Post by Elrood IX on Oct 14, 2010 15:16:50 GMT 1
Horance de Lanier - Chamberlain to Elrood IX
Part prime minister, part personal assistant, and part gentleman's gentleman Chamberlain de Lanier is a pompous and humourless individual who is rarely far from his Emperor's side. Possessed of a supremely over-inflated sense of his own importance he fancies himself perhaps as Cardinal Richelieu to Elrood's Louis XIII, but many regard him as little more than a glorified butler. He is considered the ultimate authority in all matters of protocol and Imperial bureaucracy, and little of importance takes place in the palace without his involvement or at least his knowledge. The chamberlain employs a number of spies and observers within the palace staff to keep him abreast of developments, although he is not the greatest judge of loyalty and many of his plants are also in the pay of others such the Bene Gesserit or the Princess Royal.
De Lanier enjoys a close working relationship with Elrood's other chief advisors, Truthsayer Miral Alechem and Imperial mentat Bri Tahnee, although like most courtiers he is easily intimidated by the Reverend Mother. His lack of military experience also leaves him not well liked by the Sardaukar officer hierarchy, who prefer to take their orders direct from the Emperor whenever possible. While in the service of Corrin XXV, the present Emperor's father, de Lanier was involved in a brief and ultimately unsuccessful tryst with Shalandra which continues to be a source of embarrassment to the highly prim and proper chamberlain and a source of equal amusement to the mad princess when she chooses to remind him about it. Both the chamberlain and the princess remain unaware that the attempted assignation was in fact planned and engineered by the Bene Gesserit as an unsuccessful part of one of their breeding programmes.
His ultimate and long-held dream is to be gifted a title of nobility by the Emperor as a reward for his service.
Balthazar Grimaldi - House Moritani Ambassador
Landsraad ambassador for House Moritani, a childhood friend and long time favourite crony of the Viscount known for his hedonistic tastes and lavish lifestyle.Despite being known as a dandy and a rake, Grimaldi enjoys an unlikely and often debated friendship with Radnor Harkonnen, a regular guest at the parties which have made him infamous around the Imperial Court.
Radnor Harkonnen - House Harkonnen Ambassador, later Governor of Arrakis
A cousin to the late Baron Josef Harkonnen, the Ambassadorship appealed to Radnor's hedonistic side, seeing the Imperial Court as a gateway to every thrill and pleasure money could buy.Whereas the Baroness Rose is considered to be a woman of unexpected refinement hailing from a line of brutal planetary rulers, Radnor is very much a Harkonnen of the "old school", unpleasant even at the best of times, crude, stubborn and given to excesses. He does not shy away from violence if provoked, and indeed harbours a brutal streak he cleverly keeps hidden from the public eye. He is known for attending Balthazar Grimaldi's lavish parties, the gossip revolving around his outrageous sexual habits, and for being one of the most colourful characters in Assembly.
Following a reprimand from Emperor Elrood IX concerning the state of affairs on Arrakis, the Baroness Rose decides to instate Radnor as planetary governor, in the hope that his tough, unyielding nature will restore order among the natives and at the same time allow her to install someone more to her liking as Ambassador on Kaitain.
Liana Mutelli - House Mutelli Ambassador
The only daughter of the House ruler, Liana was raised with all the lavish luxury one might expect and was quite the pampered little princess, well aware of her own beauty and status. For her 16th birthday her father engaged the services of a brilliant chemist, intent on staging the most fantastic display of coloured fountains and amazing fireworks ever seen. The deadline was strict, and when the man's own sickly daughter fell ill spoilt Liana urged her father to insist that he take time away from her sick bed to complete the project. The chemist's little girl died alone and he became consumed with grief, vowing terrible vengeance against Lord Mutelli and his daughter. Injecting the grand display fountain which formed the centrepiece of the party with a wicked and insidious molecular poison of his own design, when young Liana bent to inspect it he splashed the water in her face. The effect was instantaneous, and she was scarred terribly.The chemist was quickly put to death but the damage was done. Numerous highly qualified and expensive Suk doctors were consulted, but all said the same thing: the poison remained inert in the scar tissue and any attempt at reconstructive surgery would cause it to spread further. Even the flesh masters of the Bene Tleilax were called in, but informed the Mutelli family that they would have to replace virtually Liana's entire face in order to affect a cure. The idea was too much for the girl to bear and she lapsed into depression, humbled by the experience and lamenting her ruined face and devastated marriage prospects.
For nearly five years Liana shut herself away, refusing to see anyone or attend any official engagements. It was as if House Mutelli no longer had a daughter. Wracked with guilt, and enraged by his impotence in the face of Liana's condition, her father eventually hit upon the idea of offering her the Landsraad Ambassadorship as a way for her to contribute to the House without the need for a beautiful face. Liana was enrolled at the Imperial Diplomatic Academy and to the surprise of all did extremely well. She ceased her moping, focused herself on her studies, and graduated with first class honours. Relishing her new role on Kaitain she earned substantial respect at the Assembly, though those close to her could still sense a lingering sadness, one which could never quite be lifted. Eventually she developed a friendship with fellow Assembly members Amyssa Magorian and Elisha Montague, and the three became quite well know in ambassadorial social circles.
