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1Here is a list of tropes sorted under Emperor Golden Scepter.\
2
3To return to the Church of the Stars' page, click [[Characters/CodexEquusChurchOfTheStars here]].\
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5To return to the Terran Empire's page, click [[Characters/CodexEquusTerranEmpire here]].\
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7To return to the Imperium of Ponykind's page, click [[Characters/CodexEquusImperiumOfPonykind here]].\
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9To return to the Alicorn Civilization's page, click [[Characters/CodexEquusAlicornCivilization here]].\
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11To return to the main character index, click [[Characters/CodexEquus here]].
12----
13!Golden Scepter, the Radiant Emperor
14!!!'''Classification:''' Ethereal/Ascendant
15!!!'''Portfolio:''' Ponykind, Judgement, Leadership, Psionics
16!!!'''Rank:''' Antecedent
17
18-> ''"No land shall be beyond my reach. No Pony shall be beyond my protection!"''
19\
20Golden Scepter (his entry [[https://www.deviantart.com/brutalityinc/art/Codex-Equestria-Deities-and-Divines-Part-15-798606516 here]]) is the Alicorn god of Ponykind, Judgement, Leadership, and Psionics, and currently the ruler of the Terran Empire.\
21
22A living relic of Equus' long history, Golden Scepter was born in the Alicorn Civilization, a divine utopian society that once contained a vast network of empires, kingdoms, and realms that were all ruled by powerful and benevolent Alicorns. Based on what he was willing to reveal about his past life, he was once the supreme ruler and judge of an empire that was among the most successful, being magically and technologically advanced even by the Alicorns' standards. Of all the various mortal races he ruled over, Golden Scepter was very fond of Ponykind, whose members he saw as his "children", and sought to lead them all to greatness.\
23
24However, the Alicorn Civilization would gradually become stagnant and corrupt, at which point the Fallen Alicorn god, Morning Star, kickstarted the "Twilight of the Alicorns" conflict by attempting to subject both Equus and the surrounding universe to his own twisted ideas of perfection. For ten Ages, Golden Scepter fought Morning Star's faction, while protecting and hiding away those caught up in the civil wars. By the time Morning Star was finally killed by his own clone/son, Luminiferous, the Alicorn Civilization was destroyed, its population reduced to just a handful of survivors. However, thanks to Golden Scepter's efforts, the Alicorns were saved from complete extinction. The survivors would retreat into complete seclusion in order to rebuild their society and replenish their numbers.\
25
26Golden Scepter opted to remain behind so he could find other survivors and help them rebuild. His adventures eventually led to the birth of the Imperium of Ponykind, a powerful and militaristic empire that was rumored to have nearly covered all of Equus, or reached out to the stars. Unfortunately, his trauma, combined with years of loneliness and other untreated psychological issues, would catch up to him and bring out his worst flaws, severely impeding his judgement. After a slew of terrible mistakes, some of Golden Scepter's subordinates, led by General Aurum Lupus, began seeing him as a tyrant and tried overthrowing him. The ensuing war, called the "Aurum Apostasy", and despite killing Aurum Lupus for treason, Golden Scepter was badly wounded and sealed away. In his absence, the Imperium of Ponykind became little more than a wretched hive of paranoia and fanaticism until it was destroyed.\
27
28Found and revived years later by Luminiferous and Queen Dazzleglow, Golden Scepter woke up in the Second Age, and was initially frightened, distrustful, and hostile. Luminiferous bore the brunt of it, as he physically resembled Morning Star exactly. However, once shown the ruins of his fallen Imperium, Golden Scepter remembered what he did, and realized he became no better than Morning Star, or the Alicorns who let their complacency and arrogance blind them. Ironically, it was Luminiferous who brought him out of his despair by encouraging him to atone for his sins, so he can earn forgiveness and break free from the vicious cycle of repeating his people's mistakes. Golden Scepter did just that by traveling the world for three Ages, learning from the examples set by both mortals and divines... until the Fourth Age began, where he finally settled down. By the time he reunited with Luminiferous and Dazzleglow, he had founded the Terran Empire and sired nineteen demi-divine sons with a mortal pegasus mare, Blessed Skies.\
29
30Personality-wise, as the Alicorn god of Ponykind, Golden Scepter embodies his chosen race's best and worst traits, and constantly straddles the line between both. On one hand, he is benevolent, merciful, and courageous, and often fatherly towards his loved ones. As a divine "prodigy", he is very intelligent and talented, to where others could only make crude replicas of his creations. On the other hand, he is capable of arrogance, ruthlessness, hypocrisy, and extremism, among other things. The "Twilight of the Alicorns" conflict left Golden Scepter a psychologically broken stallion, with no one to help or sympathize with him on an equal level at the time, and his issues went untreated for years and even nearly brought about his death during the Imperium era. In addition, Golden Scepter used to be stoic and emotionally aloof, since it was considered the norm for Alicorn rulers in their heyday. He has since realized that this mindset encouraged toxic attitudes among his people, and partially factored into their downfall.\
31
32Lastly, he can hold grudges for eons -- he initially distrusted Luminiferous a great deal due to his physical resemblance to Morning Star, his ancient enemy. He also harbors a strong dislike of Synthetic Automatons, which stemmed from witnessing a prosperous civilization being destroyed by their own rebellious robotic creations. It was only thanks to the influence of Luminiferous and Dazzleglow that Golden Scepter was prevented from breaking completely, though he wouldn't receive proper psychiatric treatment until the Fourth Age, when the Bogolenya Deer goddess of Mental Healing, Mentálne, was born.\
33
34After spending three Ages in atonement, Golden Scepter became much kinder, more humble, and more tolerant. This resulted in him becoming a legendary and highly beloved ruler after founding the Terran Empire, which is thriving to this day. His positive experiences influenced how he treated his family -- his relationships with his nineteen sons bear mention, as each of them were born with wildly different personalities and raging flaws that took extraordinary amounts of effort to overcome. Despite this, Golden Scepter loved and raised his sons well, leading to them becoming Alicorn demigods and legendary heroes in their own right. Golden Scepter is also known for his friendship with the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon, especially its leaders, Belyolen and Temnobog; after learning of the twins' history with the haughty and puristic Elternteil Deer Pantheon, Golden Scepter went out of his way to help them, despite the opposition he might face in befriending the "evil" Temnobog. It is believed that Golden Scepter represents the god Belyolen and Temnobog were supposed to be, which is partially why they're both fond of him.\
35
36The things Golden Scepter had accomplished since his reemergence had (supposedly) earned the attention of Amareros' firstborn son, Canteros, who visited the Terran Empire one night to congratulate him on breaking free from the Alicorns' mistakes and redeeming himself for his own sins, instead of just going into seclusion as his people had done.\
37
38Having lived before Known History, Golden Scepter is very powerful compared to many of the deities that populate Equus. As the god of Psionics, he bears psychic abilities like telepathy, psionic telekinesis, and empathy, and is a strong clairvoyant with far-reaching precognition and retrocognition, with rumors that even the mightiest Alicorns couldn't match his potent mind even in their heyday. He is a skilled fire mage who uses holy fire to purify demonic influences, accelerate physical healing through heat, and burn away impurities, an ability that his thirteenth son, Prince Written Word, inherited to some degree. And as the god of Leadership and Judgement, he can magically empower his followers with words, and use his psychic powers to deliver firm yet fair judgments. His judgments are often treated as the "Final Word" by his people. What helps is his status as a "prodigy" deity, making Golden Scepter grow physically and magically at an abnormal rate compared to normal divines.\
39
40In addition, Golden Scepter is a peerless warrior who is capable of using any weapon, but prefers swords and has a personal one called "Fireslayer". He wears in battle a pristine, divinely-made suit of magical power armor made of pure gold, which gives him enhanced strength, speed, and endurance and turns him into an unstoppable juggernaut. Notably, Crazy Ant, an Autumn Changeling from Machina, had an epic "geek-out" upon seeing Golden Scepter's power armor with his own eyes.\
41
42A peerless and celebrated ruler, Golden Scepter embodies the balance of Good and Evil within all sapientkind, and the long road taken to achieve redemption and self-improvement.
43----
44[[foldercontrol]]
45
46[[folder:# - B]]
47* AbsoluteXenophobe:
48** A large reason why he became xenophobic during the Imperium era is because he discovered there are ''[[EldritchAbomination things]]'' in the galaxy that want nothing more than to ravage Equus and destroy mortal/divine sapientkind. One example has the Silim, an incorrigibly hostile alien species that laid low an entire kingdom it infiltrated through its barren Queen, and required the total annihilation of the kingdom itself by a group of brave Ponies just to end its rampage. By his own admission, he was prepared to [[https://www.deviantart.com/brutalityinc/art/Codex-Equestria-Heroes-and-Villains-30-846620456 nuke the entire area to end the Silim with ancient Imperium-era weapons that he kept preserved]], though luckily Sir Grand Defender and his knights would succeed in doing it instead.
49--->'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' Threats like these were partly the reason why my past self became so xenophobic. It was never just because I believed in the superiority of Ponykind, although it was substantial by itself. There are '''''things''''' out there that legitimately justifies such extreme responses, though fortunately there are also those out there who have the means and will to fight them.
50** However, it's deconstructed. In his efforts to protect mortal Ponykind, he became quick to write off many non-Equine species as evil and beyond redemption, which later evolved into his belief in [[MasterRace Ponykind's superiority]]. It also helped entrench the Law of Despair, which made the universe an extremely miserable place where problems can only be solved with hardline, extreme solutions that result in innocents being killed for the 'greater good'. As a result, [[HeWhoFightsMonsters both he and his Imperium became huge threats that had to be stopped]]. Following the fall of the Imperium, his adoptive daughter, Majesty, did the impossible by befriending those same races he would've exterminated without a thought, and created the Galaxy Forge together with them to ensure the ''universe itself'' got a [[EarnYourHappyEnding happy ending]], something he never thought to consider. By present day, he feels [[MyGreatestFailure deeply ashamed of his xenophobia]], which is why he became a bitter enemy of racial/tribal supremacists.
51* TheAce: He's a 'prodigy deity' with incredbly strong PsychicPowers, and his creations were so complex that succeeding civilizations and societies could only make crude replicas of them. His empires were extremely advanced even by the standards of other Alicorns in their heyday, and was also the first of his triplet brothers to succeed in creating a sapient Pony race. A [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/861846716/4889704561 Codexverse drabble]] reveals he likely got it from his father, who is one of the [[TheOlderImmortal Thirteen Empyreans]]. It's [[BrokenAce deconstructed]] as fighting [[SatanicArchetype Morning Star]] for ''[[ForeverWar ten Ages]]'', along with other traumatizing events, gave him a lot of untreated psychological issues that led to the next empire he founded crumble from his mistakes and him being sealed away by his own subjects. By the time he reemerged in the Second Age, he was an extremely broken stallion. Then it's reconstructed when Luminiferous and Dazzleglow's positive influence kicked off a long, gradual process emotional/mental recovery that would turn Golden Scepter into a truly benevolent ruler as he [[TheAtoner atoned]] for his crimes.
52* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: The [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Emperor of Mankind]]'s well-meaning yet xenophobic, cruel, and ruthlessly pragmatic behavior is explained here as the result of fighting Morning Star and his forces of Fallen Alicorns for ''ten Ages''. Fighting for that long, combined with [[GoMadFromTheIsolation prolonged isolation]] and [[ThereAreNoTherapists no proper psychological treatment]], would turn Golden Scepter into an extremely ShellShockedVeteran, resulting in a slew of mistakes that got him wounded during a coup against him and sealed away in the Imperium era. Fortunately, Luminiferous and Dazzleglow would find and revive him from magical stasis in the Second Age, and help him walk down the path of benevolence again.
53* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In canon, the Emperor of Mankind's backstory is mostly a mystery, with his backstory of [[MergerOfSouls being the collective reincarnation of multiple human shamans]] being quietly retconned, and the only bit from his childhood involving his father being murdered by an EvilUncle. Here, he's a son of one of the Thirteen Empyreans, ''the'' first Alicorns that King Equus ever created, the second-born of male fraternal triplets, and a war veteran from the 'Twilight of the Alicorns'. He founded and ruled the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Imperium of Ponykind]] sometime after the Alicorn Civilization's fall, but being a ShellShockedVeteran brought out his worst flaws and influenced him to make a slew of mistakes that got him wounded and sealed away, while his Imperium collapsed and was destroyed by benevolent factions. Peachy/Queen Rhodonite Mirror's entry reveals that he's also the creator of the mortal Earthpony tribe, with Peachy being the first Earthpony mare to be born.
54* AdaptationalBadass: DependingOnTheWriter, the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Emperor of Mankind]] is a HumanoidAbomination bordering on EldritchAbomination, though it's implied in canon that he's actually a rather normal-looking human (albeit one with ''enormous'' psychic powers) hiding behind a glamour. Here as Golden Scepter, he's an ancient, bonafide god of Ponykind, Judgement, Leadership, and Psionics, is a '[[TheAce prodigy]]' whose creations are so advanced they can only be crudely replicated, and [[TimeAbyss has lived far longer than even most divines]] on Equus.
55* AdaptationalHeroism: [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 The Emperor of Mankind]] was a brutal, xenophobic WellIntentionedExtremist who was ultimately damned by the horrible things he did for humanity's sake, and his borderline abusive treatment of the Primarchs. Golden Scepter behaved similarly during the Imperium era until he was betrayed and wounded by one of his own Golden Generals during a coup, and had to be put in magical healing stasis. After he was found and awoken by Luminiferous and Dazzleglow in the Second Age, he would become TheAtoner, wandering all over Equus to learn from the examples set by both mortals and divines. The result is a genuinely benevolent, if still flawed Emperor who settled down in the Fourth Age and founded the much smaller yet thriving Terran Empire, and became a loving father, husband, and grandfather.
56* AdaptationalNiceGuy: The [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Emperor of Mankind]] was a very intelligent and well-meaning man, but was also a hypocritical {{Jerkass}} who was a borderline abusive parent who more or less treated most of his Primarch sons like tools. Here, Golden Scepter is a ''huge'' improvement compared to his character inspiration, as he became a genuinely nice and highly beloved ruler after [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realizing his mistakes]] and becoming TheAtoner, which gradually allowed him to [[TookALevelInKindness become much kinder]]. Because of this, all of his nineteen sons, who are based on the Primarchs themselves, have also become much kinder and heroic.
57* AdaptationPersonalityChange: The Emperor of Mankind was a well-meaning, yet ruthless, genocidal, and hypocritical man who was also a borderline-abusive father to his Primarchs, who are by all intents and purposes his sons. Here, Golden Scepter is a kind, merciful, and tolerant ruler who is ThePatriarch of an extremely large family, biological or otherwise. His behavior during the Imperium Era was explained to be [[ShellShockedVeteran the result of leaving PTSD and other issues from fighting a war for ten Ages go untreated]].
58* AdaptationalSexuality: [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 The Emperor of Mankind]] was a TrulySingleParent who created the Primarchs by himself using advanced science. Here, he's bisexual with a [[ReallyGetsAround long history]] of romancing both deities and mortals of all genders, but later chooses to settle down with a mortal Pegasus mare in the Fourth Age out of guilt for his past actions. Sometime after the Alicorn Civilization remnants made official contact with the outside world, he chooses to enter a polyamorous relationship with Prince Stella Fictor Cahaya and Midday Messenger, with the latter's approval.
59* AllYourPowersCombined: As an Alicorn god, he has the combined magic of the three Pony tribes. His entry notes that he tends to use Earth pony magic to make his strikes more devastating and allow him to [[NoSell shrug off]] most attacks that would kill even lesser deities.
60* AngerBornOfWorry: After taking a beaten-up Crimson Star to the royal infirmary to heal wounds inflicted by Fanged Paw and his brothers, he angrily called out his eighth son for [[DeathEqualsRedemption willingly forsaking his own life to atone for his arrogant behavior]]. This shows how he was incredibly worried and terrified out of his mind from nearly losing one of his beloved sons.
61--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ''(to Prince Crimson Star)'' I do not care if I have a thousand sons, or twenty or five, [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre you are STILL no less deserving of MY love and praise, Crimson Star, for you and your brothers are of my own flesh and blood]]. And I will NOT stand by and watch while you torture yourself excessively for the sake of atonement. Even if you HAVE acted like an arrogant and reckless hooligan as of late, there are better ways to redeem yourself and make amends with those you have wronged. Forsaking your potential, your future, and even your own life by turning yourself into a scapegoat for our little ponies to blame is NOT one of them.
62* AnimalisticAbomination: He's a divine Eohippus/Pony hybrid due to being a son of one of the [[TheOldGods Thirteen Empyreans]], and because deities in the Codexverse get StrongerWithAge, his true form is an ancient Alicorn with Eohippus traits (which his sons would inherit to a lesser degree), six wings made of [[PlayingWithFire holy fire]], and a mane and tail made of black spatial energy, displaying scenes of stars and yellow giants, and a HolyHalo. [[EldritchAbomination Dr. Endless Dreams]] has once described his true form as "a star in living space". However, he is a benevolent example, as he is a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, a loving husband and father, and a LivingLegend. He usually appears as a normal-looking Alicorn or, in certain situations, an Earthpony stallion named 'Revelation' to be closer to mortals. [[spoiler:A canonized Codexverse drabble reveals that at some point, he started to grow his fourth set of wings, something that Queen Mzazi noticed during a friendly visit]].
63* AnthropomorphicPersonification: He's an Alicorn god who embodies Ponykind, Psionics, Leadership, and Judgement. His divine domain of Ponykind is given prominent focus in his entry, since it served as a huge influence on his morality and behavior, as well as his friendships with Belyolen and Temnobog.
64* ArchEnemy:
65** Golden Scepter saw Morning Star as this, due to the Fallen Alicorn's betrayal and the massive destruction and death he caused in trying to achieve his twisted ideas of "perfection". It's deconstructed in that the traumas he suffered from fighting Morning Star for ten Ages affected Golden Scepter so much that he started having nightmares and hallucinations about Morning Star long after the latter's death. His hatred of Morning Star is also why he initially hated Luminiferous, due to looking exactly like his 'father'/clone-sire despite not doing anything evil. However, a combination of [[TheAtoner atonement]], therapy sessions with Mentálne, and learning how GoodNeedsEvil from the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon helped him let go of his grudge and ironically become one of Luminiferous's best friends.
66** His entry notes that in the Fourth Age, he became a very bitter enemy of supremacist groups such as the Autorists and various Tribalist factions like the Scions of Hurricane, [[MyGreatestFailure as they display the same hateful bigotry that he once had towards everyone not of Ponykind]]. However, despite this, he is also [[SaveTheVillain willing to save those who joined said groups]] because they were genuinely misled. In his eyes, for every person who willingly gave in to evil, hatred, and cruelty, [[PunchClockVillain there's always a few more who can be saved and redeemed]]. One good example of this would be the Terran Griffon chef Gilded Stove, who was convinced to [[HeelFaceTurn betray his Autorist backers]] via having a heart-to-heart with him in prison.
67** In a roundabout way, he would be seen as one by Exosus, a maddened Alicorn King and war criminal who held a very ''hateful'' grudge towards him for reasons unknown. However, Golden Scepter wouldn't return the sentiment as Morning Star warranted more focus at the time. When they ''do'' fight in the present day, Golden Scepter was influenced to let go of his hatred for him when one of his sons, Steel Barricade, turned out to have developed "[[TheEmpath technological empathy]]" and revealed that many of Exosus's MechaMooks had been forced to turn against organic sapientkind to justify his own hatred.
68* ArmorPiercingQuestion:
69** In a canonized Codexverse drabble, he has a conversation with Belyolen about the latter's disagreements with his father, High King Irminsul, over what a "perfect" ruler should be. The entire time, Belyolen continuously talks about his father in a delicate manner, both out of fear that Irminsul might be listening in, and out of reluctance to insult Irminsul even out of earshot. However, Golden Scepter senses what Belyolen really wanted to say thanks to his PsychicPowers, and asks a question that leaves the radiant stag very unnerved.
70---> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ''(to Belyolen)'' [[VicariouslyAmbitious ...Do you think that your father is trying to live through you?]]
71** He also gives one to his ninth son, Prince Bright Eyes. After Bright Eyes tries rejecting the infant Hopeful Moon as his son, Golden Scepter tells him a story about High King Irminsul and his [[AbusiveParents abusive relationship]] with [[GodOfEvil Temnobog]], and asks Bright Eyes if he wants to be like Irminsul, damning an innocent child for the sake of his own happiness. This causes Bright Eyes to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realize his mistake]], and after spending some time with Hopeful Moon, he vows to be the loving parent for Hopeful that Irminsul wasn't for Temnobog.
72** [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/948485378/5055815641 In conversation with the Hierarchs of the Alicorn Civilization]], they condemn Majesty destroying the Law of Despair, rendering a great deal of their technology and magic useless in the process. Golden Scepter rebukes them in return, pointing out just ''how'' terrible the galaxy had become to give Majesty no choice but to do what she did. He ends his TheReasonYouSuckSpeech with a question that leaves them in StunnedSilence with no retort:
73---> '''Alicorn Hierarch:''' We - we would've found a way!\
74'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ...If you could have, why didn't you? Why did you [[BystanderSyndrome lock yourselves away in your sanctuaries while Hell descended on the entire galaxy?]]"\
75'''Alicorn Hierarch:''' "..."\
76'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' Tell me, how would the what was left of the Alicorn Civilization have dealt with ONE of those horrific nightmares and hellish monsters?!\
77'''Alicorn Hierarch:''' I... I... I don't know...\
78'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' Then how can you blame Majesty for doing what you and I could not by dealing with them ALL?
79* AssassinOutclassin:
80** One of Golden Scepter's chefs, a young Terran Griffon named Gilded Stove, tried killing him with [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned spaghetti]]. It fails on both levels: not only does he see right through it, but as a '[[ResurrectiveImmortality Perpetual]]', he would've survived anyway. He is so disappointed by the lack of effort and creativity put into the assassination attempt that he [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/798606516/4802953357 lectures Gilded Stove for it]], and snidely suggests to Gilded Stove that he [[MortonsFork tuition under his nineteen demi-divine sons in order to do a better job]]. Gilded Stove decides to turn himself in to the authorities instead.
81---> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ...Seriously? THIS is what you are trying to kill me with? I have endured thousands, if not MILLIONS of assassination attempts in my lifetime, and most of them would rightly be seen as 'impossible' if I were to retell them. And the most creative method you can think of is... is... lacing my spaghetti with ACID? I am disappointed in you, Gilded Stove. VERY disappointed. If you want to kill me, then DO IT RIGHT. In fact, perhaps you can seek an apprenticeship in chemistry under my twelfth son, Death Shroud...\
82'''Prince Death Shroud:''' Father, NO.\
83'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ...Or psionic sorcery under Crimson Star...\
84'''Prince Crimson Star:''' Father, you can't be serious!\
85'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ...Or physical combat under Red Blade...\
86'''Prince Red Blade:''' You actually WANT me to train your would-be killer, Father?\
87'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ...Or psychological warfare under Fanged Paw and Night Shade-\
88'''Prince Fanged Paw:''' FATHER, STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS!\
89'''Prince Night Shade:''' CEASE AND DESIST!\
90'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ...Well, you get the picture. There is a lot of choices for you to make, but do keep in mind that should you ever decide to become a student of any of my sons, I cannot guarantee your physical and mental safety. My sons ARE leaders of their own legions, after all... So what will it be, Gilded Stove? Do you want to learn? Or do you want to make your life easier by doing the right thing instead?
91** Later, he would be mailed a magical plague bomb by a Griffon Autorist who took offense at his opposition of the Autorist movement, but thankfully his twelfth son, Prince Death Shroud was able to contain it. He noted rather nonchalantly that the plague bomb "smells slightly better than the poison one of my chefs tried lacing my spaghetti with a few weeks ago".
92** He would prevent a group of Clovenist assassins from killing his ninth son, Prince Bright Eyes, and was rather furious that they would dare do it in his own home. The Cloven Empire deciding to deny all connections to the assassins to [[KarmaHoudini avoid retaliation]] caused diplomatic relations with the Terran Empire to deteriorate even further.
93* AttackAnimal: What does Golden Scepter, the Radiant Emperor have for a pet? Why, if the [[https://www.deviantart.com/brutalityinc/art/Flag-of-the-Terran-Empire-Codexverse-883051458 lore]] around the Terran Empire flag is to be believed, nothing short of a ''[[{{Kaiju}} gigantic]]'' mutant [[MultipleHeadCase two-headed]] golden-feathered Terran {{Thunderbird}} that can whip up devastating thunderstorms and once claimed large parts of the Terran Empire's territory as its hunting grounds before Golden Scepter [[DefeatMeansFriendship defeated and then befriended it]].
94* TheAtoner: He did many "dishonest" things before and after the "Twilight of the Alicorns", such as [[ReallyGetsAround sleeping with both male and female mortals/divines]]. And despite his best efforts, his PTSD and other untreated issues led to a slew of terrible mistakes during his reign over the Imperium of Ponykind. After the "[[CivilWar Aurum Apostasy]]" got him sealed away and he woke up in the Second Age, he realized how horrific his actions were, especially after Luminiferous showed him the ruins of the fallen Imperium, and traveled all over Equus for three Ages.
95** He restored the similarly ancient King Ibrida after finding him in stasis, and apologized for the Imperium's actions towards the Halfblood Empire, accepting full responsibility despite not being the one who actually ordered the attacks. He also protected and hid away innocent people [[spoiler:from the Void Sovereign and his allies]] during the "Void Aeon" event, which proved instrumental in helping Equus rebuild once the Third Age started. As he later revealed to Princess Twilight/Amicitia Sparkle, [[spoiler:he threw away his Alicorn name, Auriolus Scaeptrum, because he is disgusted with what he did under that name and sees it as a symbol of everything wrong with the Alicorn Civilization. He has since re-adopted his birth name, ''Golden Scepter'', to return to his "roots" and distance himself from his people]]. By the time the Fourth Age started, he has founded the much smaller Terran Empire, and his experiences influenced him to become a loving father and a truly benevolent ruler.
