Nikephoros II Petraliphas

Nikephoros II Petraliphas is emperor of the Empire of Makhaira, sixth member of the Petraliphas Dynasty to hold the title. He followed his brother Nikolas III Petraliphas in 2092.

Nikephoros is known for two things. First, he is a meticulous craftsman and creator of toys. He spends much of his time dabbling with such creations the expense of ruling Makhaira. Second, he is inordinately paranoid of some threat to his position, whether it comes from inside or out of Makhaira. This has prompted him to meddle in provincial matters and to threaten neighboring realms, creating much tension among all involved.

 

From the Books

The tall man considered the report again and then dismissed it from his mind. He had more important things to do at the moment. He turned back to his workbench and the onyx he was shaping into eyes.

The Emperors of Makhaira had, after all, two traditional hobbies over the centuries. Tinkering with machinery of metal had always been far more fun than tinkering with machinery of empire, though that provided great enjoyment as well.

In any case, Nikephoros was a conscientious man, and he would give to his children both a complex, smooth-walking doll and a complex, smooth-running empire for them to play with when the time arose.
- The Eyes of a Doll