What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

[The Watcher]

One day, either in the mail or on the news depending on how hard it is to get in touch with your character, you are notified you have become absolute monarch of a small but prosperous European nation. Perhaps you inherited your crown due to some distant blood relation you weren't aware of. Or maybe the previous monarch admired you and your deeds so much that he named you his official successor shortly before death.

 

Either way, you are now royalty. Along with your country you get diplomatic immunity, fabulous wealth if you didn't have it already, a small but well trained and equipped military, a cadre of crack ministers and advisors, and of course a nation full of loyal (at least for now) subjects.

 

So, how does your character react to this news? Does he abdicate or accept the crown? If the later, how does he rule his nation? Does he still try to continue his normal activities as a hero, and if so how does he uses the resources he's gained in such pursuits? If your character's secret id was the one to inherit the crown, how does it impact his life? Would you put any of your friends or team mates in positions of power?

 

What sort of king would your character be?

[Chuckg]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Starguard --

 

She'd beg, borrow, or steal enough help from her older, wiser friends to help her set up an honest caretaker government, and then split her time between being her country's official superheroine and representative and trying to keep up with her duties to the New Sentinels, to her friends, to people she's met and made promises to, and to...

 

... she's got "Psych Lim: Takes Her Responsibilities Seriously" at 20 points. She's also, despite her native intelligence, *very* inexperienced, especially about politics.

 

Fortunately, her team leader happens to be a 60,000 year old demigod with PS:King at 22-...

 

(Left to herself, it's either going to be 'Princess Diaries 3' or else a case study in political disaster.)

 

Ah well. At least she'd look really, *really* cute with a crown on her head.

 

(Then again, Starguard can look cute covered in mud and with a sack over her head...)

 

 

 

Dr. Pain -- "You have got to be SHITTING me!"

 

He doesn't know garbage about politics, but at least he has two talents -- public relations, and street smarts. There will be a few problems as the various poiltical sharpies and hucksters move in on him, and a few more as his crass Americanism violates Old World sensibilities (he's an ex- pro wrestler), but he shouldn't do too badly.

 

 

 

Baron von Darien -- can't get in this mess, as his true persona has been legally dead for eleven centuries, and since he set up his current fake ID himself, he damn well *knows* it doesn't tie into any genuinely-existing family tree.

 

Which is kinda ironic, because of all my characters, he's by far the most suited to be the king of some small place in the Balkans -- seeing as how the character description is "Ra's al Ghul with fangs..."

[Hermit]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

This is funny, because I wanted to make a hero who was a ruler of a small nation, sort of my Doctor Doom/ Black Panther homage (more the former than the latter).

 

That said, ones I do currently have:

 

Apex- If offered this chance in heroic id, would decline. Super Heroes should not, in his opinion, take money or rewards for doing the right thing, and this would be another reward, one he'd not feel worthy of. Ironically, if found to be of royal blood etc in his secret id, he might indeed give it a try if it means an even better life for his daughter, and a chance to try new building designs etc. Not sure on that one.

 

Recluse- "Err, no!"

 

Wildcard- Monte Carlo would soon be yesterday's news

[Blue]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Anthem: Probably courtesy of a distant relation. Wouldn't know the first thing about running a country. She would seek advisors in that country that were trusted by the abdicating king and select someone appropraite to rule. Besides, she's an American as far as she's concerned.

 

Uncle Slam: See Anthem's response, only he'd have probably been given it through his righteous deeds. Same result though.

 

Audra Blue: A queen afraid to go out and meet her subjects? All she knows is her father was an American on manuevers in South America and her mother is Honduran (deceased). So she'd be more concerned with how someone found out her lineage when SHE can't find it out. She'd absolutely consider it, if she could somehow get there without going outside. (Anyone give me a teleport lift to a safe room of some kind there?)

[jackalope]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Peacekeeper's Response: Abdicate. The Warrior Caste of the Urthquar is unsuited to leadership positions, they simply lack the sort of creativity necessary to be effective, and Peacekeeper knows this. He is a Follower, not a Leader.