96** His raising of the Terran Princes can be seen as part of his atonement. In the Imperium era, he treated his Golden Generals as nothing more than tools, and brutally humiliated one of them, General Faithful Belief, for encouraging public worship of him. This later led to the birth of the Aurum Apostasy, where half of his Golden Generals betrayed him. In the Fourth Age, [[spoiler:his Golden Generals would be [[{{Reincarnation}} reincarnated]] as his nineteen sons by benevolent forces to give them a second chance]], allowing Golden Scepter to give his sons unconditional love and support [[spoiler:that their past lives did not]]. As a result, the Terran Princes -- especially those who were based on the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 traitor Primarchs]] -- became legendary demigod heroes whose Ascensions were partly thanks to their father, and were never given a reason to betray him.
97** He also reconciled with his descendant/adoptive daughter, Queen Majesty, whom he last saw alive in the Imperium era [[PartingWordsRegret during a nasty argument that led to Majesty turning against him]]. Golden Scepter realized that he had been a horrible parent to her, so when he encountered her spirit in the Enchanted Throne, he apologized to Majesty and stated that [[SoProudOfYou he was proud of her for everything she did in life]]. Majesty forgave him and replied that she was proud of him, too, even finally calling him "father" after being previously forbidden by Golden Scepter from calling him that.
98** He would also invoke this trope by encouraging people who made mistakes to make up for them. When Kúzelník became willing to let [[GodOfEvil Temnobog]] hurt him in retaliation for eons of emotional abuse he inflicted on his younger brother, Golden Scepter broke him out of this self-scapegoating mindset and encouraged him to make amends with his siblings instead of hurting himself. When Rhiannon became rather depressed over her own misdeeds as an Elternteil Deer goddess, Golden Scepter comforted and encouraged her to make amends for her actions, [[KarmicJackpot causing the Coltic Pantheon to develop good relations with the Terran Empire]].
99* BadassBoast:
100** In the "Temptation Unbound" conflict, after shedding his "[[GodInHumanForm default]]" Alicorn form to reveal his ''true'' form as an incredibly ancient, six-winged Alicorn god, he'll go on to confront the Fallen deities and worshipers who tried to destroy his family, and give them ''two'' boasts in short order.
101---> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' '''I HAVE SEEN MANY MORTALS AND DIVINES CLAIM THAT FATE IS THE ULTIMATE DECIDER OF LIFE AND DEATH. AND YET THEY FELL BECAUSE THEY WERE [[TheFatalist TOO ASSURED IN THE INFLEXIBILITY OF A RATHER FLIMSY AND UNPREDICTABLE CONCEPT]], AND TOO LAZY TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. AND THUS, ON THIS DAY FORTH, [[ScrewDestiny I WILL ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE FATE OF MY FAMILY WITH MY OWN HOOVES]], BY ENDING YOUR COLLECTIVE MISERABLE EXISTENCE.'''\
102[...]\
103'''I HAVE LIVED IN A TIME WHERE THE [[PhysicalGod ALICORNS]] HAVE PROSPERED, AND FOUGHT THROUGH TEN PASSED AGES OF WAR. I HAVE CREATED [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 AN EMPIRE OF GOLD]] THAT WOULD HAVE ASCENDED AND REACHED THE STARS, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR MY OWN FLAWS AND INNER CRUELTY. I HAVE AIDED COUNTLESS MORTAL AND DIVINE HEROES IN THEIR QUESTS, HELPED THEM TAP INTO THEIR INNER POTENTIAL, AND PREVENTED THE COMPLETE DESOLATION OF A FLOURISHING PLANET BY HIDING AWAY WHOMEVER I WAS ABLE TO. I HAVE SEEN AND ENDURED MANY CYCLES, AND WITNESSED ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT THIS WORLD HAS TO OFFER. IF YOU NAIVE, MEWLING BABES THINK THAT YOU CAN GO AGAINST SOMEONE WHO HAS LIVED LONGER THAN EVEN THE FORE-BEARERS OF YOUR FOREBEARERS, THEN I WILL SHOW YOU JUST HOW MUCH POWER AND EXPERIENCE I HAVE GAINED OVER COUNTLESS MILLENNIA. I WILL SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT MY LITTLE PONIES AND THEIR FRIENDS THINK OF BEING USED AS PUPPETS TO GRANT THE 'DARKEST WISH' OF A CHILDISH, PETULANT, AND SELFISH MANIAC.'''\
104'''[[PapaWolf I WILL SHOW YOU JUST HOW FAR A FATHER IS WILLING TO GO IN PROTECTING HIS CHILDREN FROM THOSE WHO DARE TO HARM THEM]].'''
105** His entry quote is also one: "No land shall be beyond my reach. [[DeclarationOfProtection No Pony shall be beyond my protection!]]"
106* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil: As the living embodiment of Ponykind, he's essentially this trope since he embodies both Ponykind's good and bad traits. Given how Equus works, this is considered a good thing, as his domain makes him more "human" than a large majority of the Codexverse's gods. It's also because he embodies Ponykind's dual morality that Belyolen and Temnobog respected and even befriended him, as in their eyes, he represents the god and ruler they could have been had their father, Irminsul, not tried to erase the flaws of his then-unborn son. This ends up being discussed between him and his son Written Word, who has a hard time understanding/accepting the idea allowing Evil to exist.
107--> '''Prince Written Word:''' To be honest, Father, I cannot fathom why you associate with Evil deities such as them. Aren't they responsible for sowing Evil in their native lands?\
108'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' Yes... but they are dedicated to using Evil for a higher purpose. In their eyes, Evil is a motivation, a warning -- its presence serves as a reminder why we become Good and must stay Good. If there is nothing to motivate the various heroes and champions on this planet, then they become bored. Stagnant. Convinced that with Evil gone, they have the right of way to do whatever they want. Eventually, they become the very Evil that other heroes must put down. That is what I have learned during my travels across this world, and it has helped me gain a new perspective on things.\
109'''Prince Written Word:''' But you are holy, Father. You embody Ponykind at its absolute best. You rule our mortal subjects with a just and benevolent hoof. Wouldn't it be counterproductive if you learn the ways of Evil?\
110'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' My son... I embody Ponykind at its best AND its worst. I know of the things that Ponykind is capable of, whether on a whim or motivated by external circumstances. And thus, my entire life, my entire BEING, revolves around a balance check. To punish the wicked for their actions and protect the innocent, I must know Evil. But to help my subjects become better and keep myself honest, I must know Good. There can be never one without the other, for the kindest of comforts sometimes must be carried out with the cruelest of methods. I can never favor one over the other, for I'll end up either becoming a passively incompetent puppet for everyone's whims, or being ousted as a divine tyrant if I do. So in order to help my subjects reach and grow into their inner greatness, I must show off the good and terrible aspects of myself, for I embody my subjects' very essence.\
111'''Prince Written Word:''' That sounds... complicated.\
112'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' I know. I had a hard time understanding it myself when I first heard of it. But that is just how the world works. And knowing of the balance of Good and Evil is one of the cornerstones of ruling. That is why the lands where the divine Deer live are so successful. Why this empire is so successful. And why I am friends with individuals such as Luminiferous, and the Dark One and his children. Someday, if you ever decide to go out and make an empire or kingdom of your own, I hope you'll get to see it for yourself.
113* BarrierWarrior: Implied; his entry notes that one of his abilities as the Alicorn god of Psionics is creating very strong psychic barriers.
114* BefriendingTheEnemy:
115** He initially saw Luminiferous, the Alicorn god of Perfection and Potential, as an enemy due to looking exactly like [[SatanicArchetype Morning Star]], whom he clashed with multiple times during the "Twilight of the Alicorns" conflict, even though Luminiferous was never an enemy to begin with. It's after seeing Luminiferous' [[NiceGuy kindness and heroism]] that Golden Scepter [[DefrostingIceQueen warmed up to him]] and started treating Luminiferous as his own person rather than a copy of his Fallen father.
116** Justified with Temnobog. Being the living embodiment of mortal Deerkind's evils and villainy in general, Temnobog is the ''last'' person for someone like Golden Scepter to befriend. However, he still befriended Temnobog anyway, regardless of the latter's Evil nature and what others might think, because [[ChronicHeroSyndrome he can't bear to abandon someone in need of help]] and was disgusted with the Elternteil Deer Pantheon's puristic mistreatment. It's later revealed that Canteros, the god of Requited Love, was responsible for this happening, having "nudged" Golden Scepter and other empathetic individuals like him to Temnobog so the Deer god of Evil can recover from his emotional abuse, and receive a steady stream of support from those who accept him for who he is.
117* BeenThereShapedHistory: Owing to his incredible age, Golden Scepter had a hoof in shaping some historical events as much as he had been a witness to it.
118** To note, during the '[[{{WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales}} Second Age]]', when both he and fellow god-sovereign Queen Mzazi had been active while incognito, they were respectively members or leaders of a few [[AncientConspiracy secret societies and groups]] dedicated to [[BenevolentConspiracy guiding Ponykind to a better future]] from the shadows, working with or backing other figures and factions while clashing with others. To note, he was responsible for teaching Saint Sweetheart, the Loving Peacemaker holy magic and making her a WhiteMage to help the Virtuous Seven battle against [[AncientEvil Queen Dark Crystal]], as well as sending Psychics/Psykers he or his group trained [[spoiler:together with what's implied to be Mothryu's Fairies]] to assist Doctor Silversmith and Starlight in defeating [[EnemyWithin the Headmistress]].
119* BeliefMakesYouStupid: He used to fervently believe in this, which was implied to have stemmed from the arrogance and complacency of his people that gave birth to the evil Alicorn Morning Star. Notably, his quest to convince Ponykind [[StopWorshippingMe to stop worshiping him as a god]] caused an infamous incident where [[KickTheDog he completely torched a thriving city along with its people for worshiping him, and rebuked and humiliated its founder for encouraging religious devotion to him]]. He has since gotten over this after walking down a very long road of CharacterDevelopment, with Golden Scepter calling the incident [[MyGreatestFailure one of the worst mistakes he ever made]]. Having personally seen the examples of compassion, forgiveness, and mercy shown by fellow divines throughout the Ages, he now co-exists peacefully with them.
120** He still retains a bit of this, however; while he lets his subjects practice other religions, public worship of him and his family is banned by law. His present criticism is how religion in general encourages BlindObedience and NeverMyFault tendencies, hampering mortal potential and making people utterly dependent on divine forces, while in turn making them vulnerable who seek to mislead them for their own gain. To him and later his faithful son, Prince Written Word, the only cause worthy of one's faith is [[ThePowerOfFriendship each other]]. This is likely why he's part of the Church of the Stars despite it being a religion: Its core tenant involves mortal races finding unity and putting aside their differences to 'reach for the stars' in a literal sense, as well as encouraging them to become better and eventually (if possible) [[DeityOfHumanOrigin rise to godhood]]. He also legalized the Scholars of the Stars despite it starting off as a religion, because its core tenant involves gaining knowledge and applying it for benevolent purposes.
121* BenevolentMageRuler: Double-subverted.
122** Before the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]", he was a very beloved and highly-respected ruler, though Golden Scepter admits that how he behaved back then (that of a stoic, regal, distantly benevolent and high-hoofed ruler who never personally interacts with their mortal subjects) were seen as "ideal" traits for Alicorn rulers, but actually promoted toxic and self-righteous attitudes. This would be proven true during the Imperium era, where his PTSD from war and immortality-induced loneliness essentially turned him into a divine tyrant, causing one of Golden Scepter's generals to betray him and nearly succeed in killing him in a coup, requiring him to [[KingIntheMountain go into magical stasis]] to save his life. It's also revealed that before the Alicorn Civilization's fall, he had [[ReallyGetsAround slept with many mortals and divines]], both male and female, due to the FreeLoveFuture the Alicorns created in their success. Golden Scepter regrets this part of his life (among other things) and has tried to distance himself from this by being faithful to only one partner.
123** It was after he was found in the Second Age by Luminiferous and Queen Dazzleglow that Golden Scepter [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realized his mistakes]], and sufficiently [[TheAtoner atoned for them]] by [[WalkingTheEarth wandering around Equus]] and doing a lot of good deeds, including protecting and hiding innocents away from the Void Traveler [[spoiler:and the Void Sovereign]]. By the time the Fourth Age rolled around, Golden Scepter has become a truly benevolent ruler who separated himself from the high-hoofed methods of his Alicorn peers by being open, friendly, and trusting of his subjects and allies, and giving proper credit where it's due. He's also much more tolerant of non-Pony races now, to the point where during the "Temptation Unbound" event, he rallied his soldiers together to protect both Ponies and non-Ponies from Ispita's Fallen/demonic forces.
124* BewareTheNiceOnes: While it took him a long time to get there, he's highly beloved and respected by his mortal subjects in the Terran Empire for being such a benevolent and compassionate Emperor. He's also an extremely powerful and ancient Alicorn god, so much that any attempts to fight him would usually end with a CurbStompBattle, and he loves his sons and his subjects so much that [[PapaWolf he will not tolerate any threat against them]].
125** After he publicly decried the divine/mortal followers of Poena, the Mistress of Punishment, as a bunch of deluded extremists, a small army led by Poena herself proceeded to attack the Terran Empire in retaliation. Golden Scepter [[CurbStompBattle defeated them easily]]... only for Katharsis to arrive and take photos of the losers afterwards, confusing the hell out of the Alicorn Emperor.
126** While visiting the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon, he overheard High King Irminsul from the Elternteil Deer Pantheon spouting horrible, [[FantasticRacism racist]] things about Temnobog and the non-Deer/hybrid Bogolenya deities during a heated argument with his twin sons. Golden Scepter was ''enraged'' to the point where he confronted Irminsul in his true divine form and gave him an epic TheReasonYouSuckSpeech in front of everyone, leaving the High King so terrified that he now avoids the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon on the off-chance that Golden Scepter might be there as well.
127** In another incident, a group of Pony Autorists attacked the Terran Empire and targeted its non-Pony subjects as part of their racial supremacy, [[{{Hypocrite}} even those Ponies who didn't agree with them]]. Golden Scepter punished them by [[EmotionBomb psychically making them experience the pain and suffering they gave their victims]], causing almost all of them to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone regret their actions]] and [[HeelFaceTurn turn good]]. When Prince Blazing Hoof [[CallingTHeOldManOut confronted him]] on the assumption that the Pony Autorists were EasilyForgiven, Golden Scepter would explain that reacting harshly would only beget more hatred, and the Pony Autorists living with their own guilt was punishment enough. Only their leader was actually punished once she was shown to be a genuinely hateful and unrepentant bigot.
128** During the "Temptation Unbound" conflict, learning that a group of Fallen deities and their worshipers tried to engineer the fracturing and downfall of his family ''enraged'' Golden Scepter to the point where he shed his "[[GodInHumanForm default]]" form and revealed his true form as a six-winged, "Antecedent"-ranked deity for the sole purpose of confronting his enemies.
129** Upon discovering that Gilded Stove, a royal Terran Griffon chef who is secretly an Autorist agent, tried to [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink kill him with poisoned spaghetti]], Golden Scepter is extremely disappointed with how pathetic and unoriginal it was, and gives Gilded Stove two options: [[MortonsFork Either tuition under his (enraged) demi-divine sons so he can do a better job, or "do the right thing" by turning himself in]]. It's implied that Golden Scepter knows choosing the former would likely lead to Gilded Stove dying horribly at the hooves of his sons, who are all ''very'' angry with him for trying to murder their father, which is why he was banking on Gilded Stove choosing the latter. Sure enough, Gilded Stove ultimately decides to surrender rather than face the wrath of the Terran Princes.
130** He was also ''[[PapaWolf furious]]'' when he discovered a group of Clovenist assassins tried to murder Prince Bright Eyes, and proceeded to punish them for going after one of his sons. Consequently, this led to the Terran Empire's already strained diplomatic relations with the Cloven Empire falling apart even further, as the latter [[KarmaHoudini weaseled out of their way out of any form of retaliation]] as usual.
131* BigGood: As a member of the Church of the Stars, he qualifies as one, as he and his divine peers are dedicated to ensuring the overall well-being of Equus and its mortal/divine inhabitants. He is also this in entries that focus on the Terran Empire, as while many benevolent Terran individuals, including the Terran Princes, are very active themselves, he has the highest authority by virtue of being the ruling Emperor, and ultimately, everyone answers to him. It's mentioned that in the past, he himself was very active while he globe-trotted during Pre- and Known History, as he had a hoof in various events and the development of multiple heroes.
132* BigotryException: While he [[FantasticRacism hates Synthentic Automatons]] due to personal experiences with [[AIIsACrapshoot rebellious and/or evil sapient A.I.]], the only exceptions was Corona, the {{Expy}} of [[Franchise/MegaMan the original Mega Man]], as well as Corona's sister Aurora, who both managed to gain his respect with their heroics. Part of the reason was Luminiferous's benevolent influence, as well as coming to see him as someone who can change Equus for the better. He even assisted Corona and Aurora on many of their adventures and clashes with [[ArchEnemy Dr. Guile]].
133* BirdsOfAFeather: It's speculated InUniverse that if Golden Scepter actually were to meet [[spoiler:High King Bogolenya, they would have become best friends due to being divine sovereigns who embody certain races and possess balanced mindsets. This is viewed as not too surprising by many, since Golden Scepter is already close friends with Belyolen and Temnobog. Golden Scepter admits that while he's interested in seeing Bogolenya, he already accepted his friends' individuality as people long ago]].
134* BlingOfWar: Golden Scepter's iconic golden suit of PoweredArmor is described by his entry as a divinely-made suit crafted from the purest gold, adorned with intricate symbols of the eagle, [[AnimalMotifs which he has been closely associated with]]. It not only looks awesome, but wearing it increases his natural physical abilities tenfold, such as his strength and endurance. The fact that it managed to survive well into the Fourth Age and ''still'' work is a testament to how well it was made, and seeing it for the first time with his own eyes caused [[MadScientist Crazy Ant]] of Machina to go absolutely ''[[{{Squee}} ga-ga]]'' over it.
135--> '''Silver Screw:''' I think [Crazy Ant] made a foal that was hyped up on candy and ice-cream look completely calm and well-behaved in comparison.
136* BondingOverMissingParents: He bonded with Star Flower over the fact that they both had lost so many people in their lives over a long period of time [[SoleSurvivor while only they survived]] for some reason (Golden Scepter's Imperium of Ponykind collapsed while he was in stasis and only learned of it after waking up, while Star Flower [[spoiler:became the last living Flutter Pony due to temporal displacement while in space]]). While she did receive lots of therapy in the meantime, it was Golden Scepter who largely helped with her trauma over her experiences in space [[spoiler:and outliving her own people]].
137--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ''(to Star Flower)'' You've survived for all this time, [[spoiler:you've done your tribe proud... Do you really want their last ember to die as a whimper?]]
138* BreakTheHaughty: The "[[CivilWar Aurum Apostasy]]" conflict was one huge moment of this for him. While he founded the Imperium with purely good intentions, Golden Scepter's traumas gradually turned him into a haughty, xenophobic, and ruthless tyrant who committed many atrocities while justifying himself with increasingly flimsy excuses. This would backfire on him spectacularly, as half of the fabled Golden Generals betrayed him and kickstarted a coup-turned-war under General Aurum's leadership in a well-meaning attempt to save mortal Ponykind from a tyrannical god. Golden Scepter was sealed away and forgotten for countless Ages. When he woke up in the Second Age, learning of the Imperium's fate from Luminiferous and realizing his own role in its downfall left him extremely depressed and wanting to disappear forever. However, Luminiferous would help Golden Scepter recover from most of his problems, which motivated him to [[TheAtoner redeem himself]] by traveling the world for three Ages until he TookALevelInKindness.
139* BrokenAce: Golden Scepter was this during the Imperium era. He's a "prodigy deity" with incredibly strong PsychicPowers, as well as a peerless warrior, genius and leader... who would also suffer from numerous untreated psychological issues after fighting Morning Star in a brutal CivilWar that lasted for ''ten Ages'', which brought out many of his worst traits and deeply affected his judgement. This would ultimately get him sealed away after being wounded in a CivilWar that ''he'' indirectly caused, and the Imperium itself crumbled and collapsed in his absence. When he finally woke up in the Second Age, he was essentially an extremely broken stallion. Fortunately, Luminiferous and Dazzleglow would influence him to become TheAtoner, while the Fourth Age would finally give him much-needed therapeutic help from Mentálne, the young Bogolenya Deer goddess of Mental Healing.
140* BrokenBase: InUniverse; [=BrutalityInc=] [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/763812200/4756013157 reveals]] that while Golden Scepter is regarded as a LivingLegend by mortals and divines, his actions during the Imperium era have made him quite controversial among Alicornkind even by their standards. Then there's the fact that many Alicorns also see him as "eccentric" for choosing to stay behind and help rebuild Equus from the desolation left by [[SatanicArchetype Morning Star]]'s war, instead of joining the survivors of his people in complete seclusion.
141* BrokenPedestal: Several times throughout his existence, he found his idols/peers/friends turning to be not as high or as deserving upon the pedestal upon which he placed them.
142** Morning Star was TheAce of the entire Alicorn Civilization, being so good and 'perfect' at everything that it was almost as if there was nothing he cannot conceive or accomplish. His pride over his own skills and achievements eventually developed into full-blown arrogance, which led to his Fall as he attempted to conquer and remake the whole universe according to his own twisted standards of his perfection. This led to the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]", where Morning Star led those Alicorns who sided with him in a ''brutal'' civil war that destroyed the Alicorn Civilization, and pushed the survivors into retreating from the wider world to recover inside their Sanctuary-Realms. Golden Scepter, who knew Morning Star, was left extremely traumatized by the time the war ended, and the lack of proper therapy at the time meant that he would go untreated for eons, letting his flaws and worst traits influence his rule over the Imperium of Ponykind, before emerging from stasis during the Second Age a very broken stallion.
143** Golden Scepter was once a friend of Exosus, an Alicorn GadgeteerGenius who created many wondrous innovations, and used to look up to him for his technological brilliance. It's implied that after the "Twilight of the Alicorns", they would both help rebuild Equus and forge a glorious future for their mortal Equine children in the form of one of the greatest civilizations to have risen in pre-Known History. Then a [[RobotWar cybernetic revolt]] of unparalleled scale and brutality -- implied to be the infamous 'Man of Iron' Rebellion from ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' -- reduced it to ash and [[BrokenAngel broke Exosus physically and mentally]], causing him to go insane from developing such an obsessive, destructive hatred for AIs and Synths (and eventually ''[[OmnicidalManiac everything]]'') that Golden Scepter was forced to seal him away. It's also implied their friendship fell apart due to Exosus harboring jealousy over how Golden Scepter turned out to be a prodigy whose brilliance and achievements became greater than his. Now all Golden Scepter could do is lament about what Exosus have become once the latter arrives on Equus in the Fourth Age (which Exosus blames on him as much as he does Synthetic Automatons), and join forces with other heroes and factions to put a permanent stop to him.
144** Teos, the Overlord of Darkness, one of King Equus' sons and heirs, was also a friend of Golden Scepter during the Alicorns' heyday. Thus, when Teos was resurrected and finally returned in the Fourth Age, Golden Scepter warmly welcomed his friend's return. But when he learned of Teos' [[SiblingMurder murder]] of both his own twin brother, Promes and [[OffingTheOffspring many of Promes' "children"]] (those with Promes' scattered divine essence), as well as Teos' core motivation of stifling mortal Ponykind out of fear of its collective potential, Golden Scepter was ''furious'', and essentially broke ties with Teos by calling him a "[[DirtyCoward coward]]" before getting into a fight that left his own palace partially destroyed.
145** He was also one himself to many of his followers during the Imperium Era. While he genuinely tried to be a good ruler for his subjects, his untreated PTSD and other psychological issues brought out his worst traits that led to him increasingly ruthless, xenophobic, and tyrannical. Eventually, it reached a point where one of his Golden Generals, Aurum Lupus, betrayed him to free the Imperium from his tyranny, creating an opening for Aurum Lupus to be corrupted by malignant powers seeking to destroy the Imperium and corrupt its residents. This led to a devastating civil war in the Imperium of Ponykind that would nearly kill him... though it did not stop many others from worshiping him like a god with fanatical zeal in his absence towards the Imperium's end.
146[[/folder]]
147
148[[folder:C - E]]
149* CallingTheOldManOut: Both inverted and played straight.
150** Inverted with Crimson Star. After getting a severely injured Crimson Star to the royal infirmary to heal his wounds from Fanged Paw's NoHoldsBarredBeatdown, Golden Scepter would call out Crimson Star for turning himself into TheScapegoat, making it ''quite'' clear that he will not stand by and watch his eighth son foolishly forsake his own life for the sake of atonement. He then points out there are better ways to achieve redemption and forgiveness.
151** Inverted with Fanged Paw, Red Blade, and Death Shroud. Golden Scepter was ''furious'' when he learned that the three of them left Crimson Star near death just to satisfy their own grievances with him, and chewed out all three of his sons during a heated argument between them. It's noted that he also pointed out the hypocrisy in their pettiness and anger, and [[EmotionBomb psychically showed them the emotional torment Crimson Star was feeling following his loss of sight in a carriage accident]]. The reactions varied -- Fanged Paw [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone was shortly overcome with guilt]], while Red Blade stubbornly believed he was right until a bloody revolution he inspired forced him to see the consequences of his unrestrained wrath.
152** His oldest son, Blazing Hoof, would confront him on how he dealt with a group of Pony Autorists that attacked the Terran Empire, assuming that he just [[EmotionBomb used his psychic empathy]] on them and [[EasilyForgiven let them go as soon as they showed signs of remorse]]. Golden Scepter explained to him that by showing the consequences of their hateful bigotry, he gave the Pony Autorists empathy for their victims, which would cause them to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone feel the pain of guilt over what they had done to others]]. Reacting harshly would only beget more hatred, and the Pony Autorists living with their guilt was already punishment enough. Only their leader was punished, as she revealed herself to be a genuinely hateful and unrepentant bigot.
153* ChronicHeroSyndrome: From what was implied in his entry, he couldn't turn down a person in need, whether they be mortal or divine.
154** After the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict ended, Golden Scepter felt obligated as a ruler to search for survivors across Equus and help them rebuild, [[WhatYouAreInTheDark even though he could've chosen to go into seclusion and help his own people instead]]. A canonized Codexverse drabble reveals that this behavior was partially motivated by the desire to [[SuperiorSuccessor succeed where the ancient Alicorns had failed]]. This gave him a large following and allowed him to found the Imperium of Ponykind, though it eventually fell largely due to his own flaws and inner cruelty.
