#gratio erato

[incorrectspquotes]

And then he ran into my sword. He ran into my sword ten times.

Tanith Low, explaining the death of Gratio Erato, probably

[facelessxchurch]

Do you think Mev had any protégés? I assume his experience with being one for the Unnamed probably made him cautious about doing so himself, but I like the idea of him picking out powerful young sorcerers and taking them under his wing as apprentices. I got the impression that was his plan for "Assegai" and even had a theory that he and Serafina had hatched a plan to take advantage of Valkyrie's basket case condition to induce a religious awakening and subsequent conversion and defection.

Short Answer: No, I don't think Mevolent had any protégés. He already has the Diablerie that would fullfil all tasks any protégés would usually fulfil, but with the advantage that they pose no threat to him.

Long Answer: An ancient theory of mine as to why Nefarian betrayed Mev was that he didn't get rewarded the way he had hoped after the war. We know that Baron got downgraded to overseeing prison transport and Vile got downgraded to doing Mev's dirty work every once in a while. It feels a lot like him just throwing Vile red meat in form of letting him kill people that annoyed Mev to keep Vile calm and obedient. I think the same happened to Nef and he too got pushed into a position where he held no real political power.

Seeing how, in canon, Mev had robbed his generals of their political power, I headcanon that Mev did something similar to Louis XIV.

"Louis XIV installed his royal court at Versailles. He required all the great nobility of France, to come live at Versailles for at least part of the year. This has the effect of reducing one major threat to his power - Nobility. He separated power from status and grandeur: secured the nobles' cooperation. Louis XIV required the nobles to live at the palace. This was like an opulent prison because Louis XIV required them to live there for part of the year. It weakened the nobles by accustoming them to opulence and decadent activity."

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Essentially, he had all the most important Old Blood families live within Dublin-Within-The-Wall and softened them by showering them in luxuries and distracting them with art, music and grand festivities.

He also purposely chose people that lack ambition, charisma and leadership skills as the governors of his ringed cities so they would never dare, never be able to, rival him in popularity and power. In other words I headcanon that Mev made Gratio Erato governor of Tahil Na Sin bc he fit that description perfectly, yet was also capable enough to not screw up the city. But he also didn't like him and wanted him far away from him. That solved two issues at once, a win-win for Mev.

With his generals and the old nobles depowered and with all important political position filled with people that never could rival Mevolent he is the ultimate power in the Leibniz dimension; the legislative, the judicative and the executive. He is the state.

There is no reason for him to have protégés that could rival him like he grew into rivalling the Unnamed. Especially if he has the Diablerie to take over the jobs the protégés usually would, with the difference that the Diablerie was handpicked to consist out of the Faceless Followers that were the most zealous and most loyal to him. And of course they don't hold any political power either.

If he sees potential in you he won't take you as his protégé, he'll kill you. He is the messiah, and if you are smart you won't dare outshine thy master.

[facelessxchurch]

Ngl bc of the description of Gratio Erato I headcanon him to looks like Lestat from ‘Interview with Vampire’.

“He was short and handsome, dressed in clothes so fine they looked like they’d rip if he moved too fast.“ [SoW Chapter 45]

His fruity ass name ain’t helping either.