 

Iron Demon's Response: Iron Demon would accept the crown, but would probably be overthrown within his first year of rule. See, he's crazy, and being forced to take any sort of responsibility tends to make him even crazier. When his father died and he inherited control of the family business, that was enough stress to trigger the nervous breakdown that led him to become the Iron Demon in the first place - I don't even want to contemplate the sort of personality that might emerge as a result of the stress of rulership. I imagine he would become some sort of Supervillian Dictator, like Dr. Doom but even crazier.

[Twilight]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

This is something Twilight would agonise over for days and he would likely drive his mentor, and anybody else who'd listen, nuts asking thier opinion about it. In the end he'd only accept the throne if he was sure if it was the absolute best thing to do for the people of that country and even then he'd be reluctant. He'd probably make a decent ruler, though in his initial days on the throne there'd be attempted coups galore and royal ministers trying to manipulate him right left and center.

 

All my other characters would say no.

[Chuckg]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

> She'd absolutely consider it, if she could somehow get there without going

> outside. (Anyone give me a teleport lift to a safe room of some kind

> there?)

 

Interesting logistical problem.

 

Hmmm. The mundane solution that comes to mind is:

 

* Back a van, with the windows covered and the driver's seat sealed off, into the garage. Have Audra get into it while it's still in the garage.

 

* Drive the van to the airport and load it on a cargo plane.

 

* Fly to Littlevania.

 

* Drive the van off the plane and into the loading dock of the Royal Palace.

 

* Unload.

 

 

Would this trigger her apparent agoraphobia, or would the confined quarters thoroughout allow her to do do it?

[Blue]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

>Would this trigger her apparent agoraphobia' date=' or would the confined quarters thoroughout allow her to do do it?[/quote']

 

It's sort of a fear of the unknown. Ever seen "Copycat", where Sigourney Weaver is a criminologist confined to her home by a fear of someone outside (and therefore a fear of the unknown?). People she trusts would have to go secure a location for her that isolated, and probably calming, she'd have to be sedated (and it would have to not conflict with the medication she takes to keep from rejecting her cybernetics) and she'd probably need her shrink with her when she awakens.

 

Boy... She's a mess! How do I live with her? Oh, wait, she's fictional.

[The Watcher]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Starguard --

Fortunately, her team leader happens to be a 60,000 year old demigod with PS:King at 22-...

Not to mention a crown princess of intrigue laden empire for a different perspective, and a multi-billionaire financial whiz to go to for economic advice.

[Guest WhammeWhamme]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

 

Baron von Darien -- can't get in this mess, as his true persona has been legally dead for eleven centuries, and since he set up his current fake ID himself, he damn well *knows* it doesn't tie into any genuinely-existing family tree.

 

Which is kinda ironic, because of all my characters, he's by far the most suited to be the king of some small place in the Balkans -- seeing as how the character description is "Ra's al Ghul with fangs..."

 

Well, 'left the place by a King impressed by him' could work.

 

Or he could turn out to be the only 'living in any sense of the word' heir, no matter how much you search the family tree.

 

I like thinking of ways that these "what if's" could apply to any given character.

 

Anyway. Me:

 

Wraith: Wow. ANOTHER noble title? (He inherited a position as British Aristocracy by virtue of being the only living member of his bloodline... gee. Looks like this is a natural fit.)

He'd be all noble about it. Perhaps resign his position to take care of responsibllities. Oh, and have a nice long chat with the previous king about how things worked there when he was alive...

 

Flippant:

Well, he'd accept. He takes life very seriously, and this is a heck of a responsibility. He'd go to the team, finally share his double life, and accept the title in his normal ID. He'd then try and figure out a way to explain why his heroic ID would move. (Vice versa if Heroic Id offered it)

[SKJAM!]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Mask of Justice: Presumably through his Secret ID, Nick Philips (nee Nikolas Philosophos), and it'd be in the neighborhood of Greece. Which means it's in danger of being overrun by the Axis. Therefore it is his duty to help this country in its time of need. (He'd kind of wonder why his still-living father wasn't picked for the job.) After the war, he'd work on installing an American-style representative democracy. {"The best system of government in the world!")

