History MagnificentBastard / TabletopGames

-->-- '''Settra the Imperishable''', ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}''

* ''[[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} Warhammer: Fantasy]]'':
** [[GeniusBruiser Khazrak One-Eye]] is the most brilliant champion of the [[Characters/WarhammerBeastsOfChaos Beastmen]] who ever lived. Taking over by defeating his mentor, but sparing him and keeping one of his horns for respect, Khazrak organized a series of raids on the Drakwald villages, luring out human forces and eventually [[HandicappedBadass losing an eye]] to [[{{archenemy}} Count Boris Todbringer]]. Khazrak proceeded to return the favor by defeating Boris and taking his eye in turn, but let him live because [[WorthyOpponent he loved matching wits with the man]]. Khazrak was responsible for the brilliant Battle of Grimminhagen where he lured in a huge force of the Empire and completely wiped them out, before resuming his brilliant raids and tactics. Uncommonly intelligent and even possessing a sense of honor not often seen to his race, Khazrak meets his death in the End Times at the hands of Boris, but not before he lures out Boris's forces to leave his city undefended and ripe to plunder by the armies of Archaon.
** [[VampireMonarch Count Vlad von Carstein]] is a powerful [[Characters/WarhammerVampireCounts vampire]] and the progenitor of the von Carstein bloodline. After freeing himself from the control of Nagash, Vlad resurfaces centuries later to seize control of Sylvania and uses brilliant tactics and intimidation to keep his hold, constantly coming out on top via his brilliant military tactics and political machinations. Despite his evil, Vlad [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes deeply loves his wife Isabella]], and is one of the few villains to drive the Empire to its knees. Even in the End Times, Vlad never loses his style or redeeming qualities and ultimately dies with Isabella in a MercyKill when she is corrupted by Nurgle.
** [[FounderOfTheKingdom Settra the Imperishable]] sacrificed his own sons to become the Gods' chosen, and successfully led a campaign throughout Khemri, reuniting his land and preserving his nearly-dead people. Creating a golden age through his tyranny, Settra conquered not only Khemri, but progressively led a campaign, nearly conquering the entire world with his power and strategic mastery. Disappointed that he could not live long enough to conquer all of the Old World, Settra created the Mortuary Cult to revive him. When, thanks to the workings of the sorcerer Nagash, he CameBackWrong as an undead [[Characters/WarhammerTombKings Tomb King]], Settra took his land back once more, and held it effortlessly, fending off and defeating even the most powerful of invaders, such as the Norscans who raided his treasury, with ease. Even when confronted by the Chaos Gods in the End Times, Settra never surrendered, choosing to be [[DefiantToTheEnd defiant in the face of the world's end]].
** [[ProfessionalKiller Kouran Darkhand]] is the [[TheDragon right-hand]] of Malekith the Witch-King. Having earned his position by brilliant campaigns and ruthlessly eliminating those in his way, Kouran [[UndyingLoyalty lives to see Malekith take his place as ruler of all elf-kind]], killing and outwitting any inferior foolish enough to seek his position. A genius tactician, Kouran once [[WeHaveReserves sacrificed half an army]] to secure victory and is known and feared by all enemies to the "[[Characters/WarhammerDarkElves Druchii]]."
** Alith Anar saw the schism of [[Characters/WarhammerHighElves the elves]] and Malekith's treachery annihilate his entire family and home of Nagarythe. Giving in to vengeance with his warriors, Alith became the Shadow King who harried, outplayed and destroyed countless Druchii forces, slaughtering any who surrendered or fled to sow fear through the Dark Elves' ranks. Even after the Sundering, Alith continued to lead his forces to kill as many Druchii as possible with brilliant strategies, once even infiltrating their court to dance with Queen Morathi and steal from her before tricking his pursuers into drinking poison. At the End Times, Alith places the fate of the elven kingdoms above personal revenge, killing Tyrion and wounding Malekith to make the latter king of the elves but with the reminder that the Shadow King would be waiting should he ever slip back to his dark habits.
** Gorbad Ironclaw is a brilliant Orc Warboss who stood out among his typically brutish people. First taking power by [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority defeating his enemies]] in battle, he amassed a power base of countless Orcs, even using clever tactics such as assassination. Then, after handily defeating most of the Dwarfs, Gorbad used his power to wage war on the Empire. Combining his people's might with cunning and intelligence, Gorbad outplayed and defeated most Imperial forces that opposed him, even building a makeshift bridge from debris to sack the city of Nuln. Despite being [[WoundThatWillNotHeal permanently wounded]] by opposing general Count Adolphus as he destroyed the province of Solland, Gorbad defeated Adolphus and pressed on to the Imperial capital. Despite losing many troops due to initial overconfidence and the wound, Gorbad recovered and unleashed wyverns upon the city which [[HeroKiller slew the Emperor]], and was stopped only inches from victory. Even when without most of his army and cornered by the vengeful Dwarfs on his way back to his clan, Gorbad fought valiantly and became a legend to the Greenskin people.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Even in this {{Grimdark}} future, some characters are truly impressive:
** [[TheAce Corvus Corax]], [[DarkIsNotEvil Primarch of the Raven Guard]], grew up on a moon dominated by a cruel elite, raised by miners to be their savior. Leading them to victory on guile, stealth and sabotage, Corax met his father, The Emperor of Mankind, agreeing to accompany him home if the Emperor would grant his world freedom, forcing Corax to [[WellIntentionedExtremist kill thousands of innocents in a bombardment to spare millions]]. Imparting his skills and philosophies to his Legion, Corax led them in the Emperor's crusades to stealthily convert entire hostile worlds into loyal ones. Upon the Horus Heresy, Corax was forced to craft abominations he later euthanized before plunging into the Eye of Terror. Revealed to have survived, Corax is now [[OneWingedAngel a being of the Webway]] who stealthily hunts his treacherous former brothers, planning to destroy them and avenge his fallen sons and father.
** Eldrad is perhaps the most powerful Psyker the Eldar have ever produced. Having once attempted to warn the Empire about Horus's treachery, he has spent his time ever since weaving complex plans to benefit the Eldar, and has perhaps even made the entire Imperium of Man his pawns. Eldrad was responsible for several Eldar raids that produced the eventual rise of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka and the Armageddon Wars, solely so Eldrad could ensure 10,000 Eldar escaped death at the cost of millions of humans. Eldrad frequently conducts daring plots and schemes to benefit his race, even to ensure the eventual triumph of a new god of the Eldar to defeat Chaos and save his race's souls from Slaanesh.
** Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka, the Beast of the Apocalypse, is the most successful Ork warboss in history. The self-proclaimed Prophet of the WAAAAGH!, Ghazghkull puts together daring crusade after daring crusade, bringing new advancements to the orks and being a [[GeniusBruiser tactical genius even by the standards of other races]]. Ghazghkull has become a blight on the Imperium, leaving whole worlds burning behind him and constantly outwitting all enemies save for only Comissar Sebastian Yarrick, the one human Ghazghkull [[WorthyOpponent truly respects]]. Ghazghkull frequently inspires other Orks with his sheer charisma and force of will, planning on bringing out a war so great that his deities Gork and Mork come to join the fun personally.
** Azhek Ahriman is the mortal champion of Tzeentch. A former member of the Thousand Sons Legion, Ahriman is driven to save his legion and [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong correct all his past mistakes]] by overthrowing Tzeentch himself and [[AGodAmI becoming a new God]]. To his end, Ahriman is a brilliant schemer, crafting and "seeding" new cults on a myriad of worlds to find and approach new knowledge while manipulating entire new conflicts so he can swoop in, take all their work and bring himself closer to the Black Library and Tzeentch's true name. Time and again, Ahriman demonstrates why he is worthy of being the champion of the Changer of Ways.
** Trazyn the Infinite is an ingenious Necron, who is equal to any of the great Phaerons in wit and skill. A [[CollectorOfTheStrange collector of rare, historical things and people]], Trazyn frequently outwits others to steal things for his collection. Trazyn performs daring heists and uses his fellow Necron lords as body doubles for himself without informing them, manipulating events so he can benefit. When Abaddon launched his 13th Black Crusade on Cadia, Trazyn even joined in on the side of the Imperium, wanting to play the hero [[ItAmusedMe for fun]], and also to steal Abaddon himself for his collection, though he decided to make due with the Lord Castellan of Cadia instead. Trazyn is even banned from the Necron throne worlds due to his habit of [[StickyFingers stealing their priceless artifacts]], a ban he is well aware of and flaunts for fun whenever the mood takes him.
** Lady Aurelian Malys is a ruthless Dark Eldar and the Archon of the Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue. Once banished by her former lover Asdrubael Vect, Malys has returned to Comorragh where she proves herself Vect's equal in scheming, amassing an exceptional power base and working to undermine her former paramour to seize his position. Malys once initiated a war between humans and orks to steal an STC known as the Panacea, solely to keep it in her room and deny humanity the chance to cure any disease. Since returning to Comorragh, Malys has shown an uncanny ability to detect Vect's schemes and was one of the few Archons to survive his plotting, with it being whispered that if Vect ever falls, Malys is sure to be the one holding the knife.
** Duke Traevelliath Sliscus is a wicked Dark Eldar corsair known as "The Serpent". Bored with the decadent courts of Comorragh, Sliscus stole the ships of several Archons, fooled them into coming out to fight him and summarily destroyed their forces. A feared pirate lord, Sliscus's daring exploits have made him a legend to many of the Dark Eldar, and he frequently performs incredible, daring raids, notably being the only opponent to get the better of the infamous Lukas the Trickster by catching him, cutting out his heart and throwing him from his airlock. Well known for how he presents himself, Malys once described Sliscus as "amoral, despicable and impeccably dressed in the bargain".
** The mysterious Cypher is a former member of the Dark Angels who supposedly fell to Chaos. Since then, Cypher roams the galaxy, pursued by his former Chapter, where he resurfaces, lures the forces of Chaos and the Space Marines into conflicts and lets them fight it out. His methods are utterly brilliant, even if his plans are inscrutable. Cypher is just as likely to hinder Chaos as the Imperium, assassinating Inquisitors, tyrants, Chaos lords and others in bold, daring manuevers before alerting the Dark Angels to his presence. Cypher will event inspire revolutions against tyrants and whenever captured, he performs bold escapes. Whatever Cypher's true plan is, it is clear he is working to an end that he's had in mind for a long time and repeatedly shows himself as nearly untouchable.
** Lukas TheTrickster, or Lukas Strifeson, is a infamous member of the Space Wolves chapter of the Space Marines. Well known for his wicked pranks, such as poisoning a superior with bloat toad venom, Lukas is known for his shocking effectiveness when deployed against the enemies of the imperium. Lukas has caused a civil war among orks with faked transmissions, lured a WAAAGH! to a planet that he then froze solid, tricked a group of Word Bearer traitor marines into landing on thin ice to drown the and has outwitted the Dark Eldar, even the infamous Aurelia Malys herself. Even after Duke Sliscus carved out one of his hearts, Lukas simply replaced it with a stasis bomb to insure whoever kills him will hear his laughter forever. Notably, Lukas has even managed to outwit Magnus the Red, Daemon Prince of Tzeentch himself, always ready with a laugh and a jest against the enemies of his Chapter.
** [[TheTrickster Cegorach the Laughing God]] is one of the few Eldar deities to survive the birth of Slaanesh. In the past, Cegorach even convince one C'tan god to devour others to weaken the pantheon in one of his finest schemes. Worshiped by the Eldar Harlequins, Cegorach is a mad genius with a habit of forming audacious schemes, especially in the pursuit of fighting Chaos. Defending his followers from Slaanesh's hunger, Cegorach organizes schemes to lure the forces of Chaos into doing his work for him. One of the best schemers in all the universe, Cegorach even manages to take a hold in the Dark Eldar to potentially manipulate them, willing to stop at little to ensure the fall of Slaanesh in the end.