155** In the Second Age, after he was found and revived by Luminiferous and Queen Dazzleglow in the Second Age, he would wander around Equus again as part of being TheAtoner, helping those who needed it. His travels would play a huge part in opposing the Void Traveler's influence and helping people survive the "Void Aeon" event, allowing them to reemerge and rebuild in the Third Age.
156** While records remain rather spotty, Golden Scepter would continue wandering from the Third Age onward, helping those in need. One of his adventures led to him befriending the Bogolenya Deer god of Evil, Temnobog, who was horrifically abused by the Elternteil Deer Pantheon for eons for being born "evil". Golden Scepter would assure Temnobog that [[YouAreNotAlone even if he doesn't fully understand what the dark stag had been through, he won't abandon even someone like him in need]]. It's later revealed, though, that Canteros, the god of Requited Love, was responsible for Golden Scepter befriending Temnobog in the first place, as the latter desperately wanted to be loved and thus was in need of a steady stream of support that would help him recover from his childhood emotional abuse.
157* CloseToHome: As his interaction with [[AbusiveParents High King Irminsul]] showed, ''do not'' be racist in front of him or within earshot. This is because he was once an AbsoluteXenophobe himself, but realized that his behavior was wrong. Case in point: After Irminsul spouted horrible things about Temnobog, his divine non-Deer in-laws, and his "bastard" hybrid children, a ''furious'' Golden Scepter confronted him in his true divine form and publicly humiliated Irminsul in front of the entire Bogolenya Deer Pantheon by giving him an ''epic'' [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech dressing-down]]. This terrified Irminsul into avoiding the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon out of fear of encountering the Alicorn Emperor again.
158* CommonalityConnection: He befriended Dr. Endless Dreams over being ancient and powerful deities with true, eldritch forms, and a vast love/knowledge for history. Luminiferous and Kúzelník later both caught them laughing after revealing their true divine forms to each other with no adverse mental effects on the other.
159* CoolCrown: Like the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Emperor of Mankind]], he wears a golden laurel wreath as his 'crown'. It indicates that he is royalty and a powerful Alicorn Emperor.
160* CoolOldGuy: [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld Though young-looking]], Golden Scepter is actually [[TimeAbyss a god who's millions of years old]] and lived during the heyday of the Alicorns, making him one of the oldest and most powerful Alicorn deities on Equus[[note]]At least to public knowledge, as the Alicorn survivors of the "Twilight of the Alicorns" secluded themselves away to rebuild, while Queen Mzazi is older than him by a few million years[[/note]]. He's also a father of nineteen demi-divine sons, and a grandfather to a growing number of biological/adoptive grandchildren. While he has his fair share of closet skeletons, Golden Scepter is a loving parent/grandparent, and a very good friend of the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon, including the "Evil" ones such as Temnobog and his infernal family. He's also rather good-humored, and thinks people's theories about him and his origins are hilarious.
161* CoolSword:
162** Golden Scepter has the ''Fireslayer'', a divinely-crafted sword that he uses to channel his [[PlayingWithFire holy fire magic]]. He would later pass a portion of his power onto the sword so anyone, divine and mortal, could use it during great times of need.
163** Golden Scepter also used the ''Absolute Phantom: Goukouken'', a large and powerful double-edged sword that's implied to be made during the heyday of the Alicorn Civilization, as it has engravings from that civilization on its blade. Its true form is a '[[OddlyShapedSword seven-pronged sword]]' when its power is fully unleashed. Notably, Golden Scepter used the ''Goukouken'' to merely banish the maddened and hateful Alicorn Exosus to a dead world instead of [[SealedEvilInACan the void between worlds]]; Golden Scepter admits he did this out of respect for his old friend, and would have chosen to banish him to the void had he known Exosus would've returned, but notes that to act based on the possible rather than what is already known often creates a dark path.
164* CurbStompBattle: Due to him being an extremely ancient Alicorn who lived before the Known Ages, this happened a few times.
165** A group of Pony Autorists once attacked the Terran Empire, bent on subjugating/eradicating its non-Pony population. Golden Scepter got many of them to surrender by [[EmotionBomb psychically making them feel the harm they were causing his subjects]], causing the Pony Autorists to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone regret their actions]] and were thus allowed to leave with a gentle yet firm warning. However, the same couldn't be said about their leader, who got a most severe punishment when she still continued her hate-filled rampage and showed no remorse for it.
166** A small army of Poenan deities/followers led by Poena, the goddess of Punishment, tried attacking him after he publicly condemned them as tyrants and deluded extremists. Golden Scepter quickly defeated them, though to his bemusement, Katharsis would show up to take humiliating photos of the losers and send them to their victims. It's noted in [[TalkingWeapon Mercy]]'s entry that the incident became well-known even outside the Terran Empire, and it became a deciding factor in Silver Bane, an ex-Poenan follower/champion, choosing to give Mercy away to Golden Scepter and his family to protect her from the Poenan Pantheon after she became sentient.
167* DeclarationOfProtection: His entry quote mixes this with BadassBoast, declaring that "No Pony shall be beyond my protection!"
168* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype:
169** Of the GodEmperor. Golden Scepter once lived in the Alicorn Civilization as an emperor/judge of one of the most advanced empires in the world, and he was noted by both his Codex entry and various comments to be a "prodigy" among the Alicorns, who were said to be the greatest of King Equus' mortal/divine children. It's also believed InUniverse that he's the "Parental Deity" of modern Ponykind. However, it's shown that despite his divinity and power, he has the same morality as everyone else -- during the Alicorn Civilization's last days, Golden Scepter participated in many "dishonest things" such as [[ReallyGetsAround sleeping with both male and female mortals/divines]], and the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" left him with a lot of untreated issues that would haunt him and deeply affect his judgement during his reign over the [[GalacticSuperpower Imperium of Ponykind]]. The fact that he's a god contributed of the problem, as Golden Scepter's immortality alienated him from his subjects, and he did pretty horrible things to ensure [[StopWorshippingMe they never worshiped him as a god at all]]. Eventually he became little more than a divine tyrant, which kicked off the "[[CivilWar Aurum Apostasy]]" that left him sealed away in stasis for countless Ages after he was gravely wounded fighting his own traitorous subjects. In his absence, his subjects turned the Imperium into a reactionary, xenophobic fanatical theocracy that worshiped him as a god, [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the very thing Golden Scepter was trying to prevent]], until it was destroyed by more benevolent forces.
170** Of the ProHumanTranshuman. For all of Golden Scepter's fondness for mortal Ponykind ([[spoiler:and is revealed to be [[TheMaker the creator of the Earthpony tribe]]]]), a tragic combination of the Alicorns' toxic behavior/practices, untreated psychological issues, and [[WhoWantsToLiveForever immortality-based loneliness]] gradually warped his good intentions. This turned him into a haughty, xenophobic, and ruthless tyrant whose methods alienated his subjects and subordinates to the point of rebellion. He also became extremely depressed and suicidal when he woke up from stasis and witnessed everything Ponykind achieved without him, and realized his own role in the Imperium's downfall. Fortunately, [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre Luminiferous would convince him otherwise]], eventually setting him on the path for atonement that led to him becoming a true supporter of mortal Ponykind and, by extension, mortal sapientkind.
171** Of the MagneticHero as well. As the Alicorn god of Leadership, Golden Scepter possesses a divine aura that attracts people to him and and inspires people to be their very best and show off their innate loyalty, courage, and mercy. He also possesses the power to magically boost morale with just a few words, which boosts his own great skills in public speaking. However, during the Imperium era, once many of his untreated traumas and issues started catching up to him, Golden Scepter would suffer severe lapses in judgement as his worst traits were brought to the forefront. Eventually, he committed so many atrocities and mistakes -- while influencing his subjects to do the same -- that he became little more than a divine tyrant, which motivated the Golden General Aurum Lupus to kickstart the "Aurum Apostasy" conflict in a well-meaning attempt to depose his leader. After Golden Scepter was injured and [[KingInTheMountain put in magical stasis]], his Imperium gradually crumbled because of his absence until it was eventually destroyed by benevolent kingdoms and empires to end its threat to Equus.
172* DefrostingIceQueen: Male example. Golden Scepter initially behaved in a [[TheStoic stoic]] and distant manner because according to him, the Alicorns believe that is how a proper ruler ''should'' act in order to appear wise, benevolent, and perfect to their mortal subjects. Unfortunately, it made him look dour, pitiless, and melancholic to most people, and even scared them away without meaning to. Thankfully, the benevolent influence of those who cared for him and wanted to redeem him, like Luminferous and Dazzleglow, as well as his [[WalkingTheEarth global travels]] and receiving divine therapeutic help from Mentálne, helped him open up and become a truly benevolent and kind ruler come the Fourth Age.
173* DeityOfHumanOrigin: One theory in regards to his childhood proposes that he was once a mortal who Ascended to Alicornhood. Considering how Alicorns in general are described as "Ascendant" deities, and that he's classified as an "Ethereal/Ascendant" deity himself, there might be some truth to it. However, another theory proposed that he was once a group of undying immortals who managed to achieve godhood and the incredible powers that came with it.
174* DisappointedInYou:
175** He was noted to be rather disappointed in his eleventh son, Prince Steel Barricade, for losing his temper after hearing that the latter gave a Scion of Hurricane a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown in public for calling him a "[[CategoryTraitor disgrace]]" to the Pegasi tribe, thus necessitating his brothers to intervene and separate them.
176** He was also disapproving of Steel Barricade for successfully managing to build and recreate [[LostTechnology a piece of foresight-based technology]] in the present day, and had him permanently shut down his project, though at the same time he was [[SoProudOfYou proud of his son]] for his accomplishment.
177** He was so disappointed in Gilded Stove's pathetic and unoriginal assassination attempt on him via [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned spaghetti]] that he proceeds to quote this trope verbatim while lecturing the traitorous Terran chef for his failure like a disapproving teacher.
178---> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ...Seriously? THIS is what you are trying to kill me with? I have endured thousands, if not MILLIONS of assassination attempts in my lifetime, and most of them would rightly be seen as 'impossible' if I were to retell them. And the most creative method you can think of is... is... lacing my spaghetti with ACID? I am disappointed in you, Gilded Stove. VERY disappointed. If you want to kill me, then DO IT RIGHT.
179* DivineParentage:
180** He's revealed to be [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/861846716/4889704561 a son of Profectus Equus/Iridium Signet]], one of the Thirteen Empyreans and the first Alicorns created by King Equus himself in his desire to have [[IJustWantToHaveFriends companions]]. This means that Golden Scepter is technically one of King Equus' grandsons.
181** In a roundabout way, he became the biological father of [[MassiveNumberedSiblings nineteen]] demi-divine sons by marrying a mortal pegasus mare, Blessed Skies, and settling down with her. All of his sons, dubbed the 'Terran Princes', managed to Ascend at some point in their lives thanks to his benevolent influence, which is a testament to how well he raised all of them despite the difficulties that came with it.
182** He's revealed to be [[TheMaker the 'Parental Deity' of modern Ponykind]] -- specifically, he was responsible for creating the Earthpony tribe, with Peachy (later Rhodonite Mirror) being the first sapient Earthpony mare to be born. By all intents and purposes, this technically makes Peachy his daughter. When Peachy had many children with Chestnut, the first sapient Earthpony stallion, he and his siblngs would help guide said children's evolution until they turned into their own tribes.
183* TheDreaded: How he's seen by the [[JerkassGods Elternteil Deer Pantheon]]. After he confronted High King Irminsul in his true divine form and publicly humiliated the latter for saying horrible things about the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon, the Elternteil Deer Pantheon now fears getting on his bad side. This later allowed Belyolen to save Blue Suede Heartstrings from being wrongly punished by revealing Blue Suede's friendship with Prince Stoltur Skjöldur, one of Temnobog's grandsons.
184* DudeNotFunny: He doesn't think it's funny to ridicule bigoted factions like the Autorists and Tribalists. This is because he once acted like them, only to realize the error of his ways and redeem himself thanks to people who had a positive influence on him. He would even lecture his second-born son, Prince Fanged Paw, on the matter after the latter ridiculed the Autorists once.
185--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ''(to Prince Fanged Paw)'' I can understand why you see such groups as 'acceptable targets'. They have garnered so much hate and ridicule for themselves as of late that it is easy for us -- so incredibly easy -- to point our hooves, horns, and wings at them and laugh. However, know this, my son: For every person that willingly let themselves give in to hatred, cruelty, and bigotry... there is always a few more that have been simply led astray. And it is our responsibility- no, EVERYONE'S responsibility to be aware of the situation at hoof, and make sure that these sorts of people are saved from the clutches of Evil itself.
186* EasilyForgiven: Golden Scepter's [[EmotionBomb emotion-bombing]] of a group of Pony Autorists that attacked his empire was ''assumed'' to be this by his firstborn son, Prince Blazing Hoof, [[GoodIsNotSoft who wanted a harsher punishment for them]] and even confronted his father about it. However, it's subverted when Golden Scepter revealed the true context of his judgement: By showing them the pain and suffering they had inflicted on their victims with their self-serving bigotry and hatred, those Pony Autorists who were let go [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone had to live with the guilt of their actions for the rest of their lives]], never truly able to forget it. The only way to alleviate this is to become TheAtoner and [[GoAndSinNoMore sin no more]].
187* EmotionBomb: His entry notes that he's infamous for doing this, and for good reason.
188** During the Imperium era, he would psychically force his subjects to have absolute loyalty to him. When he remembered what he had done years later, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he felt completely disgusted with himself]].
189** After going through CharacterDevelopment, he began using this ability for more positive purposes. One incident had him punish a group of Pony Autorists for attacking the Terran Empire by making them experience the harm they've inflicted on his non-Pony subjects with their hateful bigotry. This caused many of them, save their leader, to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone genuinely regret their actions]]. In Golden Scepter's eyes, the idea of them living with their own guilt is punishment enough, as the only way to alleviate it is to simply stop and atone for their actions.
190** After learning that three of his sons, Fanged Paw, Death Shroud, and Red Blade, ganged up on Crimson Star and left him near death before Blazing Hoof [[BigBrotherInstinct intervened]], he was noted to be so ''furious'' that he used his psychic empathy to show his wayward sons the emotional torment Crimson Star was experiencing following his loss of sight in a carriage accident. This caused Fanged Paw, who didn't know that Crimson Star ''allowed'' him and his brothers to beat him up to atone for his arrogant actions as an InsufferableGenius, [[DeathSeeker not caring if he'll possibly end up dying in the process]], to realize ''how far'' he had fallen, and he felt so guilty afterwards that he didn't object to being given the cold shoulder by his other brothers, or being exiled from the Terran Empire as punishment by his father.
191* TheEmpath: His entry describes him as a powerful empath -- while he can feel the emotions of all sapientkind, his empathy is more profound with Ponykind, since he embodies all of Ponykind in general, as well as its best and worst traits. He's also infamous for "[[EmotionBomb emotion-bombing]]", which he used to either show villains and other evildoers the harm they've done to their victims, or to force absolute loyalty to him during the Imperium era, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone the rlatter which caused him to be disgusted with himself upon learning of it]].
192** In a Codexverse drabble, it's revealed that he's so powerful that Golden Scepter could sense the sheer hatred projected by a being who's traveling to Equus in space several light years away. This being is later revealed to be King Exosus, a fellow antediluvian Alicorn survivor of the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" who has an ''insanely'' deep grudge against Golden Scepter.
193** In a Codexverse quote, however, after learning of Temnobog's emotionally abusive childhood at the hooves of the Elternteil Deer pantheon, he has acknowledged that even if he cam empathize with him, it does not equal a full understanding of the struggles Temnobog had gone through. Despite this, he would assure Temnobog that [[YouAreNotAlone even if he doesn't fully understand what happened, he'll still help Temnobog because he won't abandon someone in need, Evil or not]].
194** This trope is discussed with Sparkling Wing, who noticed that there's quite an abundance of both mortal and divine individuals who have empathetic powers.
195---> '''Prince Sparkling Wing:''' I've noticed something... [[LampshadeHanging I think we have too many empaths on this planet]].\
196'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' Perhaps... but should there come a time where hatred, paranoia, violence, and suffering are most prevalent, [[ThePowerOfLove then empathy might be the best and most powerful weapon we have]].
197* EmperorScientist: His entry notes that he's extremely intelligent and well-versed in science and technology, to the point where his previous empires were extremely advanced even by the Alicorns' standards. Modern Pony civilizations have tried copying his achievements, but could only make crude replicas. One of his accomplishments is his iconic golden suit of magical power armor that he would wear in battle, and it's implied that power suits were common in the Imperium of Ponykind before its fall. Even the Terran Empire, which he founded and currently rules, is implied to be advanced like its predecessors as it specializes in [[{{Magitek}} magic-based technology]]. Steel Barricade, his eleventh demi-divine son, is believed to have inherited this aspect of him, as he is scientifically and technologically brilliant like his father.
198* EnragedByIdiocy:
199** He was ''not'' amused when [[WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice Prince Crimson Star and Jasper read a letter to him that was originally sent to a fast-food franchise, but somehow ended up in his mail instead]].
200---> '''Prince Crimson Star:''' Dear, uh... Fast-Food Franchise?\
201'''Jasper:''' Oh, no...\
202'''Prince Crimson Star:''' I hope this letter reaches you. The hayburger I ordered got cold after I got home. Replace it for me.
203** Downplayed with his reaction to Gilded Stove's [[EpicFail poor assassination attempt]]. He was so disappointed by how pathetic and unoriginal it was that he lectured Gilded Stove at the dinner table, and then snidely suggested that he learn under his nineteen demi-divine sons to do a better job at killing him.
204** His response to a letter sent by someone wanting to "lick [his] holy hooves" is to quickly file a restraining order against the sender in case they actually try to do it.
205* EvenTheGuysWantHim: It's implied that this happened to him in the past, as he slept with both male and female mortals/divines before the "Twilight of the Alicorns". He also attracted [[GodOfEvil Temnobog]], who thinks that Golden Scepter's "incredibly handsome" despite his vast age, and has considered bedding the Radiant Emperor at one point for bragging rights. However, Temnobog has refused to act on his basic urges because doing so will not only irrevocably ruin his friendship with Golden Scepter, but also [[{{Hypocrite}} make him appear no different than the followers of "careless/destructive" Evil that he hates]], thus proving to [[AbusiveParents Irminsul]] that he's no better than the Evils that must be destroyed to benefit mortal Deerkind.
206* TheExile: Invoked; one way he can punish lawbreakers for especially bad crimes is by banishing them from the Terran Empire. As the Alicorn god of Judgement, Golden Scepter's final word is absolute, as those who become exiles are forbidden from coming back on pain of death, and no one could overturn it. The only way to overturn it is if Golden Scepter gives his explicit permission for someone to end the punishment, or the exile(s) in question has atoned for their actions and achieved a level of CharacterDevelopment that is deemed acceptable in the Emperor's eyes.
207** This is what happened to Prince Fanged Paw, his second-oldest son. After Fanged Paw continued bullying and tormenting Crimson Star as payback for being an InsufferableGenius, even after the latter was blinded in a carriage accident and suffered an emotional breakdown following his JerkassRealization, Golden Scepter [[EmotionBomb psychically showed him the torment Crimson Star was going through]] and exiled Fanged Paw from the Terran Empire for his actions. It was noted that Fanged Paw [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone felt so guilty]] towards his actions at this point that he accepted his punishment without complaint.
208** Prince Steel Barricade, his eleventh son, would also be exiled. While dealing with political matters with a national ally of the Terran Empire, Golden Scepter received word from two of his sons, Prince Bright Eyes and Prince Night Shade, that Steel Barricade got into a fight with his older brother, Clear Voice, that quickly got out of hand. When he came home and found that a portion of his empire had been destroyed by his sons' petty conflict, Golden Scepter was so ''furious'' that he gave Clear Voice and Steel Barricade a [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech vicious dressing-down]]; Steel Barricade received much of the brunt of his father's anger and disappointment since he clearly didn't learn anything despite repeated attempts to discipline him. As punishment, he would be exiled from the Terran Empire, and in front of everyone, too, since he was an InsufferableGenius who was also an AttentionWhore.
209* {{Expy}}: Of [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 the Emperor of Mankind]]. They're both godlike Emperors with incredible psychic power and unmatched intellect, and are both beloved by their subjects as a divine protector of their respective species. [[TragicHero But they also had raging flaws that would ultimately spell their own doom and curse their empires with gradual stagnation and total collapse]]. However, unlike the Emperor, Golden Scepter is a bonafide god here, and would be spared a grisly fate by [[KingInTheMountain being sealed away in stasis]] instead of being sustained by a complex life-support machine and becoming little more than a rotting corpse. He ultimately survived thanks to the kindness of benevolent deities who found and revived him, which made him realize the error of his ways and become TheAtoner until he truly became a benevolent protector and ruler of Ponykind. He even became a loving husband and father of [[MassiveNumberedSiblings nineteen]] demi-divine sons, half of whom never turned traitor in the Codexverse and became beloved heroes in their own right.
210[[/folder]]
211
212[[folder:F - I]]
213* FamilyThemeNaming:
214** He and his older/younger fraternal triplet brothers, Platinum Crown and Diamond Mantle, are named after [[RockThemeNaming precious minerals]] and royal attire. In his case, his name is ''Golden Scepter''. Their father, Profectus Equus, also applies, as he currently goes by the name "Iridium Signet" after leaving Equus behind to atone for his sins.
215** He and his younger triplet brothers also share epithets that have light-related terms and official royal titles. In his case, his epithet is "the ''Radiant Emperor''".
216* FantasticRacism: Deconstructed. Due to various psychological issues such as PTSD and [[WhoWantsToLiveForever loneliness]] that went untreated for Ages, Emperor Golden Scepter became an AbsoluteXenophobe during non-Pony races during the Imperium era, and committed countless acts of genocide against anyone he believed were hurting his mortal Pony subjects. This became one of the factors of the 'Aurum Apostasy' that nearly killed him and led to his sealing. He also ''really'' doesn't like Synthetic Automatons (known in the Second Age as "robots") because of a brutal rebellion that destroyed one of the most successful civilizations that succeeded the Alicorn Civilization, and he staunchly believes that AIIsACrapshoot. Those who managed to earn his respect, like the [[Franchise/MegaMan original Corona]], are deemed '[[YouAreACreditToYourRace credits to their kind]]'. While he vastly improved compared to his Imperium era days, he's still a NobleBigot, and would find his beliefs constantly challenged during and after the 'Exosus Conflict', especially in light of the reveal that many of Exosus' robotic minions were actually innocents sapients who were forcibly enslaved. His peers in the Church of the Stars are currently working on helping him overcoming his bigoted beliefs completely so he'll avoid going down a dark path like Exosus did.
217* FishOutOfTemporalWater: Justified. Golden Scepter's entry notes that he is a divine relic of Equus's long history, having been active up until the Imperium era. After he was gravely injured in the "Aurum Apostasy" conflict and [[KingInTheMountain sealed away]] in magical stasis, he ended up sleeping through countless millennia, including the entire First Age. When he was found and revived by Luminiferous and Dazzleglow in the Second Age, Golden Scepter was severely frightened, hostile, and distrusting towards everything and everyone, as he woke up in a completely unfamiliar time. Seeing the vast variety of accomplishments that mortal Ponykind managed to achieve in his absence also caused him to be rather depressed to the point where he saw himself both as a failure and the living embodiment of the Alicorns' hubris, corruption, and stagnation who deserves to be forgotten, though he would get better. However, it's noted that while Golden Scepter still has the intelligence to acknowledge and understand a lot of concepts that never existed in his time, he also sees certain things as utterly baffling. While temporarily staying over in the Bogolenya Deer pantheon, [[TemptingFate Golden Scepter asked Yarost what puns are]], only to be told to "leave this place as fast as [you] can" before Yarost's younger sister, [[PungeonMaster Phykti]], comes by. [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere He quickly heeds the warning]], leaving Phykti rather disappointed that she didn't get to introduce Golden Scepter to puns.
218* TheFogOfAges: A [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/839546149/4838483560 Codexverse drabble]] reveals that [[spoiler:due to having lived for so long, he has largely forgotten why he embodies Ponykind, only knowing that he does. It's implied that this factored into his decision to change his title to just "the Radiant Emperor", having grown to love sapient non-Pony races and wanting to resolve his non-Pony subjects' discontent over being ruled by an Emperor whose title implies he only supports Ponykind]].
219* {{Foil}}:
220** To Prince Sparkling Wing: Both are Alicorns, except Golden Scepter is an antediluvian god, while Sparkling Wing is a young god from the Third Age. Both were born royalty, except Golden Scepter would become rule as Emperor over [[spoiler:three]] empires over the course of history, with lost of experience on his hooves, while Sparkling Wing is a young Prince who was rejected by his subjects because [[{{Matriarchy}} his kingdom only accepted mares as rulers]]. Golden Scepter is imperial, stoic, and willing to use extreme methods to get a desired outcome, while Sparkling Wing is a MartialPacifist who is sickened by the idea of killing. Golden Scepter is a ShellShockedVeteran whose traumas brought out his worst flaws and influenced him to become a divine tyrant, while Sparkling Wing [[BrilliantButLazy held lots of potential yet constantly goofed off]] because he was afraid of failing people's expectations of him. Both would eventually get better thanks to the influence of [[MentorArchetype Luminiferous]], who helped them overcome each of their traumas and flaws.
221** To Changeling Emperor Blackthorn: Both are divine Emperors, except Blackthorn has all the traits that Golden Scepter [[ShadowArchetype used to have and now hates with a passion]], arrogance, scheming, and LackOfEmpathy. Blackthorn is also a Changeling, a race often seen as grotesque and predatory monsters, while Golden Scepter is an Alicorn, a race beloved and worshiped by mortals. Both are fathers of many sons, except Golden Scepter is a genuinely loving and supportive parent whose positive influence allowed his nineteen sons to overcoem their flaws and become Alicorn demigods. Blackthorn, on the other hand, is extremely indifferent to his sons/Scions' dealings and generally lets them do whatever they want so long as it doesn't affect his own plans or the Summer Court's well-being. This led to the Changeling Kings becoming highly amoral and ruthless, and being unable to move past their demidivine status, while the Terran Princes have the potential to become full deities like their father if they choose to. This contrast is emphasized in a canonized Codexverse scene -- while walking in the dark hallway of a Summer Changeling Palace, Blackthorn is described as fitting right in the darkness of his home, while Golden Scepter looks like a star brimming with power and therefore out of place.
