Machiavelli's Madness
On the twentieth day of the eighth month, The Year of the Rebuilding, Prince Vorgon announced a claim on Albino Caves, with threats to strike down any dreamer who entered without paying homage to the Prince. Many laughed at the Prince, but the threat struck a chord with Machiavelli, whose very sister was being held captive by the Prince on Cloudsbreak. During a confrontation in the caves one autumn day, Machiavelli executed the Prince.
The Secrets of Dreamstrike were still locked in the unbound pieces of the Codex of Immortal Dreams - the volume that dreamers had long since left scattered for fear the vile art would destroy the Dream City. However, Machiavelli stumbled upon a dark codex on his journeys, and spent weeks researching and experimenting to learn the art for himself. Evoking the results of his experiments on Prince Vorgon, Machiavelli experienced a loss of Dreamsoul, and was unable to see his own essences. In time, this inability begot obsession, and Machiavelli became victim to an intense craving for essences, to a point where he would collapse others just to snatch their essences. Machiavelli was demoted from his long-time home of the Protectors of the Radiance.
Once a City Guardman, Machivelli now turned to lies and tricks to satisfy his taste for essences. With the approach of winter he continued twisted experimentation until he was successful in creating an enslavement collar, which he would place on Dselestal. The hunt was on for Machiavelli, and conflict followed in his wake. Gwydeon promised him sixty essences for the return of Dselestal, and persuaded him to meet at the Keep of Dreamers of Light. Once there, Dselestal shattered the collar, destroying Machiavelli's avatar and freeing Dselestal from his clutches. Believing the deranged dreamer dead, they dragged the fragments of his avatar to the Temple of Insanity for burial.
However, Machiavelli was not lost. His soul escaped his avatar upon its destruction, and was able to replace itself in the dream. When it became known that Machiavelli had returned, he was called to trial for his crimes against the Dream City. Not taking lead on the Yog-ka precedent, the Judges announced that as there was no law prohibiting his actions, Machiavelli could not be punished for them. "Machiavelli's actions have clearly indicated the sore lack of accountability that exists currently, and this situation must be remedied or Chaos will reign once again."
Machiavelli was freed. In his freedom, he was permitted to touch the Soul of Radiance one more time, and he vowed that he remorse his actions and agreed to his own execution. But Machiavelli did not show. Unable to force Machiavelli's execution, the issue was dropped, and Machiavelli continued to roam the dream, hungering over essences, and concocting elaborate new schemes to feed his appetite.