 

Rock Bottom: Would have to turn the job down. He is in no way suited to be king, even as a figurehead.

 

Calculus: Would have to get his wife's opinion, since he's not leaving America without her and the kid. That said, he's a supergenius, and could be very useful for running a country.

 

Kira Midori: "Bow before your omniscient Queen!"..."Just kidding." She'd seriously consider it, especially (if as is likely) the alternative is installing a bad guy.

 

Talion: "This is one of those year-king things, isn't it, where the king is sacrificed at the end of the year to ensure a good harvest? You're aware I can't die, right?"

 

Highlights from Talion's reign:

 

"So, never before in this country's 500-year history have the rutabaga and olive harvests failed in the same year? Interesting."

 

"The diamond mines have run dry? How unfortunate."

 

"What do you mean, this version of the Black Plague is untreatable by the usual methods?"

 

"We're being invaded by Latveria, Qurac, Gomorra and Slobbovia? They're not even on the same Earth with us!"

 

"Can anyone explain to me why there's a live volcano in the town square that wasn't there when I went to bed?"

[Chuckg]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

> Well, 'left the place by a King impressed by him' could work.

 

Not for the Baron. While he is impressive, he's also frightening as hell. *And*, as both a player in the Mystic World and a master vampire should, he keeps *well* into the shadows.

 

> Or he could turn out to be the only 'living in any sense of the word' heir, no

> matter how much you search the family tree.

 

Well, his current birth certificate is as part of an Alternate ID that he himself created, so again, he knows durn well that it doesn't apply to him.

 

And his original persona... not only is his wife and children dead, his family line destroyed, and his original kingdom (ok, barony) completely obliterated, but his original persona wasn't "royal" to begin with. He got the title and land grant by slaying a dragon.

 

(The great wyrm Blundiskrig, actually -- I worked _Coils of the Serpent_ into his origin.)

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Blues would wonder just how in the great while holy *CENSORED* this note got back from the 30th Century.

 

(Man ... being from the future just really screws up a lot of subplots, doesn't it?)

[caris]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Adonis would be incredibly disappointed. His idea of royalty and royal responsibilities would be based off of bad American perceptions of the British royal family and the royal family of Monaco. He would think it would mean that he could go out and be a jet setter. He would probably contact several people for advice in setting up some sort of government that wouldn’t rely on a hereditary monarchy, after installing certain things like a bill of rights that covered sexuality issues, and PWP issues.

[BcAugust]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Considering my character is already heir to the Malvan Empire...

 

Actually, that wouldn't be a bad thing. She would be fairly serious about her duties, but not overbearing. And it would give her an excuse to stay on Earth for a while or defend it....

[Metaphysician]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Microman II: Is an android. Who debuted three days ago, and spent most of it out of the public eye.

 

See "Starguard," above. Different words, but similar response, plus comments about the former ruler being "clearly a victim of some form of mental illness."

[Dust Raven]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Cobalt (most likely as his Secret ID, Ken Yoshida): "There must be some mistake. I'm Japanese." After realizing he was just willed the country because the old king admired him for whatever reason, "Oh, well in that case" and turn over control of the nation to the Japanese government.

 

Vantage: "Oh, yeah! I'm king! I'm king! Told you all I was royalty, but did you believe me? Nooooooo!" Vantage would then soon buckly under the pressure of ruling a kingdom or be deposed after a nasty scandle involving several of his snooty aides an unethical use of his Mind Control.

 

Zectron: "Oh, no, I can't accept the title. My soverign state is the state of honor and my sworn duty is to protect everyone's soverign state of safety. Ask the people what they think of a democracy. Oh heck, just have them vote on it!"

 

Kristian Rolyat: "King huh? Diplomatic Immunity? Mmm..." All of Kris's hunteds would never be able to get to him if he ruled a small country. He just might take it. And with his two best friends being aliens from a high tech culture, he's likely to make quite a few changed there...

[Acroyear]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

"I wonder what a small, prosperous nation can pull in on eBay."