222** To High King Irminsul: Both are powerful, ancient divine rulers whose talents seem to run on MagicVersusScience -- Golden Scepter specializes in science, technology, and psionics, with his empires being extremely advanced, while Irminsul specializes in druidism and nature, and ruled over vast forest realms and empires. Both fought in wars that left them extremely traumatized. But while Irminsul let his traumas and experiences consume him to the point where he continued being an arrogant, puristic, and stubborn {{Jerkass}}, Golden Scepter had friends who helped him overcome his traumas/flaws so he can become a better person. Both are fathers/patriarchs of large families, except Irminsul is a well-meaning yet horribly abusive parent who imparted toxic attitudes onto his children and treated them all vicariously, which led to his unborn son [[spoiler:High King Bogolenya]] dying in-utero when Irminsul purifying him of his inner evil to make him a perfect and flawless god. Golden Scepter is genuinely loving and supporting of his sons and allows both Pony and non-Pony children to be adopted in his household, [[spoiler:including a few of Irminsul's own children like Kúzelník and Naur]]. As a bonus, both have racial titles, with Golden Scepter being "the Radiant Emperor of Ponykind" while Irminsul is named "Father of all Deerkind". However, [[spoiler:Golden Scepter decided to change his title to just "the Radiant Emperor" after realizing it held racist implications, and requested for the writers/researchers of the ''Codex Equus'' project to echo this change whenever they mention him in future Codex entries]].
223* FollowInMyFootsteps: He intends for Sparkling Wing to be a great leader like him, [[{{Seers}} having foreseen Sparkling Wing's future as the beloved ruler of his own kingdom]]. However, Sparkling Wing's initial BrilliantButLazy tendencies often led to Golden Scepter [[WhatTheHellHero scolding him]] for wasting his potential on mere "parlor tricks" instead of acting like the royal diplomat and leader he's supposed to be.
224* ForeverWar: He had fought in one in the form of the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict, which lasted for ten Ages, and was very brutal and devastating to both the Alicorn Civilization, and to everyone else who got caught in the crossfire. Given the time-frame an 'Age' in the Codexverse is measured on average, that meant he had been part of a war that lasted ''roughly 100,000 years''. As a result, he came out a ShellShockedVeteran with extreme PTSD and other psychological issues -- which, due to the lack of psychiatric divines like Mentálne or even something resembling decent therapy at the time, went untreated for ''Ages''.
225* FounderOfTheKingdom: He founded the Imperium of Ponykind, with rumors that it either nearly completely covered Equus or expanded to other worlds, until his worst flaws and inner cruelty gradually turned it into a WretchedHive that had to be destroyed to end its threat. He also founded the smaller yet thriving Terran Empire in the Fourth Age, A canonized Codexverse drabble confirms that he founded the empire that existed during the time of the Alicorns -- [[spoiler:it was his very first empire. This got him renamed "Emperor Auriolus Scaeptrum" upon assuming the throne, though the country he ruled over has long since changed to the point of being completely unrecognizable, leaving him unable to remember his last name]].
226* FreudianTrio: He and his fraternal triplet brothers make up one, with his older brother Platinum Crown as the Superego, his younger brother Diamond Mantle as the Id, and him as the Ego. As the Ego, he has a balanced personality that reconciles the traits of his brothers - he can be serious as is required of a divine sovereign of his age and station like Platinum Crown, but he's also willing to show emotion and warm affection for others like Diamond Mantle.
227* GeniusBruiser: Much like his character inspiration, [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 the Emperor of Mankind]], he's an extremely powerful psychic, and a peerless leader and warrior who's also incredibly intelligent. It's noted in his entry that his empire before the Alicorn Civilization's fall was magically and technologically advanced even by the Alicorns' standards. The Imperium of Ponykind that would follow was nothing to sneeze at, either. And in the Fourth Age, he founded the Terran Empire, which sports {{Magitek}} that one of his sons, the blind Prince Crimson Star, would use in his fights.
228* GentleGiant: He's described as being a very tall and muscular Alicorn, though he's even larger in his true divine form. While he initially behaved like a divine tyrant during the Imperium era, he realized the error of his ways and became a truly benevolent ruler and a loving father. Prince Forging Scale, his fifth-born son, would inherit this aspect from him, as he (supposedly) embodies his father's compassion.
229* GivenNameReveal: In a canonized Codexverse drabble, this happens during a conversation between him and Princess Twilight/Amicitia Sparkle. Due to the Alicorns possessing an ancient tradition where Alicorns becoming full royalty are given new names, Twilight initially assumes that Golden Scepter's name is a current one that was given to him upon becoming an Emperor. However, Golden Scepter reveals that no, [[spoiler:his current name is his ''birth name'', and his former name is his Alicorn name, Auriolus Scaeptrum. Golden Scepter doesn't like his Alicorn name because he had done so many bad things under that name that he came to see it as a symbol of everything wrong with the Alicorn Civilization and its practices/beliefs, as well as the flaws and mistakes of his people. So in order to distance himself from his people, he re-adopted his birth name and threw away his Alicorn name, deeming that identity as "[[ThatManIsDead dead]]"]].
230* GodEmperor: Deconstructed. While his origins are [[MysteriousPast rather spotty]], it is known that Golden Scepter was [[DeityOfHumanOrigin once mortal]], and he was the ruling Emperor and judge of one of the most successful and advanced empires in the world... until [[SatanicArchetype Morning Star]] Fell and betrayed his people, starting the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict that lasted for ''ten Ages''. After its end, Golden Scepter would help the survivors rebuild and eventually founded the Imperium of Ponykind, but unfortunately, his traumas from the war would catch up to him and deeply affect his judgement, to the point of becoming little more than a well-meaning tyrant. Most notably, he wanted his mortal subjects to [[AGodIAmNot stop seeing him as a god]] and to [[StopWorshippingMe stop treating him as such]], to the point where he would destroy temples dedicated to the gods and even put an ''entire city'' to the torch for worshiping him. After he was gravely wounded by one of his own Golden Generals, Aurum Lupus, in the brutal "Aurum Apostasy" event, he was sealed away until the Second Age, where he would be found and revived by Luminiferous and Dazzleglow. This would kick-start the long process of going through massive CharacterDevelopment, eventually [[TookALevelInKindness becoming much kinder]]. By the time the Fourth Age rolled around, he established the much smaller yet thriving Terran Empire, which is currently still ruled by him and his many SemiDivine sons.
231* GodhoodSeeker: With a twist. While he's already immortal, the problem is that mortal lifespans are fleeting in comparison to the divinity of the Alicorns. After losing many neighbors and loved ones to Morning Star and living among mortals for so long, he began to [[ImmortalsFearDeath fear Death itself]], and researched ways to allow a mortal to Ascend so he wouldn't feel so LonelyAtTheTop. However, this came to an end after he married Blessed Skies, who taught him that LivingIsMoreThanSurviving and to always treasure the memories and friendships he has made with others. Nowadays, he's a vocal and active opponent of other immortality seekers such as the Alicorn Ascendancy, whose well-intentioned yet cruel methods resulted in Crystal Prism's existence, and has been working together with Celestia and Luna in flushing out members of the organization.
232* AGodIAmNot: Being based on [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 the Emperor of Mankind]], he felt extremely uncomfortable with being worshiped as a god, as he believed that [[BeliefMakesYouStupid religious faith can hamper one's true potential and bring them to ruin]]. He would deal with this in various ways.
233** During the Imperium era, he took the extreme route and tried destroying Ponykind's faith in gods, even destroying temples made in his name. However, the fact that Golden Scepter [[{{Hypocrite}} demanded total obedience from his followers]] rendered this moot. Notably, this led to an incident where he ''torched a prosperous city down to its very foundations'' simply because its people praised him as a god, and harshly rebuked and humiliated the founder/builder of said city, who was then one of his most ardent followers, for promoting religious faith. He would later call the incident "[[MyGreatestFailure one of the worst mistakes in the infinitely long list of failures I have created during my incredibly long life]]".
234** While he has mellowed out significantly in the Fourth Age, he still wants his mortal subjects to think for themselves, which resulted in public worship of him and his family being officially banned in the Terran Empire. When he learned that one of his sons, Written Word had secretly joined the priesthood, he would set him straight by deconstructing his motives and explaining to Written Word why his attempts to help their mortal subjects wouldn't work in the long run. This would lead to Written Word accepting his folly and realizing the true value of faith, warranting his Ascension.
235** It's revealed in a canonized Codexverse drabble that [[spoiler:part of the reason behind his rejection of his Alicorn name, Emperor Auriolus Scaeptrum, was because of this trope. According to Golden Scepter, the Alicorns started the renaming tradition as a symbol of those casting aside their mortal lives to accept the responsibility of being a divine sovereign. However, over time, as they began falling into hubris, corruption, and stagnation, the Alicorns saw the process of Ascension of becoming something "greater than themselves", perfect and flawless without peer, in turn forgetting about their mortal traits and values that allowed them to Ascend in the first place. Golden Scepter eventually realized this during his atonement, and cast aside his Alicorn name as a symbol of everything wrong about both the Alicorn Civilization, and his people's practices and beliefs]].
236* GodInHumanForm:
237** Played with in regards to his Alicorn form. His entry mentions that he has a "default" form, one that resembles a rather normal-looking Alicorn stallion with twinkling black hair. His "true" form is much more [[AnimalisticAbomination eldritch]] -- an extremely ancient, six-winged Alicorn with black spatial energy for hair and feathers made of holy fire. Presumably, he uses his default form often when around mortals, though being a "normal" Alicorn still means he's already considered a god to mortals.
238** In the Second Age, however, he played it straight by appearing as a mortal Earth pony stallion named Revelation. This is so that no one would suspect his true race or [[KingIncognito his royal Emperor status]] while he observed all of Ponykind's deeds and accomplishments during his [[TheAtoner quest for atonement]]. [[spoiler:Only one person, Dr. Solar, the creator of the original Corona, managed to figure it out on his own, something that surprised Golden Scepter greatly. To this day, he admits that he ''still'' doesn't know how Dr. Solar saw through his disguise]].
239* GodIsFlawed: Being based on the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Emperor of Mankind]], this is no surprise. He is the living, divine embodiment of Ponykind so naturally, he embodies his race's best and worst traits. Though a 'prodigy deity' and an accomplished ruler, he is still capable of ruthlessness, cruelty, hypocrisy, racism, and wrath, and wasn't entirely immune to the [[WarIsHell horrors]] the Alicorns' CivilWar brought. His reign over the Imperium of Ponykind (which he also founded) brought out his worst flaws and led to his downfall when his own subordinates got sick of his increasingly tyrannical behavior. Thankfully, the benevolence and kindness of those who found and truly cared for him would motivate him to atone for his crimes and become a better stallion. It's implied this is the reason Belyolen and Temnobog respect him greatly, as they themeselves are the living good and evil sides of [[spoiler:High King Bogolenya, who would have represented all of Deerkind's virtues and vices had [[AbusiveParents High King Irminsul]] not tried to purify his own son of his evil in-utero]].
240** This trope is a major reason why he's [[StopWorshippingMe rather uncomfortable with being worshiped]]. Golden Scepter sees himself as flawed as any mortal, and believes that [[BeliefMakesYouStupid religious devotion will both ruin one's inner potential and make them so reliant on others that they eventually forget/refuse to take personal responsibility for their own growth or mistakes]]. He used to be extreme in eliminating religion in the Imperium era, he mellowed out significantly after realizing how horrific and cruel his actions were, and settled with simply banning religion/public worship centered around him and his family in the Terran Empire. When he discovered that one of his sons, Prince Written Word, was secretly defying this law by joining the priesthood, Golden Scepter would make him see the error of his ways by gently deconstructing his motives, explaining what he was really doing, and telepathically showing his son his own memories of his past crimes. This eventually led to Written Word's Ascension when he realized the true value of faith during a battle with demons.
241** This trope also became part of the reason why [[spoiler:he rejected his Alicorn name, Auriolus Scaeptrum. He had witnessed the Alicorns' fall into hubris, decadence, corruption, and stagnation that eventually destroyed their once-great civilization during the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]", and after that, he committed so many atrocities himself during the Imperium era that it eventually got him [[KingInTheMountain sealed away]]. After he was found and revived by Luminiferous and Queen Dazzleglow in the Second Age, he came to realize that the Alicorns' practices, beliefs, and attitudes created a breeding ground for toxic, imperialistic, and high-hoofed behavior. As a result, he threw away his identity as Emperor Auriolus Scaeptrum, [[ThatManIsDead seeing the Alicorn who bore it as dead]], and took on his birth name, Golden Scepter]].
242* GodzillaThreshold:
243** There are certain situations or enemies which shows that Golden Scepter's AbsoluteXenophobe tendencies during the 'Golden Imperium' Era, while deplorable, were not ''entirely'' unjustified. The threat of the Silim -- whose rampage led to the founding of the KnightTemplar anti-Visitor/Demon 'Defenders of Equus' faction -- was so extreme that Emperor Golden Scepter, who had been monitoring the situation, confirmed that had the order's founder Sir Grand Defender and the kingdom the Silim were ravaging failed to contain the threat, he would have to use an 'Imperium Era' ''Exterminatus''-grade weapon he have in storage to cleanse the entire region they're attacking just to be ''absolutely'' sure they're all wiped out. Fortunately, Sir Grand Defender and his knights were able to wipe them out, making it unnecessary for such an extreme measure. Golden Scepter notes that there are always ''things'' like the Silim out there in the cosmos that completely justify/necessitates total destruction, because NOTHING less could stop them from terrorizing/destroying everyone else.
244* GoldAndWhiteAreDivine: His entry describes him as an alabaster-white Alicorn who wears gold armor and red regalia. In battle, he dons [[BlingOfWar a pristine, divinely-crafted suit]] of magical PoweredArmor made of the purest gold. Even his name reflects this, being called "Golden Scepter" [[spoiler:while his Alicorn name was Auriolus Scaeptrum, which is essentially the Latin version of his birth name, ''Golden Scepter'']]. He's also an extremely ancient and powerful Alicorn god, whose age can be put around the same age bracket of the oldest divine Ponyfriends, Queen Mzazi and Isati.
245* GoMadFromTheRevelation:
246** Discussed. Though also baffled, Kúzelník is worried that Golden Scepter's [[AnimalisticAbomination true divine form]] might cause their worshipers in the Church of the Stars to go mad after finding the Alicorn Emperor revealing himself to the equally eldritch [[EldritchAbomination Endless Dreams]] (and vice-versa). Luminiferous assures Kúzelník that they're both in the deeper parts of the Church, so they don't have to worry about someone going mad by accident.
247** On the other hand, it's averted when Golden Scepter sees Endless Dreams' true form for himself. He doesn't so much react as raise an eyebrow and comment, "[[SeenItAll I've seen worse things than that]]."
248* GoodIsNotNice: Deconstructed. During his reign over the Imperium of Ponykind, Golden Scepter essentially behaved similarly to the Emperor of Mankind -- he was on the side of good and extremely dedicated to the protection and well-being of mortal Ponykind but years of untreated PTSD and other psychological issues, as well as being [[LonelyAtTheTop the only Alicorn in the outside world at the time]] gradually warped his compassion and good intentions until he became little more than a divine tyrant. This alienated many of his close allies until one of them, General Aurum Lupus, betrayed him and kick-started the "Aurum Apostasy" in a well-meaning attempt to depose him, warranting Golden Scepter being sealed away in magical stasis after he was gravely wounded trying to end the coup. He still acted like this after he was found and revived in the Second Age, which led to him scaring people away even if he didn't mean to. He would later [[DefrostingIceQueen become much kinder and more open]] thanks to the benevolent influence of those who want to redeem him, like [[MentorArchetype Luminiferous]], and various experiences that came from [[WalkingTheEarth wandering all over Equus]].
249* GoodIsNotSoft: Double-subverted. After going through massive CharacterDevelopment, he is much more merciful, forgiving, and tolerant than he had been during the Imperium era; particularly, when dealing with evildoers and/or those at risk at becoming evil, he prefers to save and redeem them because, as the embodiment of mortal Ponykind, he knows what people can do under certain circumstances and believes that most turn to Evil by being misled. However, he won't hesitate to fight if he has to, and when he does, the results are devastating due to his incredible power, age, and experience.
250* TheGoodKing: While he's a [[ImmortalRuler divine sovereign]] who bears the official title of "Emperor", Golden Scepter is this trope in spirit. He is highly beloved and respected in the Terran Empire for being a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, and as a result, the Terran Empire is racially harmonious and technologically advanced. He ''attempted'' to be this during his reign over the Imperium of Ponykind, but untreated trauma and psychological issues warped his benevolent intentions to the point where he became little more than a well-meaning divine tyrant, alienating his followers and even causing some of them to rebel against him. He was also a benevolent ruler of his old [[spoiler:first]] empire before the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]", though it was heavily implied that the Alicorn rulers of his time behaved in a stoic and distant manner to make themselves appear wise, perfect, and "benevolent" rulers, which Golden Scepter admitted years later wasn't a good idea as it promoted toxic, self-righteous attitudes.
251* GoodParents: Played realistically. [[ParentsAsPeople While he is far from perfect]], he's a very good father to his many SemiDivine sons and loves them all, but is also willing to call them out for unsavory behavior and discipline them when necessary. This is largely thanks to the benevolent influence of those he befriended as well as his deceased mortal wife and Empress-Consort, Blessed Skies, who taught him to always treasure the memories and friendships he made with others.
252** In regards to Prince Crimson Star, he still loved his son even after the latter was blinded in a carriage accident, and has praised his intellectual and magical achievements on several occasions, as he encouraged the intellectual Ascension of Ponykind. But he was also willing to call his son out for unsavory behavior and discipline him when necessary. Notably, after Crimson Star let himself be beaten up by his hateful brother, Fanged Paw, out of depression and guilt towards his previously arrogant behavior, Golden Scepter made it clear that he will ''not'' stand by and watch his son forsake his own life and torture himself excessively for the sake of atonement, and pointed out that there are better ways for Crimson Star to achieve redemption than turning himself into a scapegoat. In addition, after his son was blinded, Golden Scepter made sure that Crimson Star would still have a future to look forward to by teaching him how to use his magic/psychic abilities to "see", and hiring specialists to help him craft books, texts, and scrolls that only his son can still read. It was thanks to his influence that Crimson Star was able to properly redeem himself and make amends with those he had wronged, becoming an Alicorn in the end.
253** He still loved Written Word regardless of the things he had done. When he learned that Written Word [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight went behind his back and broke the law banning public worship of the Terran royal family by becoming a priest]], Golden Scepter set his son straight by gently deconstructing his motives and explaining why his attempts to help won't work, as well as telepathically showing Written Word his own memories regarding religion. This would lead to Written Word doing some soul-searching, which would eventually land him in a backwater Pony kingdom that he ended up liberating from demons and the corrupt religion they created. Golden Scepter was noted to have become "[[SoProudOfYou proud beyond measure]]" after learning that Written Word became an Alicorn and personally saw the results of his son's adventures for himself, which told him that his son finally matured and saw the truth in what he was trying to teach him.
254** From what was seen in his interactions with his oldest son, Blazing Hoof, Golden Scepter is quite patient and is willing to teach Blazing Hoof important lessons if he thinks he needs them.
255** It's rumored InUniverse that this trope is what partially earned him a visit from Canteros, Amareros' firstborn son and the Primeval/Preeminent god of Requited Love and Reconciliation. Canteros was [[SoProudOfYou proud of him]] for breaking free from the Alicorns' mistakes and atoning for his own sins instead of secluding himself like his people did, which allowed Golden Scepter to become a loving father and truly benevolent ruler in the end.
256* GoodWingsEvilWings: He has dual-colored wings, his feathers bearing a white-to-golden-yellow gradient. Due to the nature of how divines grow in Equus, especially [[WingedUnicorn Alicorns]], his possessing a wing gradient is a sign of his age and incredible power.
257* GottaGetYourHeadTogether: Being a god of Psionics means this happens to him a few times.
258** While observing Crazy Ant's construction of Corona Neo with Dazzleglow, Golden Scepter starts holding his head in discomfort when he [[TheEmpath feels]] the sheer [[ThePowerOfHate hatred]] projected by an approaching Exosus, even though the latter is flying towards Equus in space many light years away still.
259** When he senses the goddess [[OmnicidalManiac Perniciem]] emerging from deep within the planet's core, Golden Scepter suddenly clutches his head in agony. To him, Perniciem's presence [[BrownNote feels like a wall of slaughtered lives]].
260** Then, after Perniciem utterly decimates the Crustacea, Golden Scepter (along with every telepathic Alicorn in existence, including Midday Messenger) falls to his knees screaming in anguish while clutching his head, [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling having psychically felt the extinction of an entire species]].
261* {{Hallucinations}}: Shows up during his reign over the Imperium of Ponykind as a "Single Character is a Hallucination" variant. One of the symptoms of his [[ShellShockedVeteran war-related trauma]] is that he would sometimes hallucinate images of his old enemy, [[SatanicArchetype Morning Star]], even though he's long dead by this point. It became one of many signs of a severe SanitySlippage that would go untreated for millennia, and contributed to his deteriorating leadership. He would eventually get better after he regularly visited Mentálne, the Bogolenya Deer goddess of Mental Healing, on Luminiferous's suggestion, and her influence would help him recover and come to terms with his trauma.
262* HappilyMarried: Sometime between the Third and Fourth Ages, Golden Scepter married a mortal pegasus mare, Blessed Skies, [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan because he was attracted to her compassionate and forgiving nature]], and sired several SemiDivine sons with her. It's mentioned that it was Blessed Skies who taught him that LivingIsMoreThanSurviving, advising him to "treat [your] memories and friendships like a Dragon treats its treasure hoard". Golden Scepter took her advice to heart and continued being a good father to their sons long after she died. It's also implied in Written Word's entry that part of the reason why he was so faithful to Blessed Skies is because in the past, he took in [[{{Polyamory}} multiple lovers]] and slept with both mares and stallions -- even though he gave all of his partners the love and respect they deserved, Golden Scepter deeply regretted participating in "dishonest" activities, and tried to separate himself from the mistakes and flaws that caused the Alicorns' downfall.
263* HealingHands: As the Alicorn god of Psionics, he has healing powers as part of his domain. Surprisingly, his holy fire also has [[HealItWithFire healing properties]] -- it can be used to burn away impurities and accelerate physical healing through heat.
264* HealItWithFire: He can use [[PlayingWithFire holy fire magic]] to [[HealingHands heal people]] by burning away impurities and accelerate physical healing through heat.
265* HeinzHybrid: He [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/859005115/4884443309 believes]] that all sapient creatures on Equus, whether mortal or divine, are actually extremely mixed hybrids, including Alicorns like himself since they're divine representations of all Pony tribes. Because of this, it is completely impossible for a Pony or a member of some other race to make claims of racial "purity" because everyone has been deeply interbred by this point, perhaps as a method of survival created in response to the various dangers that populate Equus. Therefore, the only way to get rid of all "impurities" is to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy all life in the universe]], which is something no one wants to happen.
266* HeroesPreferSwords: It's noted by his entry that while he's capable of using any weapon, he prefers swords. In particular, he wields the ''[[CoolSword Fireslayer]]'', a divinely-crafted sword in which he channels his holy fire magic when fighting against fell and impure influences. He has been known to lend it to both divines and mortals should they ever need it.
267* HeroicBSOD: After waking up in the Second Age, learning from Luminiferous that the Imperium of Ponykind had long since fallen (and that ''he'' himself was responsible for much of it), and spending much of the Age witnessing all the things Ponykind had achieved in his absence, Golden Scepter would fall into a deep depression and [[HeroicSelfDeprecation see himself as a failure and "relic" of long-forgotten times who deserves to be forgotten by his mortal subjects]]. However, it's implied that Luminiferous was able to [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre convince him otherwise]], as he would show up to help protect Ponykind during the "Void Aeon" event.
268-->'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' Look at them, Luminiferous. These little Ponies of mine... they have grown beyond the care of gods, learned how to govern themselves without divine help, and built technology and weapons beyond anything that I would normally expect from them. I spent years, YEARS trying to teach them how to do similar things in my time, and I failed miserably. And yet, in my absence, against all odds, they succeeded. And in the process, they saved BILLIONS OF LIVES from an outer planet seeking to enslave them to their own sadistic whims.\
269This is proof that they no longer need me, Luminiferous. I am just a relic of times that have long since past. The living embodiment of hubris, corruption, and stagnation that birthed a maniac and felled my people.\
270And like all relics, it would be best that I am left forgotten in the passages of time, reduced to nothing more than a faded memory of Ponykind's blood-soaked past.
271* HeroicSelfDeprecation: After [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realizing the full extent of his crimes during the Imperium era]], and witnessing everything that Ponykind had done during the Second Age, Golden Scepter became rather depressed over this, as he came to see all the accomplishments Ponykind had achieved in his absence as a sign that he had failed miserably as a teacher, a leader, and a god. In a conversation with Luminiferous, he even calls himself the living embodiment of the Alicorns' hubris, corruption, and stagnation, as well as a relic who should be "nothing more than a faded memory in Ponykind's blood-soaked past". Fortunately, [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre Luminiferous was able to successfully convince him otherwise]], resulting in Golden Scepter's presence during the "Void Aeon" event where he helped protect and hide away whomever he could [[spoiler:from the Void Sovereign's minions/allies]], and ultimately his restoration of faith and conviction in Ponykind's collective potential.
272* HeroOfAnotherStory:
273** He didn't participate in the "Final Ragnarok" arc as he and his demi-divine sons were busy dealing with the "Storm King Crisis" conflict, presumably dealing with the remains of the Storm Empire's forces and helping rebuild countries that had been affected by the war. He did, however, lend his aid to those who did through the Church of the Stars, and also sent a few of his sons to the Nine Realms to act in his stead after one of them, Prince Crimson Star, [[{{Seers}} foresaw destruction and death coming to Cervidia]] and begged his father to let him go.
274** And if his entry was of indication, he didn't participate in the battle with the [[EldritchAbomination Void Sovereign]] -- rather, he and a bunch of FireForgedFriends were busy on Equus protecting the innocent [[spoiler:from those who sided with the Void Sovereign]] and hiding them away so they would survive the "Void Aeon" event. This proved to be a huge boon as Equus entered the Third Age, with those Golden Scepter saved emerging from hiding to help rebuild the planet.