!!Others:

* ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds'': [[DiabolicalMastermind August Tiberius Roman]] is the game’s ComicBook/LexLuthor analogue, and the archenemy of the late Centurion, the setting's greatest and most powerful superhero. Starting out as Freedom City's most feared mafia don, Roman bought a pardon from the US government in 1943, and went onto frustrate the Centurion and the Freedom League for decades to come, first as the secret financial backer of the Crime League, and then as the city’s "Emperor of Crime." By the 1950s and 60s, Roman controlled almost every mafioso, gangster, and street criminal in Freedom City, and was receiving a cut of near every crime committed in town, with only truly depraved organizations like Alister Usher's falling outside his purview. This culminated in his outright buying Mayor Franklin Pierce in the 90s, and running the city in everything but name. When Pierce was brought down, he tried to take Roman with him, but the mafioso simply divested his underworld holdings and survived, broke, but free. Now retired, Roman has outlived all his allies and most of his enemies, including the Centurion, and supports himself in his old age by running the Circuit-Maximus, an illegal underground fight club featuring superhumans.
* ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'':
** ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'':
*** [[UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler Vlad Tepes]], later known as {{Dracula}}, is a Tzimisce "Voivoide" who became an independent ghoul by capturing and bleeding vampires. Hunting for a vampire to embrace him, Dracula lured an army of [[Characters/VampireTheMasqueradeSabbat Sabbat]] and leaked their location to the [[Characters/VampireTheMasqueradeCamarilla Camarilla]] to come in, sweep up the remnants with his own forces and take two powerful Tzimisce hostage. Forcing one to embrace him, he diablerized the elder and released his sire with a warning to never meddle in his affairs again. Keeping a tight grip over the region, Dracula plays Sabbat and Camarilla against one another to increase his own power, all while flaunting the Masquerade by manipulating Creator/BramStoker into novelizing his life story.
*** [[ConsummateProfessional Archon Theo "Killa B" Bell]] was a former slave Embraced into the Brujah clan by the noble Don Cerro. Slaughtering his former master and [[TheBerserker losing himself to the Beast]], Theo kept his master's name of Bell to remind himself of the power he wielded. Named Archon for his skill, Theo becomes a figure of [[TheDreaded renown and terror]], performing operations with brutal and effective skill. Having been a member of the Underground Railroad as a mortal, Theo cultivates more relations with mortals than most and has battled against the Confederacy and Jim Crow from the shadows. As a member of the Camarilla, Theo is a key figure in the East Coast War who devastates many members of the Sabbat, luring treacherous Lasombra Marcus Vitel into a trap to destroy him. When the Camarilla begins to persecute Thin Bloods, Theo leads a {{defect|orFromDecadence}}ion to the Anarchs, ambushing and destroying the elder Ventrue Hardestadt the Younger in the process.
*** [[TheAce Talley the Hound]] is perhaps the finest assassin of the Sabbat. In life, Talley was capable of hunting down and trapping even Lupines. As a vampire, Talley drifts from master to master, performing services with brilliant aplomb while obtaining anything he wants and [[PragmaticVillainy keeping himself from power]] so as to not make himself a target. Able to match wits and power with even the deadly rogue Lasombra assassin Lucita, Talley is assigned to guard one of her targets during the East Coast War and soon deduces it to be the least important of the three potential targets. After Lucita assassinates Archbishop Borges, Talley briefly undergoes a crisis of faith and resolves it by testing Theo Bell to see if he will preserve the Masquerade or attempt to strike Talley down. Finally embracing what he deserves, Talley becomes a Bishop to the Sabbat while later helping to negotiate the Lasombra's entry to the Camarilla.
*** [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized Patricia of Bollingbroke]] began her fascination with rebellion upon her husband's murder by a tyrannical local baron. After the failure of Wat Tyler, her lover's rebellion, she was embraced by the infamous Brujah Robin Leeland. Delving further into revolution and later naming herself [[MeaningfulName Tyler]], she would become a key figure in the Anarch revolt, striking out at the elder vampires, including the diablerie of Camarilla elder Hardestadt the Elder. Tyler would continue her actions in revolution until coming to Chicago for a time, [[LetsYouAndHimFight playing enemies against one another]] before moving on as a revered figure by many a young Anarch who aspire to her pedigree.
*** [[ChurchMilitant Cardinal Francisco Domingo de Polonia]] is a powerful Lasombra and former Conquistador who makes a name for himself with the cutthroat politics of the Sabbat. Playing werewolves against rivals and other factions to make things easier for himself, Polonia would achieve the coveted rank of Archbishop of New York thanks to his skill in politics and war in equal measure. As a major player in the East Coast War between Sabbat and Camarilla, Polonia would organize much of the offensive that nearly saw the Camarilla smashed from the East Coast and at the final battle of New York, [[FrontlineGeneral takes the front lines]] to cut down many powerful Kindred before being driven back.
*** [[FromNobodyToNightmare Madam Guil]], born a peasant girl named Jeanne, was raped and Embraced by a monstrous Baron. Outwitting, staking and [[KillItWithFire burning him alive]], Guil then joined Kindred society. Effortlessly fitting in to the Kindred nobility, she later discovered her mortal love Luc alive and a vampire himself. Deciding to rid the world of the Damned, they became feared Diablerists until Luc received a Blood Hunt against him, prompting Guil to utilize the UsefulNotes/FrenchRevolution to eliminate many rival vampires until at last she worked her way up to Justicar of the Camarilla, a position she uses to tear down and destroy vampires who think they are untouchable. Discovering Luc alive and a Templar of the Sabbat, Guil renews her love for him, with their bond transcending sect and even undeath no matter what.
*** [[ByronicHero Lucita de Aragon]] is the signature character of the Lasombra clan. A princess embraced by her confessor, Lucita soon abandoned her clan for independence, forming a bond with the Malkavian prophet Anatole and the Gangrel scholar Beckett. Becoming a [[TheAce brilliant assassin]] who whittles her enemies down via skill and unrivaled strategic aptitude, able to even match the feared Talley of the Sabbat, Lucita is hired to assassinate Archbishop Borges of Miami and three other Sabbat warleaders, which she achieves with her usual effectiveness. Upon the death of her hated Sire, Cardinal Ambrose Luis de Moncada thanks to Lucita and her longtime lover Fatima al-Faqadi, Lucita soon loses Anatole and [[FaceHeelTurn slips]] to join the Sabbat, only for her conscience to get the best of her as she [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices herself]] for her comrades during the Final Nights.
*** [[KnightTemplar Fatima al-Faqadi]] is a devout Assamite killer, recruited as the first woman ever Embraced into the clan for her talent at killing and assassinating Crusaders in life. One of the best in all the Assamite clan, Fatima has killed elder vampires, werewolves, mages and more in service to the Clan founder Haqim, balanced with her strict adherence to her Islamic faith. Fatima allies with her occasional lover Lucita, the only being to rouse any passion from her in a millennium, to finally destroy the monstrous Cardinal Moncada before being branded a renegade for her faith by Haqim's own Childer ur-Shulgi. Even assisting against the tides of Gehenna, Fatima only [[FaceDeathWithDignity peacefully awaits Haqim's own judgement]], stating she has lived true to her ideals to the very end.
*** [[PragmaticVillainy "Queen" Anne Bowesley]] is the Ventrue Prince of New York. A ruthless power broker when alive who helped to [[BeenThereShapedHistory organize the overthrow of King James]] in favor of King William, Anne was Embraced by the Ventrue Valerius and became a valued member of the court of Prince Mithras. As brilliant and deadly in undeath, Anne overcame all enemies, outwitting entire clans in London while making herself [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou so indispensable]] to Mithras she was even covertly allowed to diablerize several elders. Using this to raise her own powers, Anne finally claimed the vacant seat of Princedom in London during the 1940s, ruthlessly consolidating power so that none could hope to dislodge her.
** ''TabletopGame/DemonTheFallen'': [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] himself, First of the Fallen, once led a rebellion against {{God}} via his charisma and [[MagneticHero magnetic leadership]]. After the Fallen were defeated and sealed in {{Hell}}, Lucifer began to manipulate all of human history, teaching mankind sorcery to save his former lieutenants. Upon realizing the monsters they had become, Lucifer propagated the spread of reason and science to weaken them. Upon the end times, Lucifer reveals himself to sway humanity, the Fallen and even the Earthbound how he wishes, defeating some of his old lieutenants with brilliant tactics to place things exactly how he desires and kick off the final battle for the fate of humankind.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'':
** Asmodeus, [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Lord of Hell]] and [[GodOfEvil the God of Sin]], was the first traitor in history. Born the twin brother of the god of Goodness, Ihys, the two different on Ihys's insistence on imbuing mortals with free will, causing a war among the gods. Asmodeus committed the first act of treachery and slew his brother, but [[DueToTheDead honored him]] by letting free will remain. Asmodeus will work with the gods of good to outwit greater threats such as Rovagug, but remains a deceptive and brilliant archdevil who will manipulate everyone to his end goals, even acquiring entire kingdoms via clever dealing. Asmodeus is also believed to have authored the contract around all creation, perhaps even writing in an extra clause to ensure his victory in the long run, never being at a loss for a clever ploy, even if he refuses to ever tell a [[ExactWords direct lie]].
** Mephistopheles, [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils the Archdevil of Contracts and Secrets]], was originally the consciousness of hell itself given form by Asmodeus. Utterly loyal to the Lord of Hell and ruler of the 8th layer Caina, Mephistopheles makes [[DealWithTheDevil countless deals with mortals]] while constructing them to carry out the letter while sometimes violating the spirit while their souls can be claimed by hell. Even able to deceive any other archdevil save Asmodeus, Mephistopheles also made a deal with the depraved Barzillai Thrune to make him the GeniusLoci of the nation of Cheliax while secretly arranging events for Barzillai's downfall so Mephistopheles can study his depraved soul. After ensuring the heroes kill Barzillai, Mephistopheles cheerfully sends them on their way, unless one wishes to enter into a new infernal pact.
** [[HornyDevils Nocticula]], the first of all succubi, was one of the most brilliant and dangerous demons in hell's hierarchy. Well known for seducing and murdering other demons for their power, even her brother Socothbenoth grew wary of her and attempted to betray her, only to be easily defeated. Growing weary of evil, Nocticula secretly plotted to become a goddess, using her cults and followers to assist her in this until she was able to [[AscendedDemon ascend to full godhood]] as the Redeemer Queen, patron of outcasts and redemption.
** [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Abrogail Thrune II]], aka "Her Infernal Majestrix", rebuilt the nation of Cheliax as the head of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune. Playing the part of a frivolous child to mask her calculating mind, Abrogail is fully capable of outplaying almost anyone at court, making yearly {{Human Sacrifice}}s to Asmodeus to renew Thrune's devotion to hell. Whenever her domains are threatened Abrogail forms clever plans to deal with any threats while using those chances to dispatch any lingering enemies, even tricking a good-aligned church into peace before finding a loophole to accuse them of treason and destroy them.
** [[WinterRoyalLady Queen Elvanna of Irrisen]] is the fourteenth daughter of Literature/BabaYaga to reign from Whitethrone. Contacting her brother Rasputin, Elvanna forms a plot to usurp her mother after learning Baba Yaga consumes the life of her daughters, having placed her own family in strategic points to keep control of Irrisen. Overthrowing Baba Yaga, imprisoning her soul and giving the doll containing it to Rasputin to store in his own realm, Elvanna attempts to spread Irrisen's eternal winter across all Golarion to make it easier to conquer.
** [[FallenHero Arazni]] was once the herald and best friend of the heroic god Aroden. Leading the battle against the depraved Whispering Tyrant Tar-Baphon, Arazni was defeated, tortured and murdered by the lich. Revived by the tyrant Geb who derogatorily named her the "Harlot Queen" as his consort, Arazni was left to rule a nation of backstabbing, ambitious undead. Proving herself more than adept at dismantling the plans of usurpers, Arazni manipulated the elimination of her guards at the hands of knights, finally able to flee Geb to provoke Tar-Baphon into using his Radiant Fire superweapon to destroy her form and free her from Geb's control at the cost of many innocent lives. With her fate finally her own again, Arazni ensures the survivals of the heroes whom she has grown fond of, leaving her to choose her own path after centuries.
** ''Skull & Shackles'': Admiral Druvalia Thrune is the BigBad, TheWomanBehindTheMan to Captain Barnabas Harrigan, and the source, directly or indirectly, of all the misery experienced by the player characters. Determined to escape the accusation that her career has been advanced by {{nepotism}} alone, Druvalia uses her catspaw, Harrigan to undermine the Shackles' defenses, while her great-uncle's vast wealth enables her to finance a private armada, which her [[DealWithTheDevil deal with the archdevil Geryon]] enables her to sail through the Eye of Abendego and strike at the Hurricane King's domains. With only the players even aware that her invasion is about to take place, and the support of one of the rulers of Hell, Druvalia seems to hold a winning hand, and if the [=PC=]s do not bring their best game, she is easily capable of running the table and reducing the Shackles to a Chelish colony.
** ''Ironfang Invasion'': General Azaersi is a brilliant and overambitious hobgoblin general who dreams of building a new homeland for her people atop the bickering human nations of Nirmathas and Molthune. Recruiting dozens of Molthune's monstrous mercenary regiments to her service, securing the alliance of the dark naga Zanathura, the greater barghest Azlowe, and the legendary dragonslayer Kraelos, and rallying hobgoblins from across the continent and beyond, Azaersi builds her Ironfang Legion into one of the deadliest fighting forces in Avistan, and with the aid of a powerful magical artifact, is able to deploy them wherever she sees fit. Rendered all but invincible in the field, Azaersi overruns most of Nirmathas and a large part of Molthune, with the players the only ones who are able to even check her. Unable to best her army in the field, the [=PC=]s will likely have to resort to a decapitation strike to remove Azaersi from the head of the Legion—unless they can present her with evidence of treachery from her comrades, in which case, much to their surprise, they may find themselves negotiating a reasonable peace with the hobgoblin [[TheGeneralissimo generalissimo]].

* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': Owing to the setting running on GreyAndGreyMorality and the prevalence of [[TheChessmaster chessmasters]] in the highest ranks of military and government, most anyone in the setting who is magnificent is also a bastard (at least, to the people they've demonstrated their magnificence against). Some of the standouts are:

* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': [[TimeAbyss Centuries to millennia old]], it's no wonder some planeswalkers develop skills in manipulation and strategy and begin to [[BlueAndOrangeMorality lose the morals]] that come from mortality.

*** [[UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler Vlad Tepes]], later known as {{Dracula}}, is a Tzimisce "Voivoide" who became an independent ghoul by capturing and bleeding vampires. Hunting for a vampire to embrace him, Dracula lured an army of [[Characters/VampireTheMasqueradeSabbat Sabbat]] and leaked their location to the [[Characters/VampireTheMasqueradeCharactersCamarilla Camarilla]] to come in, sweep up the remnants with his own forces and take two powerful Tzimisce hostage. Forcing one to embrace him, he diablerized the elder and released his sire with a warning to never meddle in his affairs again. Keeping a tight grip over the region, Dracula plays Sabbat and Camarilla against one another to increase his own power, all while flaunting the Masquerade by manipulating Creator/BramStoker into novelizing his life story.
*** [[ConsummateProfessional Archon Theo "Killa B" Bell]] was a former slave Embraced into the Brujah clan by the noble Don Cerro. Slaughtering his former master and [[TheBerserker losing himself to the Beast]], Theo kept his master's name of Bell to remind himself of the power he wielded. Named Archon for his skill, Theo becomes a figure of [[TheDreaded renown and terror]], performing operations with brutal and effective skill. Having been a member of the Underground Railroad as a mortal, Theo cultivates more relations with mortals than most and has battled against the Confederacy and Jim Crow from the shadows. As a member of the Camarilla, Theo is a key figure in the East Coast War who devastates many members of the Sabbat, luring treacherous Lasombra Marcus Vitel into a trap to destroy him. When the Camarilla begins to persecute Thin Bloods, Theo leads a [[HeelFaceTurn defection]] to the Anarchs, ambushing and destroying the elder Ventrue Hardestadt the Younger in the process.

-->--'''Settra the Imperishable''', ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}''

** ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'': [[UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler Vlad Tepes]], later known as {{Dracula}}, is a Tzimisce "Voivoide" who became an independent ghoul by capturing and bleeding vampires. Hunting for a vampire to embrace him, Dracula lured an army of [[Characters/VampireTheMasqueradeSabbat Sabbat]] and leaked their location to the [[Characters/VampireTheMasqueradeCharactersCamarilla Camarilla]] to come in, sweep up the remnants with his own forces and take two powerful Tzimisce hostage. Forcing one to embrace him, he diablerized the elder and released his sire with a warning to never meddle in his affairs again. Keeping a tight grip over the region, Dracula plays Sabbat and Camarilla against one another to increase his own power, all while flaunting the Masquerade by manipulating Creator/BramStoker into novelizing his life story.

----

* ''TabletopGame/DemonTheFallen'': [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] himself, First of the Fallen, once led a rebellion against {{God}} via his charisma and [[MagneticHero magnetic leadership]]. After the Fallen were defeated and sealed in {{Hell}}, Lucifer began to manipulate all of human history, teaching mankind sorcery to save his former lieutenants. Upon realizing the monsters they had become, Lucifer propagated the spread of reason and science to weaken them. Upon the end times, Lucifer reveals himself to sway humanity, the Fallen and even the Earthbound how he wishes, defeating some of his old lieutenants with brilliant tactics to place things exactly how he desires and kick off the final battle for the fate of humankind.

* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'': [[UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler Vlad Tepes]], later known as {{Dracula}}, is a Tzimisce "Voivoide" who became an independent ghoul by capturing and bleeding vampires. Hunting for a vampire to embrace him, Dracula lured an army of [[Characters/VampireTheMasqueradeSabbat Sabbat]] and leaked their location to the [[Characters/VampireTheMasqueradeCharactersCamarilla Camarilla]] to come in, sweep up the remnants with his own forces and take two powerful Tzimisce hostage. Forcing one to embrace him, he diablerized the elder and released his sire with a warning to never meddle in his affairs again. Keeping a tight grip over the region, Dracula plays Sabbat and Camarilla against one another to increase his own power, all while flaunting the Masquerade by manipulating Creator/BramStoker into novelizing his life story.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'':

** [[GeniusBruiser Khazrak One-Eye]] is the most brilliant champion of the Beastmen who ever lived. Taking over by defeating his mentor, but sparing him and keeping one of his horns for respect, Khazrak organized a series of raids on the Drakwald villages, luring out human forces and eventually [[HandicappedBadass losing an eye]] to [[{{archenemy}} Count Boris Todbringer]]. Khazrak proceeded to return the favor by defeating Boris and taking his eye in turn, but let him live because [[WorthyOpponent he loved matching wits with the man]]. Khazrak was responsible for the brilliant Battle of Grimminhagen where he lured in a huge force of the Empire and completely wiped them out, before resuming his brilliant raids and tactics. Uncommonly intelligent and even possessing a sense of honor not often seen to his race, Khazrak meets his death in the End Times at the hands of Boris, but not before he lures out Boris's forces to leave his city undefended and ripe to plunder by the armies of Archaon.
** [[VampireMonarch Count Vlad von Carstein]] is a powerful vampire and the progenitor of the von Carstein bloodline. After freeing himself from the control of Nagash, Vlad resurfaces centuries later to seize control of Sylvania and uses brilliant tactics and intimidation to keep his hold, constantly coming out on top via his brilliant military tactics and political machinations. Despite his evil, Vlad [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes deeply loves his wife Isabella]], and is one of the few villains to drive the Empire to its knees. Even in the End Times, Vlad never loses his style or redeeming qualities and ultimately dies with Isabella in a MercyKill when she is corrupted by Nurgle.
** [[FounderOfTheKingdom Settra the Imperishable]] sacrificed his own sons to become the Gods' chosen, and successfully led a campaign throughout Khemri, reuniting his land and preserving his nearly-dead people. Creating a golden age through his tyranny, Settra conquered not only Khemri, but progressively led a campaign, nearly conquering the entire world with his power and strategic mastery. Disappointed that he could not live long enough to conquer all of the Old World, Settra created the Mortuary Cult to revive him. When, thanks to the workings of the sorcerer Nagash, he CameBackWrong as an [[{{Mummy}} undead Tomb King]], Settra took his land back once more, and held it effortlessly, fending off and defeating even the most powerful of invaders, such as the Norscans who raided his treasury, with ease. Even when confronted by the Chaos Gods in the End Times, Settra never surrendered, choosing to be [[DefiantToTheEnd defiant in the face of the world's end]].
** [[ProfessionalKiller Kouran Darkhand]] is the [[TheDragon right-hand]] of Malekith the Witch-King. Having earned his position by brilliant campaigns and ruthlessly eliminating those in his way, Kouran [[UndyingLoyalty lives to see Malekith take his place as ruler of all elf-kind]], killing and outwitting any inferior foolish enough to seek his position. A [[TheStrategist genius tactician]], Kouran once [[WeHaveReserves sacrificed half an army]] to secure victory and is known and feared by all enemies to the "Druchii."

** Asmodeus, [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Lord of Hell]] and the God of Sin, was the first traitor in history. Born the twin brother of the god of Goodness, Ihys, the two different on Ihys's insistence on imbuing mortals with free will, causing a war among the gods. Asmodeus committed the first act of treachery and slew his brother, but [[DueToTheDead honored him]] by letting free will remain. Asmodeus will work with the gods of good to outwit greater threats such as Rovagug, but remains a deceptive and brilliant archdevil who will manipulate everyone to his end goals, even acquiring entire kingdoms via clever dealing. Asmodeus is also believed to have authored the contract around all creation, perhaps even writing in an extra clause to ensure his victory in the long run, never being at a loss for a clever ploy, even if he refuses to ever tell a [[ExactWords direct lie]]. Of course, this all assumes that he's telling the truth, and given ''Concordance of Rivals''' revelations about Pharasma, his role in the creation of the cosmos is at least very suspect.

** Queen Elvanna of Irrisen is the fourteenth daughter of Literature/BabaYaga to reign from Whitethrone. Contacting her brother Rasputin, Elvanna forms a plot to usurp her mother after learning Baba Yaga consumes the life of her daughters, having placed her own family in strategic points to keep control of Irrisen. Overthrowing Baba Yaga, imprisoning her soul and giving the doll containing it to Rasputin to store in his own realm, Elvanna attempts to spread Irrisen's eternal winter across all Golarion to make it easier to conquer.

** ''Ironfang Invasion'': General Azaersi is a brilliant and overambitious [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent hobgoblin]] general who dreams of building a new homeland for her people atop the bickering human nations of Nirmathas and Molthune. Recruiting dozens of Molthune's monstrous mercenary regiments to her service, securing the alliance of the dark naga Zanathura, the greater barghest Azlowe, and the legendary dragonslayer Kraelos, and rallying hobgoblins from across the continent and beyond, Azaersi builds her Ironfang Legion into one of the deadliest fighting forces in Avistan, and with the aid of a powerful magical artifact, is able to deploy them wherever she sees fit. Rendered all but invincible in the field, Azaersi overruns most of Nirmathas and a large part of Molthune, with the players the only ones who are able to even check her. Unable to best her army in the field, the [=PC=]s will likely have to resort to a [[StraightForTheCommander decapitation strike]] to remove Azaersi from the head of the Legion—unless they can present her with evidence of treachery from her comrades, in which case, much to their surprise, they may find themselves negotiating a reasonable peace with the hobgoblin [[TheGeneralissimo generalissimo]].

* ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds'': August Tiberius Roman is the game’s ComicBook/LexLuthor analogue, and the archenemy of the late Centurion, the setting’s greatest and most powerful superhero. Starting out as Freedom City’s most feared mafia don, Roman bought a pardon from the US government in 1943, and went onto frustrate the Centurion and the Freedom League for decades to come, first as the secret financial backer of the Crime League, and then as the city’s “Emperor of Crime.” By the 1950s and 60s, Roman controlled almost every mafioso, gangster, and street criminal in Freedom City, and was receiving a cut of near every crime committed in town, with only truly depraved organizations like Alister Usher’s falling outside his purview. This culminated in his outright buying Mayor Franklin Pierce in the 90s, and running the city in everything but name. When Pierce was brought down, he tried to take Roman with him, but the mafioso simply divested his underworld holdings and survived, broke, but free. Now retired, Roman has outlived all his allies and most of his enemies, including the Centurion, and supports himself in his old age by running the Circuit-Maximus, an illegal underground fight club featuring superhumans. [[KarmaHoudini No longer an active participant in most of the city’s criminal life, the elderly Roman is still a figure to be feared, and one that no hero or villain in their right mind aims to cross.]]

** Asmodeus, [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Lord of Hell]] and the God of Sin, was the first traitor in history. Born the twin brother of the god of Goodness, Ihys, the two different on Ihys's insistence on imbuing mortals with free will, causing a war among the gods. Asmodeus committed the first act of treachery and slew his brother, but [[DueToTheDead honored him]] by letting free will remain. Asmodeus will work with the gods of good to outwit greater threats such as Rovagug, but remains a deceptive and brilliant archdevil who will manipulate everyone to his end goals, even acquiring entire kingdoms via clever dealing. Asmodeus is also believed to have authored the contract around all creation, perhaps even writing in an extra clause to ensure his victory in the long run, never being at a loss for a clever ploy, even if he refuses to ever tell a [[ExactWords direct lie]].

** ''Ironfang Invasion'': General Azaersi is a brilliant and overambitious hobgoblin general who dreams of building a new homeland for her people atop the bickering human nations of Nirmathas and Molthune. Recruiting dozens of Molthune's monstrous mercenary regiments to her service, securing the alliance of the dark naga Zanathura, the greater barghest Azlowe, and the legendary dragonslayer Kraelos, and rallying hobgoblins from across the continent and beyond, Azaersi builds her Ironfang Legion into one of the deadliest fighting forces in Avistan, and with the aid of a powerful magical artifact, is able to deploy them wherever she sees fit. Rendered all but invincible in the field, Azaersi overruns most of Nirmathas and a large part of Molthune, with the players the only ones who are able to even check her. Unable to best her army in the field, the [=PC=]s will likely have to resort to a decapitation strike to remove Azaersi from the head of the Legion—unless they can present her with evidence of treachery from her comrades, in which case, much to their surprise, they may find themselves negotiating a reasonable peace with the hobgoblin [[TheGeneralissimo generalissimo]].

* ''VideoGame/ThreadsOfFate'': [[TheManBehindTheMan Ruecian]], aka the Doll Master, from the Rue scenario, is a doll created by Valen who achieved duty to resurrect him with cunning and charisma. Acting as Maya's adviser, Doll Master set her up to overthrow her whenever he wants, secretly adding his followers among her forces. Learning of another doll, Rue awakened, he tried to get him to join him but after failing and taking an innocent life by accident, Doll Master learns from his error and decides to use more subtle tactics to prevent it from repeating. Learning of the existence of Prima Doll who could resurrect Valen, Doll Master manipulates him, Rue, and Maya to complete the ritual while trying coerce Rue to join him as brothers. With mere moments before Valen's resurrection, Doll Master once more tried to get Rue to join, expressing his wish for them to be siblings. Even after losing to him, Doll Master remains respectful of Rue, deciding to give his life to him, sacrificing himself to save him from his own master as a final act of his own free will.

