempt was abandoned altogether, and it was only then that it began to work. Young Valerian found he missed the diversion of his assigned playmates and so began regularly sneaking out of the compound to visit some of them in the nearby town. Sara Aris was one such child, and she remains first among the Imperial concubines even to this day.
Eventually Valerian was discovered by the empire at large, and the feared assassination attempts began. House Ariadne had succeeded, however, Valerian's metahuman nature had developed enough that he simply killed every assassin sent after him. By the time his candidacy for the Sunward Throne was announced at the age of twelve, it is estimated that the child had thwarted over seventy three attempts on his life. Valerian's teen years were full of martial lessons and strategies for war and ruling. He would end this time in his life by finally attending the Imperial University officially and earning nearly every honor they offer.
Despite heavy resistance, Valerian was crowned Imperator Resplendens in Solaire only a few years later. He would go on to lead three military campaigns in quick succession against the pretenders to his throne, waging wars of economics, politics, and spycraft against others at the same time. Within two years the backs of every opposing faction had been broken, and the last pretender was executed four years to the day after the coronation. With the Interregnum definitively over, Valerian quickly turned his attention to righting the ship of state. He was left to this task for only a year before the Tungst tribes and the Keotihuacati brought war back to the empire. Valerian famously converted High King Renjulf of the Tungst and made him the linchpin of his new church, naming him the first High Chancellor.
Leveraging his alliance with the barbarian tribes and his newfound power as a living saint leading living saints, Valerian put down the Keotihuacati rebellion only months after turning his attention towards them from the Tungst front. Finally he had time to see to the flagging bureaucracy of his empire. In the years since, the Imperial economy has become one of the strongest in all the planes, the empire's population has begun to stabilize and even increase drastically, and the scourge of Melusine was ended. Now the First Among Saints turns his gaze outward, planning his conquest of the empire's old colonies.
Sexuality
Yes, often.
Education
The Imperator had private tutors of the highest possible caliber when he was young and later attended the Imperial University's College of Statescraft and Diplomacy, graduating with full honors, magna cum laude, bearer of the laurel crown, and president of the Men of Letters.
Employment
Valerain has been raised from birth to be Imperator. Before that he was bred for it.
Accomplishments & Achievements
- Brought a swift end to the Interregnum
- United the home provinces for the first time in over a hundred years
- Reestablished the Orthodox Church of Orion and implemented radical doctrine changes
- Beautified dozens of new saints
- Won three wars of reunification, distinguishing himself as a strategist, tactician, diplomat, and combatant
- Repaired the imperial economy so thoroughly its currency is accepted on other planes of existence
- Accepted the challenge of the ancient dragon Melusine to a duel, bested her with his bare hands, and made her his consort and keeper of his household
Failures & Embarrassments
None.
Mental Trauma
Valerian is a true sociopath, incapable of acknowledging others as sapient.
Intellectual Characteristics
The Dragontamer is logically and philosophically brilliant.
Morality & Philosophy
The Imperator is a hedonist and a narcissist, but sees his nation as an extension of himself.
Taboos
He would love to discover some new ones so that he could break those too.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Extend his empire throughout the world, and then to the other worlds. Establish the ultimate, eternal empire and rule it forever. Have the best and most of everything that exists.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Good at everything he's ever tried, except empathy.
Likes & Dislikes
Likes winning, dislikes losing
Hedonist
Likes being respected, dislikes being disrespected or underestimated
Virtues & Personality perks
Patient, intelligent, strong, agile, charismatic
Vices & Personality flaws
Sociopath
Personality Quirks
Intense eye contact, continually perfect posture
Hygiene
Immaculate
Social
Family Ties
House Ariadne
Religious Views
Head of The Orthodox Church of Orion
Social Aptitude
Extremely charismatic, cult of personality, infinitely confident, perfect manners, eventually off-putting (Stepford)
Mannerisms
Stoic, does not emote
Hobbies & Pets
Maintains an entire zoo of pets which he seems to love equally, one of his most human characteristics
Divine Classification
Saint
Alignment
True Neutral
Current Location
Species
Conditions
Ethnicity
Church/Cult
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Imperator Resplendens Orbis Khthon Omnium
Age
32
Date of Birth
25th of Aurlû, 148 Knight
Circumstances of Birth
Valerian is the magnum opus of his family, representing the culmination of the work of generations of geneamancers. How they accomplished something -someone- so grand without being noticed is the question of the age.
Birthplace
Ariadne
Family
Children
Current Residence
Palatium Solis
Sex
Male
Eyes
Deep blue, wide
Hair
Curly brown locks worn close to the head
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Perfectly bronzed
Height
6'7" or 2m
Weight
240lbs or 109kg
Quotes & Catchphrases
"If I were to worship gods apart from Orion, I think I should like to worship The Forbidden. If they hadn't destroyed the empire it would have taken much longer for me to remake it in my image."
during a session of the Senatus Solis in response to a passing comment by a senator's child, and the only words the Imperator spoke for the duration
"Well yes, I suppose we could fight to the death. But really, that seems like a terrible waste of energy. When it was over one of us would be tired and the other one dead. On the other hand, I've brought eighty-three of my concubines with me to the front. It seems to me there's a different way for us to waste our energy, We'd both end up more satisfied, and you less dead."
the words that ended the Second Reunification War
"No."
in response to Marshal Tiohu requesting that he spare the women and children of Techoh
Belief/Deity
Orthodox Orionism
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Ruled Locations
Comments