275** He along with Queen Mzazi were "busy off-planet" during the entire battle with the evil sorceress Queen Dark Crystal, likely dealing with crises that required their attentions elsewhere. [[spoiler:It's implied that the Grand Primevals arranged this in order to give the mortal heroes of Tellus a chance, knowing that extremely powerful deities like Golden Scepter and Mzazi would tip the scales too much in the heroes' favor and rob them of a proper chance to prove themselves if they attended the battle. Luminiferous starts suspecting this to be the case when he tried to help the "Tales Seven" group beyond subtly mentoring them, but the Grand Primevals insisted he stay his hoof and watch]].
276* HiddenDepths: Night Shade's entry reveals that he collected lots of comic books and Neighponese manga during the Second Age, his collection being large enough to warrant its own secret library in the royal Terran palace. He showed this off to his son, Night Shade, to dissuade his fears of being ridiculed by his family over being a comic book fan, and by his own admission, his favorite stories were about people who [[TheAtoner redeemed themselves for their mistakes]] and overcame impossible odds to become great heroes.
277* HolyHandGrenade: He is able to wield [[PlayingWithFire holy fire]], which allows him to purge corrupt influences from his targets. This is what allowed him to protect people from being used as [[DemonicPossession hosts]] for the Void Traveler, and also rescue those who fell under the thrall of Ispita the Deceiver and her various children/allies. One of his demi-divine sons, Written Word, inherited this power from him, except it manifests in the form of [[LightEmUp purifying light]]. [[spoiler:It's revealed in Queen Dark Crystal's entry that this is one of the reasons why he was unable to participate in the battle against Queen Dark Crystal, as his holy fire would've been a massive advantage against someone MadeOfEvil like her]].
278* HolyHalo: It's noted in his entry that some people have reported seeing him with a shining halo behind his head in both his true form and his "[[GodInHumanForm default form]]", which speaks of his incredible power.
279* HotWings: In his true form, he has six [[spoiler:now going on eight]] wings with feathers made of holy fire.
280* HumblePie: He would invoke this with [[AbusiveParents High King Irminsul]] one incident; according to Belyolen, Golden Scepter was visiting the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon when he caught Irminsul saying horrible things about Temnobog, as well as the non-Deer Bogolenya deities and their "bastard" hybrid children during a heated argument with his twin sons. This ''enraged'' Golden Scepter to the point where he [[OneWingedAngel revealed his true divine form]] and humiliated Irminsul by giving him a ''vicious'' [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech dressing-down]] in front of everyone. Irminsul was so terrified that he avoided the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon entirely on the off-chance that Golden Scepter might still be there.
281* {{Hypocrite}}: Deconstructed. This was very prominent during the Imperium era, where he would end up contradicting his words and beliefs with his own actions due to his traumas and loneliness bringing out his worst traits and deeply affecting his judgement. This would ultimately cause the downfall and ruination of the Imperium of Ponykind, as well as him [[KingInTheMountain being put in magical stasis]] for an extremely long time after he was gravely wounded in a coup led by own of his own generals. Fortunately, he would stop this behavior after he reemerged in the Second Age and underwent CharacterDevelopment.
282** He became [[PapaWolf extremely protective]] of Ponykind, and advocated for their supremacy by [[AbsoluteXenophobe killing and conquering anything and anyone that might pose a threat to his Pony subjects]], including "holy creatures, conquerors, predators, and tyrants". However, the victims of his genocidal military campaigns targeted even innocent people who did nothing to Ponykind, making him no better than those he went after, and had no problem manipulating his own subjects whenever and however he pleased for what he saw as benevolent and noble goals. This would disgust and anger even his closest allies, including one Ultra-Marerine Commander who would call him out on his hypocrisy. It's through Luminiferous's benevolent influence that Golden Scepter came to love Ponykind both collectively and individually, allowing him to become a proper ruler of what he embodied.
283** He fervently believed that BeliefMakesYouStupid, and wanted to completely dissuade his mortal Pony subjects from [[StopWorshippingMe treating him as a god]] by eradicating the concept of divine faith and destroying temples built in his name. However, he demanded total obedience and loyalty from his subjects, and had no problem using his psychic empathy to EmotionBomb them into submission. He would mellow out on this significantly by the Fourth Age, opting to simply ban public religious worship of him and his family in the Terran Empire, and explain to his subjects the folly of what they are doing if they're caught, such as what he had done with his son, Written Word.
284** However, it's subverted with his ties to the Church of the Stars. Despite it being a religion, the Church of the Stars is mainly about encouraging people to follow the values and examples of the deities they worship and improve themselves, even to the point of eventually reaching Ascension themselves. This is something that Golden Scepter wholeheartedly supports, as he had been doing the same thing with his mortal subjects since even before the Alicorn Civilization's fall.
285** A canonized [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/839546149/4838483560 Codexverse drabble]] reveals that [[spoiler:after interacting with Gilded Stove, he realized that being titled "the Radiant Emperor of Ponykind" won't sit right with some of his subjects since it implies he only supports one race, when he's trying to promote racial coexistence in the Terran Empire. He has approached the writers/researchers of the ''Codex Equus'' project with a request to change his title to just "the Radiant Emperor" whenever they mention him in full, despite one of the writers, [[AuthorAvatar Jade Shell]], protesting that omitting the "Ponykind" bit from his title "didn't feel right"]].
286** In another [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/840068448/4840226091 Codexverse drabble]], a "good"-aligned deity called him out for willingly consorting with Evil deities, demons, criminals, and other lowlifes despite his benevolence, and letting his equally benevolent sons do the same thing. Golden Scepter gives a rather terse response:
287---> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' I once behaved in the same manner as you did, and it nearly killed me. What makes you think that I am suddenly going to agree with you on the matter?
288* IAmAMonster: Implied to be his response when Luminiferous showed him the ruins of the now-fallen Imperium of Ponykind sometime after being revived and revived in the Second Age, which caused him to remember ''exactly'' what happened the day he [[KingInTheMountain went into stasis]] and realize that ''he alone'' was responsible for the destruction of his empire. This causes him to fall into despair, but Luminiferous assures him that the fact he showed deep remorse over his actions proved that he is in fact ''not'' a monster, and that there's still opportunities for him to redeem himself.
289--> '''Luminiferous:''' Even though you say you're a monster, Golden Scepter, the fact that you just showed remorse over your past actions proves otherwise. Morning Star, my Father, didn't. And so did your friends, neighbors, and loved ones, it looks like. All of them were too blinded by pride and complacency to even consider the fact that no matter what they did or how powerful they were, they were just as 'perfect' as the various mortal races that worshiped them. That's why they fell, in the end.\
290But... if there's one thing I've learned during my travels across this world, it's that nothing is truly set in stone. Every person, divine and mortal, has the power to determine their own fate, including you, Golden Scepter. You CAN break free from the shackles of your past, and you CAN rise and become better where Morning Star and your peers had failed. And you can start by learning from your mistakes, and watching how your mortal subjects live their lives. I know the last part may seem baffling to you, but trust me, you can learn a lot if you hang around them even for a few minutes.\
291I'll be willing to help you, but in the end, only you can walk the path that has been set before you. Are you willing to take that first step, Emperor? Or are you going to let that chance fade away?
292* IdenticalTwinIDTag: Averted. He's revealed to be [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/848558436/4861088186 the second-born of triplets]], his older and younger brothers being Platinum Crown and Diamond Mantle, respectively. They're all fraternal, so they can be easily told apart.
293* IHatePastMe: He ''really'' hates his [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 reign over the Imperium of Ponykind]], to the point where he wishes to go back in time just so he can [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beat the snot out of his younger self]].
294--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' If Lord Ourophion would permit me, I would like to build myself a time machine and go back to the Imperium Era... so I can visit my younger self and hit him in the face many times for being such a short-sighted, arrogant, and delusional imbecile. And get him a therapist, too, while I am at it.
295* ImmortalityBisexuality: Because of the FreeLoveFuture the Alicorns created in crafting their civilization, Golden Scepter became bisexual over time, gaining both male and female divine/mortal partners and siring scores of children with them, though he tried to treat all of his lovers well. However, the Alicorns eventually stagnated to the point where they reached depraved levels of hedonism, which factored into the "Twilight of the Alicorns" event and the destruction of the Alicorn Civilization. At that point, Golden Scepter began to regret [[ReallyGetsAround sleeping around]] and stopped doing it, instead deciding to sleep with someone he wholly trusts, loves, and respects as his equal. This led to him meeting his mortal wife, Blessed Skies, and siring the Terran Princes in the Fourth Age.
296* ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty: Subverted. As an Alicorn god, Golden Scepter only became [[StrongerWithAge more powerful]] and more eldritch in appearance as he grew "older", resulting in his true form being much bigger, and having black hair made of spatial energy and three pairs of great wings made of holy fire (with a fourth pair on the way). In addition, he has a HolyHalo shining behind his head even in his "[[GodInHumanForm default]]" form. According to Queen Mzazi, this growth process is normal for Alicorns, and because he was born a prodigy, Golden Scepter has accelerated physical and magical growth compared to many divines. [[spoiler:A canonized Codexverse drabble reveals that at some point, he started to grow his fourth set of wings, something that Queen Mzazi noticed during a friendly visit]].
297* ImmortalRuler: Much like his character inspiration, he's a divine Emperor. And he has experience in it, too, since he ruled a nameless empire until the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" happened, and ruled the Imperium of Ponykind until that, too, fell. Currently, he's ruling the Terran Empire, which he founded but made it rather small in comparison to his previous empires so he wouldn't repeat his previous mistakes.
298* ImmortalsFearDeath: By his own admission, he took his immortality for granted, but after [[WhoWantsToLiveForever losing so many loved ones to Morning Star and living so long among mortals]], he began to fear Death itself and researched ways to help Ponykind Ascend so he wouldn't be lonely anymore. He would later get over this thanks to his now-deceased wife, Blessed Skies, who taught him that LivingIsMoreThanSurviving and he should treasure his friendships and connections like a dragon treats its treasure hoard, which he took to heart even long after her death.
299* IntergenerationalFriendship: Due to being an "Antecedent"-ranked Alicorn god, he is extremely ancient, having lived before Known History during a time when the Alicorns dominated Equus. As a result, many of his friends tend to be younger than him.
300** He is way older than Temnobog, who is a "Tier IV"-ranked god. And yet, despite them being different as night and day in personalities, beliefs, and powers, they would form an OddFriendship because (among other things) Golden Scepter treated Temnobog kindly and went out of his way to help the latter despite him being a GodOfEvil.
301** He is also good friends with Luminiferous and Queen Dazzleglow, with the former being closer to him in age as a "Titan"-ranked god, while the latter is a "Tier III"-ranked goddess. Golden Scepter's friendship with Luminiferous is especially ironic since Luminiferous is an exact clone of Morning Star, [[ArchEnemy his old enemy]], though he was able to see past his Nightmare-like appearance thanks to the CharacterDevelopment he gained and the positive influence Luminiferous would have on him.
302** Despite Dr. Endless Dreams being an eldritch goddess with [[EldritchAbomination a vaguely Equine form]], he is much older than her. This is because Endless Dreams was originally a mortal Pony mare from the Second Age who became a goddess via obliterating a sealed eldritch god's mind and assimilating its domains into herself through sheer willpower. He still managed to befriend her based on mutual respect; at one point was spotted by Kúzelník and Luminiferous [[NotSoAboveItAll trying to "out-eldritch" Endless Dreams]] by showing off his [[AnimalisticAbomination true divine form]], and having a good laugh about it.
303* InterspeciesAdoption: This happened to [[spoiler:Kúzelník. After Kúzelník confessed that he wished he was Golden Scepter's son instead of Irminsul's, Golden Scepter sympathized with his situation and officially adopted him as his son. At first, Kúzelník worried that the Terran Princes wouldn't like him very much, but they all warmly welcomed him as their brother for being good friends with one of their own, Prince Crimson Star, and sympathized with his grief over losing his unborn brother to Irminsul. To them, it wasn't much different from losing their mortal mother, Blessed Skies, to old age]].
304* InterspeciesFriendship: While many of his divine friends are Alicorns, some of them are either racial hybrids or from different species, such as Belyolen and Temnobog, the Four Terrors, Rhiannon, Kúzelník ([[spoiler:until Golden Scepter adopted him as his son]]), and King Ibrida.
305* IOweYouMyLife: It's mentioned in his entry that he owed Luminiferous and Dazzleglow "a huge one" for finding and healing him of his wounds in the Second Age; he would state that if it weren't for their kindness and patience with him, he would have rotted away a long time ago. He would mention this to Blackthorn [[spoiler:while retrieving the famed sword of the Princess of Power from him]].
306--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' Normally we would advocate letting someone have a setback, so they might learn from it and become wiser, but some may have consequences too great to bear. [Luminiferous] had done so much for us, all of us, and we may never fully repay him for it. We cannot risk letting all that he is, all that he could still be, be squandered because of one single mistake he would never had made if he had known.
307* {{Irony}}: Ironically, despite Luminiferous being an exact copy of his old enemy, Morning Star, in terms of appearance, Golden Scepter would become one of Luminiferous's close friends after he got CharacterDevelopment and TookALevelInKindness.
308[[/folder]]
309
310[[folder:J - O]]
311* JerkassGods: Deconstructed and played for drama. Despite his good intentions and efforts as a ruler, PTSD, loneliness and other untreated issues would gradually bring out his worst flaws and influence him to become little more than a divine tyrant during the Imperium Era. The departure of his old lover, Midday Messenger, didn't make him snap out of it -- it only made his downward spiral worse. Eventually, his terrible mistakes would provoke his closest subordinates to launch a bloody coup against him, leading to him being sealed away and his Imperium collapsing under its own weight. When he was found in the Second Age by Luminiferous and Dazzleglow, he was essentially a broken stallion who still acted unpleasant to a degree at times, but was able to realize the error of his ways and atone for his sins thanks to Luminiferous' [[MoralityPet positive influence]]. By the time the Fourth Age started, Golden Scepter has averted this trope, having atoned for his past and sought psychiatric help from Mentálne that allowed him to heal from his traumas. He is now a truly benevolent god and ruler of the Terran Empire, and the loving father of nineteen demi-divine sons, whom he helped Ascend at some point in each of their lives. [[spoiler:It also became the reason why he rejected his Alicorn name, Auriolus Scaeptrum. As he explains to Twilight/Amicitia Sparkle years later, he committed so many atrocities as Auriolus that he later saw his Alicorn name as everything wrong with the ancient Alicorns and their civilization, motivating his decision to [[ThatManIsDead go by his birth name as Golden Scepter]] from now on]].
312* KarmicJackpot: His genuine efforts in [[TheAtoner redeeming himself for his crimes]] and achieving CharacterDevelopment would eventually reward him come the Fourth Age.
313** His compassionate and empathetic treatment of Temnobog, the Bogolenya Deer pantheon's GodOfEvil, led to them becoming good friends as Golden Scepter was still willing to reach out to Temnobog despite his inner evil, and treated the latter like a person instead of a corrupted and evil cast-off of his radiant brother, Belyolen, that everyone else saw him as. Because of this, Temnobog and his surviving children, the Four Terrors, would interact closely with Golden Scepter and his demi-divine sons years later.
314** Being a good father towards ''all'' of his nineteen demi-divine sons, regardless of the difficulties he would experience in raising them, would eventually lead to them Ascending to demi-Alicornhood and becoming powerful and highly-respected heroes in their own right. This is especially impressive since in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', the Primarchs fractured because of the Emperor of Mankind's rather lousy parenting, causing almost half of them side with the [[EldritchAbomination Chaos Gods]] and become [[DemonOfHumanOrigin Daemon Princes]] while the rest of the Primarchs who stayed loyal ended up dead or missing.
315** Though unconfirmed InUniverse, it's rumored that his efforts in atonement for his sins warranted a personal visit from Canteros, the god of Requited Love and Reconciliation and Amareros' firstborn son. Canteros congratulated Golden Scepter for breaking free from the Alicorns' mistakes and redeeming himself instead of going into complete seclusion as his people had done after their fall, becoming both a loving father and truly benevolent ruler in the end.
316** After finding and restoring King Ibrida, the Draconequus god of Hybrids, from stasis, he fully accepted responsibility for the Imperium of Ponykind's destruction of the Halfblood Empire -- even if he was in stasis himself when it happened -- and apologized to Ibrida for it. And when Ibrida showed reluctance over founding another kingdom due to fear of his own flaws, Golden Scepter encouraged him to do it anyway, citing Ibrida's desire to create a safe haven for those who want to flee tribal/racial persecution. Not only did Ibrida forgive Golden Scepter for his actions (which surprised him), but he also trusted the Alicorn Emperor with information on Hybrid Haven's true location after he established it, something that also surprised Golden Scepter but has motivated him to maintain Ibrida's trust in him.
317** At one point, he comforted and encouraged Rhiannon, the Coltic Deer goddess of the Moon, to make amends with those she had hurt after she became rather depressed over her past misdeeds as a member of the Elternteil Deer Pantheon. This led to the Terran Empire having good relations with the entire Coltic Pantheon.
318** His handling of Gilded Stove, a young Terran Griffon who became an Autorist, would go a long way in exposing a lot of Autorist activity both in and out of the Terran Empire. Instead of condemning Gilded Stove for trying to kill him with poisoned spaghetti, he persuaded him to surrender using a MortonsFork choice[[note]]Either learn how to be a better assassin under the Terran Princes, which would very likely lead to his death as all of them are angry with him for trying to kill their father, or "do the right thing" by turning himself in to the authorities[[/note]], and then personally visited Gilded Stove in prison where he reached out and had a long talk with him. This influenced Gilded Stove to betray his Autorist backers as he only wanted to feel like he belonged and had someone who cared about him, and didn't really buy into the Autorists' racist philosophies.
319* KingIncognito: A canonized Codexverse quote reveals that he spent much of the Second Age traveling in the guise of [[GodInHumanForm a mortal Earth pony]] named Revelation, wanting to observe mortal Ponykind's examples and achievements unnoticed, and possibly due to the extremely low levels of magic during that Age. [[spoiler:Only one person from the Second Age managed to figure it out, and that was Dr. Solar, creator of the original Corona, and he managed to piece together clues regarding Revelation's true identity during a conversation with him ''by himself'']].
320* KingInTheMountain: Justified, though not of his own will. He was very active up until the Imperium era, after which he disappeared. This is because, after a slew of terrible mistakes that resulted from the traumas affecting his judgement, Golden Scepter was gravely wounded in a violent coup by General Aurum Lupus, who saw him as a divine tyrant and rebelled to oust him, and was put in magical stasis to save his life. However, everyone gradually forgot about him, and he ended up sleeping through the entire First Age until he was found, revived, and revived by Luminiferous and Dazzleglow in the beginning of the Second Age.
321* TheKirk: Out of his [[FreudianTrio fraternal triplet brothers]] he is implied to be this, where his [[AloofBigBrother elder brother]] Platinum Crown is TheSpock and his [[BoisterousBruiser younger brother]] Diamond Mantle is TheMcCoy.
322* KnightTemplarBigBrother: Was this to Arcam Machina, one of Profectus Equus’ children and therefore Golden Scepter, the Radiant Emperor’s younger brother. During the '[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]', Arcam [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere went to ground]] ([[BeneathTheEarth literally]]) and into hiding rather than fight for or against [[SatanicArchetype Morning Star]], and spent the ages in hiding [[InTheirOwnImage creating]] [[StartMyOwn his own race and civilization]] of [[HumongousMecha giant]] [[https://www.deviantart.com/brutalityinc/art/Codex-Equestria-Giants-Part-4-864945023 Equid]] [[MechanicalLifeforms automatons]], [[{{Expy}} the]] [[{{Characters/SkylandersVillains}} Arkians]], whom he come to see as his (preferably superior to biological life) mortal children. When he and his people reemerged ages later, ''well'' after the 'Twilight of the Alicorns' had ended, he was found by his brother Golden Scepter. Unfortunately, Golden Scepter -- then known as Auriolus Scaeptrum -- was in his arrogant extremist KnightTemplar phase and was in the process of forming the empire in the '[[https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Unification_Wars Reunification Wars]]' which would one day become the [[GalacticSuperpower galaxy]]-[[TheEmpire spanning]] [[{{Characters/CodexEquusImperiumOfPonykind}} Imperium of Ponykind]]. While Auriolus [[WhatTheHellHero was furious]] at his brother for [[DirtyCoward running away]] and [[NeutralityBacklash taking no sides]] during the 'Twilight of the Alicorns', he was more [[BigBrotherInstinct horrified and alarmed]] when he discovered Arcam Machina [[RobotMaster created a race of]] giant [[ItCanThink sapient]] robots. With both Golden Scepter and Ponykind having experienced multiple [[RobotWar cybernetic revolts]] and ''barely'' surviving the last one (the infamous '[[https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Men_of_Iron Mane of Iron Rebellion]]'), he and his Imperium immediately try to destroy the Arkians to save his brother, out of fear that his own creations would inevitably turn on him (which, to be fair to him, did happened repeatedly enough to warrant it, and was a sentiment shared by nearly everyone at the time after all the [[RobotWar robot uprisings]] they went through). This backfired tragically when [[PapaWolf to protect his own creations from his brother's empire]], Arcam [[HeroicSacrifice ultimately sacrificed himself]] for them by disembodying his own body and merging his divine essence with the entire UndergroundCity of Arkius, forming an impenetrable barrier that stopped the Imperium from being able to destroy his creations without damaging the planet in the process. Suffice to say, the Radiant Emperor's extreme actions, out of sibling love though it may be, led to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone no end of grief for both himself]] and also for the Arkians, many of whom out of sorrow, rage and hatred at the loss of their father and the bigoted actions of the surface organics [[CreateYourOwnVillain did become]] the [[ThenLetMeBeEvil very threats]] which Golden Scepter and many biological sapients [[SelfFulfillingProphecy thought they would inevitably become]].
323* LargeAndInCharge: His entry describes him as a very tall and muscular Alicorn, with his "true" form being even larger due to his age. He's ruled two empires before the Known Ages started, and currently he's ruling the smaller yet still thriving Terran Empire with his many demi-divine (and equally large) sons in the Fourth Age.
324* LaserGuidedKarma: Tragically, his benevolent intentions gradually became corrupted by his traumas and his [[WhoWantsToLiveForever immortality-based loneliness]] in the Imperium era, and he became no different than a cruel, hypocritical, and deluded divine tyrant [[AbsoluteXenophobe who would try eradicate non-Pony races for the benefit of Ponykind]], using his own subjects like tools in his plans however he pleased, tried destroying his subjects' religious faith in him by destroying temples made in his name so they could reach their true potential, and using his psychic powers to enforce absolute obedience to him. He would be severely injured in a coup led by one of his generals, put in magical stasis and used as a symbolic figurehead until he was gradually forgotten, and lost his entire empire when it was destroyed by more benevolent kingdoms, empires, and civilizations to end its threat as a xenophobic WretchedHive. Fortunately, Golden Scepter had an [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone epiphany]] regarding his previous actions upon reemerging in the Second Age, and became a genuinely benevolent ruler after WalkingTheEarth and going through some much-needed CharacterDevelopment.
325* LightIsNotGood: During the Imperium era, he was this. His epithet is "the ''Radiant'' Emperor of Ponykind" ([[spoiler:now just "the Radiant Emperor"]]), which turns out to be literal as he radiates an aura of light in dark places, and can become brighter at will. He's also described as having [[HotWings flaming wings]] in his true divine form, and has the ability to wield holy fire, which can burn away impurities and help free people from DemonicPossession. Because of the various traumas he suffered during the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict, as well as other untreated issues, Golden Scepter would end up showing a lot of his own worst traits that deeply affected his judgement, resulting in him becoming little more than a divine tyrant who would do horrible things like massacre non-Pony races and manipulate his own subjects for ([[TautologicalTemplar in his mind]]) noble intentions. It would be later averted; after being sealed away and then waking up in the Second Age, Golden Scepter found positive influences in Luminiferous and Queen Dazzleglow, which motivated him to atone for his crimes by [[WalkingTheEarth wandering all over Equus]] and learning from the examples set by both mortals and divines. By the time the Fourth Age rolled in, he had founded the Terran Empire and became both a loving father and truly benevolent leader, which earned him the praise of Canteros, Amareros' firstborn son and the god of Requited Love.
326* LikeASonToMe: He started treating Prince Healing Song like his own son because the blind Alicorn reminded him of his eighth son, Prince Crimson Star, who is also blind.
327* LikeFatherLikeSon: His father is Profectus Equus/Iridium Signet, one of the [[TheOlderImmortal Thirteen Empyreans]]. Like Profectus/Iridium, he is the patriarch of a large family, possesses an incredibly keen mind, and is a talented prodigy in science and technology. But they're also incredibly flawed stallions who made grave errors in judgement and did horrible things in their lifetimes, which they made efforts to atone for once they [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realized the error of their ways]].
328* LivingIsMoreThanSurviving: He has stated InUniverse that before his CharacterDevelopment, he had taken his own immortality for granted. After living through the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict and losing so many people close to him, both mortal and divine, he began to fear Death itself, which led to him researching ways for Ponykind to become Alicorns [[LonelyAtTheTop so he wouldn't feel lonely]]. However, what led to a change of outlook on life was his interactions with mortals, specifically his deceased wife and Empress-Consort, Blessed Skies, who taught him to always treasure the memories and friendships he made dearly on her deathbed.
329* LivingLegend: A [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/763812200/4756013157 conversation]] with [=BrutalityInc=] reveals that Golden Scepter is seen as a heroic legend among both Alicornkind and the rest of Equus, being not only a peerless genius and powerful psychic whose mind is said to be unmatched by even the mightiest of Alicorns, but also an incredibly competent ruler who founded ''three empires'' in his lifetime. He's also a beloved war hero who personally fought against Morning Star, and saved Alicornkind from extinction by protecting and hiding those who didn't participate in the war. However, he's not without detractors -- many Alicorns see Golden Scepter as "eccentric" for choosing to stay behind and help rebuild Equus rather go into seclusion to help his people regain their former glory, and his actions during the Imperium era made him a very controversial figure even by the Alicorns' standards.