** Khazrak One-Eye is the most brilliant champion of the Beastmen who ever lived. Taking over by defeating his mentor, but sparing him and keeping one of his horns for respect, Khazrak organized a series of raids on the Drakwald villages, luring out human forces and eventually losing an eye to Count Boris Todbringer. Khazrak proceeded to return the favor by defeating Boris and taking his eye in turn, but let him live because he loved matching wits with the man. Khazrak was responsible for the brilliant Battle of Grimminhagen where he lured in a huge force of the Empire and completely wiped them out, before resuming his brilliant raids and tactics. Uncommonly intelligent and even possessing a sense of honor not often seen to his race, Khazrak meets his death in the End Times at the hands of Boris, but not before he lures out Boris's forces to leave his city undefended and ripe to plunder by the armies of Archaon.
** Count Vlad von Carstein is a powerful vampire and the progenitor of the von Carstein bloodline. After freeing himself from the control of Nagash, Vlad resurfaces centuries later to seize control of Sylvania and uses brilliant tactics and intimidation to keep his hold, constantly coming out on top via his brilliant military tactics and political machinations. Despite his evil, Vlad deeply loves his wife Isabella,, and is one of the few villains to drive the Empire to its knees. Even in the End Times, Vlad never loses his style or redeeming qualities and ultimately dies with Isabella in a MercyKill when she is corrupted by Nurgle.
** Settra the Imperishable sacrificed his own sons to become the Gods' chosen, and successfully led a campaign throughout Khemri, reuniting his land and preserving his nearly-dead people. Creating a golden age through his tyranny, Settra conquered not only Khemri, but progressively led a campaign, nearly conquering the entire world with his power and strategic mastery. Disappointed that he could not live long enough to conquer all of the Old World, Settra created the Mortuary Cult to revive him. When, thanks to the workings of the sorcerer Nagash, he CameBackWrong as an undead Tomb King, Settra took his land back once more, and held it effortlessly, fending off and defeating even the most powerful of invaders, such as the Norscans who raided his treasury, with ease. Even when confronted by the Chaos Gods in the End Times, Settra never surrendered, choosing to be defiant in the face of the world's end.

->''"There are great deeds that remain undone, enemies yet to conquer and raptures yet to rejoice in. So, as it is written, so shall it be done. I, Settra, have proclaimed it -- let none dare oppose my will."

->''"I put out my hand, and the fish swam right into my net—as they always do. It's all in the brightness of the lure you offer."''
-->--'''Fzoul Chembryl''', ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms''

* ''Franchise/{{Warhammer}}'' franchise:
** ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'':
*** Khazrak One-Eye is the most brilliant champion of the Beastmen who ever lived. Taking over by defeating his mentor, but sparing him and keeping one of his horns for respect, Khazrak organized a series of raids on the Drakwald villages, luring out human forces and eventually losing an eye to Count Boris Todbringer. Khazrak proceeded to return the favor by defeating Boris and taking his eye in turn, but let him live because he loved matching wits with the man. Khazrak was responsible for the brilliant Battle of Grimminhagen where he lured in a huge force of the Empire and completely wiped them out, before resuming his brilliant raids and tactics. Uncommonly intelligent and even possessing a sense of honor not often seen to his race, Khazrak meets his death in the End Times at the hands of Boris, but not before he lures out Boris's forces to leave his city undefended and ripe to plunder by the armies of Archaon.
*** Count Vlad von Carstein is a powerful vampire and the progenitor of the von Carstein bloodline. After freeing himself from the control of Nagash, Vlad resurfaces centuries later to seize control of Sylvania and uses brilliant tactics and intimidation to keep his hold, constantly coming out on top via his brilliant military tactics and political machinations. Despite his evil, Vlad deeply loves his wife Isabella,, and is one of the few villains to drive the Empire to its knees. Even in the End Times, Vlad never loses his style or redeeming qualities and ultimately dies with Isabella in a MercyKill when she is corrupted by Nurgle.
*** Settra the Imperishable sacrificed his own sons to become the Gods' chosen, and successfully led a campaign throughout Khemri, reuniting his land and preserving his nearly-dead people. Creating a golden age through his tyranny, Settra conquered not only Khemri, but progressively led a campaign, nearly conquering the entire world with his power and strategic mastery. Disappointed that he could not live long enough to conquer all of the Old World, Settra created the Mortuary Cult to revive him. When, thanks to the workings of the sorcerer Nagash, he CameBackWrong as an undead Tomb King, Settra took his land back once more, and held it effortlessly, fending off and defeating even the most powerful of invaders, such as the Norscans who raided his treasury, with ease. Even when confronted by the Chaos Gods in the End Times, Settra never surrendered, choosing to be defiant in the face of the world's end.
** ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Even in this {{Grimdark}} future, some characters are truly impressive:
*** Eldrad is perhaps the most powerful Psyker the Eldar have ever produced. Having once attempted to warn the Empire about Horus's treachery, he has spent his time ever since weaving complex plans to benefit the Eldar, and has perhaps even made the entire Imperium of Man his pawns. Eldrad was responsible for several Eldar raids that produced the eventual rise of Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka and the Armageddon Wars, solely so Eldrad could ensure 10,000 Eldar escaped death at the cost of millions of humans. Eldrad frequently conducts daring plots and schemes to benefit his race, even to ensure the eventual triumph of a new god of the Eldar to defeat Chaos and save his race's souls from Slaanesh.
*** Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka, the Beast of the Apocalypse, is the most successful Ork warboss in history. The self-proclaimed Prophet of the WAAAAGH!, Ghazghkull puts together daring crusade after daring crusade, bringing new advancements to the orks and being a [[GeniusBruiser tactical genius even by the standards of other races]]. Ghazghkull has become a blight on the Imperium, leaving whole worlds burning behind him and constantly outwitting all enemies save for only Comissar Sebastian Yarrick, the one human Ghazghkull [[WorthyOpponent truly respects]]. Ghazghkull frequently inspires other Orks with his sheer charisma and force of will, planning on bringing out a war so great that his deities Gork and Mork come to join the fun personally.
*** Azhek Ahriman is the mortal champion of Tzeentch. A former member of the Thousand Sons Legion, Ahriman is driven to save his legion and [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong correct all his past mistakes]] by overthrowing Tzeentch himself and [[AGodAmI becoming a new God]]. To his end, Ahriman is a brilliant schemer, crafting and "seeding" new cults on a myriad of worlds to find and approach new knowledge while manipulating entire new conflicts so he can swoop in, take all their work and bring himself closer to the Black Library and Tzeentch's true name. Time and again, Ahriman demonstrates why he is worthy of being the champion of the Changer of Ways.
*** Trazyn the Infinite is an ingenious Necron, who is equal to any of the great Phaerons in wit and skill. A [[CollectorOfTheStrange collector of rare, historical things and people]], Trazyn frequently outwits others to steal things for his collection. Trazyn performs daring heists and uses his fellow Necron lords as body doubles for himself without informing them, manipulating events so he can benefit. When Abaddon launched his 13th Black Crusade on Cadia, Trazyn even joined in on the side of the Imperium, wanting to play the hero [[ItAmusedMe for fun]], and also to steal Abaddon himself for his collection, though he decided to make due with the Lord Castellan of Cadia instead. Trazyn is even banned from the Necron throne worlds due to his habit of [[StickyFingers stealing their priceless artifacts]], a ban he is well aware of and flaunts for fun whenever the mood takes him.
*** Lady Aurelian Malys is a ruthless Dark Eldar and the Archon of the Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue. Once banished by her former lover Asdrubael Vect, Malys has returned to Comorragh where she proves herself Vect's equal in scheming, amassing an exceptional power base and working to undermine her former paramour to seize his position. Malys once initiated a war between humans and orks to steal an STC known as the Panacea, solely to keep it in her room and deny humanity the chance to cure any disease. Since returning to Comorragh, Malys has shown an uncanny ability to detect Vect's schemes and was one of the few Archons to survive his plotting, with it being whispered that if Vect ever falls, Malys is sure to be the one holding the knife.
*** Duke Traevelliath Sliscus is a wicked Dark Eldar corsair known as "The Serpent". Bored with the decadent courts of Comorragh, Sliscus stole the ships of several Archons, fooled them into coming out to fight him and summarily destroyed their forces. A feared pirate lord, Sliscus's daring exploits have made him a legend to many of the Dark Eldar, and he frequently performs incredible, daring raids, notably being the only opponent to get the better of the infamous Lukas the Trickster by catching him, cutting out his heart and throwing him from his airlock. Well known for how he presents himself, Malys once described Sliscus as "amoral, despicable and impeccably dressed in the bargain".
*** The mysterious Cypher is a former member of the Dark Angels who supposedly fell to Chaos. Since then, Cypher roams the galaxy, pursued by his former Chapter, where he resurfaces, lures the forces of Chaos and the Space Marines into conflicts and lets them fight it out. His methods are utterly brilliant, even if his plans are inscrutable. Cypher is just as likely to hinder Chaos as the Imperium, assassinating Inquisitors, tyrants, Chaos lords and others in bold, daring manuevers before alerting the Dark Angels to his presence. Cypher will event inspire revolutions against tyrants and whenever captured, he performs bold escapes. Whatever Cypher's true plan is, it is clear he is working to an end that he's had in mind for a long time and repeatedly shows himself as nearly untouchable.
*** Lukas TheTrickster, or Lukas Strifeson, is a infamous member of the Space Wolves chapter of the Space Marines. Well known for his wicked pranks, such as poisoning a superior with bloat toad venom, Lukas is known for his shocking effectiveness when deployed against the enemies of the imperium. Lukas has caused a civil war among orks with faked transmissions, lured a WAAAGH! to a planet that he then froze solid, tricked a group of Word Bearer traitor marines into landing on thin ice to drown the and has outwitted the Dark Eldar, even the infamous Aurelia Malys herself. Even after Duke Sliscus carved out one of his hearts, Lukas simply replaced it with a stasis bomb to insure whoever kills him will hear his laughter forever. Notably, Lukas has even managed to outwit Magnus the Red, Daemon Prince of Tzeentch himself, always ready with a laugh and a jest against the enemies of his Chapter.
*** [[TheTrickster Cegorach the Laughing God]] is one of the few Eldar deities to survive the birth of Slaanesh. In the past, Cegorach even convince one C'tan god to devour others to weaken the pantheon in one of his finest schemes. Worshiped by the Eldar Harlequins, Cegorach is a mad genius with a habit of forming audacious schemes, especially in the pursuit of fighting Chaos. Defending his followers from Slaanesh's hunger, Cegorach organizes schemes to lure the forces of Chaos into doing his work for him. One of the best schemers in all the universe, Cegorach even manages to take a hold in the Dark Eldar to potentially manipulate them, willing to stop at little to ensure the fall of Slaanesh in the end.