Bri Tahnee - Imperial Mentat
A certified genius and indeed one of the few individuals to have been offered places at the Mentat Academy, the Suk Medical School and the Spacing Guild Training Centre. Choosing to become a Mentat she consistently scored in the top percentile throughout her career at the Academy and it came as no surprise when Bri Tahnee was chosen to become a House Mentat to the new Corrino Emperor Elrood IX. Elrood though makes depressingly little use of her talents, and some have even come to the conclusion that she was selected more on the basis of her pretty face and womanly figure than because the Emperor needed another top tactician. Finding Palace life excessively tedious Bri remains aloof from most other members of the court, the majority of whom she considers to be frankly beneath her. When not secluded in her quarters performing exercises in logic and mathematics she finds an outlet for her frustrations on the Kaitain party scene, especially at the infamous get-togethers hosted by Balthazar Grimaldi.
Lindberg Ridondo - Palace Flunky
Junior servant/official working in the Palace under chamberlain Horance de Lanier. Known as a snoop and used in that capacity both by the chamberlain and by the Princess Shalandra.
Kaylynn Langerak - Lady in Waiting (deceased)
Her obedient and efficient nature made her indispensable to Princess Shalandra, but this very epitome of a good maidservant was in fact revealed to be an agent working for the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood and tasked with keeping an eye on the Emperor's sister. Unmasked by a renowned palace snoop in the pay of both Shalandra and Elrood's chamberlain she was confronted by her mistress with recorded evidence of a report she had been preparing for the Sisterhood before being murdered in cold blood by the insane Princess Royal. Shalandra was able to convince her brother that she acted in self-defence although inconsistencies in the forensic reports into the killing are plainly visible by anyone bothering to look. The Bene Gesserit must surely be aware of the murder, but realise that exposing it would also expose their own spying activities and thus have so far remained silent on the matter. Before she died Kaylynn begged the princess not to judge her harshly, claiming she was receiving no money from the Sisterhood and was in fact acting under threat of blackmail. Shalandra paid no attention to her pleading and the suggestion that she had a child by a high ranking noble gentleman named Daniel has never been revealed or investigated.She was replaced as lady in waiting by Shalandra's long time friend and fellow returned exile Giovanna Montelli.
Part prime minister, part personal assistant, and part gentleman's gentleman Chamberlain de Lanier is a pompous and humourless individual who is rarely far from his Emperor's side. Possessed of a supremely over-inflated sense of his own importance he fancies himself perhaps as Cardinal Richelieu to Elrood's Louis XIII, but many regard him as little more than a glorified butler. He is considered the ultimate authority in all matters of protocol and Imperial bureaucracy, and little of importance takes place in the palace without his involvement or at least his knowledge. The chamberlain employs a number of spies and observers within the palace staff to keep him abreast of developments, although he is not the greatest judge of loyalty and many of his plants are also in the pay of others such the Bene Gesserit or the Princess Royal.
De Lanier enjoys a close working relationship with Elrood's other chief advisors, Truthsayer Miral Alechem and Imperial mentat Bri Tahnee, although like most courtiers he is easily intimidated by the Reverend Mother. His lack of military experience also leaves him not well liked by the Sardaukar officer hierarchy, who prefer to take their orders direct from the Emperor whenever possible. While in the service of Corrin XXV, the present Emperor's father, de Lanier was involved in a brief and ultimately unsuccessful tryst with Shalandra which continues to be a source of embarrassment to the highly prim and proper chamberlain and a source of equal amusement to the mad princess when she chooses to remind him about it. Both the chamberlain and the princess remain unaware that the attempted assignation was in fact planned and engineered by the Bene Gesserit as an unsuccessful part of one of their breeding programmes.
His ultimate and long-held dream is to be gifted a title of nobility by the Emperor as a reward for his service.
Balthazar Grimaldi - House Moritani Ambassador
Landsraad ambassador for House Moritani, a childhood friend and long time favourite crony of the Viscount known for his hedonistic tastes and lavish lifestyle.Despite being known as a dandy and a rake, Grimaldi enjoys an unlikely and often debated friendship with Radnor Harkonnen, a regular guest at the parties which have made him infamous around the Imperial Court.
Radnor Harkonnen - House Harkonnen Ambassador, later Governor of Arrakis
A cousin to the late Baron Josef Harkonnen, the Ambassadorship appealed to Radnor's hedonistic side, seeing the Imperial Court as a gateway to every thrill and pleasure money could buy.Whereas the Baroness Rose is considered to be a woman of unexpected refinement hailing from a line of brutal planetary rulers, Radnor is very much a Harkonnen of the "old school", unpleasant even at the best of times, crude, stubborn and given to excesses. He does not shy away from violence if provoked, and indeed harbours a brutal streak he cleverly keeps hidden from the public eye. He is known for attending Balthazar Grimaldi's lavish parties, the gossip revolving around his outrageous sexual habits, and for being one of the most colourful characters in Assembly.
