Dragon Emperor

Shénlóng or Divine Dragon, commonly called the Dragon Emperor, is the ruling Emperor of China. He is perhaps one of the most powerful metas in the world, though the rumour, widely spread in China, that he is a true dragon is unconfirmed.

Description
The Dragon Emperor appears to be in his prime, strong, tall, handsome and commanding. He dresses in rich clothes, befitting an emperor, cut in a style that looks both back to Chinese tradition and forward to the future.

Origin
Yáo Lóng first came to attention as one of the leaders of the Chinese student protests of 2037. The movement was rebelling against the actions of the government following the Great Quake of 2032, and was put down harshly by the authorities. They didn't count, however, on Yáo Lóng's meta abilities: he got away, together with a number of supporters in his protection.

The protestors became outright rebels, and for six years they waged a guerilla war against the Old Regime. Yáo Lóng, as Shénlóng, the Divine Dragon, was the most wanted supervillain in the country. It was six years before the meta-soldiers of the Chinese army finally captured him, and the rebellion crumbled. Shénlóng was tried and sent to Chinese Stronghold.

There he remained until November 2057, when the prison was attacked by an outside force and a meta, whose abilities suppressed the inmates' powers, was abducted. The consequence was the mass breakout of practically all the prisoners. They might well have separated and gone to ground, but instead, by sheer personal magnetism, Shénlóng united the unlikely group into an army, intent on overthrowing the government that had imprisoned them.

And this was not like the doomed earlier rebellion. With so many metas onside, the Dragon Army, as it was soon known, was a formidable force. Moreover, as it crossed China it was swollen by non-metas: a popular uprising against the government. By the summer, Beijing was besieged. In November, the old leadership fled the country to Kroskev, and on November 17th, 2058, Shénlóng declared himself Emperor of China.

Powers
The Dragon Emperor has powerful weather-control powers. In battle, he has called down lightning against powerful enemies and swept away masses of weaker ones with winds or flash floods. In peacetime, he controls the weather of all of China to ensure good harvests, and has even begun to do the same for neighbouring countries - if they pay for the service.

He is superhumanly robust, and some would say his personal presence is superhuman as well. Some claim that they have seen him take on the form of a dragon, but these claims are unsubstantiated.

Personality
The Dragon Emperor generally makes a strong impression on people. In battle, he is brave, not fearing to lead his troops personally and inspire them to greater efforts. In peace, he is thoughtful and intelligent, and listen to people before making a considered decision.

That said, he brooks no questioning of his authority, swiftly putting the challenger in his place. And if the challenger persists, he has a temper, slow to rouse but terrifying. (Rumours of sightings of him as a dragon are generally associated with his being angry.)

Politics
Controversially, the Dragon Emperor is not an egalitarian. "No one is any one else's equal," he has said, "but everyone has value." He has stated that his goal is to provide an environment in which everyone can thrive, wherever their talents may lie.

The China which he is still in the course of building may be described as broadly meritocratic (at least in principle). People of great ability who contribute most to society are rewarded accordingly. In practice this means that many metas, who have a superhuman ability to contribute, are at the top of the social and economic scale - though only if they do contribute superhumanly. At the bottom end of the scale, it is ensured everyone has enough to live on, in accordance with the "everyone has value" principle.

Critics point out that despite this alleged meritocracy, many top government positions are filled with former members of the Dragon Army. The emperor's only reply has been that they had their positions in the army because of their abilities.

The emperor himself enjoys a luxurious lifestyle, but not at no cost to China: he supports himself by selling his weather-control abilities abroad. He manages the weather of China free of charge, thus silencing any critics who would accuse him of parasitism.

Relations
By and large, the Dragon Emperor enjoys as much popularity in China as a ruler can when in power. The Old Regime was widely seen as corrupt; standards of living are improving; foreign luxuries are coming into the country; citizens are free to travel aboard once more; China feels it is once again taking its place in the world. Above all there is the excitement coming from a sense of change, and all this is reflected on the emperor.

The outside world is rather more cautious, largely because most countries are suspicious of the emperor's politics, not to mention personal power. That said, he has brought China fully into EarthGov and other international institutions, and is generally cooperating more, so the new regime is perceived as a significant improvement on the old. The well-spoken emperor is also respected as a statesman.

Most ministers in the Chinese government are people the emperor knows and trusts, which is probably wise in a post-revolutionary government, even if it may not always be strictly in keeping with the emperor's political theory.

Naturally, there are dissidents and supporters of the Old Regime, both in China an in exile, but for the moment they are, for the most part, keeping their heads down.

History
Since November 2058, the Dragon Emperor's history has been the history of China. He has increased his hold on the country, strengthened international relations and begun the slow conversion of China to his meritocratic ideals. Thus far there have been no setbacks beyond the usual everyday crises of national politics.