Doctor Doom
So, I’ve been given an opportunity to talk and share my centuries of wisdom. This entire thing is rather quaint, but I can see the appeal. I was told to talk about what I know best, which is apparently being a warlord. Personally, I would have rather talked about something less cruel, but we all have our roles to play.
- Do not be violent and cruel all of the time. Many warlords make the mistake of ruling entirely by fear. This can work for a while, but you need to maintain strength at all times. The slightest sign of weakness and you’re doomed. A terrified army is one that is only a step away from turning on you.
- Choose your enemies carefully. Not everyone who stands against you has to be killed or fought with all of your force. Send agents to handle them or see if there is a way to turn them to your side. A rebel leader might want nothing more than more food for his people, which you can provide in return for something. Stepping up to every fight makes you a tired leader.
- Delegating the workload helps you avoid stress and creates positions that your subordinates can push for. Having agents to handle the dirty work or the boring part of leadership means you have people you can trust. We always think of warlords as controlling everything and never trusting a soul, which can be true. Yet, I have learned that an inner circle of loyal agents means I can focus on the more important aspects of leadership.
- Choosing a consort is not necessary. Many will tell you that a wife should be picked for political purposes. I have never been a fan of marrying for influence because such a union can be undone fairly easily or used against you. Perhaps this can be done to start your journey, but you need to make sure your wife is your equal. This is the person that will be closest to your heart and mind, which puts her above all others. That also means a betrayal from her would be devastating. I admit to having very little expertise in this area since each of my children comes from a different mother and only one of them has ever owned my heart.
- Be generous and kind with your own men. If they love you then they will fight harder for you. If they know you are by their side then they will be strong. Yes, you may have to make an example of those that try to take advantage of your benevolence. Yet, those are only a handful of warriors that are worth the sacrifice to bond the others to your cause.
- Always have someone in mind to be used as either a scapegoat or a sacrifice. You never know when things will take a turn for the worst, so consider this some insurance. I prefer to have multiple people in mind because you never know what situation will occur. A demon might demand a virgin or a foolish business partner might not like a change in the deal, which means you need to blame whoever you used as a broker. Pinning theft on a person helps in some cases. To be honest, most people know you’re avoiding blame, but the ones you angered will be happy as long as they have someone to take their rage out on.
- Finally, I will admit that there are times when you need to make people realize who the true monster is. You may be kind, generous, and benevolent, but you need to prove that you have a cruel and deadly side. Never be afraid to step onto the battlefield and lay waste to an army. This will cement your status as a warlord and improve morale among your own men. It helps to do this when something has earned your wrath instead of at random moments. Unfocused rage can create fear in your forces that you are one step away from destroying them as well. That would bring us back to the first piece of advice, which means we’re done here.
Legends of Windemere 
A lot of similarities to the workplace.
LikeLike
Yeah. Guess some office managers are the modern day ‘Benevolent Rulers’.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, Baron! Numbers 1 and 5 make me think you’re not all that bad. . . . Please don’t kill me.
LikeLike
He’s not entirely bad. It’s odd writing a character who knows he’s doing evil, but still feels like the ends are justified. Stephen is the one that’s rotten to the core.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I remember that about both. I like when characters think they’re doing the right thing. You can’t help feeling some sympathy for them.
LikeLike
The Baron definitely came out more dynamic than I expected. He only has a handful of scenes too since he spends most of the series trapped on Shayde.
LikeLike
I think you should publish this as business self-help guide called a New Manager’s Guide to Survival in Modern Business.
LikeLike
It’ll be a best seller even if it kills most of humanity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like Sun Tsu’s Art of War could be a classic.
LikeLike
Oh Baron, you make me quiver with desire… oops wrong Baron. 😉 Nice to hear to from the one man in all of Windemere who’s honest about himself.
You’re right, Charles, Stephen is a truly evil man.
LikeLike
Gotta give the man credit on being true to himself and rather honest. Though he can be manipulative at times. Mostly using fear to get his agents to try harder, which he thinks is good for their growth.
Not sure if I can ever make a character as evil as Stephen. Though the new villain in Book 13 is going to give it a shot.
LikeLike
He doesn’t sound so bad. I mean, I’ve had bosses worse than that. And most politicians I can think of are way worse.
He actually reminds me of the Emperor. In the original Star Wars books, the Emperor was building the Death Star to fight an imminent alien invasion. The weapon, which would have turned the tide of that coming war, was sadly destroyed by the Resistance – not once but twice – thus sealing the fate of the galaxy.
LikeLike
He’s fine as long as you don’t make him mad or get in his way or repeatedly disappoint him. Totally cool. Didn’t know that about the Emperor. Which books were those?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, who wouldn’t be a tad miffed if you made them mad or repeatedly disappoint them?
It’s all part of the Expanded Expanded Universe. Google “Yuuzhan Vong War” – they’re mentioned in dozens books!
For a brief summary, check out https://mythicscribes.com/world-building/building-a-better-war/
LikeLike
That does sound familiar. Were those The Force immune aliens?
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are force-neutral, in that their brains and biochemistry are wholly cut off from the Force, so they can only be indirectly affected by it. (For example, objects could be force-thrown at them, but they can’t be lifted and force choked.)
LikeLike
Those would be awesome in the movies. Too bad Disney erased them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Believe it or not, they have their detractors. Check out http://www.huffingtonpost.com/inverse/star-wars-was-nearly-ruin_b_10832354.html
LikeLike
Not surprising. Star Wars has a lot of love/hate stuff. I mean, Jar Jar has fans and some people prefer CGI Yoda to the Muppet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So if you encounter someone who is your equal in terms of military might, do you fight or negotiate?
LikeLike
Negotiate if they’re open to it, but those with armies do big tend to want a fight. So you turn as many of their low level soldiers as you can, see if any officers are disloyal or have secrets, and make sure every battle is on your terms.
LikeLiked by 1 person