Emperor Sammus

Emperor Sammus' official portrait, painted in 1925 by Sempero T. Tethides

Sammus II (Sammus Mephistes Inigmax vos Ich; born September 12th, 1891) is the current reigning Emperor of the New Sammichian Empire and patriarch of the Ich Dynasty.

Sammus was born in the Imperial capital of Fulfwotz as the youngest child of King Drefnex and Queen Tryphaena. Last in the line of succession behind Prince Allexes, Princess Amphurna VI, and Prince Matares, respectively, he was never expected to inherit the throne; however, after the death, kidnapping, and cloistering of his three elder siblings, he was made heir presumptive to the throne. Untrained in state matters, the young Sammus had been studying at the prestigious Lord Cromerth Boarding School in the central Shire before being recalled to Fulfwotz for his own safety in 1902. Not a year later, Queen Tryphaena perished in a blaze caused by an electrical short in her chambers within Castle Mugg; Sammus was subsequently crowned King of Fulfwotz and its dominions at the age of 11, younger than any monarch in the kingdom’s history and five years below the prerequisite age. An exception was made so as to avoid a succession crisis.

Sammus was mentored in matters of state by then-High Chancellor Aliza Nazim Khalifa, the two developing a close relationship as he sat in on Chancelleric sessions and diplomatic meetings, becoming strikingly familiar with the inner workings of Fulfwotzian government. He soon set his sights on the expansion of the kingdom’s borders, reviving colonial and imperialist practices that had faltered under the reign of his father. His imperial ambitions would contribute to the outbreak of the Great War, a conflict of which he is commonly portrayed as the primary instigator. He presided over the kingdom throughout the duration of the war, and after his surrender, would reconsolidate the kingdom into the modern-day New Sammichian Empire, assuming the title of Emperor. He would oversee the reconstruction effort, as well as guiding the Empire through the chaos of the Athitican flu pandemic; he was unseated and exiled in 1958 after a period of internal strife resulted in a hostile communist takeover and the creation of the Fulflet Union. After repeated failed attempts to reclaim his country, the Emperor took matters into his own hands, occupying Castle Mugg with agents of the elite Magistrax Militae and personally assassinating Fulflet Premier Vespo Tessides. Following the reestablishment of the Imperial government, the Emperor oversaw nearly three decades of peace and prosperity eventually supplanted by Sammichian and Enpeecee racial tensions which devolved into acts of terrorism and the so-called Terrible Years. 117 years after his coronation, Emperor Sammus continues to reign and remains a prominent figure in international politics and culture.

Public perception and opinion of the Emperor has wavered throughout history, the lowest points being the latter days of the Great War and the years leading up to the Fulflet takeover. He is regarded as one of the most controversial and divisive figures in contemporary history, enjoying a cult of personality and great popularity within many parts of the Empire but being viewed as a criminal and a bogeyman in parts of the Shire and his own country, particularly those highly critical of the Imperial establishment, such as Caffa and the Verdenes. While his carefully-constructed public image portrays him as a cold, distant, and imposing ruler, those who have dealt with him behind closed doors and maintain close relations with the Ich Dynasty have remarked at his wit, boldness, and wisdom. Some of his well-known characteristics include his chain smoking, propensity towards cursing, his unique clipped accent and manner of speaking (consciously imitated by the Imperial upper class), and his love for cats and pageantry. He is known to be incredibly secretive and a highly-effective, if underhanded and manipulative, statesman.

Emperor Sammus has no living immediate family, and has never married. He has prolonged his unusually-long lifespan through the use of experimental cybernetics and biomechanical alterations, the subject of great intrigue and controversy. While the finances of the Ich Dynasty is not a matter of public record, he is often speculated to be the wealthiest individual in the world, with his net worth being estimated to be anywhere between $300 billion to $2 trillion. He is consistently ranked within the top ten in Era Magazine’s Most Powerful list, having been ranked #1 four times. He is one of the few world leaders to have a kill count.