Following a reprimand from Emperor Elrood IX concerning the state of affairs on Arrakis, the Baroness Rose decides to instate Radnor as planetary governor, in the hope that his tough, unyielding nature will restore order among the natives and at the same time allow her to install someone more to her liking as Ambassador on Kaitain.
Liana Mutelli - House Mutelli Ambassador
The only daughter of the House ruler, Liana was raised with all the lavish luxury one might expect and was quite the pampered little princess, well aware of her own beauty and status. For her 16th birthday her father engaged the services of a brilliant chemist, intent on staging the most fantastic display of coloured fountains and amazing fireworks ever seen. The deadline was strict, and when the man's own sickly daughter fell ill spoilt Liana urged her father to insist that he take time away from her sick bed to complete the project. The chemist's little girl died alone and he became consumed with grief, vowing terrible vengeance against Lord Mutelli and his daughter. Injecting the grand display fountain which formed the centrepiece of the party with a wicked and insidious molecular poison of his own design, when young Liana bent to inspect it he splashed the water in her face. The effect was instantaneous, and she was scarred terribly.The chemist was quickly put to death but the damage was done. Numerous highly qualified and expensive Suk doctors were consulted, but all said the same thing: the poison remained inert in the scar tissue and any attempt at reconstructive surgery would cause it to spread further. Even the flesh masters of the Bene Tleilax were called in, but informed the Mutelli family that they would have to replace virtually Liana's entire face in order to affect a cure. The idea was too much for the girl to bear and she lapsed into depression, humbled by the experience and lamenting her ruined face and devastated marriage prospects.
For nearly five years Liana shut herself away, refusing to see anyone or attend any official engagements. It was as if House Mutelli no longer had a daughter. Wracked with guilt, and enraged by his impotence in the face of Liana's condition, her father eventually hit upon the idea of offering her the Landsraad Ambassadorship as a way for her to contribute to the House without the need for a beautiful face. Liana was enrolled at the Imperial Diplomatic Academy and to the surprise of all did extremely well. She ceased her moping, focused herself on her studies, and graduated with first class honours. Relishing her new role on Kaitain she earned substantial respect at the Assembly, though those close to her could still sense a lingering sadness, one which could never quite be lifted. Eventually she developed a friendship with fellow Assembly members Amyssa Magorian and Elisha Montague, and the three became quite well know in ambassadorial social circles.
Bri Tahnee - Imperial Mentat
A certified genius and indeed one of the few individuals to have been offered places at the Mentat Academy, the Suk Medical School and the Spacing Guild Training Centre. Choosing to become a Mentat she consistently scored in the top percentile throughout her career at the Academy and it came as no surprise when Bri Tahnee was chosen to become a House Mentat to the new Corrino Emperor Elrood IX. Elrood though makes depressingly little use of her talents, and some have even come to the conclusion that she was selected more on the basis of her pretty face and womanly figure than because the Emperor needed another top tactician. Finding Palace life excessively tedious Bri remains aloof from most other members of the court, the majority of whom she considers to be frankly beneath her. When not secluded in her quarters performing exercises in logic and mathematics she finds an outlet for her frustrations on the Kaitain party scene, especially at the infamous get-togethers hosted by Balthazar Grimaldi.
Lindberg Ridondo - Palace Flunky
Junior servant/official working in the Palace under chamberlain Horance de Lanier. Known as a snoop and used in that capacity both by the chamberlain and by the Princess Shalandra.
Kaylynn Langerak - Lady in Waiting (deceased)
Her obedient and efficient nature made her indispensable to Princess Shalandra, but this very epitome of a good maidservant was in fact revealed to be an agent working for the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood and tasked with keeping an eye on the Emperor's sister. Unmasked by a renowned palace snoop in the pay of both Shalandra and Elrood's chamberlain she was confronted by her mistress with recorded evidence of a report she had been preparing for the Sisterhood before being murdered in cold blood by the insane Princess Royal. Shalandra was able to convince her brother that she acted in self-defence although inconsistencies in the forensic reports into the killing are plainly visible by anyone bothering to look. The Bene Gesserit must surely be aware of the murder, but realise that exposing it would also expose their own spying activities and thus have so far remained silent on the matter. Before she died Kaylynn begged the princess not to judge her harshly, claiming she was receiving no money from the Sisterhood and was in fact acting under threat of blackmail. Shalandra paid no attention to her pleading and the suggestion that she had a child by a high ranking noble gentleman named Daniel has never been revealed or investigated.She was replaced as lady in waiting by Shalandra's long time friend and fellow returned exile Giovanna Montelli.
