Editing V'neef Somat (section)

== '''Notes:''' ==

Somewhere between a Confucian Sir Thomas Moore and George Bernard Shaw, he is a lawyer, member of the Deliberative, scholar, artist, etc. An Idealistic graduate of the Spiral Academy who is more famous for his artistic movements and political writings than his real works. A century ago, he was an Oscar Wilde-style hedonist in House Cynis, but was adopted into House V'Neef when they came into existance as a statement on his new morality and a favour to the Empress he adores.

Somat is a kind, gentle, benevolent man. He genuinely loves both Dynasy and peasant, but like the real More, believes that the best thing for all concerned is adherence to the social order, which he perceives as wise and benevolent. For an example quote:

"How can I deny these men their right to die for me? They have trained for it, struggled for it, lived and breathed it for every day of their lives. Who am I to gainsay them? To command an Empire is one thing, but to match oneself against dreams? That is blasphemy."

Now, imagine that with no irony, but with complete love. An honest belief that peasants are happy in their watermeadow, that soldiers need nothing more than to die to give him a few extra moments to escape a building. Despite this attitude, still comparatively gentle and merciful, for a Dynast
(Except against Anathema, which he really, REALLY hates). 

Within the confines of the Realm, a soft-spoken, calm and mannerly figure. He has no manipulative plans or aspirations - he will want to help you if you're helping the Realm, and oppose you if he feels you're damaging it - always with civility and out of a real love for both it as the cradle of civilisation and its people.

Added to this is the Exalted aspect, more than the political - a true Renaissance superman, a soft-science Doc Savage or Lex Luthor. Oscar Wilde, Dr. Johnson, Bernard Shaw, Da Vinci, Picasso, Tolkien and Shakespeare are all mixed in, along with Confucius and Lao Tsu. Paintings, sculpture, music, opera, plays, books, monographs, philosophical works, social treatises, advice letters, travel correspondences, Somat writes them all with apt prose and perfect aplomb. Whilst he's got his critics and his rivals, he's the driving force in art and its social impact for the last 110 years.

Admittedly, to begin with, he was something more of a libertine (still in the very proper method for a Dynast), with his social circle and his advisory plays. I'm toying with the members of the Wilde/Douglas set gradually transforming into the Inklings as they age.