330* LivingRelic: It's been stated in his entry that he is a living relic of Equus's long history, as he's an extremely ancient god and one of few surviving Alicorns who still lives in the outside world, unlike the rest who [[HiddenElfVillage went into complete seclusion to rebuilt their ruined society]]. Because of his great memory and knowledge, he's often visited by Pony historians who treat him as a living source of history regarding the fabled/fallen Alicorn Civilization... though unfortunately, Golden Scepter has attracted some unsavory individuals as well, such as the Alicorn Ascendancy, whose members are eager to get their hooves on the ancient magic once practiced by the Alicorns so they could discover the secrets of Ascension, and mass-produce Alicorns for various reasons. Because of this, Golden Scepter is willing to collaborate with Celestia and Luna in investigating and flushing out the Alicorn Ascendancy, especially after learning what had been done to [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth Crystal Prism]].
331* LonelyAtTheTop:
332** Deconstructed; the "Twilight of the Alicorns" conflict killed many Alicorns, including Golden Scepter's friends, loved ones, and neighbors. Although he chose to remain in the outside world to look for survivors due to his obligations as a ruler, and eventually founded another powerful civilization from his adventures, several millennia of living among mortals, combined with his unresolved PTSD, gradually warped him until he became a broken and rather lonely individual. His behavior would alienate many of his allies, since he believed that only he knew what was best for Ponykind, until General Aurum Lupus would rebel by launching a coup and managed to severely injure him before being killed himself. Golden Scepter was [[KingInTheMountain put in magical healing stasis]], but he was eventually forgotten, and his empire crumbled and was ultimately destroyed by benevolent kingdoms, empires, and civilizations.
333** Golden Scepter would later Reconstruct the trope following his reemergence and healing in the Second Age; having finally realized the error of his ways after Luminiferous showed him the Imperium's ruins, he would wander all over Equus, learning from both mortals and divines while helping those who needed it. His experiences would gradually make him a much kinder and tolerant stallion, and he would eventually settle down and found the smaller yet thriving Terran Empire, and have a family of his own.
334* LookOnMyWorksYeMightyAndDespair:
335** While it's unknown whether his first empire indulged in this or not, Golden Scepter knew that the Alicorn Civilization was slowly growing stagnant due to its extreme success as a divine utopia, causing its inhabitants to grow distant, arrogant, imperialistic, and high-hoofed. But despite his efforts to make himself truly aware, even he was blinded to the corruption, leading to Morning Star's betrayal and the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict. So rather than go into seclusion with the surviving Alicorns, he chose to go look for both mortal and divine survivors of the ten Ages-long civil wars, since he was obligated to do so as a ruler.
336** Once the Imperium of Ponykind was founded, he began believing in Ponykind's superiority and tried enforcing this by eradicating non-Pony races -- it was rumored and speculated InUniverse that the Imperium became expansionist because of these campaigns, to the point where it nearly covered the entirety of Equus or spread to other worlds. However, Golden Scepter's traumas made him unwittingly repeat his divine people's mistakes by essentially becoming a divine tyrant, causing most of his allies and subordinates to betray and nearly succeed in killing him.
337** Averted and defied with the Terran Empire, which was founded in the Fourth Age. Having learned from his mistakes and became more humble as a result, he established a new empire but applied [[GoodNeedsEvil a more balanced, Temnoistic perspective]] and kept it small in comparison to his previous empires. This allowed his empire to continue thriving where its predecessors did not.
338* MagicHair: Because of the sheer amount of magic and power he possesses, his mane and tail in his "true" form are made of black spatial, ethereal, and [[SupernaturalFloatingHair rippling]] energy that show off scenes of twinkling stars and yellow giant-type stars. His "[[GodInHumanForm default]]" form is implied to have normal hair.
339* MagicKnight: He's an ''incredibly'' powerful psychic, being the antediluvian Alicorn god of Psionics, and he's also a peerless warrior who can use any weapon, [[HeroesPreferSwords but prefers swords and is particularly skilled with them]].
340* MagneticHero: Justified. His entry notes that as the Alicorn god of Leadership, he possesses a divine aura that attracts people to him and and inspires people to be their very best and show off their innate loyalty, courage, and mercy. He also possesses the power to magically boost morale with just a few words, which boosts his own great skills in public speaking. However, it's deconstructed during the Imperium era. As his traumas from the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict and other various untreated issues started catching up to him, Golden Scepter would suffer severe lapses in judgement as his worst traits were brought to the forefront. Eventually, he committed so many atrocities and mistakes, while influencing his subjects to do the same, that he became little more than a divine tyrant in the eyes of many of his subordinates; General Aurum Lupus kickstarted the "Aurum Apostasy" conflict by turning traitor and leading a coup in a well-meaning attempt to depose his leader. Once Golden Scepter was injured and [[KingInTheMountain put in magical stasis]], his Imperium gradually crumbled in his absence (or perhaps because of it) until it was eventually destroyed by benevolent kingdoms and empires to end its threat to Equus. It's reconstructed when being saved and influenced by benevolent individuals, such as Luminiferous and Queen Dazzleglow, influenced him to become TheAtoner and undergo a long process of CharacterDevelopment by learning from the examples set by both mortals and divines. Receiving psychiatric help from Mentálne, the young Bogolenya Deer goddess of Mental Healing, helped heal his damaged psyche as well.
341* TheMagnificent: Known as "the Radiant Emperor of Ponykind" due to his deep connection to sapient Ponykind and his tendency to rule benevolently over them, as he embodies both their worst and best traits. It's later revealed in a canonized Codexverse drabble that the "Radiant" part isn't figurative -- he literally shines like a star in dark places due to his great power, and can will himself to become even brighter if he wants to. [[spoiler:A canonized [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/839546149/4838483560 Codexverse drabble]] reveals that he has decided to drop the "Ponykind" bit from his title after his interactions with Gilded Stove made him realize that [[{{Hypocrite}} he can't really promote racial coexistence in the Terran Empire if he has a title that implies he only supports one race]]]]. He has requested [[AuthorAvatar Jade Shell]], who authored Codex entries on him and his sons, to [[spoiler:change his title to just "the Radiant Emperor" whenever she or her colleagues mentions him, despite her protesting that "it didn't feel right"]].
342--> '''Jade Shell:''' But your Highness! You're the Radiant Emperor of Ponykind! I mean like, you EMBODY Ponykind! [[spoiler:Why change your title now?]]\
343'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' [[spoiler:It is true that I embody Ponykind as a concept, but the reasons for it had occurred so long ago that I can scarcely remember them now. And as of late, Miss Jade, I had been witnessing growing discontent among my subjects that I was unaware partially involved my title until a young Griffon chef brought it up to me. It made me realize that I cannot properly promote racial coexistence in my empire if I have a title that indicates I embody only one race. I know people have been calling me 'The Radiant Emperor of Ponykind' thanks to the legends surrounding me and for propriety's sake, but as of now, this must end. I have spent several millennia trying to break away from toxic traditions. I do not mind adding one more to the list]].
344* TheMaker: He's revealed to be the creator of the mortal Earthpony tribe, with Peachy and her husband Chestnut being the first sapient Earthpony mare and stallion, respectively. When Peachy and Chestnut had multitudes of children, all of them sapient, he would help guide their evolution until they formed other Pony tribes. This is where his title of "the Radiant Emperor of Ponykind" came from, [[spoiler:but later changed it to just "the Radiant Emperor after realizing its racist implications caused growing discontent among his mortal non-Pony Terran subjects]].
345* MassiveNumberedSiblings: He had ''a lot'' of older/younger brothers and sisters, many of whom likely died in the "Twilight of the Alicorns" and the CivilWar against Morning Star. So far, one of his younger sisters is Queen Hylia, [[spoiler:who reincarnated herself as the mortal Radiant Primrose out of grief over losing her knight/lover/champion to demons]], and two of his brothers are fraternal triplets. However, this fact isn't common knowledge, which his third son, Prince Ferreus Malleus, [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/848558436/4861088186 lampshades]].
346--> '''Prince Ferreus Malleus:''' I thought you were an only foal, Father.\
347'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' No, I was not. I had many, MANY brothers and sisters, who would Ascend and go on to become rulers of wondrous kingdoms, realms, and empires back in my people's heyday. In fact... if I recall correctly, I was the second-born of triplets. All fraternal.
348* MayflyDecemberRomance: He's an ancient and powerful divine Alicorn who married Blessed Skies, a mortal pegasus mare, which meant she couldn't keep up with his immortality despite the life-extending medicines and technology possessed by the Terran Empire. Nevertheless, they were [[HappilyMarried extremely loving and devoted to each other]], and on her deathbed, she taught him to treasure the memories and friendships he had and that LivingIsMoreThanSurviving.
349* MeaningfulName:
350** Golden Scepter is named after an ornamental staff used by rulers as a symbol of their legitimate sovereignty. True to form, his Cutie Mark depicts a winged royal scepter with a pony's head on it, marking him as a divine Emperor and the (literal and figurative) "ruler" of mortal Ponykind in general.
351** [[spoiler:His Alicorn name, Auriolus Scaeptrum, is a Latin version of his birth name, ''Golden Scepter''. Individually, Auriolus means "golden", but also "gold-colored", "brilliant", "splendid", and/or "excellent", while Scaeptrum means "scepter", but also "authority", "dominion", and/or "kingdom". Unlike Twilight's, which is Amicitia Sparkle Equestria, his Alicorn name lacks the name of the country he ruled over because it had completely changed since then, leaving him unable to remember it. In general, the fact that it's a fancier version of his birth name refers to the various flaws that Golden Scepter eventually found intolerable about the ancient Alicorns, such as arrogance, decadence, and corruption, which motivated him to throw his Alicorn name away]].
352* MeaningfulRename: Justified and played for drama. A canonized Codexverse drabble reveals that [[spoiler:Golden Scepter is his ''true'' name, and that he had an Alicorn name, Auriolus Scaeptrum, which he received upon establishing his first empire. However, the Alicorns' flaws and mistakes that led to the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict, combined with the various atrocities that he committed during the Imperium era, left him so disgusted with himself that he began seeing his Alicorn name as the symbol of everything wrong with the Alicorn Civilization and its practices/beliefs. To distance himself from his people, he took on his true name as Golden Scepter once again, and threw away his previous identity, claiming to Princess Twilight Sparkle that Auriolus Scaeptrum "[[ThatManIsDead died at the hooves of those who deemed him a divine tyrant and threw him down from the pedestal he built for himself]]"]].
353* MedicalMonarch: He's an Alicorn Emperor whose PsychicPowers include [[HealingHands healing powers]] as part of his Psionics domain.
354* MentorArchetype: Much like Luminiferous, it's mentioned in his BadassBoast that he had mentored ''many'' mortal and divine individuals -- or at least helped them on their quests -- and helped them tap into their inner potential for greatness. It's implied that this is one of the reasons why he joined the Church of the Stars despite it being a religion, because its core philosophy revolved around breaking {{Vicious Cycle}}s and working to improve oneself to become as great as the gods themselves. However, his entry notes that he used to be rather manipulative and hoof-fisted in how he used to teach his students, being enamored with what they could be on a collective level while not giving a damn about them individually, until Luminiferous ended his "one size fits all" methods and taught him how to develop empathy for his students.
355** He would later become a mentor to Prince Sparkling Wing after [[{{Seers}} foreseeing]] the younger Alicorn as a great and beloved ruler of his own kingdom, though he admitted that on some level, he's still stuck in his ways; he constantly feels that Sparkling Wing is [[BrilliantButLazy very intelligent and capable, yet is wasting his talents on "mere parlor tricks"]], and would scold Sparkling Wing every time he caught him goofing off.
356** He has become a mentor to Princess Arcus in the Fourth Age, tutoring her on how to control her massive power gained from absorbing the Nexus of Magic in its entirety at the end of the Third Age. It's noted that it's still a work-in-progress.
357** He has mentored two members of the "Tales/Virtuous Seven" group in the Second Age while he was disguised as "Revelation". He taught Sweetheart how to use [[HolyHandGrenade holy magic]], leading to it to become ingrained in her bloodline when it mixed with her powers as the wielder of the Shield of Love. He also fostered Professor Bright Eyes' innate telepathic abilities, revealing her to be a "psyker", and it's these interactions with her that led to him naming his ninth son after her out of respect for the original Bright Eyes.
358* MergerOfSouls: One theory about his origins proposed InUniverse by tabletop game writers is that he's the collective reincarnation of various Pony mages, wizards, and sorcerers, which explains why he embodies Ponykind. [[TakeThat Golden Scepter found the theory so utterly ridiculous that he laughed and praised the game writers' creativity]].
359* MindOverMatter: He has powerful telekinesis, though as the Alicorn god of Psionics, his telekinesis differs from the unicorn variety in that it comes entirely from his mind.
360* MoralityPet: He serves as one to Temnobog, due to them being close friends. This is justified; as the Alicorn god of Ponykind, he embodies the person that Temnobog and Belyolen were supposed to be, earning Temnobog's respect. Golden Scepter also reached out to Temnobog and treated him kindly, [[WhatYouAreInTheDark even though it'll get him hated by others for associating with an Evil god]], which forever endeared Temnobog (and by extension, his surviving children) to him. A canonized Codexverse quote reveals that Temnobog has lusted after Golden Scepter and considered bedding him at one point, but has realized that violating his best friend to satisfy his own urges will not only irrevocably ruin their friendship, but also make him no better than the followers of "careless/destructive" Evil he opposed and thus prove to [[AbusiveParents Irminsul]] that he is an abomination that must be destroyed for mortal Deerkind's benefit. It's revealed that Canteros arranged for them befriending each other in the first place; as Temnobog was still suffering from consequences of the Elternteil Deer Pantheon's emotional abuse, Canteros "[[TheEmpath nudged]]" empathetic individuals like Upepo, Golden Scepter, and High King Kaldr to Temnobog so they could give the latter a steady stream of support that'll allow him to heal.
361* MortonsFork: Upon finding out that a royal Terran chef with Autorist ties, Gilded Stove, intended to kill him with [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned spaghetti]], he's so disappointed by the pathetic and unoriginal assassination attempt that he presents Gilded Stove with two options: Either tuition under his nineteen demi-divine sons (who are all ''very'' angry with Gilded Stove for trying to murder their father) to do a better job, or "do the right thing" by turning himself in. Neither options are good, but Gilded Stove doesn't want to face a horrible death at the hooves of Golden Scepter's sons, so he picks the latter option by surrendering and turning himself in.
362* {{Mutants}}: He's a Perpetual, beings that were granted nigh-perfect agelessness and ResurrectiveImmortality, technically making him a divine 'mutant' since a huge majority of divines don't have this. It's also hereditary, as his fifth-born son, Terran Prince Forging Scale, is a Perpetual. It's heavily suspected that he became a Perpetual through being experimented on in the past by his father, Profectus Equus/Iridium Signet, as part of a project the latter once worked on with the Fallen Empyrean.
363* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
364** After Luminiferous showed him the ruins of the Imperium of Ponykind, Golden Scepter realized that he became [[NotSoDifferentRemark no better]] than Morning Star or [[WeHaveBecomeComplacent his fellow Alicorns]] during his Imperium-era rule, which convinced him that he was a "monster". However, Luminiferous points out that his ability to feel remorse towards his actions proves that he's actually not a monster, and that there's still hope for him to redeem himself and break himself out of the ViciousCycle of greatness, stagnation, and corruption. This led to Golden Scepter becoming TheAtoner and started a much-needed process of CharacterDevelopment, becoming much kinder as a result. This trope also motivated him to [[spoiler:reject his Alicorn name and identity as Auriolus Scaeptrum, as he sees it as a symbol of everything wrong with the Alicorn Civilization and its practices/beliefs, and adopt his birth name, ''Golden Scepter'']].
365** Golden Scepter also invoked this reaction in a Fourth-Age group of Pony Autorists that attacked his empire by [[EmotionBomb making them feel the tormented emotions of their victims]]. Those who genuinely regretted their actions and surrendered were let go with a gentle yet firm warning, while the leader was noted to be severely punished after she continued to indulge in her hatred and twisted ideas of supremacy.
366** After learning that three of his sons (Fanged Paw, Death Shroud, and Red Blade) ganged up on Crimson Star and left him near death with a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown, [[PapaWolf Golden Scepter]] was ''furious'', and proceeded to [[EmotionBomb show his sons the sheer emotional torment their brother was going through after he was blinded in a carriage accident]]. This trope was shown to have been invoked with Fanged Paw, who felt guilty over what he had done that he didn't protest when he got called out by those of his brothers who didn't like how he treated Crimson Star, or when he got exiled from the Terran Empire by his father as punishment.
367* MyGreatestFailure: He has a long list of failures that he made during his long life, many of which he regrets deeply to this day.
368** He sees his entire reign over the Imperium of Ponykind as one huge failure, as during this period he was an arrogant, ruthless, hypocritical, extreme, and xenophobic tyrant who justified his cruel actions with good intentions. One of the mistakes he made in particular was torching a very prosperous city [[StopWorshippingMe for encouraging religious worship of him]], killing millions of innocent people, while harshly rebuking and humiliating one of his "Golden Generals" who founded said city, [[BreakTheBeliever turning one of his most ardent followers against him]]. He would later refer to the incident as one of the worst mistakes he ever made, to the point where learning that one of his sons, Written Word, was secretly encouraging public worship of him [[TraumaButton reminded him of said mistake]]. In fact, he sees the Imperium of Ponykind and anything related to it in general as a very bad phase he went through at some point in his life.
369** Before the "Twilight of the Alicorns" conflict, he would, among other "dishonest" things, take in both mares and stallions as romantic partners. Even though he gave all of his partners the genuine love and respect they deserved, Golden Scepter regretted the things he had done, despite knowing of the corruption that was plaguing his people and his attempts to bring awareness to it. It's implied that his choosing a single mortal pegasus mare as his wife, and staying faithful to her long after her death, was one of his attempts to distance himself from the mistakes and flaws that ultimately ruined the Alicorns. A Codexverse quote implies that his past polyamorous relationships also became the reason why he refuses to sleep with Temnobog despite the latter lusting after him; being his best friend, Temnobog completely understands and is even willing to restrain his own basic urges for Golden Scepter's sake.
370** He also felt this way towards how he raised Queen Majesty in her foalhood. Because she was a sickly filly with no sign of Primordial Quintessence despite being one of his descendants, Golden Scepter felt she wasn't worth his time and only adopted Majesty out of duty, never letting her call him "father" and generally ignoring her. This eventually led to Majesty running away from home looking for love and approval, and, once she realized it isn't worth it, ended up being one of the many heroes responsible for the Imperium of Ponykind's fall. It took Golden Scepter three Ages to realize he was wrong to treat Majesty the way he did once he got out of stasis, but by the time he found her, she had become a spirit guide for the Queens of Friendship Garden, as the last time he saw Majesty alive was [[PartingWordsRegret during a vicious argument between them]]. They do reconcile in the end, with Golden Scepter finally acknowledging Majesty as his adoptive daughter.
371* MysteriousPast: Since he's incredibly ancient, his early life remains a mystery -- it is speculated InUniverse that he was a child of an extremely ancient god, [[MergerOfSouls the collective reincarnation of various mages, wizards, and sorcerers]] according to [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 some tabletop game writers]] ([[TakeThat which apparently made Golden Scepter laugh and praise the writers' creativity]]), a member of a group of undying immortals who acquired godhood and great powers, [[DeityOfHumanOrigin or simply an Ascended mortal]]. Another theory is that he's the "Parent Deity" of mortal Ponykind, just like how Equus is the "Parent Deity" of all Equine races, including the Alicorns who became the greatest of his Equine children. This would make Equus the [[DivineParentage biological father]] of Golden Scepter; however, the latter has stated that his domain is likely figurative as Ponykind existed long before he did... though he's not too sure himself. A canonized Codexverse drabble reveals that [[spoiler:his birth name was Golden Scepter, but upon becoming Emperor of his first empire -- which he founded -- he was renamed "Auriolus Scaeptrum". However, he became so disgusted with the many atrocities and other "dishonest" things he had done under that name that he threw it away and went back to using his birth name to distance himself from both his past, and the various flaws and mistakes of the Alicorns]]. An addendum to his entry also suggests that he earned his domain of Ponykind after Ascending to godhood through either encouraging mortal Ponykind's development or uplifting them himself as a magical/psychic species.
372* NamedByTheAdaptation: The [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Emperor of Mankind]] had no name in canon. Here, he's given the name of Golden Scepter [[spoiler:along with an Alicorn name, Auriolus Scaeptrum, which was given to him upon becoming Emperor of his first empire, though he threw that name away after becoming disgusted with the many atrocities he committed under it]].
373* NiceJobBreakingItHero: His reaction to his younger brother creating the Arkians, a race of Synthetic Automatons, resulted directly in Arcum's death to protect his creations and the Arkians, formally overall peaceful, [[SelfFulfillingProphecy turning on organics for real]] in retaliation.
374* NighInvulnerability: He is [[https://www.deviantart.com/brutalityinc/art/Codex-Equus-Genetic-Mutations-2-872154991 revealed]] to be a '[[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Perpetual]]', a person with a mutation that grants them perpetual agelessness ''and'' ResurrectiveImmortality even beyond the standards of typical deities. As such, nothing can truly kill him, including being devoured by greater beings or, theoretically, being thrown into a black hole or subjected to a ''[[SphereOfDestruction Sphere of Annihilation]]'' spell. The only ways he can be grieviously injured is through special artifacts like the lost 'Fulgurite Lance' from the Imperium Era or the foul divine powers the [[GodOfEvil Malignant Powers]] gave to the traitorous Golden General Aurum Lupus. It's heavily suspected InUniverse that he along with his fraternal triplet brothers, Diamond Mantle and Platinum Crown, were experimented on by their father, Profectus Equus/Iridium Signet, as part of a project he once worked on with the Fallen Empyrean, and may have ''created'' the Perpetuity mutation itself.
375* NoIndoorVoice: Upon shedding his "[[GodInHumanForm default]]" form to reveal his true form as an ancient, six-winged Alicorn god in the "Temptation Unbound" conflict, he starts speaking in '''[[PaintingTheMedium BOLDED CAPSLOCK]]'''. It shows the sheer scope of just how powerful, experienced, and ancient he is compared to the many deities that populate Equus.
376* NoSell: Justified. It's mentioned in his entry that as an Alicorn, he could use his Earth pony magic to enhance his natural endurance. His extreme age and power allows him to tank most attacks that would injure and/or kill semi-divines, or even younger full divines.
377* NotSoAboveItAll: Despite being an ancient, dignified deity, he has his sillier moments at times. This is justified as [[WhatsUpKingDude he wants to appear more down-to-earth and relatable to his subjects]], having had learned long ago that acting imperiously would only alienate them.
378** He tends to laugh good and hard whenever he hears some of the wilder theories people make about him and his sons, such as the theory of him being [[MergerOfSouls a collective reincarnation of Pony mages, wizards, and sorcerers]], or the theory of his fifteenth son Prince Night Shade being sired through [[TheOlderImmortal Skotádi, the Darkness Primeval]] instead of his mortal pegasus wife, Blessed Skies.
379** He had gone through so many assassination attempts that [[SeenItAll they really don't faze him much]]. When a Terran chef, Gilded Stove, tried killing him with [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned spaghetti]], Golden Scepter was so disappointed by the pathetic and unoriginal attempt that he proceeded to scold Gilded Stove for not being "creative" enough, like a teacher scolding his student for submitting an assignment that was poorly done. And when a Griffon Autorist tried killing him with a foul-smelling [[MysticalPlague magical plague bomb]] for opposing their movement, Golden Scepter proceeded to [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight treat it as if he just found a dirty old sock]], with his eighth son, Prince Crimson Star, doing the same.
380** He doesn't seem to mind the fact that all of his biological children are stallions. When Trixie lampshades this by calling his family a "sausage fest" during a visit in the Terran Empire, he found it so hilarious that he laughed, rather than being offended.
381** He befriended Dr. Endless Dreams, an honorary Virtusidae and an eldritch goddess, on the reasoning that he was rather impressed with her accomplishment of obliterating the mind of a sealed eldritch god and assimilated its power through sheer will. When Kúzelník and Luminiferous caught them together in the Church of the Stars, they were trying to "out-eldritch each other" in Kúzelník's words, revealing their true divine forms to each other with no adverse side-effects and having a good laugh about it.
382* OddFriendship: It's mentioned he has this kind of relationship with Temnobog. Despite both of them being night and day in terms of personality, beliefs, and abilities, and despite Temnobog being the ''last'' sort of person that someone like Golden Scepter would want to associate with, they were nevertheless able to become good friends. Part of the reason is implied that, as a highly beloved ruler and the living embodiment of Ponykind, Golden Scepter represents the god Belyolen and Temnobog should have been, though a Codexverse quote also reveals that he and Temnobog became friends because, after hearing of the latter's emotionally abusive past, Golden Scepter treated him kindly and went out of his way to help him and his brother despite Temnobog being a GodOfEvil. Their friendship is such that Temnobog is willing to restrain his own lustful nature for Golden Scepter's sake despite finding him "incredibly handsome", and Golden Scepter is equally willing to protect him -- and by extension, Belyolen and the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon -- if need be, as High King Irminsul unfortunately discovered. Some of Golden Scepter's sons see this as rather odd, blasphemous even, though Pokhot, Temnobog's youngest daughter, sees nothing wrong with it and often plays "[[SecretTestOfCharacter games]]" of temptation with them whenever they visit the Bogolenya pantheon, as her way of being friendly with the children of a god who's friends with her father. It's revealed in Canteros' entry that Canteros was responsible for Golden Scepter befriending Temnobog in the first place; as Temnobog [[IJustWantToBeLoved only wanted to be loved and respected]], Canteros pulled some strings to ensure the Deer god of Evil's emotional recovery from the Elternteil Deer Pantheon's emotional abuse, "[[TheEmpath nudging]]" empathetic individuals like Upepo, Golden Scepter, and Kaldr to him so he could receive a steady stream of support.
383* OhCrap: He had a rare moment of shock and horror when Oblivion Flame, the Phoenix of Ruin resurrected after being stabbed with [[ImmortalBreaker an Alicorn Dagger]], which should be impossible.
