Jotu Shomen

**Jotu Shomen** was a media mogul and (not publicly) the Minister of Propaganda in the Veiled Dominions starting 518 A.U. His extremely public benevolent capitalist demeanor presents an odd juxtaposition with the faceless totalitarian nature of the Veiled Masters,

## Personality

Jotu Shomen was a bombastic, charismatic capitalist with a bit of a dictator complex. While his real job was taking orders from the Veiled Masters and directing the propaganda network of the Dominions, he fancied himself a reporter and entertainer at heart and often appeared on television or radio specials to deliver news stories and public announcements. He also hosted his own radio talk show and often simply conversed with viewers or rambled about his own interests. He was a master of appearing like a popular everyman, like a simple citizen who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, and like an older brother who wants the best for the Dominions.

Internally, however, Jotu harbors a terrific fear and fascination with the Horizon, which he believes to be fast approaching. He believes that only the Veiled Masters can hope to survive it, and seeks desperately to earn their good will. At the same time, he harbors a dictator complex and believes that he alone should be in charge, though he would never say it aloud. Until then, he seeks to become the most popular and trusted named public official in the Dominions, a position to comfort and direct the populace which was previously sorely missing under the Veiled Masters' rule.

## History

Jotu Shomen was born 488 A.U on Aeldrum to a wealthy media mogul family. Fascinated with the power of mass media, he spent his youth training in business, public relations, and acting. When he inherited his family's fortune after their death in a tragic accident, he liquidated all his family's assets and moved to the Veiled Dominions. Somehow, he struck a direct deal with the Veiled Masters (perhaps had they expected him): he would build a media empire so diverse and airtight that the Masters would have nearly complete control over their conquered kingdoms' perceptions of the world. In exchange Shomen would be the sole director of the system, nearly a Master himself. There may be other parts of the deal, but they are unknown to the public.

Over the course of a decade, Jotu Shomen consolidated nearly all broadcasting and print media under some subsidiary of the propaganda office, whether they knew it or not. The office began to build modern communications infrastructure on many Dominion planets, constantly praising it all as "gifts from the Masters". The whole arc of the propaganda was to slowly dissolve cultural identity and loyalty to the various feudal states under Dominon rule and begin building a new, unified, manipulable public identity. The Veiled Masters were narrativized to be benevolent, wise leaders, who wish to bring peace and prosperity to the cosmos. Unification under them and absolute cooperation was the only way to survive the upcoming Horizon, so said the news.

Shomen himself directly participated in his own major company, Apocalypse Media, and gradually built a public perception as the Big Brother in the Dominions; in his words, he left the corrupt external world after seeing them infighting and rushing towards their universe's doom, and found peace and safety under the Veiled Masters. He worked hard to be a household name and a populist, for example running programs where viewers got to design their dream house, or broadcasting free public educational lessons from "distinguished" professors. Most notably, Jotu Shomen was given control of a small planet, which he converted into a paradise resort called "the Promise of the Masters", where "distinguished loyalists may be eligible for a paid vacation" (and some other surprise special treatments).

## Rumors

Those close to Jotu report an uncharacteristic anxiety over the Horizon, which would manifest as insomnia and nightmares.

Jotu was accused in multiple scandals before leaving the Aeldrum empire. His record since his arrival in the Dominions has been spotless. Some suspect cover-ups, while the more excitable suspect some form of mind control.

The relation and tension between Jotu and the Veiled Masters is unknown. He himself reports it as extremely amicable.

## Trivia

Jotu has never held the same hairstyle for more than two weeks.