A while back, I talked a bit about how it is useful to go over the mistakes of failed Overlords. There are plenty, that's for certain. Narrative Convention wants you to fail about as badly as it wants the hero to fall in love with the main girl he hangs around (or vice versa on gender), and almost as badly as it wants redheads to have quick tempers. But every now and then, you come upon an Overlord who found a way to thwart the narrative and stay in power, and these gems are a model for any aspiring Overlord to follow.
My favorite is one Havelock Vetinari.
The Patrician of Discworld, created by the lovely and hilarious Terry Pratchett, Vetinari is the tyrant of Ankh-Morpork, the Disc's primary metropolis. Vetinari has several major points in his favor:
1. He openly, even happily, acknowledges that he is a tyrant. There is no effort at deception on his part, of himself or others. As Pratchett puts it, "one man, one vote. [Vetinari] is the Man; he has the Vote."
2. He loves his city. Vetinari isn't motivated by a blind desire for power -- which can lead to blind mistakes -- but by the more specific desire for the power to rule a city he cares about.
3. Vetinari knows everything. He trained in the Assassin's Guild, where those without sharp senses and quick reflexes...well, they tend not to graduate. He recognizes people by their footsteps and has eyes and ears everywhere in the city. If you live in Ank-Morpork, you better know Vetinari knows who you are, where you live, who you love, and how long it takes you to finish your crossword puzzle in the morning.
4. Speaking of, Vetinari does his crossword every morning. Helps keep the mind sharp, you know, although since he polishes it off in seventeen seconds, it seems that this is a more rudimentary exercise for him. It is interesting, though, to see what kinds of words the crossword makers have on their minds. As a more stimulating game, Vetinari also likes to keep an ongoing game of Thud on the table (it's similar to chess, but between dwarves and trolls, who each have their advantages and disadvantages. Vetinari has been known to suggest that playing the side one doesn't favor helps the mind to understand the enemy more clearly, as well as learn any potential weaknesses in a favorite strategy).
5. Vetinari always has a back-up plan prepared. He is well aware, for example, that the rabble sometimes decides it's time to overthrow its tyrant, so he keeps his dungeons well-ventilated and at a comfortable temperature. They also lock from the inside. When Narrative Convention leads the mob to throw the tyrant into his own dungeons, they will find they have escorted him to a quiet, comfortable retreat where he can meditate and collect his thoughts while he waits for the heat of the crowd to die out.
6. He allows himself a few idiosyncracies. A mongrel dog named Mr. Whuffles, a passionate hatred for mimes. A few splashes of personality here and there help keep any Overlord from feeling like it's all about the job.
Now, you may have realized by now that I'm a little heavy on number 6 to pull off a Vetinari imitation. I have plenty of plans, don't get me wrong, and a pretty sharp mind, and trustworthy minions to help keep me in the know. But still, my whimsical side is much more pronounced than that of Ankh-Morpork's leader, so we need to find another personality to blend into the picture of my Overlord leadership. May I present to you:
Delirium, from Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Not quite an Overlord, although she is the anthropomorphic personification of madness, and responsible for all instances thereof. In my book, that's close enough. At first glance, Delirium seems like a terrible model to follow for World Domination: she's impulsive, emotional, and has the attention span of a butterfly. But let's look a little closer.
1. Delirium is boundlessly creative. She doesn't let any person or circumstance stop her from making the things she needs. Even her siblings, some of whose good opinion means quite a lot to her, aren't able to talk her out of something if she really has her heart set on it.
2. She recognizes the need for a Lair! Delirium's space is highly dangerous to others due to her nature, but it's perfect for her. Swirls of colors and fragments of fever dreams are what she needs to feel relaxed and at home, and she provides that for herself.
3. Delirium is acutely aware of the strengths and limitations of her own power. Whimsy appeals to her, so she indulges, and uses this natural talent to reward or punish others as she sees fit. (The unpredictability inherent in Delirium's logic is another natural strength.) She can 'pull herself together' and cohere to ordinary logic for short periods, and she knows what it will cost her, how long she can keep it up, and in which situations she would find it necessary to deviate so far from character.
4. She also can focus quite intensely on something when she really wants it. Remember I said she had the attention span of a butterfly? Did you remember that some butterflies migrate thousands of miles?
My goal in my career as Overlord is to strike a balance between Vetinari's cool head and careful planning, and Delirium's creative energy and unpredictable nature. It's a fine line to walk, but the right blend of these characters' strengths would be a force to be reckoned with.
Soon to be a force to be reckoned with,
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