Veylon

Veylon in a promotional image for Season 35

**Veylonartrikkerlaunos**, often simply known as **Veylon**, was the leader of the Patrex Chapter and Lord President of Gallifrey. He was a close ally of the Ninth and Tenth Doctors.

## Biography

### Early Life

Veylon was born with a heart condition that placed him at a high risk of dual cardiac arrest from high blood pressure. In order to limit this, he had to take supplements of Omega's Bane to slow his hearts down. (TV: *The Council's Reverence*)

Veylon was a member of the Patrex Chapter at the Academy. He was only a few years older than the Doctor, and the two attended some of the same classes. He recalled the Doctor as being "a calculating and deliberate nuisance" whom he opted to ignore as much as possible. Veylon performed especially well in courses relating to Gallifreyan history, engineering and politics, and had a fondness for poetry, though he was not a good writer. (PROSE: *The Council's Reverence*)

Prior to entering politics, Veylon worked as a technician and a chronicler of Time Lord legends, writing an Academic thesis on the potential existence of the Tomorrow Men. (TV: *Visions of Tomorrow*)

### Political Career

Veylon first entered politics shortly after the Fourth Doctor left Gallifrey after attaining the Presidency, working under Castellan Kellner as an aide. Through this position, Veylon first met Illistras, with the two distancing themselves from Kellner and resultantly finding work under his successor. He later briefly served as Chancellor of the Weeping City under Flavia and Romana. (PROSE: *The Council's Reverence*)

Veylon was regarded as being a reformist for his interest in seeing Gallifrey connect with the wider universe. However, unlike Romana, Veylon's primary concerns were domestic affairs, and he believed more needed to be done to combat social issues present on Gallifrey. (TV: *The Council's Reverence*)

Veylon was among the Time Lords present to watch the Sixth Doctor's trial at the hands of the Valeyard. (PROSE: *The Council's Reverence*)

#### Election and first term as Lord President

When Romana's terms as Lady President ended, she ran for re-election against Veylon. During a debate, Veylon discredited some of her foreign policy to a round of applause from supporters in attendance. When Romana went to continue the debate, the Capitol suffered a blackout, allowing Illistras long enough to use Omega's Bane on Romana. Veylon was implicated once the poison was recognised, and was imprisoned under close watch by Illistras and the Chancellery Guard.

The Ninth Doctor took charge of investigations and was given permission by Illistras to question Veylon. Veylon answered as truthfully as he could, allowing the Doctor to prove his innocence owing to the amount of Omega's Bane on him and his proximity to Romana. After Illistras was found out as the culprit and killed, Veylon was released and allowed to continue running for the Presidency. (TV: *The Council's Reverence*) Owing to his ability to secure the votes of the older generations, (PROSE: *The Council's Reverence*) Veylon ended up winning the election, and as his first act dissolved the Chancellery Guard, installing a new Gallifreyan Military in its place. In solidarity with what both candidates had gone through, he instituted Romana's new incarnation as its Chief Vicegerent, and unsuccessfully tried to recruit the Doctor into his cabinet. (TV: *The Council's Reverence*)

Setting about beginning the business of government, Veylon was alerted by Romana to a strange object outside the Capitol, which upon investigation revealed itself to be a wormhole connecting Gallifrey to the Pyramid. He told a corporal standing close by to tell the Capitol to be on standby for further instructions from Romana, heading back himself so he could re-establish contact with the Doctor, doing so alongside Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Bernice Summerfield. When it was found out that the Doctor was trapped in a void between dimensions, Veylon revealed his knowledge of the Tomorrow Men to Kate and Benny, becoming ecstatic when he heard one talk once contact had been made with the Doctor. On the Doctor's orders, he and Romana diverted all the energy in the Capitol towards the wormhole, successfully managing to close it once the energy was combined with that of an Earth Empire vessel, the Pyramid and the Doctor's TARDIS. Whilst initially rejoicing at the achievement, Veylon was first to notice the Doctor was still in the middle of the wormhole. He, alongside the Doctor's companions, was reassured shortly before the Doctor forcibly regenerated. (TV: *Visions of Tomorrow*)

## Personality

Veylon was regarded by many Time Lords as having a sagely temperament, tempered by youthful energy. (PROSE: *The Council's Reverence*) He was an amiable and peaceful man, treating even his political rivals with respect. He was steadfast in his beliefs that Gallifrey could only progress through unity, and was tolerant of others' beliefs, even if he did not fully agree with them. (TV: *The Council's Reverence*)

Veylon was incredibly studious and a skilled orator, which allowed him a lucrative political career. (TV: *The Council's Reverence*) He ensured his decisions made as Lord President were popular before making them official policy. (PROSE: The Council's Reverence)

Despite this wise nature, Veylon was easily overcome with emotion, quickly becoming shocked and angered when falsely accused, (TV: *The Council's Reverence*) and devolving into childish glee when he first encountered a Tomorrow Man. (TV: *Visions of Tomorrow*) Despite initially holding the Doctor in low regard, (PROSE: *The Council's Reverence*) he came to respect him for his courage. (TV: *Visions of Tomorrow*)

#### Skills

Veylon was notoriously savvy with computers, having worked as a technician in his early life. He could hotwire a computer to have access to all the Capitol's energy supplies, though it risked short-circuiting. (TV: *Visions of Tomorrow*)

## Appearance

Still in his first incarnation, (PROSE: *The Council's Reverence*) Veylon was an elderly man with a tall and thin build. He had a rectangular face with kind blue eyes and a hooked nose. (PROSE: *Visions of Tomorrow*) He had short, neatly cut silver hair. (PROSE: *The Council's Reverence*)

## Appearances

### Season 35

* *The Council's Reverence*
* *Visions of Tomorrow*