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Albus Politus would eventually be world renowned as an author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat . But at first he was a lowly minister's son in Trimountaine, the most northerly of the New World Colonies that would one day form the Empire. His father was a minister of an Old World church, and had been training his son to go into the same profession. Instead, Albus ran away from home and never looked back. He finally settled in Firstport, and began making a name for himself as a printer and publisher. His first work was his own, Albus' Tome, an almanac of useful spells, new scientific discoveries, astronomy and satirical tales Albus picked up while he traveled.
His work was widespread in short order due to growing trade routes between the colonies, and because he was considered enormously clever by his readers. While his works were distributed, his mind never stopped. Albus devised, supposedly while in the bath, a system of communication using fast riders that would eventually become the Imperial Postal Office. He also developed a stove that could ignite and be put out instantly with a simple hand-clap. His work on lightning and electricity moved the technology of clockwork forward by decades, and at the height of his scientific accomplishments Albus created the first Ironmen.
While the Ironmen were hailed as a magnificent scientific advancement, Albus was cautious. Later in life he would devote most of his time to the first Abolitionist Movement, his own creation.
For all these advancements as well as his philosophical treaties, Albus became the most recognized New Worlder in the World. He became the Colonial Representative to the Old World Parliament, and served their for many years, touring the capitols and making himself generally well-liked. He made fast friends with kings and courtiers alike who rather enjoyed his humor, as well as his inability to take himself too seriously. During his travels, Albus noted one of the Crown's other colonies, Finnegal. He was appalled by the sheer, brutal poverty that the people lived in and he saw at once that this would be the fate of his own homeland soon. He pushed the thought out of his mind, but it refused to vacate entirely.
But it was also during this time that radical movements within the colonies threatened revolution. While politically neutral, Albus enjoyed his well-earned status too much to openly side with his people. And then the letters arrived. Albus never revealed who, but someone had sent him a series of letters between the Royal Governor of Trimountaine and the Crown, detailing plans to seize weapons and magic items from the colonial populace. Without hesitation Albus made the letters public knowledge, printing them the same night he received them. Within days of the publication, riots broke out in the New World, and the Vampire Lords brought Albus up to Parliament. He was lambasted for 4 hours by enraged Vampire Lords who called him every obscenity imaginable. He was called a 'villain', a 'traitor', and a fool. For 4 hours he was publicly humiliated by those people he once thought he wanted to be like. When he enterd Parliament that day, he had been a Loyalist. He left it four hours later, a Rebel.
Returning home to the New World, he began to hunt for allies. The Colonial Congress was being called to determine what to do about the swiftly souring relationship with the Old World. Albus enlisted the aid of several rebellious souls and intellectuals in pushing for independence. He worked as a puppet-master for years, but in the end the resolution was drafted.
Albus was sent back to the Old World where he worked as a diplomat. Now however, he stayed at the courts of those nations with a grudge against his new nation's former master. It took all of his skills, but after a decisive victory at Siopot, Firstport, he had the political fortunes to force the revolution to become a World War.
The war ended in victory and Albus returned home. He could have been elected Emperor, but he said that he, being 90 at the time, was too old and blessed his friend and fellow revolutionary Jonathan Norton with the throne. There is no place of burial for Albus Politus. It is said that he vanished one day in the flash of a lightning storm.
In character, Albus was very unlike his fellow 'Saints'. He was highly irreverent, known for exceedingly bawdy humor, and generally believed that society itself could use a bit of a loosening once in a while. He was described once as being 'Every man's favorite grandfather'. Albus was known for a hedonistic lifestyle, tempered at times by a wit sharper than any blade.
His family life was less glorious. His only son, George, never liked him, and the feeling was reciprocated. Later in life Albus tried time and time again to reconcile with his son. It never succeeded. George Politus was a Royal Governor at the time of the revolution and refused to switch sides. George's son, William was a different matter. William loved his grandfather, and Albus was known for doting on him and trying to make a lasting connection there. William moved in with his grandfather some ten years after the revolution to care for him.
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Jonathan Norton is best remembered as the first Emperor, who led the Empire to victory in the Revolution and who kept the nation from collapsing afterward. He was born to wealthy parents near modern day Norton CE, and lived a fairly carefree childhood on their plantation. He grew into a strapping young lad and soon found work as a prospector, going out into the wilderness and mapping it for others. He also learned how to hunt and shoot. When war broke out in the Old World, Norton joined up with the local militia to serve against the Natives who allied themselves with the enemy nations. In this war, young Norton achieved great honors among the colonials, becoming the most decorated colonial soldier of the war. He was also well known afterward by the Natives as 'The Destroyer' for his efficiency in combat. He was snubbed by the Vampire commanders however. He was mortal, and so despite his skills they refused to grant him an officer rank.
After the war he settled down and became a gentleman farmer. He was well known for his excellent harvests and fair trade prices, as well as his near-perfect manner. Norton was known to have turned his cheek when personally insulted, but wrathful when he saw another person belittled. Another title he seemed to earn around his home was 'giant killer' for his intolerance of those who insulted or harmed others in his presence.
When the revolution began in earnest, Norton was called upon to serve as General of the Armies. He was, after all, the most experienced colonial in the ways of war. For several years he waged a bitter campaign. In the first year, his army was decimated by desertions and disease, as well as combat. He barely clung on through the winter. His army, hardened and made lean through this hardship did win a surprising victory in the midst of winter. After this, he rarely directly engaged in combat, preferring to strike from the shadows and morning mists. Even this wasn't enough at times, for his army was still far smaller and less experienced that his foe. In his most humiliating battle, Norton watched as his army fled the field at the very sight of the enemy. His rage, so carefully kept in check his whole life, finally broke through. He unleashed a savage fury so intense upon his fleeing men, calling “Stand Fast! Stand fast! Cowards! Cowards and traitors!” that the enemy army was too intimidated to fire.
Norton was also a master of deception, using guerrilla tactics, spies and assassins, and even simple sabotage to hinder the enemy. He survived one harsh winter by tricking his foe into believing his army was twice its actual size, intimidating them from attacking til spring, whereupon they would discover he had slipped away.
After the Battle of Siopot however, suddenly Norton had a fighting chance. Foreign aid in the form of weapons and armor and allies flooded into the colonies. With such support he was finally able to go on the offensive, driving the enemy from the continent and securing victory after many years of war.
After the war, Norton sought to remain in charge of the army only until a provisional government had been set up. When it had, he retired to his farms. After a while though the first government appeared to be faltering. It lacked the kind of power that was needed in a centralized government. The army was on the brink of revolt and threatened to dismantle the nation entirely. Norton returned to speak with the commanders and begged them not to do so. They weren't swayed. So, Norton pulled out a letter to read to them from the Directorate (the pre-Imperial ruling body), hoping that their words of comfort to the soldiers would prevent the coup. When he could not read the letter, Norton took out his reading spectacles and apologized, saying that he had lost his eyesight in service to the Empire. Before he was even finished he saw his men weeping openly for him, and knew the coup had been prevented.
A restructuring of the new Government did come to pass soon afterward, but the aging Albus Politus refused the throne, instead offering it to Norton. Norton eventually agreed and served for ten years as Emperor. Though he was begged to remain in power indefinitely, Norton retired forever after that. He would die almost a year later, leaving behind an Empire.