[Dust Raven]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

"I wonder what a small' date=' prosperous nation can pull in on eBay."[/quote']

You know, this reminds me of the book Magic Kingdom For Sale: Sold by Terry Brooks. An excellent book, though I never could swallow the sequeil.

[Whitewings]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

One of my characters is almost two different people, and legally is two different people. As Lara, she'd be flabbergasted, but she'd accept and be sure to get advisors she both trusted and respected. This would *not* included the leader of the hero group she's with. Her other self would be basically her paladin.

 

As Masked Dragon, she'd check again and again and again to be sure that this was for real. Being a high powered martial artist and professional entertainer isn't what she considers good preparation for rulership - besides, her lifestyle's just a *wee* bit unusual, and could make the whole "produce an heir" expectation difficult. Hard core lesbians rarely wed guys and have kids. But if it *is* for real, she'd accept and do her best to be a good ruler (and you can lay odds that her first royal act will be to stike down any "indecency" laws still on the books).

[OddHat]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Style - He has enough troubles on his plate as it is, but is compulsively concientious. He'd ask for UN help in aranging a transition to democracy.

 

Flesh Gordon - He'd hapilly accept the kingship, then do something remarkably clueless, end up nude again in the international press, and get deposed.

 

AnimeGai - As an emotionless AI in a hologram, he'd simulate being very, very surprised. He'd then probably do a really good job until his people got tired of being ruled by a machine.

 

Indomitable Will - He'd try to remake the state as a perfect Socialist Utopia and be deposed by the CIA.

 

Thirteen - He'd never put himself in so vulnerable a position. He'd tell them to find someone else.

[Black Rose]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Penumbra would, depending on how it was decided he should be king - former monarch's fiat or bloodline:

• question the sanity of a ruler who thinks a guy wearing an enchanted SS uniform who goes around fighting colourfully dressed weirdoes with powers based on icky-bad shadowstuff would make a spiffy king
  
• wonder how his grandad managed to pull off being in the line of inheiritance of a small European country while keeping up the hectic lifestyle of an SS scumbag (Penumbra's got issues, y'see)
  

 

Besides, Pen's already theoretically heir to a country; granted, it's the realm of Shadows, but it is a country. Now, if he could pull off getting Diplomatic Immunity for that tie....

 

Regardless, he'd manage to offend someone, either by being too nice in a situation calling for pragmatism, or being too cold when a show of compassion was needed. And who wants a king who is trying to magnify his powers a hundred-fold by building an enormous palace of obsidian?

[farik]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

Husky would be an excellent diplomat and while secreted away in royal chambers as Kenneth he'd design the world's best meritocracy; an amazing constitution accomplishing a true rule of law; and a legal code that for all intensive purposes is "lawyer proof." He'd then outfit the military with high tech defenses and non-lethal weaponry. The nation would flourish under super science advancements in agriculture and industry with no corporate influence. Husky would be an amazing world leader with his own alter ego serving as the advisor behind the scenes. With Husky's amazing leadership and Kenneth's amazing intellect the nation will become a shining pillar of human achievment.

 

Husky will be slightly disheartened since ruling will get in the way of adventuring but at the same time the responsibility of being a world leader is just the kind of thing Kenneth needs to break his escapist habit of being Husky.

[Wanderer]

Re: What would your character do...#78: It's Good To Be King?

 

I guess this happened because former King somehow befriended Nova, or got impressed with his record, since there's no way he could be a blood relative of him (unless future relations count). Anyway, he's the type that take responsibilities seriously, so he would accept the title, and try to do his best as a ruler. He would try to ensure the best standard of living for his subjects, and gradually raise the tech standards according to his futuristic knowledge. Diplomatic immunity would be useful to him, but not indispensable (he is already beyond mundane law, and only fellow superhumans and the likes of VIPER or UNTIL may give him hassle, thanks to his Superman-like power level), and he would find dishonorable to use the state resources to fuel his superheroic activities. Him in power, would probably end up looking like a much more "benign despot" version of Latveria, only with much more parties. And an harem. Definitely an harem.