!!''Franchise/DungeonsAndDragons'' franchise:

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
** The {{Demon Lord|sAndArchDevils}} Graz'zt is theorized to be an archdevil who carved out his own territory in the abyss and decided to reside there, and it is easy to see why. Graz'zt is stunningly intelligent for a demon, plotting and scheming against his fellow demon lords while seeking to take the title of Prince from Demogorgon, and is known for making deals with mortals, as well as being disturbingly charismatic to those he encounters. In one instance, Graz'zt even captured the goddess Waukeen and held her hostage in his nation of Zelatar, even using this to pervert part of her clergy to his own worship later. When he was summoned and imprisoned by the witch Iggwilv, Graz'zt seduced her, with the two having an intense love-hate relationship ever since.
** The Witch Queen Iggwilv once manipulated a group of adventurers, seducing her magical master with them, to bind a demon, steal all its forbidden knowledge and then abscond with magical items. Becoming a powerful witch and authority on demons, Iggwilv enslaved a powerful sorcerer to enhance her strength and even bound the aforementioned Graz'zt to her, resulting in a stormy love-hate relationship between the two. Even after being defeated, Iggwilv comes to prominence in ''Savage Tides'' when she helps the heroes defeat the Savage Tide and even the monstrous Prince of Demons Demogorgon, only to steal Demogorgon's own essence and use it to revive a kingdom for herself, becoming a new power to be reckoned with.
* ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'':
** [[GodOfEvil Asmodeus]], the Lord of the Nine Hells, is the WickedCultured, AffablyEvil, handsome and brilliant [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Archdevil]] who, ever since his fall from heaven, has been running a grand chess game that few can even begin to understand. Asmodeus knows every plot against him by the other archdevils and delights in thwarting or subverting them to his own benefit while making his own plots [[LongGame that can take centuries or even millennia to come to fruition]] in ways that benefit him. At one point, Asmodeus was even deposed from his throne in Nessus, only to later reveal it was simply a ruse to root out potential traitors. Since becoming a god, Asmodeus has only increased his power and effectiveness with some fearing he is perhaps the greatest threat to all the forces of good in existence.
** [[WarGod Bane]], god of Strife, Tyranny and Hatred was once a [[DeityOfHumanOrigin mortal man who achieved godhood]]. A brilliant schemer and [[TheStrategist strategist]] who frequently plays other gods against one another, forming and betraying alliances as proper, Bane even leaves a way to return post-mortem after his death after the Time of Troubles, being reborn from the body of his own son. Learning from his defeat, Bane promotes understanding and cooperation among his clergy who are now likely to settle conflict with reasonable debate to stay united against their enemies. Bane shows himself to be as brilliant and dangerous as ever, even subjugating the goblin pantheon to him, stopping at nothing to dominate all other powers before him.
** [[LovableRogue Jarlaxle Baenre]], third son of Yvonnel Baenre, survived his birth and sacrifice against all odds, growing into a talented mercenary leader who thrives off the chaos of Menzoberranzan. Constantly hiring out his forces, the Bregan D'Aerthe while [[PlayingBothSides playing multiple sides]] in any conflict, Jarlaxle later goes to the surface, manages to win over nearly everyone he comes across and even uses an attempted coup from his underlings as a way to buy himself a vacation, eliminating the worst traitors and leaving the one Drow he can trust in charge of the group before manipulating powerful kingdoms, ancient dragons and monsters into doing what benefits him most. Jarlaxle is so successful and talented at his games that there are those who wonder if he is actually blessed by the normally virulently misandrist Lolth as a chosen of chaos.
** [[EvilSorceror Gromph Baenre]] is {{the archmage}} of Menzoberranzan and a genius manipulator who is the undisputed master of the city's wizards. Keeping control through his own power and constantly playing his rivals against one another, Gromph showcases his penchant for manipulation by being one of the powers behind his sister Triel's throne and when the Priestesses of Lolth lose their power with the Goddess's absence, Gromph takes it upon himself to guide the city in the meantime. After being defeated by the evil lich Dyyr, Gromph is captured by a mind flayer and shows he prepared for a possibility with an impressive MemoryGambit that even programmed his own reactions to achieve it. He then attempts to eliminate one of the architects of the invasion of his city by fusing his hand to a crystal that burns like the sun when the other drow slips into the plane of shadow, trapping him there. Mixing an [[NobleDemon odd nobility with a ruthless ambition]], Gromph repeatedly demonstrates just why he is one of the oldest and most powerful Drow alive.
** [[MalevolentMaskedMen Mask]] is the god of thieves and shadows. A master of intrigue and scheming, Mask orchestrated the death of the god Bhaal during the time of Troubles with himself as the weapon in his guise as the sword godsbane. Working to undermine the mad god Cyric, Mask helped to arrange Cyric's defeat and later works to defeat his mother Shar, the goddess of nothingness and darkness. Mask helps to foil her plots to reduce all to nothingness while leaving his essence behind in anticipation for when Shar absorbs him, even sending his Chosen Erevis Cale's son into the future with a plan to bring about his own revival in the end.
** [[TheTrickster Vhaeraun]], the Masked Lord, is one of the Dark Seldarine, the Drow pantheon. Wanting to conquer the surface and defeat his mother Lolth, Vhaeraun appeals to many male drow with his focus on gender equality, as opposed to his mother's fierce misandry. An exceptional schemer, Vhaeraun nearly destroyed Lolth during the Silence and upon her rebirth formed a plan to assassinate his chaotic good twin sister Eilistraee, gain her followers and destroy Lolth. Stopped by the goddess Mystra, Vhaeraun later returned and formed a peace with his sister, the two working together against their mother with Vhaeraun organizing his clergy into doing good deeds and appearing respectable, all to work to their true goals of domination and freedom for the drow, no matter the cost.
** Fzoul Chembryl, chosen of Bane, joined the Zhentarim and steadily converted it to being a branch of Bane's church. Overthrowing and destroying his mentor Manshoon and many of Manshoon's clones, Fzoul later even helped to undermine Cyric after Bane's fall. Upon Bane's return, Fzoul happily takes his place at his god's side again, reorganizing the church and devoting it to conquest and schemes to advance Bane's aims upon the world. Even after dying in defense of Zhentil Keep, Fzoul is raised as Bane's Exarch, dedicated both to his own power while retaining his charisma and faith.
** [[SorcerousOverlord Szass Tam]] is one of the chief leaders of Thay, the Zulkir of Necromancy and a powerful [[OurLichesAreDifferent lich]] who is a consummate genius who manipulates the other Zulkirs and his enemies alike, playing off different factions in Thay against one another to maintain the power of the Red Wizards and his own. Eventually deciding to [[AGodAmI take godhood for his own]] and [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans remake the world without suffering or death]]. Forming a secret army of the undead, Szass Tam arranges for Thayan armies to lose to their enemies, even causing a Thayan city's fall, to spread unrest and eliminate several other Zulkirs. Bargaining with the god Bane for forbidden knowledge in the ensuing war, Szass Tam even manages to reclaim the advantage when his right hand Malark betrays him, eliminating the remaining Zulkirs even as his plots for godhood are ruined. Undaunted, he simply decides to get back to work with new plans.
** ''Literature/TheHuntersBladesTrilogy'': King Obould Many Arrows is a brutal [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orc]] chieftain who unites the fractured orc clans into a single, unified army and unleashes them upon the north and Silverymoon. In a series of brilliant campaigns, Obould carves out the Kingdom of Dark Arrows, becoming the personal chosen of the orc god Gruumsh in the process. Obould also completely subverts a group of Drow who think they can use him, killing their priestess at the end after she attempts to murder him. Later even assisting the heroes against another army loyal to Gruumsh's old ways, Obould then sues for peace from a position of strength, knowing it will be too costly to dislodge his people from their new home. Peacefully dying later in his sleep and being made an exarch by his god, Obould is without doubt the most successful and ingenious arc to set foot on Faerun and remains one of Drizzt Do'Urden's most deadly foes.
** ''Literature/WarOfTheSpiderQueen'':
*** Pharaun Mizzrym is the son of House Mizzrym who became a powerful wizard. Well known for his ostentatious, clever manner, Pharaun helps to outwit the Illithid Lich leader of a slave revolt and destroys him after scheming and investigating his way to the bottom of the plot. Pharaun proves himself just as capable in helping to defeat a conspiracy in Ched Nassad, outwitting and destroying a powerful demon later on and even seeing through the machinations of his own ostensible leader Quenthel Baenre. Upon revival from his previous death, Pharaun even begins bonding with his son Kael and shows no hesitation in sacrificing his existence for him at the end.
*** Nimor Imphraezl, a drow-Shadow Dragon hybrid, and Anointed Blade of the Vhaeraunite Jaezred Chaulssin, is a ruthless assassin out to overthrow the order of Lolth. Manipulating the Menzoberranzan slave revolt, Nimor forms an army to invade Menzoberranzan and throws the city into chaos by assassinating a high-ranking Matron Mother. With his clever strategies and diversions, Nimor nearly arranges for the city to fall before Lolth's return. Later establishing his own fosterage in Menzoberranzan, Nimor continues his schemes to bring down Lolth's order by weaving clever plan after plan and achieving whatever victory he can manage whenever he can.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'': Baron Strahd von Zarovich, ruler of Barovia, is a powerful vampire and Darklord of the Land of the Mists. Having killed his brother when he became a vampire and losing his love Tatyanna, Strahd lurks in Barovia where he zealously guards his territory to defend his food supply and out of a shred of noblesse oblige. Strahd is well known to a charming, manipulative and dangerous man, constantly playing his enemies and outwitting them, with many who enter Barovia to defeat him never leaving. Strahd is able to defend Barovia from outside enemies with his own strategic brilliance, constantly demonstrating why he is one of the most dangerous and charismatic figures to lurk in the Mists.

