Ilin

A(n in)famous figure in The Nine Systems's underworld, Ilin is primarily known for the founding of the Rally of the Twelve Galaxies. He entered one year, won, and maintained the race until the year Angstrom and Epzo competed. Epzo threatened him into declaring the two joint victors.

Physical Description

Facial Features

Ilin's broad forehead and pronounced nose are considered stereotypical features of one of the Althusians' highest castes, a "blue blood" status he emphasizes by pulling his hair back and plaiting it neatly.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Born into a wealthy and politically involved Althusian family, Ilin grew up learning about economics, politics, languages, and diplomatic interactions within The Nine Systems and beyond. He carefully applied all this knowledge as an adult toward furtherance of his own and his family's interests, and as he noticed the corruption in the broader Stenza government, it seemed only logical to him to exploit it. Ilin developed arms and other devices (such as the Universal Translator) for use by any party that had need of it and the funds to at least pay the at-cost price. During this time he also devised a race known as the Rally of the Twelve Galaxies, which in reality took place across only most of a single galaxy (excluding the dangerous uncharted territory of the cores). He thought the grandiose name would draw audience attention and play into the grandiosity and boastfulness the Stenza favored.

Competition for the rally was drawn from the entire Nine Systems population, although Stenza generally refrained from participating. He offered a substantial sum to the winner/survivor, bait enough to draw desperate people who wanted to escape the horrors the Stenza military inflicted on its territories. It also drew opportunists who sought the money for other purposes, as prospects were hard to come by. The race was immensely popular, especially among a Stenza audience, and Ilin entered a few years into its run as a publicity stunt and to answer criticisms that he could not survive it. But, through plots and tricking his fellow competitors, he came out on top, and proudly ran the next race somewhat early.

Although a typical rally has only one victor, following the final race Ilin was pressured by Epzo and the Doctor into accepting joint winners, a highly controversial move among rally fans. In the customary post-Rally interview (this time granted to Threxil Ma'an of Dirty Deets Dirt Cheap) he insinuated that while it wasn't the original plan, he accepted it as a fitting conclusion to his race.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Aside from organizing the Rally of the Twelve Galaxies successfully for many years, as well as entering and winning one of those years, Ilin has also funded and devised the Universal Translator, a wildly successful piece of technology that spread across the galaxy and in some situations became standard issue.

Wealth & Financial state

Ilin owns and maintains a private planet which serves as his chief residence. The race he ran also stretches across most of his territory (which comprises a vast chunk of the Stenza empire): ninety-four worlds, and a pool of up to 4000 contestants drawn from across the Nine Systems. The prize was a mindblowing 3.2 trillion krin, put simply enough to allow the winner and their whole clan passage to a safe world and a very good life at their destination. He also has access to top of the line holographic technology, allowing him to project tents and images of himself across the empire, and those images to manipulate their holographic surroundings or actually transport people and physical objects to and fro across the empire). He is able to achieve all of this because he has exploited the last decades of corrupt Stenza leadership to evade taxes and establish a series of fronts and underground operations for these purposes, and then sell back to the empire a sort of panem et circenses in the form of the Rally of the Twelve Galaxies, which ran for a number of years before he decided to end it near the end of T'zu-Crae's leadership. As a result he owes the empire a substantial sum of money.