384* OldFlame: Subverted. It's revealed in both [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/763812200/4755538567 comments]] and Written Word's entry that in the past, Golden Scepter slept with both mares and stallions as most of his people did. But unlike his people, who would [[{{Polyamory}} take in multiple partners for pleasure]], Golden Scepter was genuinely loving and respectful towards all of his partners, and gave them all the good treatment they deserved, even if he regretted participating in some of his neighbors' more "dishonest" activities. Even after the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict and the thousands of years that would follow, he still thinks about how they're doing without him. That being said, while he misses them, Golden Scepter was very faithful to his now-deceased mortal wife, Blessed Skies, and makes it clear to his son, Written Word, that he doesn't love his family even less for it as they're all precious to him in their own ways.
385* OldShame: InUniverse. After he became TheAtoner and wandered all over Equus, gaining much-needed CharacterDevelopment that allowed him to [[TookALevelInKindness become much kinder and tolerant]], he rightly came to see his past actions as excessive and cruel, and has expressed anger, shame, and disgust over what he had done.
386** This is why he became a bitter enemy of Poena (and by extension, the entire Poenan pantheon) and the Clovenists. He sees them as no different than deluded tyrants and extremists with their methods, and has publicly decried them as such. He even [[CurbStompBattle easily defeated Poena and her followers]] when they tried attacking him in retaliation, showing how much he had changed over the years.
387** He also ''hates'' racial supremacists like the various Tribalist factions and especially the Autorists, because they're displaying the same behavior that he used to have towards Ponykind. However, while he's known for being one of their bitterest enemies, he also believes that some of the Tribalists/Autorists [[PunchClockVillain have simply been misled]] and thus have the potential to be redeemed, just as he himself had been. This is why he makes it his personal responsibility to [[SaveTheVillain save them from "the clutches of Evil itself"]], and why he doesn't think it's funny to ridicule such individuals as other heroic-minded individuals had done.
388** This trope is also why he hates the divine Changeling Emperor Blackthorn -- Blackthorn is a consummate schemer and manipulator who embodies the very traits Golden Scepter once had and now sought to avoid, including his tendency to treat even those close to him as pawns. During his visit of the Summer Court, Golden Scepter would constantly be on edge around Blackthorn because of how despicable his younger compatriot comes off to him.
389** This trope is also why [[spoiler:he rejected his Alicorn name, Auriolus Scaeptrum. He committed so many atrocities under that name that during his atonement process in the Second Age, he felt extremely disgusted with himself and came to see his Alicorn name as a symbol of everything wrong with the Alicorn civilization, and its practices and beliefs. He currently goes by his birth name, Golden Scepter, because in his eyes, Auriolus Scaeptrum [[ThatManIsDead died in the "Aurum Apostasy" during the Imperium era]]]].
390* OneWingedAngel: Inverted. He is a heroic individual whose true form is an incredibly ancient, six-winged Alicorn god whose hair is made of spatial energy, and his wing feathers are made of holy fire. In addition, he has a [[HolyHalo shining halo]] behind his head. It's implied in Codexverse entries and supplementary drabbles/quotes that he only reveals this form when there's no other way or when he's ''extremely'' pissed-off, as he doesn't want to cause collateral damage.
391** While visiting the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon, he found Belyolen and Temnobog heatedly arguing with their father, High King Irminsul, who was also visiting. The horrible things Irminsul said about Temnobog and the non-Deer/hybrid Bogolenya deities ''enraged'' Golden Scepter to the point where he revealed his true divine form, and confronted the High King in front of everyone. What followed next was a [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech dressing-down]] so ''vicious'' that Irminsul became deeply terrified of Golden Scepter even if he doesn't show it, and now stays far away from the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon on the off-chance that the Alicorn Emperor might be there, too if he decides to visit again.
392** He would reveal his true divine form again during the "Temptation Unbound" conflict after he discovered that a group of Fallen deities and their worshipers tried engineering the fracturing and downfall of his family, which ''infuriated'' him.
393[[/folder]]
394
395[[folder:P - S]]
396* PaintingTheMedium: Upon shedding his "[[GodInHumanForm default]]" form to reveal his true form as an ancient, six-winged Alicorn god in the "Temptation Unbound" conflict, he starts speaking in '''[[NoIndoorVoice BOLDED CAPSLOCK]]'''. It shows the sheer scope of just how powerful, experienced, and ancient he is compared to the many deities that populate Equus.
397* PapaWolf:
398** Deconstructed and reconstructed with mortal Ponykind itself. As the living embodiment of mortal Ponykind's best and worst traits, he became rather fond of his Pony subjects and tried leading them to greatness. But after the Alicorn Civilization's fall and fighting [[SatanicArchetype Morning Star]] for ''ten Ages'', Golden Scepter was left so traumatized that his judgement and love for Ponykind became warped during the Imperium era. He kick-started numerous wars that were little more than genocidal campaigns out of extreme protectiveness towards Ponykind, and later on, he began loving his Pony subjects only on a collective level, focusing on what they could become while not giving a damn about them individually. This would eventually lead to General Aurum Lupus betraying and gravely wounding him in the "Aurum Apostasy", necessitating his being sealed away. His rule ultimately influenced his subjects to become as ruthless, xenophobic, paranoid, and cruel as he was, as the Imperium turned into a WretchedHive that was later destroyed to end its threat to Equus. However, after he was found and revived by Luminiferous and Dazzleglow in the Second Age, Golden Scepter [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realized the sheer horror of his actions]] and, with Luminiferous's help, atoned for his crimes by [[WalkingTheEarth wandering all over Equus]] to learn from the examples set by both mortals and divines. His journeys, as well as divine therapeutic help from Mentálne, would influence him to become much kinder and benevolent, and he was able to become a proper ruler who truly cares about his subjects and Ponykind in general.
399** After becoming a father of many semi-divine sons, however, he naturally became protective of them, even if his sons are threatened by [[CainAndAbel their own brothers]].
400*** He would always try to intervene whenever Fanged Paw got into violent fights with Crimson Star over the latter's InsufferableGenius behavior. When Fanged Paw later went too far and left a depressed and blinded Crimson Star near death by ganging up on him with two other brothers, Red Blade and Death Shroud, [[BigBrotherInstinct provoking the ire of Blazing Hoof]], Golden Scepter would again intervene before things got too bloody, taking Crimson Star to the royal infirmary to be revived before punishing Fanged Paw and his brothers for their actions, with Fanged Paw being exiled from the Terran Empire until he showed significant CharacterDevelopment. Fanged Paw's entry also notes that he was so ''furious'' with his three sons that he proceeded to [[EmotionBomb psychically show them exactly what Crimson Star was going through after the accident that blinded him]], causing Fanged Paw to have an MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment.
401*** During the "Temptation Unbound" conflict, after Crimson Star warned him about a bad future in which his family would be torn apart in a crisis that would result in his death, Golden Scepter was so ''angry'' that he saw fit to shed his "[[GodInHumanForm default]]" Alicorn form and reveal his ''true'' form -- that of an ancient, six-winged Alicorn god whose power, experience, and age puts him in the same "age" bracket as the first generation of the divine "Ponyfriends". And during his confrontation with the Fallen deities and their worshipers who tried to manipulate and destroy his family, he makes it ''quite clear'' that he won't let their actions towards his sons, as well as his subjects, go unpunished.
402----> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' '''I WILL SHOW YOU JUST HOW FAR A FATHER IS WILLING TO GO IN PROTECTING HIS CHILDREN FROM THOSE WHO DARE TO HARM THEM.'''
403*** When a group of Clovenist assassins tried [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/830919076/4819590607 murdering Prince Bright Eyes]] as part of their efforts to demoralize the Terran Empire and "liberate" it from what they saw as (demi-)divine "tyrants". However, the assassination failed, and a furious Golden Scepter would confront and punish the assassins for what they did. In response to this incident, the Cloven Empire [[NeverMyFault used enough plausible deniability to deflect blame off themselves]] and ensure that [[KarmaHoudini both the Terran Empire and its allies would never retaliate against them]], but it led to the already strained diplomatic relations between the Clovenists and the Terrans deteriorating even further.
404----> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ''You DARE try to kill one of'' '''''MY''''' ''SONS?!'' '''''IN MY OWN HOUSE?!'''''
405** During a visit to the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon, he overheard High King Irminsul saying horrible things about Temnobog and the non-Deer/hybrid Bogolenya deities during a heated argument with Belyolen and Temnobog. This ''enraged'' Golden Scepter to the point where he confronted Irminsul in front of everyone while in his true divine form, and gave him an ''epic'' TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, leaving Irminsul so terrified that he avoids visiting the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon out of fear of bumping into the Alicorn Emperor again. The possibility of incurring Golden Scepter's wrath again is brought up by Belyolen when he prevented his father and the Elternteil Deer Pantheon from punishing [[HumbleHero Blue Suede Heartstrings]] for supposedly "stealing" away their mortal Alvslog Deer subjects; because Blue is friends with Prince Stoltur Skjöldur, hurting him would invite the rage of Temnobog's entire family, and Golden Scepter will go after the Elternteil Deer Pantheon if one of ''his'' friends were hurt. This successfully gets Irminsul and the other Elternteil Deer deities to back off and leave Blue alone.
406** He's also protective of [[HandicappedBadass Prince Healing Song]], whom he treats like a son, and has defended Healing Song from those who tried making him look like a respectable deity. He even remarks how it would be a "shame" if those same deities would go as far as to harass Healing Song in front of the Church of the Stars.
407---> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ''(to Prince Healing Song)'' Again, you are in no obligation to follow their every demand, young Prince. You cannot please everyone. And if they continue to bother you about your jacket... well, it would be a shame if they decide to do that while we are present, would it not?
408** During a meeting with [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/948485378/5055815641 the Hierarchs of the Alicorn Civilization]], they decide to condemn his adopted daughter Majesty for destroying the Law of Despair, and thus rendering any magic and technology reliant on the Warp worthless, including their's. He proceeds to defend his daughter by detailing just ''how bad'' the galaxy had become to leave Majesty no other choice, and goes into a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, calling them out on remaining in isolation while the galaxy suffered. He finishes by retorting the idea they could've found a way and leaving them stunned silent with no retort. They never bring Majesty up again.
409* ParentalNeglect: Deconstructed. While he took in a young Majesty and let her live with him in the Imperium, it was only out of obligation to one of his descendants, and the moment he discovered that Majesty didn't have any Primordial Quintessence of her own despite being related, he started emotionally neglecting her and never let his charge refer to him as her "father". This caused Majesty to [[WellDoneSonGuy do anything to earn his approval]] and, eventually, seek love from others to make up for her completely loveless upbringing. Meeting the Moochick made her realize that earning Golden Scepter's approval wasn't worth it and opposed him and his Imperium instead, with the last time Golden Scepter seeing her alive being [[PartingWordsRegret a nasty argument that ensued when Majesty tried making him see the error of his ways]]. It took eons for him to realize that he treated Majesty awfully, and they eventually reconciled in the Fourth Age of Known History after he discovered that Majesty, now a spirit guide for Friendship Gardens' royalty, is currently residing within the Enchanted Throne.
410* ParentalSexualitySquick: While this wasn't his intention, an innocent question presented by one of his sons, Prince Emerald Lion, resulted in Golden Scepter invoking this reactions in all his sons when he started telling them stories about how the Alicorn Civilization once had a FreeLoveFuture, as well as his own sex life in which he slept with both mares and stallions in the past. At least two sons [[TooMuchInformation reacted accordingly]] -- Crimson Star ran out of the royal Terran palace at full speed while [[IgnoringBySinging singing]] and screaming at the top of his lungs, while Written Word was so traumatized that he apparently holed himself up in his bedroom and was later found coiled in a TroubledFetalPosition. Golden Scepter would later apologize to Written Word for traumatizing him and his brothers, and confirm that yes, everything he had told them really did happen in his time. It's noted in Written Word's entry that this incident was what started the process of BrokenPedestal towards Golden Scepter for him.
411* ParentalSubstitute:
412** Prince Sparkling Wing sees both him and Queen Dazzleglow as his surrogate parents, especially after he started losing his biological family and old friends to time and age. It's noted in Sparkling Wing's entry that while a good father figure (literally and figuratively), Golden Scepter can come across as a bit stern, stuffy, and restricting due to being so ancient, though he's getting better.
413** He is also the biological divine ancestor of Queen Majesty, and also her adoptive father. However, by Golden Scepter's own regretful admission, he wasn't the best parent for her, as he emotionally neglected Majesty for not being like her fellow descendants in terms of a lack of divine Primordial Quintessence and possessing an imperfect immortality compared to his. This left Majesty with an inferiority complex and caused her to look for love anywhere but home, which eventually caused her to realize that trying to earn approval from someone who clearly doesn't love her isn't worth it when she met the Moochick. The last time Golden Scepter saw Majesty alive was [[PartingWordsRegret when they got into a nasty argument after she tried talking sense into him]], and he later ended up in healing stasis for countless Ages after he was wounded by the traitorous General Aurum Lupus. When Golden Scepter reunited with Majesty, she had already died due to her imperfect immortality and is now a spirit guide residing within the Enchanted Throne... though they would finally reconcile through Fluttershy [[spoiler:who had permanently become Queen Gaia of Friendship Gardens at this point]]. Golden Scepter finally and formally acknowledging his adoption of Majesty meant that she is now his oldest child, much to his nineteen sons' shock and amusement.
414** He also became one to [[spoiler:Kúzelník, the Deer god of Sorcery. After Kúzelník confessed his wishes to be Golden Scepter's son instead of Irminsul's, Golden Scepter sympathized with his feelings and officially adopted him into his family. At first, Kúzelník feared the Terran Princes wouldn't like him, but they all welcomed him warmly because he was a good friend to Prince Crimson Star, and [[BondingOverMissingParents understood his grief over losing his unborn brother to Irminsul, as it was not really different from their own loss of their mortal mother to old age]].
415* PartingWordsRegret: By his own regretful admission, the last time Golden Scepter saw his biological descendant and adoptive daughter, Queen Majesty, alive was during a vicious argument that ensued after she tried to talk some sense into him to snap him out of his increasingly haughty, tyrannical behavior. When he met Majesty again in the Fourth Age, at this point she became a spirit residing within the Enchanted Throne, as she died during the First Age while he was in healing stasis due to her possessing imperfect immortality. Fortunately, they would reconcile, with Golden Scepter finally acknowledging his adoption of Majesty and letting her call him "Father", and Majesty forgiving him for all his transgressions against her in life.
416* PersonOfMassDestruction: As Alicorns are known for being powerful {{Physical God}}s, it's a given for him. A few entries describe him as an ancient god who boasts ''incredible'' power -- because he embodies Psionics, he has far-reaching powers like telepathy and telekinesis; he can [[EmotionBomb psychically affect]] large groups of people with his [[TheEmpath empathy]] (as a group of Pony Autorists learned the hard way), and Prince Crimson Star's entry notes that he's capable of minor [[RealityWarper reality-warping]]. In addition, it's rumored that even before Known History, even the mightiest of Alicornkind couldn't match his potent mind. He's also a powerful [[PlayingWithFire fire mage]] who can [[HolyHandGrenade purify and destroy corrupt influences with his fires]], which combined with his extraordinary combat skills can make him a ''nightmare'' for demonic individuals and even Fallen deities. Because of this, any attempt to pick a fight with him would almost always end with a CurbStompBattle. However, it's stated in his own entry that he often takes the form of a rather normal-looking Alicorn when among mortals, and the truth is that, like Queen Mzazi and Isati, he's a benevolent AnimalisticAbomination who is ''much'' more powerful in his true form.
417** An example would be his Fourth-Age confrontation of Teos after learning of his old friend's murder of Promes and his "children", as well as Teos' goal to stifle mortal Ponykind out of fear of its collective potential. Golden Scepter was so ''furious'' that the resulting fight led to his own palace being partially destroyed. His trusted herald and regent, Midnight, noted that "falling-out" would be inadequate to describe the actual scale of the destruction.
418** This becomes a plot point in the Second-Age "Battle of Sin and Virtue" event -- [[spoiler:although Queen Dark Crystal is one of the most powerful evil witches in Equus' history and certainly a very dangerous threat, the Grand Primevals wanted to see how well mortal sapientkind would fare against someone like her. If deities like Golden Scepter and Queen Mzazi participated in the fight, it would tip the scales too much in the heroes' favor as their overwhelming power would rob said heroes of a proper chance to prove themselves in future battles of good and evil. Luminiferous suspects this to be the case as Golden Scepter and Mzazi were gone for the entire battle, having been "arranged" to deal with off-world crises by the Grand Primevals, while he himself was prevented from helping the Tales Seven group beyond subtly mentoring them]].
419* PhysicalGod: This is a given, due to being an [[WingedUnicorn Alicorn]]. However, he's an "Antecedent"-type one, meaning that Golden Scepter is ''extremely'' ancient, and ''extremely'' powerful compared to the newly-Ascended Alicorns of current generations. In addition, he's one of the strongest psychics on Equus, to the point where his entry mentions that even the mightiest Alicorns couldn't hope to match his potent mind. Even one of his mortal Pony generals, General Aurum Lupus, had to rely on divine empowerment to even confront him during the "Aurum Apostasy" conflict after he [[FaceHeelTurn turned traitor]]. As such, any attempt to fight him will almost always result in an extremely one-sided CurbStompBattle. And because he's so ancient and how aging works for divines in the Codexverse, his true form has become a AnimalisticAbomination, with black spatial energy for hair, a white-to-yellow wing gradient, and six wings made of holy fire. Being born a "prodigy" deity also means that his physical and magical growths are accelerated at an abnormal rate compared to those of normal divines. [[spoiler:A canonized Codexverse drabble reveals that at some point, he started to grow his fourth set of wings, something that Queen Mzazi noticed during a friendly visit]].
420* PlayingWithFire: He's stated by his entry to be a very skilled fire mage. Unlike most mortals and divines, he wields [[HolyHandGrenade holy fire]], which is capable of healing by burning away impurities and accelerate physical healing through heat, and purging targets of corrupt influences. This power proved incredibly handy in saving the Void Traveler's victims from DemonicPossession, and helped free various people from the thrall of Ispita the Deceiver and her various children/allies. He is famous for channeling this power through his trusty [[CoolSword divine sword]], which would be named ''[[NamedWeapon Fireslayer]]'', and passing on a portion of his power onto it so anyone else, divine or mortal, could wield it during a time of need.
421* {{Polyamory}}: It's implied that he took in multiple partners of both genders in the past during the Alicorn Civilization-era, but unlike some of his neighbors and peers who did the same thing for pleasure, he tried to treat all of his partners well by giving them the love and respect they deserved. While he does miss his partners, having not seen each other for so long since the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]", and the moments they had together, he deeply regretted participating in his people's more "dishonest" activities and tried to separate from the Alicorns' mistakes and flaws by marrying and staying faithful to a single mortal mare.
422* ThePowerOfLove: As indicated by his exchange with Prince Sparkling Wing, he believes that empathy is the greatest weapon that both mortals and divines can have in times where hatred, paranoia, suffering, and violence are most prevalent.
423* PrecisionFStrike: He normally doesn't swear, but he has many... ''colorful'' opinions on his fallen former home, the Alicorn Civilization. As it was an extremely successful divine precursor civilization that fell into incredible levels of arrogance, complacency, corruption, and other depravities, his feelings are understandable.
424--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' And then, as the little ponies say... the Alicorns and their allies '''''fucked''''' everything up. LITERALLY.
425* ProHumanTranshuman: Deconstructed. He's an ancient and powerful Alicorn god who embodies Ponykind as a concept (and is speculated to be the "Parental Deity" of modern Ponykind), and was noted to be rather fond of mortal Ponykind. However, a tragic combination of various factors -- such as the Alicorns' toxic practices, his own flaws, and untreated war-related PTSD -- left him unable to truly connect with his subjects. This became prominent during his reign over the [[GalacticSuperpower Imperium of Ponykind]] where, much like the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Emperor of Mankind]], his xenophobia, ruthlessness, arrogance, and hypocrisy would alienate everyone around him and ultimately kickstart the "[[CivilWar Aurum Apostasy]]" when some of his Generals betrayed him. After he was sealed away in stasis and woke up in the Second Age, he soon realized the extent of what he had done and initially spent a portion of the Second Age in a deep depression, especially after seeing what mortal Ponykind achieved in his absence. It's later reconstructed when, motivated by Luminiferous and Dazzleglow, he atoned for his crimes by [[WalkingTheEarth traveling all over Equus]] and learning from the examples set by both mortals and divines, thus becoming a truly benevolent ruler of Ponykind once the Fourth Age started. While he still feels close to Ponykind, he supports non-Pony races as well and lets them live in co-existence with his Pony subjects in the Terran Empire.
426* PsychicPowers: Like the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Emperor of Mankind]], he is an ''extremely'' powerful psychic, though here it's because [[AdaptationalBadass he's the antediluvian Alicorn god of Psionics]]. Some of his powers include [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]], teleportation, telepathy, [[BarrierWarrior psychic barriers]], empathy, [[{{Seers}} precognition and retrocognition]]. It's noted that he's so powerful that Aurum Lupus was rumored to have relied on divine empowerment to wound him at all, and it was rumored that even the mightiest of Alicorns couldn't match his potent mind. The Imperium of Ponykind also had the largest numbers of psychic ponies thanks to his influence, and the Fourth-Age Terran Empire has a similarly large population of psychics as well. Many of his children and descendants would inherit a portion of his psychic power along with his immortality; the "Sensei" from the Imperium era are known to be powerful "psykers" with a unique ability to [[PerceptionFilter mask themselves from all other psychics]], while his nineteen SemiDivine sons often possess baseline powers such as telepathy and/or empathy, with the occasional [[{{Seers}} foresight]]. In particular, Prince Crimson Star, his eighth son, inherited and (supposedly) embodies ''all'' of his vast psychic powers, which he used to [[DisabilitySuperpower make up for his blindness]] after he lost his sight saving a classmate in a horrible carriage accident.
427* RagsToRiches: Zigzagged, as his life was a revolving door between this and RichesToRags. Before Known History, he was one of many divine residents of the Alicorn Civilization and the supreme ruler and judge of one of the most advanced and successful empires in the world... until [[SatanicArchetype Morning Star]] was born and the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" happened, leaving him with nothing by the time the war ended. He did get it all back when he founded the [[GalacticSuperpower Imperium of Ponykind]]... but a horrific combination of untreated PTSD from the "Twilight of the Alicorns" and other issues brought out his worst traits and deeply affect his judgement, ultimately getting him sealed away while the Imperium crumbled and collapsed in his absence. When he reemerged in the Second Age, he was once again an Emperor without an empire, but this didn't bother him too much, as he was more focused on [[TheAtoner redeeming himself for his crimes and breaking free from his past]]. Eventually, by the time the Fourth Age rolled in, he would found the Terran Empire and this time, the "Riches" part of the trope stuck as he had achieved CharacterDevelopment and became a highly beloved ruler and good father to his demi-divine children.
428* RavenHairIvorySkin: His entry describes him as a tall, muscular Alicorn god with a black mane and tail, and an alabaster-white pelt, though his [[AnimalisticAbomination true form]] has hair made of black spatial energy and wing feathers made of holy fire. Temnobog thinks he's incredibly handsome and has lusted after Golden Scepter at one point, but their close friendship means that the Deer GodOfEvil is constantly restraining his basic urges for the Alicorn Emperor's sake, not wanting to lose Golden Scepter's respect and kindness. And if his past before the Known Ages is to go by, many of Golden Scepter's lovers presumably found him attractive, too, as he slept with both male and female partners and sired scores of descendants as a result.
429* RealityWarper: It's noted in Crimson Star's entry that he's such a powerful psychic that he can do feats of minor reality-warping if he chooses to.
430* ReallyGetsAround: Justified. Before the Alicorn Civilization fell, he once slept with male and female mortals/divines because the Alicorns created a utopian society that allowed for a FreeLoveFuture to commence. This resulted in scores of children, as well as descendants that would be dubbed the "Sensei" in the Imperium era, with one of them revealed to be [[spoiler:Majesty, who later grew up to become the mightiest mortal unicorn Queen to grace Equus]]. Despite his efforts to give all of his partners the love and respect they deserved, Golden Scepter came to see and regret his [[{{Polyamory}} multiple relationships]] as one of many "dishonest" things he had done in the past. After the "Twilight of the Alicorns", he sought to distance himself from his people's mistakes for countless Ages by abstaining from romance altogether, until he married a single mortal mare in the Fourth Age and stayed faithful to her. It's also implied to be the reason why he refuses to sleep with Temnobog despite knowing of the latter's lustful advances; as his friend, Temnobog completely understands.
431--> '''Temnobog:''' If [Golden Scepter] wants to sleep with someone he loves mutually and completely, then I will not begrudge him for it, for he has every right to do so. Considering all the things he and his people had done in the past, I think it's understandable why he would make those decisions.
432* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Zigzagged, as he had his 'up' and 'down' moments due to various circumstances and experiences, and took a long time to get to where he is today.
433** Before the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]", Golden Scepter was a highly beloved ruler whose old empire ([[spoiler:which was also his first]]) was among the most successful, as it was magically and technologically advanced even by the Alicorns' standards. When Morning Star fell and turned traitor, Golden Scepter fought him and protected the innocent from the war for ''ten Ages''. After the war ended, he refused to go in complete seclusion with the survivors of his people, instead opting to look for survivors and help them rebuild. Golden Scepter notes that the norm of Alicorn rulers was to behave in a regal, stoic, and aloof manner, which gives them the image of a wise and benevolent ruler, but then admits that such behavior is really toxic and encouraged the superior attitudes that led to the downfall of their civilization in the first place.
434** During the Imperium era, however, his traumas would warp his good intentions until he became little more than a divine tyrant, using good intentions to justify his terrible actions. It got to the point where one of his "Golden Generals", Aurum Lupus, staged a coup against him to end his reign, in which Golden Scepter was gravely injured and had to be put in healing stasis. Unfortunately, his influence, combined with his absence, caused the Imperium of Ponykind to forget about him and turn into a WretchedHive that was eventually destroyed. A canonized Codexverse drabble reveals that [[spoiler:he went by the name of "Auriolus Scaeptrum" up to the Imperium era. However, he became so disgusted with the horrible things he had done under that name that he came to see it as everything wrong with himself and the Alicorn Civilization, and readopted his birth name as Golden Scepter after throwing his Alicorn name away]].