!!Others

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'':
** Asmodeus, [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Lord of Hell]] and the God of Sin, was the first traitor in history. Born the twin brother of the god of Goodness, Ihys, the two different on Ihys's insistence on imbuing mortals with free will, causing a war among the gods. Asmodeus committed the first act of treachery and slew his brother, but [[DueToTheDead honored him]] by letting free will remain. Asmodeus will work with the gods of good to outwit greater threats such as Rovagug, but remains a deceptive and brilliant archdevil who will manipulate everyone to his end goals, even acquiring entire kingdoms via clever dealing. Asmodeus is also believed to have authored the contract around all creation, perhaps even writing in an extra clause to ensure his victory in the long run, never being at a loss for a clever ploy, even if he refuses to ever tell a [[ExactWords direct lie]].
** ''Skull & Shackles'': Admiral Druvalia Thrune is the BigBad, TheWomanBehindTheMan to Captain Barnabas Harrigan, and the source, directly or indirectly, of all the misery experienced by the player characters. Determined to escape the accusation that her career has been advanced by {{nepotism}} alone, Druvalia uses her catspaw, Harrigan to undermine the Shackles' defenses, while her great-uncle's vast wealth enables her to finance a private armada, which her [[DealWithTheDevil deal with the archdevil Geryon]] enables her to sail through the Eye of Abendego and strike at the Hurricane King's domains. With only the players even aware that her invasion is about to take place, and the support of one of the rulers of Hell, Druvalia seems to hold a winning hand, and if the [=PC=]s do not bring their best game, she is easily capable of running the table and reducing the Shackles to a Chelish colony.
** ''Ironfang Invasion'': General Azaersi is a brilliant and overambitious hobgoblin general who dreams of building a new homeland for her people atop the bickering human nations of Nirmathas and Molthune. Recruiting dozens of Molthune's monstrous mercenary regiments to her service, securing the alliance of the dark naga Zanathura, the greater barghest Azlowe, and the legendary dragonslayer Kraelos, and rallying hobgoblins from across the continent and beyond, Azaersi builds her Ironfang Legion into one of the deadliest fighting forces in Avistan, and with the aid of a powerful magical artifact, is able to deploy them wherever she sees fit. Rendered all but invincible in the field, Azaersi overruns most of Nirmathas and a large part of Molthune, with the players the only ones who are able to even check her. Unable to best her army in the field, the [=PC=]s will likely have to resort to a decapitation strike to remove Azaersi from the head of the Legion—unless they can present her with evidence of treachery from her comrades, in which case, much to their surprise, they may find themselves negotiating a reasonable peace with the hobgoblin [[TheGeneralissimo generalissimo]].

* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': Owing to the setting running on GreyAndGreyMorality and the prevalence of [[TheChessmaster chessmasters]] in the highest ranks of military and government, most anyone in the setting who is magnificent is also a bastard (at least, to the people they've demonstrated their magnificence against). Some of the standouts are:
** Sarah [=McEvedy=] served under Aleksander Kerensky in the Star League Defense Force before following his son Nicholas on the Second Exodus, proving her skills to become Khan of Clan Wolverine. She led her Wolverines exceptionally in both war and peacetime, though she had to bend several of Nicholas' ideals to do so. As the other Clans, threatened by Wolverine's success, arrayed against her, Sarah learned Nicholas would allow events to unfold, sacrificing her Clan to cement his new society. Sarah concocted a plan to evacuate the bulk of Clan Wolverine from Clan space, though she opted to leave behind many who were insufficiently loyal. After her presumed death, her saKhan followed her plan, jumping the Wolverine flotilla out of Clan space, but not directly back along the Exodus Road. Instead, they waited for Nicholas' pursuit force to launch, and traveled behind their pursuers in a mostly-successful attempt to evade them.
** Hanse Davion started the Fourth Succession War at his wedding reception by offering his bride the Capellan Confederation as a wedding present, and delivered on half that with a blitzkrieg attack and having moles as two of the top three men in the Maskirovka. Hanse bartered the life of Joshua Marik, son of Free Worlds League leader Thomas Marik, offering to have Joshua transported to the New Avalon Institute of Science to treat his leukemia in exchange for the League producing badly-needed upgrade kits for forces fighting the Clans. Hanse also made a non-aggression pact with Theodore Kurita, promising not to send his troops into Combine space while the Clans remained a threat, and when Luthien itself came under attack, sent the Kell Hounds and Wolf's Dragoons mercenary units not to attack Luthien, but to defend it. [[ExactWords Because he promised he wouldn't send his troops.]]
** Ulric Kerensky is a staunch Warden, and takes every opportunity to sabotage the Crusader agenda, while being exceptionally good at making it not look like he's doing that. Forced to join the Clan invasion of the Inner Sphere, Ulric advances his Clan Wolf harder and faster than any other, forcing the Crusader Clans to lag behind or overextend themselves trying to keep up. He is promoted to ilKhan in a bid to both swing the leadership of Clan Wolf towards Crusader and nullify his ability to push his Warden agenda, and blunts both thrusts. First, he short-circuits his Crusader rival's attempt to become Khan of Clan Wolf, promoting fellow Warden Natasha Kerensky instead. Second, he "accidentally" lets slip to [=ComStar=] that the true goal of the invasion is Terra, resulting in the Battle and Truce of Tukayyid. After six more years, his Crusader rivals finally oust him as ilKhan, only for Ulric to turn the Trial of Refusal into the Refusal War, pitting the Crusaders of Clan Wolf against Clan Jade Falcon and mauling both so badly the Clans are forced to stall their invasion plans for a few more years.
** Sun-Tzu Liao [[ObfuscatingInsanity paints himself an insane fool]], both to survive his actually insane mother and encourage others to underestimate him. He drops the act upon ascending to the Celestial Throne of the Capellan Confederation, arranging a marriage to Thomas Marik's daughter Isis to apply political pressure to the Federated Commonwealth. He indirectly sparks the Chaos March debacle by thinking it would be a good idea to accuse Victor Steiner-Davion of having replaced Joshua Marik with a body double, only for the plot to reveal Victor had actually done it. Ruthlessly leveraging every advantage available to him, whether from his own plots or attempts by rivals to leverage him against their rivals, Sun-Tzu Liao goes down in history as one of the most famous and beloved Chancellors, restoring power and pride to a people Hanse Davion had all but broken.
* ''TabletopGame/DemonTheFallen'': [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] himself, First of the Fallen, once led a rebellion against {{God}} via his charisma and [[MagneticHero magnetic leadership]]. After the Fallen were defeated and sealed in {{Hell}}, Lucifer began to manipulate all of human history, teaching mankind sorcery to save his former lieutenants. Upon realizing the monsters they had become, Lucifer propagated the spread of reason and science to weaken them. Upon the end times, Lucifer reveals himself to sway humanity, the Fallen and even the Earthbound how he wishes, defeating some of his old lieutenants with brilliant tactics to place things exactly how he desires and kick off the final battle for the fate of humankind.

** The Witch Queen Iggwilv once manipulated a group of adventurers, seducing her magical master with them, to bind a demon, steal all its forbidden knowledge and then abscond with magical items. Becoming a powerful witch and authority on demons, Iggwilv enslaved a powerful sorcerer to enhance her strength and even bound the aforementioned Graz'zt to her, resulting in a stormy love-hate relationship between the two. Even after being defeated, Iggwilv comes to prominence in ''Savage Tides'' when she helps the heroes defeat the Savage Tide and even the monstrous Prince of Demons Demogorgon... only to steal Demogorgon's own essence and use it to revive a kingdom for herself, becoming a new power to be reckoned with.

** Asmodeus, the Lord of the Nine Hells, is the WickedCultured, AffablyEvil, handsome and brilliant [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Archdevil]] who, ever since his fall from heaven, has been running a grand chess game that few can even begin to understand. Asmodeus knows every plot against him by the other archdevils and delights in thwarting or subverting them to his own benefit while making his own plots [[LongGame that can take centuries or even millennia to come to fruition]] in ways that benefit him. At one point, Asmodeus was even deposed from his throne in Nessus, only to later reveal it was simply a ruse to root out potential traitors. Since becoming a god, Asmodeus has only increased his power and effectiveness with some fearing he is perhaps the greatest threat to all the forces of good in existence.
** Bane, god of Strife, Tyranny and Hatred was once a [[DeityOfHumanOrigin mortal man who achieved godhood]]. A brilliant {{Chessmaster}} and [[TheStrategist strategist]] who frequently plays other gods against one another, forming and betraying alliances as proper, Bane even leaves a way to return post-mortem after his death after the Time of Troubles, being reborn from the body of his own son. Learning from his defeat, Bane promotes understanding and cooperation among his clergy who are now likely to settle conflict with reasonable debate to stay united against their enemies. Bane shows himself to be as brilliant and dangerous as ever, even subjugating the goblin pantheon to him, stopping at nothing to dominate all other powers before him.
** Jarlaxle Baenre, third son of Yvonnel Baenre, survived his birth and sacrifice against all odds, growing into a talented mercenary leader who thrives off the chaos of Menzoberranzan. Constantly hiring out his forces, the Bregan D'Aerthe while [[PlayingBothSides playing multiple sides]] in any conflict, Jarlaxle later goes to the surface, manages to win over nearly everyone he comes across and even uses an attempted coup from his underlings as a way to buy himself a vacation, eliminating the worst traitors and leaving the one Drow he can trust in charge of the group before manipulating powerful kingdoms, ancient dragons and monsters into doing what benefits him most. Jarlaxle is so successful and talented at his games that there are those who wonder if he is actually blessed by the normally virulently misandrist Lolth as a chosen of chaos.
** Gromph Baenre is {{the archmage}} of Menzoberranzan and a genius manipulator who is the undisputed master of the city's wizards. Keeping control through his own power and constantly playing his rivals against one another, Gromph showcases his penchant for manipulation by being one of the powers behind his sister Triel's throne and when the Priestesses of Lolth lose their power with the Goddess's absence, Gromph takes it upon himself to guide the city in the meantime. After being defeated by the evil lich Dyyr, Gromph is captured by a mind flayer and shows he prepared for a possibility with an impressive MemoryGambit that even programmed his own reactions to achieve it. He then attempts to eliminate one of the architects of the invasion of his city by fusing his hand to a crystal that burns like the sun when the other drow slips into the plane of shadow, trapping him there. Mixing an [[NobleDemon odd nobility with a ruthless ambition]], Gromph repeatedly demonstrates just why he is one of the oldest and most powerful Drow alive.
** Mask is the god of thieves and shadows. A master of intrigue and scheming, Mask orchestrated the death of the god Bhaal during the time of Troubles with himself as the weapon in his guise as the sword godsbane. Working to undermine the mad god Cyric, Mask helped to arrange Cyric's defeat and later works to defeat his mother Shar, the goddess of nothingness and darkness. Mask helps to foil her plots to reduce all to nothingness while leaving his essence behind in anticipation for when Shar absorbs him, even sending his Chosen Erevis Cale's son into the future with a plan to bring about his own revival in the end.
** Vhaeraun, the Masked Lord, is one of the Dark Seldarine, the Drow pantheon. Wanting to conquer the surface and defeat his mother Lolth, Vhaeraun appeals to many male drow with his focus on gender equality, as opposed to his mother's fierce misandry. An exceptional schemer, Vhaeraun nearly destroyed Lolth during the Silence and upon her rebirth formed a plan to assassinate his chaotic good twin sister Eilistraee, gain her followers and destroy Lolth. Stopped by the goddess Mystra, Vhaeraun later returned and formed a peace with his sister, the two working together against their mother with Vhaeraun organizing his clergy into doing good deeds and appearing respectable, all to work to their true goals of domination and freedom for the drow, no matter the cost.

* ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds'': August Tiberius Roman is the game’s ComicBook/LexLuthor analogue, and the archenemy of the late Centurion, the setting’s greatest and most powerful superhero. Starting out as Freedom City’s most feared mafia don, Roman bought a pardon from the US government in 1943, and went onto frustrate the Centurion and the Freedom League for decades to come, first as the secret financial backer of the Crime League, and then as the city’s “Emperor of Crime.” By the 1950s and 60s, Roman controlled almost every mafioso, gangster, and street criminal in Freedom City, and was receiving a cut of near every crime committed in town, with only truly depraved organizations like Alister Usher’s falling outside his purview. This culminated in his outright buying Mayor Franklin Pierce in the 90s, and running the city in everything but name. When Pierce was brought down, he tried to take Roman with him, but the mafioso simply divested his underworld holdings and survived, broke, but free. Now retired, Roman has outlived all his allies and most of his enemies, including the Centurion, and supports himself in his old age by running the Circuit-Maximus, an illegal underground fight club featuring superhumans. [[KarmaHoudini No longer an active participant in most of the city’s criminal life, the elderly Roman is still a figure to be feared, and one that no hero or villain in their right mind aims to cross.]]

** Asmodeus, the Lord of the Nine Hells, is the WickedCultured, AffablyEvil, handsome and brilliant [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils Archdevil]] who, ever since his fall from heaven, has been running a grand chess game that few can even begin to understand. Asmodeus knows every plot against him by the other archdevils and delights in thwarting or subverting them to his own benefit while making his own plots that can take centuries or even millennia to come to fruition in ways that benefit him. At one point, Asmodeus was even deposed from his throne in Nessus, only to later reveal it was simply a ruse to root out potential traitors. Since becoming a god, Asmodeus has only increased his power and effectiveness with some fearing he is perhaps the greatest threat to all the forces of good in existence.

** Gromph Baenre is the archmage of Menzoberranzan and a genius manipulator who is the undisputed master of the city's wizards. Keeping control through his own power and constantly playing his rivals against one another, Gromph showcases his penchant for manipulation by being one of the powers behind his sister Triel's throne and when the Priestesses of Lolth lose their power with the Goddess's absence, Gromph takes it upon himself to guide the city in the meantime. After being defeated by the evil lich Dyyr, Gromph is captured by a mind flayer and shows he prepared for a possibility with an impressive MemoryGambit that even programmed his own reactions to achieve it. He then attempts to eliminate one of the architects of the invasion of his city by fusing his hand to a crystal that burns like the sun when the other drow slips into the plane of shadow, trapping him there. Mixing an [[NobleDemon odd nobility with a ruthless ambition]], Gromph repeatedly demonstrates just why he is one of the oldest and most powerful Drow alive.

** ''Hunter's Blades'': King Obould Many Arrows is a brutal orc chieftain who unites the fractured orc clans into a single, unified army and unleashes them upon the north and Silverymoon. In a series of brilliant campaigns, Obould carves out the Kingdom of Dark Arrows, becoming the personal chosen of the orc god Gruumsh in the process. Obould also completely subverts a group of Drow who think they can use him, killing their priestess at the end after she attempts to murder him. Later even assisting the heroes against another army loyal to Gruumsh's old ways, Obould then sues for peace from a position of strength, knowing it will be too costly to dislodge his people from their new home. Peacefully dying later in his sleep and being made an exarch by his god, Obould is without doubt the most successful and ingenious arc to set foot on Faerun and remains one of Drizzt Do'Urden's most deadly foes.
** ''War of the Spider Queen'':

** Sarah [=McEvedy=] served under Aleksander Kerensky in the Star League Defense Force and followed his son Nicholas on the Second Exodus, where she was appointed Khan of Clan Wolverine. Sarah and her Wolverines remained {{Combat Pragmatist}}s compared to Nicholas' HonorBeforeReason, fielding new 'Mech and weapon designs, and allowing "migration" among her lower castes. Finally, realizing Nicholas was fully willing to sacrifice her Clan on the altar of his new society, she enacted a plan to evacuate as many of them as she could, though she'd leave behind many who weren't sufficiently loyal or just chose to stay. Apparently killed in the bombing of Great Hope, Franklin Hallis enacted her plan to jump Clan Wolverine out of Clan space, but ''not'' immediately back to the Inner Sphere. Rather, the Wolverines would wait until after Nicholas had formed a fleet to hunt them down, traveling the Exodus Road ''behind'' their pursuers. Sarah lived at least long enough to be interrogated on Nicholas' flagship, though she didn't give him all the information he wanted. And she may have been marooned by Nicholas on Barbados after the Annihilation of Clan Wolverine was complete, as there is a hint of her survival when Wolverine stragglers reached the planet.
** Hanse Davion started the Fourth Succession War at his wedding reception by offering his bride the Capellan Confederation as a wedding present, and delivered on half that with a blitzkrieg attack and having [[TheMole moles]] as two of the top three men in the Maskirovka. Hanse bartered the life of Joshua Marik, son of Free Worlds League leader Thomas Marik, offering to have Joshua transported to the New Avalon Institute of Science to treat his leukemia in exchange for the League producing badly-needed upgrade kits for forces fighting the Clans. Hanse also made a non-aggression pact with Theodore Kurita, promising not to send his troops into Combine space while the Clans remained a threat, and when Luthien itself came under attack, sent the Kell Hounds and Wolf's Dragoons mercenary units not to attack Luthien, but to defend it. [[ExactWords Because he promised he wouldn't send his troops]].
** Ulric Kerensky. As a staunch Warden forced to participate in the Clan invasion of the Inner Sphere, he used his tactical, strategic, logistical, and political acumen to have his Wolves advance farther and faster than anyone else. Either Clan Wolf would win the race to Terra and become the [=ilClan=], or the other Clans would overextend themselves and be open to defeat by Inner Sphere forces. After the death of [=ilKhan=] Leo Showers, the only way the Crusaders, even the ones within Clan Wolf, could deal with Ulric was by [[KickedUpstairs kicking him upstairs]] as the new [=ilKhan=], and Ulric even turned that to his favor. He "accidentally" let slip to [=ComStar=] that Terra was the invasion's ultimate goal, then negotiated the proxy Battle of Tukayyid, walking out with the only Clan victory while [=ComStar=] [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] everyone else. Ulric promoted Inner Sphere freeborn Phelan Kell and 80-year-old Natasha Kerensky to Khans of Clan Wolf, showing the Clans their SuperBreedingProgram wasn't as super as they thought. Finally stripped of his position as [=ilKhan=], he laughed his way out of the Council and pitted the Crusaders of his own Clan against those of Jade Falcon, weakening both to the point the Clans made no further attempts to break the truce until the Great Refusal, by which point it was too late. And he sent the Wardens of his Clan into the Inner Sphere as Clan Wolf-in-Exile, under orders (penned while he was still [=ilKhan=], making it perfectly legal) to prepare to defend against a renewed Clan Invasion.
** Sun-Tzu Liao uses ObfuscatingInsanity to survive his mother Romano's court, and and to make his opponents underestimate him. When he takes the Celestial Throne of the Capellan Confederation, he immediately begins leveraging any advantage he can find, create, or invent. His thought that it would basically be a really cool prank to make it appear Victor Davion had replaced Thomas Marik's son Joshua with a BodyDouble led to the discovery that he had done exactly that, which led to all-out war in the Sarna March, the sundering of the Federated Commonwealth, and [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Katrina Steiner-Davion]] ruling the Lyran half unopposed for nearly a decade. Sun-Tzu may have had many of his opportunities handed to him by those seeking to manipulate him (or use him to manipulate others) but the fact he was able to capitalize on all of them, and restore territory (including the breakaway St. Ives Compact), power, and pride to people Hanse Davion had all but ground under heel a generation before makes him one of the most famous and beloved Chancellors of the Capellan Confederation in history.

** Nicholas Kerensky reordered the loyal warriors who followed him on the Second Exodus into the Clans, based on his vision (and we're talking actual quasi-mystical vision here) of a perfect warrior society with FantasticCasteSystem and animal totems. After quelling the Pentagon Civil War with his Clans, Nicholas started imposing his vision of society. When jealousy and greed took root in other Clans, aimed at Clan Wolverine, Nicholas allowed himself to be "manipulated" into doing things he wanted to do anyway, and let events unfold until the entirety of the Clans were arrayed against the Wolverines. The only thing he didn't see coming was Widowmader Khan Jason Karrige nuking the Wolverine city of Great Hope in a FalseFlagOperation, and Nicholas' retaliation ended up nuking the Clan Snow Raven capitol of Dehra Dun by accident. Finishing off the bulk of the Wolverines on Barbados, Nicholas [[WrittenByTheWinners rewrote Clan history to make the Wolverines into monsters, their destruction justified, their existence a cautionary tale]]: this is what happens if you stray from the Way of the Clans. [[PetTheDog But he did give Wolverine Khan Franklin Hallis the privilege of executing Jason Karrige for his role in the conflict]] before having Hallis' 'Mech shot InTheBack, and [[DueToTheDead erected tombstones on Barbados for Khan Franklin Hallis and Khan Sarah [=McEvedy=].]]