Melvin Yu'sek

**Melvin Yu'sek,** primarily known as **Lord Baldwin,** is an elven NPC and a former member of Seneca Aluzandr's court, serving as his advisor. He was the first main antagonist for the The Sovereign Syndicate. Melvin is played by Robbie Harris.

## Character Information

### Connections

Bertrand Yu'sek (Son)
Tiberius Aluzandr X (Former advisor)

Seneca Aluzandr (Former advisor)

## Description

### Appearance

Melvin was an elf with copper-colored skin and long, white hair, often pulled back into a ponytail. He has deep brown eyes, and a scar across his face. He has a permanent scowl.

### Personality

Melvin is a cold and calculating individual, and is never seen smiling. He is shown to have prejudices against other ancestries, looking down and mistreating both Ky'ten Aganaran and Theo Broditi. He is shown to do anything he can to get his way, such as attempting to kill Theo using a Bag of Devouring. He is manipulative and cunning.

## Background

Melvin Yu'sek was born as the son to Bertrand Yu'sek, advisor to Tiberius IV. Bertrand was ousted for using Enchantment magic to control and manipulate Tiberius IV and was executed. After this event, Melvin changed his name to Tau'riel Baldwin and went into hiding for several hundred years, eventually resurfacing. He graduated from Cienta University and earned his way up to the advisor position for Tiberius X, and began to enact his father's will of controlling the empire from the shadows.

He was offered further opportunity for this ploy when the Triumvirate was formed, and he was designated as regent and advisor to Seneca Aluzandr. He used his influence and sway to manipulate the throne, and forced Seneca's hand as a tyrant through acts such as The Demonstration. He couldn't use Enchantment magic on Seneca due to the precautions placed on the Crown, but he was able to manipulate other members of Seneca's court to diminish Seneca's rulership. Through the first few years of Seneca's rules, it was Melvin making most of the shots, even after his tenure as regent ended.

Melvin did all he could to keep those close to Seneca away from him. He moved Luca Vittori to The Phantom Outpost, and constantly had The Araric Twins on missions across the empire. His plan was going well until the interference of Theo Broditi and the members of The Sovereign Syndicate. Melvin had tried to dispose of Theo, seeing him as a potential factor that he could not control.

As more evidence came up against him, he was soon confronted by Kor'y Araric, who for a long time suspected that Melvin had been the one calling the shots and forcing Seneca into places he did not want to be. Melvin incapacitated her before fleeing, heading towards the base of The Sovereign Syndicate. In an act of desperation, he cornered Theo in his room, claiming that Melvin was going into hiding, but he would continue to rule through Theo. The other members of the Syndicate, though, began to wake up and found the threat, and Melvin began to cast a spell on Theo to further control him, but he had ran out of time. Kathra and Nala soon found Theo and Melvin, shortly followed by Luca Vittori, and together, they dispatched Melvin.

## Relationships

### Seneca Aluzandr

Melvin served as Seneca's regent during the first year of his rule, and once Seneca turned 18, he moved into a formal advisor position for the king. However, he manipulated Seneca and controlled those around him in order to have Seneca make decisions that he wouldn't normally make, the prime example of this being The Demonstration.

### Luca Vittori

The biggest threat to his plan before the Syndicate was Luca Vittori. Luca was protective of Seneca and untrusting of Melvin. Melvin attempted to order a hit on Luca, but when Luca disposed of the assassin, he began to gather more evidence against Melvin. Melvin convinced Seneca to move Luca, relocating him to The Phantom Outpost, putting his eyes further away from the events in the castle.

## Quotations

* The first stinger in Session 1:
	+ **Melvin***:* Let’s see how you fare, little one. You might have charmed these fools, but I am not so easily charmed.

## Trivia

* Melvin was originally created as a character that was just supposed to be a dick to Theo, but as time went on, I wanted him to be more sinister.
* I wanted Melvin to be a bit of a red herring - someone you all thought was someone in the group of individuals in the stingers, up until his execution.
* Melvin serves as an antithesis to Ky'ten:
	+ Both are elves; Ky'ten is a drow, who are stereotyped as the "evil elves," while Melvin is a high-elf, the archetypical "good elf"
	+ Both use forms of forbidden magic in the empire - Melvin's enchantment magic vs. Ky'ten's necromancy magic.
	+ Both had a connection to Theo Broditi for very different reasons.