Emperor Paulus was the Emperor of the Ryccian Empire who reigned from 778 to 795 ADR.

Paulus had a short reign despite taking office at a young age due to a rare genetic mutation inherited from his mother, which practically reduced his lifespan considerably. Even so, he is fondly remembered in the present due to his dilligent and hardworking nature.

History

Paulus was born to Emperor Primius and his commoner wife, Empress Akua. The tragic story of his parents is known throughout the Empire. Despite being a middle-class commoner who suffered from a rare hereditary disorder residing in Novaterra, Emperor Primius fell madly in love with Akua. Albeit commoners marrying monarchs was not frowned upon nor even unheard of after the Democratic Revolution, several members of the royal family formally protested the marriage, the first time any royal had ever done so in more than 1,500 years, due to fears over any future offspring of the Emperor and Akua's own health. Akua's family also opposed the marriage, as she required extensive medical care and feared that the duties and notoriety of an Empress, as well as a potential pregnancy, would exhaust her beyond repair. Despite this, both lovers married anyway.

As was feared, Paulus inherited his mother's genetic disorder, which meant that, ever since he was a child, he was sickly and him being hospitalized was not uncommon. Deposing Paulus as the Crown Prince was seriously considered to preserve his health, but, afraid of setting a precedent, both the royal family and the government vetoed this idea.

Paulus was homeschooled for most of his life, and only attended high school at 16. He inherited the throne at 15, as his father, after a year of mourning after his beloved died due to her sickly disposition, was overcome with grief and took his own life. Primius also blamed himself for burdening Akua with the position of an Empress Consort, as well as acceeding to Akua's wishes to have a child, which severely impacted her health. As such, guilt also overwhelmed him, which contributed to his suicide.

A regency was established so the new Emperor Paulus could finish his schooling to the extent that he wished, which meant that Paulus officially assumed his duties as Emperor when he was 27 and only formally reigned for five years. Even then, he was rarely seen in public due to his constant medical treatment, and was the first Emperor in 3,600 years to not have a formal coronation ceremony due to this. The yearly royal address to the legislature was postponed in four of the five years of his formal reign, and, when giving this address, his frail condition was visible for all to see, as he coughed and gasped for air constantly. In his last speech, he required mechanical assistance to breathe properly. In his private life, he was an avid and qualified historian, and even tended dilligently to his profession while bedridden. Refusing a regent so he could focus on his health, he saw it as his responsibility to fulfill his ancestral role himself even if he was often ill. The citizenry was endeared to the Emperor due to his dedication to fulfill his Imperial and professional duties whenever possible, and he was immensely popular due to his perceived courage, honesty and hardworking nature despite his grave illness. Social media campaigns wishing the Emperor good health and imploring him to "fight on" were commonplace during his tenure.

Even though he possessed a frail constitution, he was able to marry and sire two children. Although his son, the future Emperor Glacius, also inherited his disease, his younger daughter did not.

When Emperor Paulus died, most citizens were griefstricken. Due to the admiration many Ryccians held for him, the royal family and the government organized a lavish funeral ceremony, and the Chancellor of the time herself kowtowed to his tombstone and ordered her Cabinet to do the same, whether they wished to or not. When one minister refused, she fired him on the spot on live holovision. Such an act of submission had not been performed since the Democratic Revolution, and thus showed the extreme levels of respect and affection most citizens held for the late Emperor. As such, despite his brief tenure, he is still remembered fondly even today.

Facts

Emperor Paulus always insisted on having the ceremonial briefing with his Chancellors, as well as holding other, mostly ceremonial, events and duties. One time, even as when he was due for a minor surgery that required no anaesthesia, he forced the Chancellor to hold the briefing as he was being operated upon. Such a fanatical dedication to his ancestral role was due to his desire to have a meaningful life. He knew he was going to die young, but, wishing for his life to have purpose, he wanted to do as much as he could whilst he remained alive. He also felt guilty for the death of his parents, as he believed he was the main reason they died the way they did. Thus, Paulus saw it as his duty to honour them by committing to his role, however ceremonial it was, as much as his health allowed.