435** Following his reemergence in the Second Age, he followed Luminiferous's advice to redeem himself and did just that by helping people when they needed it, and protecting and hiding them away during great crises such as the "Void Aeon" event. By the time the Fourth Age came around, he had settled down, had a family, and established the much smaller yet still successful and thriving Terran Empire. Since then, he became a truly benevolent ruler unlike most of his Alicorn peers, and has done things such as hunt down members of the Alicorn Ascendancy, and opposing {{Knight Templar}}s, racists, and [[EvilReactionary reactionaries]]. In a notable incident, he also harshly punished the leader of a Pony Autorist group, while letting those who [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone genuinely regretted their actions]] leave his empire with a gentle yet firm warning. When Prince Blazing Hoof confronted him about it, Golden Scepter would explain that the Autorists living with their own guilt is punishment enough, and reacting harshly would only beget more hatred. Mercy's entry notes that Golden Scepter also vouched for her when his subjects voiced distrust towards the sentient sword, citing both Mercy's potential as a "true" weapon of Justice and an averted [[{{Seers}} future vision]] regarding her corruption as the main reasons why he accepted her into his family.
436** Instead of harshly condemning Gilded Stove for trying to kill him with [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned spaghetti]], Golden Scepter instead convinced him to surrender to the authorities by scolding Gilded Stove for not putting more effort into killing him, and snidely suggesting that he learn under his demi-divine sons so he could get better at assassination. After Gilded Stove was imprisoned, he would personally visit the Terran Griffon and have a heart-to-heart that cleared up any initial animosity Gilded Stove had towards Golden Scepter and [[HeelFaceTurn influenced him to betray his Autorist backers]], especially after Golden Scepter confessed that he once behaved like the Autorists and is determined to save people from repeating his mistakes.
437** Despite being a regal divine sovereign, he doesn't care what his fellow deities wear, and has protected Prince Healing Song from older/traditionalist deities who try pressuring him into looking like a respectable and refined Alicorn god. When Healing Song expresses doubts on whether he'll have the strength to tell them "no", Golden Scepter points out that he is not obligated to follow their demands since he can't please everyone... then remarked how it would be "a shame" if those same deities decided to continue harass Healing Song in front of the Church members.
438** A canonized Codexverse drabble reveals that [[spoiler:he was willing to drop the "Ponykind" bit from his title after learning from Gilded Stove that his title's racist implications has partially caused racial discontent among his Terran subjects. Golden Scepter for his part doesn't mind, as he sees his title as one more "toxic tradition" to break away from, and has requested the writers/researchers of the ''Codex Equus'' project to just call him "the Radiant Emperor" whenever they mention him in entries, despite their protests that "it didn't feel right"]].
439* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
440** He would harshly and angrily reprimand two of his sons, Steel Barricade and Clear Voice, after he learned they got in a violent duel while he was away on political matters, and came back to find a portion of the Terran Empire destroyed. Steel Barricade's entry notes that he received much of Golden Scepter's shame and anger, since he clearly didn't learn anything and continued to act like a spoiled and petty foal despite repeated warnings and discipline, though Clear Voice was also reprimanded for his behavior.
441** While he visited the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon, he found Belyolen and Temnobog heatedly arguing with their father, High King Irminsul, who was also visiting. The horrible things Irminsul said about Temnobog and the non-Deer/hybrid Bogolenya deities ''infuriated'' Golden Scepter to the point where he [[OneWingedAngel revealed his true divine form]] and confronted the High King in front of everyone. What followed next was a ''vicious'' dressing-down that apparently terrified Irminsul so much that he avoids visiting the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon from then on, knowing he might run the risk of encountering Golden Scepter again if he does.
442---> '''Temnobog:''' I've never seen Father look so pathetic in all my life, knowing him.
443* ResurrectiveImmortality: Part of his being a '[[{{Mutants}} Perpetual]]' involves being able to heal and even resurrect himself from things that would kill even normal divines, such as being devoured/assimilated by a fellow god or some other entity. The only things that can truly injure and/or kill him are special artifacts and powers specifically designed to counter his 'Perpetuity' factor. It's believed InUniverse that his status as a Perpetual was the result of being experimented on by his father, Profectus Equus/Iridium Signet, as part of a project the latter once worked on with the Fallen Empyrean.
444* RelatedDifferentlyInTheAdaptation: [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 The Emperor of Mankind]]'s Primarch sons were created through advanced technology and science, making him their TrulySingleParent. Here, Golden Scepter sired his sons naturally with a mortal Pegasus mare, [[HappilyMarried whom he dearly loved]]. However, DecompositeCharacter is at play since the Terran Princes are based on the Primarchs' positive aspects.
445* RelatedInTheAdaptation:
446** Queen Majesty from G1's ''ComicBook/MyLittlePony'' comics is revealed here to be one of Golden Scepter's descendants through [[ReallyGetsAround his many affairs with male/female mortals and divines]], when in canon they had no such relations. Majesty was also Golden Scepter's adoptive daughter in all but name, which makes all of the Princess Ponies, including Princess Tiffany/Regina herself, Golden Scepter's granddaughters by adoption.
447** It's also revealed that he's the older brother of the deceased Alicorn Queen Hylia, who's the expy/ersatz of [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword the goddess Hylia]], when in canon they aren't related at all. When he meets [[{{Reincarnation}} Radiant Primrose]] from Hyrule, Golden Scepter [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/788128266/4795841971 comments]] that she reminds him so much of Hylia, yet she is different from his sister at the same time.
448* RichesToRags: Zigzagged, as his life was a revolving door between this and RagsToRiches. Before Known History, he was one of many divine residents of the Alicorn Civilization and the supreme ruler and judge of one of the most advanced and successful empires in the world... until [[SatanicArchetype Morning Star]] was born and the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" happened, leaving him with nothing by the time the war ended. He did get it all back when he founded the [[GalacticSuperpower Imperium of Ponykind]]... but a horrific combination of untreated PTSD from the "Twilight of the Alicorns" and other issues brought out his worst traits and deeply affect his judgement, ultimately getting him sealed away while the Imperium crumbled and collapsed in his absence. When he reemerged in the Second Age, he was once again an Emperor without an empire, but this didn't bother him too much, as he was more focused on [[TheAtoner redeeming himself for his crimes and breaking free from his past]]. Eventually, by the time the Fourth Age rolled in, he would found the Terran Empire and this time, the "Riches" part of the trope stuck as he had achieved CharacterDevelopment, and became a highly beloved ruler and good father to his demi-divine children.
449* RockThemeNaming: He and older/younger triplet brothers are named after highly treasured minerals. His birth name is ''Golden'' Scepter, his older brother is ''Platinum'' Crown, and his younger brother is ''Diamond'' Mantle. Their father, Profectus Equus, now goes by the name ''Iridium'' Signet after leaving Equus behind to atone for his sins.
450* RousingSpeech: As the Alicorn god of Leadership, he has the power to magically boost morale with just a few words. A notable incident had him rallying his soldiers during the "Temptation Unbound" event, when said soldiers were starting to falter after seeing the sheer amount of Fallen deities and their allies/worshipers that were led by Ispita.
451--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ''(to his soldiers)'' Equus and its surrounding universe has many horrors yet to throw at us. This seemingly horrific battle will not be the end of our struggle. This is just the beginning of our trials, the beginning of our crusade to save Ponykind and all of the sapient creatures that live with them. So be faithful! Be strong! BE VIGILANT!
452* SameSexTriplets: A [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/848558436/4861088186 Codexverse drabble]] reveals that he was born the second of triplet brothers, his older and younger brothers being Platinum Crown and Diamond Mantle, respectively. All three of them are fraternal, making it a subversion.
453* SanitySlippage: Experienced one during the Imperium era. It's justified; Golden Scepter founded the Imperium of Ponykind completely on good intentions, but as time went by, his PTSD from the "Twilight of the Alicorns" and other untreated issues -- such as {{Hallucinations}} and [[WhoWantsToLiveForever loneliness]] -- brought out many of his worst traits that would deeply affect his judgement. This resulted in a series of terrible mistakes that turned him into little more than a divine tyrant, which kickstarted the "Aurum Apostasy" conflict as one of Golden Scepter's Generals, Aurum Lupus, turned traitor and led a coup in a well-meaning attempt to depose him. He would gain severe injuries that warranted him being [[KingInTheMountain sealed away]], and by the time Luminiferous and Queen Dazzleglow found and revived him, Golden Scepter was essentially a very broken stallion who was only kept from going over the DespairEventHorizon completely thanks to their kind influence. He would eventually get better after visiting Mentálne, who helped him cope and heal significantly from his traumas.
454* SaveTheVillain: After he TookALevelInKindness, Golden Scepter became more merciful and forgiving towards repentant villains such as Autorists and Tribalists, and believes that [[PunchClockVillain some may have been genuinely misled]]. As the living embodiment of Ponykind, he knows what people can do when motivated/influenced by certain circumstances, and wants to make it everyone's responsibility to be aware of the situation so they could prevent good people from becoming villains. He also once acted like the Autorists and Tribalists during the Imperium era, something that he [[MyGreatestFailure deeply regrets]]. These factors has made him devoted in saving/redeeming whomever he can from repeating his mistakes, even if others don't agree with him, and wants to make it everyone's responsibility to be aware of the situation so they could prevent good people from becoming villains. He doesn't think it's funny to point and laugh at someone who could be saved and redeemed just like he was.
455** One notable example is Gilded Stove, a Terran Griffon chef. After an assassination attempt on his life went horribly wrong, Golden Scepter personally visited Gilded Stove during his imprisonment, and the interrogation led to a heart-to-heart where Golden Scepter allowed Gilded Stove to ask any question he had about him. Then, Golden Scepter confessed that he, too, once behaved like the Autorists and other racial supremacy groups, which made him determined to save people like Gilded Stove. This caused Gilded Stove to see the Radiant Emperor as not a hypocritical villain as he initially saw him as, but a flawed yet still benevolent ruler, and influenced his decision to [[HeelFaceTurn rat out his Terran Autorist supporters]].
456* ScrewDestiny: Despite being a powerful [[{{Seers}} clairvoyant]], he was taught by an "old friend" (Luminiferous) that everyone, both divine and mortal, has the power to determine their own fate.
457** After Crystal Prism bitterly notes that [[TheBadGuyWins Noble Grace and Bubbling Beaker still got their Alicorn]] and being the symbol of a "[[DeityOfHumanOrigin new age]]" for Ponykind is all he has left now with his old life ruined, Golden Scepter encouraged the young Alicorn demigod to break free of his intended role and forge his own path, pointing out that Crystal Prism now embodies Change, which gives him even more opportunities to live his life as he sees fit.
458** After learning from his eighth son, Prince Crimson Star that a group of Fallen deities and their worshipers tried engineering the downfall of his family in the "Temptation Unbound" conflict, Golden Scepter was so ''furious'' that he [[OneWingedAngel revealed his true form as an ancient, six-winged Alicorn god]]. When said Fallen deities arrogantly claimed that there's nothing he could do to change his sons' fates, he points out that anyone who believes in YouCantFightFate is too assured and lazy to do anything meaningful, and makes it ''quite clear'' that he will not let anyone harm his sons, or his "little ponies and their friends".
459* ScrewThisImOuttaHere:
460** During his temporary stay in the Bogolenya Deer pantheon, [[TemptingFate he asked Yarost what puns are]], [[FishOutOfTemporalWater having never heard of such a thing in his time]]. Yarost, seeing puns as a FateWorseThanDeath, advises him to leave as quickly as he can before [[PungeonMaster Phykti]] hears him, and he does. Phykti was noted to be rather disappointed she didn't get to introduce the Alicorn Emperor to puns.
461** It's revealed in a Codexverse drabble that he would invoke this reaction in mortal ponies following his reemergence in the Second Age, his [[TheStoic stoicism]] being so frightening that they would flee in terror. Golden Scepter sees this as a good thing because if those who fled had "evil in their hearts", they're supposed to fear his presence. Luminiferous, on the other hand, believes that this is a trait of a cold-hearted ruler who will eventually fall one day, and had to literally spell out the consequences to Golden Scepter when he insisted on continuing his behavior.
462* SeenItAll:
463** In a Codexverse drabble, he mentions/boasts to his traitorous Terran Griffon chef, Gilded Stove, that he had "endured thousands, if not MILLIONS of assassination attempts in [his] lifetime"; indeed, as an antediluvian Alicorn god, he has lived and survived for so long that he sees Gilded Stove's attempt to kill him using [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned spaghetti]] as pathetic and unoriginal.
464** When Dr. Endless Dreams reveals her [[EldritchAbomination true divine form]] to him, he doesn't GoMadFromTheRevelation as people usually do. His only reaction is to raise an eyebrow and comment, "I've seen worse things than that."
465* {{Seers}}: Played straight and inverted; his entry describes him as a powerful clairvoyant who has both precognition and retrocognition, allowing him to see the respective futures and pasts of sapient creatures, including ponies.
466** He foresaw the Alicorn god of Peace and Unity, Prince Sparkling Wing, as the beloved ruler of his own kingdom, which motivated him to try teach him in leadership.
467** He also saw one potential future where [[TalkingWeapon Mercy]] was corrupted into a demonic weapon after her first wielder, Silver Bane the Dark Hunter, gave into his vampiric side and became a hateful, self-loathing monster. The fact that Mercy was given to his sixteenth son, Prince Red Blade, by a reformed and repentant Silver Bane with no signs of malice or demonic taint, was proof in Golden Scepter's eyes that Mercy had the potential to become a true weapon of Justice and Benevolence. It's noted that his fifteenth son, Prince Night Shade, had the same vision, which presumably motivated him to try save and redeem Silver Bane in the first place.
468** In Rosy Dreams' entry, he is [[SoProudOfYou quite proud]] of how his family raised and treated Rosy, and hints that great things await his adoptive granddaughter once she gets older. It's likely that he saw visions of multiple futures where Rosy grew up and became a powerful, successful mare.
469* ShellShockedVeteran: His entry notes that he fought in the war against Morning Star and his allies. Morning Star's treachery and the destruction of his home have left him extremely traumatized, to the point where he would have nightmares and hallucinate images of his old enemy even long after he was killed by Luminiferous. His being the only Alicorn among mortals at the time also [[LonelyAtTheTop caused him to be extremely lonely]] to the point where he felt that he could truly trust no one with his plans, and motivated him to try study ways to reach immortality so his mortal subjects could all become Alicorns. It got to a point where he had to frequently visit Mentálne on Luminiferous's suggestion, as he wanted the nightmares and hallucinations to stop. Mentálne would later describe him as "a shell-shocked veteran with a whole plethora of unresolved issues"... but fortunately, many of his traumas would be resolved thanks to the divine help and support he received.
470* SoProudOfYou: On the receiving and giving ends.
471** In Written Word's entry, he was described as being "proud beyond measure" when he learned of a demon infestation and that Written Word had become a demi-Alicorn god while trying to curb it. In his eyes, it was a sign that his son had finally matured and realized the folly of blind devotion and faith.
472** Double-subverted with Steel Barricade. When he discovered that Steel Barricade managed to [[GadgeteerGenius replicate the ancient foresight-based technologies of yore by building his own working version]], he was proud of his son's accomplishment, yet disapproved of what he built, because he had personally seen the folly of foresight-based technologies in general, which contributed to the fall of great kingdoms and civilizations. Despite arguments for the potential benefits, he would explain to Steel Barricade why using such things even with good intentions would be detrimental to divine/mortal sapientkind in the long run, and had his son permanently shut down and scrap his project.
473** Though unconfirmed, it's rumored that the god of Requited Love, Canteros, visited him one night and congratulated him for breaking free from the Alicorns' mistakes and flaws while atoning for his own sins instead of secluding himself like his people did, becoming a loving father and truly benevolent ruler in the end.
474** After realizing what a horrible adoptive parent he had been to Majesty, and reuniting with her spirit in Friendship Gardens through Fluttershy, Golden Scepter would reconcile with her and tell her that he's so proud of her for all she had been and done. Majesty would in turn forgive him and say the same of him.
475---> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' I know you've long since stopped desiring it, Majesty... but I'm so proud of you.\
476'''Queen Majesty:''' I know... and Golden Scepter?\
477'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' You can call me father, if you desire... I don't blame you if you don't.\
478'''Queen Majesty:''' ...I'm proud of you too, father.
479** In a canonized Codexverse drabble, he would find Mercy trying to Ascend to godhood after she interpreted Fanged Paw's jokes literally and went missing for a while. During their heart-to-heart, Mercy would become disheartened upon hearing that Ascension is a lot more difficult and complicated than she assumed, but Golden Scepter assures her that even if she doesn't end up Ascending, he'll still be proud of her either way.
480** It's noted that he's quite proud of his sons and Mercy for how they treated young Rosy Dreams with love and care after she was rescued from her sexually abusive father, and even hints that great things await Rosy once she gets older.
481** During Princess Twilight/Amicitia's induction into the Church of the Stars, Golden Scepter, the last Church member to be introduced by Dazzleglow, had this to say to Twilight/Amicitia:
482---> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' You have done very well, Princess. You have made Sapientkind much greater in your short time, and for that I am proud to welcome you.
483* SparedByTheAdaptation: Unlike the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Emperor of Mankind]], whose ultimate fate was [[FateWorseThanDeath essentially being left to rot on the Golden Throne until he was a skeletal corpse while trillions of humans worshiped him as a god]], Golden Scepter was instead [[KingInTheMountain put in magical stasis]] with the intent of healing him later. Though he was gradually forgotten by his own people afterwards and ended up sleeping for several Ages, being put in healing stasis saved his life as he was unearthed and revived in the Second Age by both Luminiferous and Dazzleglow.
484* StraightGay: Well, straight bisexual in his case. Despite having slept with both mares and stallions before the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict, he never showed any stereotypical behavior related to his sexuality -- it's implied that his mortal wife, Blessed Skies, and his sons only knew about his past relationships because he told them what happened.
485* TheStoic: Deconstructed. Golden Scepter has been described as being a stoic, aloof, and regal-looking stallion who carries himself with an air of calmness at all times, which he states was the norm -- and even expected -- of "ideal" Alicorn rulers of the past, in order to look perfect, wise, infallible, and benevolent to their mortal subjects. However, his stoicism is what partially alienated him from his mortal subjects, and to some, it only made him look rather dour, pitiless, and melancholic. When he reemerged in the Second after a long period in magical stasis, he ended up frightening other Ponies to the point of [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere causing them to flee from his presence]] whenever he appears, which leads to Luminiferous pointing out that stoicism is often a sign of a cold-hearted ruler and would eventually ruin him if he continued acting that way. After achieving CharacterDevelopment, Golden Scepter has come to see the then-popular attitudes of his people as toxic, imperial, emotionally distant, and high-hoofed. So while he still has his moments of pride and stoicism, he has made significant progress in distancing himself from them by acting open, honest, and friendly towards his mortal subjects in public.
486--> '''Luminiferous:''' Y'know, Golden, you should probably smile more.\
487'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' And what brought on this idea of yours, Luminiferous?\
488'''Luminiferous:''' I've been watching how you interact with other Ponies. To be honest, you constantly come off as rather... how do I put it... rather dour and irritated-looking.\
489'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' Hmph. I will have you know, Devil Child, that I am NOT dour and irritated. This is how I am supposed to behave when interacting with my subjects. A proper ruler must always appear perfect. Wise. Infallible. Regal. If we do not, then how are we supposed to set a good example for our little Ponies?\
490'''Luminiferous:''' But you scare them. And I've seen some of them run off in terror when you come by, too, sometimes.\
491'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' If they have evil in their hearts, then good. They are supposed to fear my presence.\
492'''Luminiferous:''' Golden... I know you want to be a good ruler, but this is probably not the way to go about it.\
493'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' What makes you so sure that you are right, Devil Child?\
494'''Luminiferous:''' I've been around long enough to observe how rulers behave, Golden. And if there's anything I've learned from that, it's that a cold ruler tends to give a kingdom some very shaky foundations. It alienates your followers, and they'll eventually be more likely to desert you than if you smile and treat them kindly. There's no official law dictating exactly how royals should act, and of course, I've never had any experience in ruling myself. I'm just giving you some pointers that might help you in the long run. So if you ever decide to start another kingdom or empire, and you want to stay in your subjects' good graces a little longer... you should probably smile more. It's not so bad, really. It just changes the way your face looks to other people.\
495'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' "..."
496* StrongerWithAge: Justified; deities in the Codexverse only become more powerful and ledritch as they get 'older'. Because he's a child of an [[TheOldGods Empyrean Alicorn]] and lived during the Alicorn Civilization's hey-day, he is roughly as old and eldritch as other similarly-aged deities like Queen Mzazi and Isati - yet much more powerful due to being a '[[TheAce prodigy deity]]'. He has PsychicPowers so strong it's rumored InUniverse the mightiest Alicorns couldn't match his mind, and his creations are so advanced that succeeding civilizations could only make crude versions of them. His growth also shows in his physical appearance, having [[MagicHair a mane and tail made of black space energy]], a golden-yellow wing gradient, and [[HotWings six wings made of holy fire]]. [[spoiler:A canonized Codexverse drabble reveals that at some point, he started to grow his fourth set of wings, something that Queen Mzazi noticed during a friendly visit]].
497* SuperIntelligence: It's mentioned a few times in his entry that he's ''very'' intelligent even by the Alicorns' standards, to the point where modern civilizations have tried and failed to properly replicate whatever he created. However, how reasonable he was with this depended entirely on his mental and emotional state; his reign in the Imperium era in particular was marked with a long series of severe lapses in judgement because of the horrors he had witnessed and experienced during the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict and afterwards. It was after his [[KingInTheMountain disappearance]] and reemergence in the Second Age that he was able to recover and atone for his crimes, allowing him to use his intelligence for good.
498* SuperiorSuccessor: It's revealed in a canonized Codexverse drabble that part of why he chose to stay in the outside world following the "Twilight of the Alicorns" conflict is because he wanted to succeed where his people, the Alicorns, had failed. This included locating other mortal/divine survivors of the war, and helping them rebuild Equus, eventually leading to the birth of the Imperium of Ponykind. Ultimately, it didn't work, as Golden Scepter's PTSD and other untreated issues emerged, leading to a slew of terrible mistakes and lapses in judgement that got him sealed away.
499--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ''(to Princess Twilight/Amicitia Sparkle)'' Long ago... my people were considered the greatest of the Great Maker's children. They had created a utopian civilization so advanced that many of us believed our contemporaries at the time could never come close... And in the end, with nothing else to motivate them, their own successes became their downfall. A monster was born among us, and we never saw the signs until it was too late.\
500It took ten Ages to resolve the war that followed. By the time it ended, so many had been lost. Families and friends had been torn apart, and our civilization was ruined. I was one of those few who remained in the outside world while the rest went into seclusion to recover. I thought I could succeed where my people had failed by starting anew, helping those who too, lost much in our petty squabbles, and building another empire... but I was wrong. My own flaws and inner cruelty had reared their ugly heads despite my best efforts, and everything crumbled around me until I was sealed away.
501* SupernaturalElite: As Emperor, he's always the highest living form of authority in the empires he ruled over. In regards to Ponykind, he helped create modern Ponykind, with him being specifically the creator of the mortal Earthpony tribe.
502* SupernaturalFloatingHair: Double-subverted. His mane and tail in his "true" form are [[MagicHair made of black spatial, ethereal energy that show off scenes of twinkling stars and yellow giant-type stars]]. His "[[GodInHumanForm default]]" form is described as having normal yet twinkling black hair.
503* SuperStrength: It's mentioned by his entry that as an Alicorn, he has Earth pony magic, which he makes copious use of in battles by making his strikes more powerful and deadlier than usual. Wearing his golden PoweredArmor also increases his natural strength by tenfold.
504* SuperToughness: It's mentioned by his entry that as an Alicorn, he has Earth pony magic, which he makes copious use of in battles by enhancing his natural endurance. This allows him to [[NoSell tank most attacks]] that would injure and/or kill semi-divines and even younger full divines.
505* SympathyForTheDevil: He was incredibly empathetic towards Temnobog once he learned of the latter's childhood emotional abuse at the hooves of the Elternteil deities, and would assure the Dark One that [[YouAreNotAlone even if he may not fully understand what happened, he'll still help Temnobog and give him and his brother, Belyolen, whatever they need should they need it]]. This is because, in Golden Scepter's eyes, even though Temnobog is the divine Deer equivalent of Satan and thus is evil by nature, he didn't deserve to be mistreated just for ''existing''. It's noted by many divines that this act of kindness (among other things) is what cemented a close friendship between the two, as they and their divine children would closely interact with each other years later. It's revealed that Canteros, the god of Requited Love and Reconciliation, invoked this trope by "[[TheEmpath nudging]]" several empathetic individuals like Upepo, Golden Scepter, and Kaldr to Temnobog so he could heal from his childhood emotional abuse, and receive a steady stream of support.
506[[/folder]]
507
508[[folder:T - Z]]
509* TallDarkAndHandsome: He's described by his entry as being a very tall and muscular Alicorn with a black mane and tail, and according to his friend, Temnobog, he's "INCREDIBLY handsome". He was also attractive enough that, before the "Twilight of the Alicorns" event happened, he gained (and slept with) multiple male and female divine/mortal partners, [[MyGreatestFailure something that he would later regret]].
510* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: A Codexverse quote implies that one of the royal Terran chefs tried assassinating Golden Scepter by lacing his spaghetti with a foul-smelling poison, [[AssassinOutclassin but was presumably exposed by the Emperor himself]]. Golden Scepter would later note that a [[MysticalPlague plague bomb]] sent to him by a Griffon Autorist smelled "slightly better" than the poison that was used to lace his food. The incident was later revealed in full by another Codexverse quote written some months later: The culprit was a Terran chef named Gilded Stove, who tried scoring a victory for the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Autorist]] factions he secretly worked for by poisoning Golden Scepter's food. [[TimeAbyss Having been subjected to millions of assassination attempts over the years]], Golden Scepter was so disappointed by the pathetic and completely unoriginal attempt to kill him that he snidely recommends Gilded Stove to tuition under his nineteen demi-divine sons so he could do a better job, which appalled his sons as they thought Golden Scepter was being serious. Gilded Stove ultimately decided to surrender and turn himself in to the authorities rather than face the wrath of nineteen Terran demigod Princes for trying to murder their father.
511* TautologicalTemplar: Deconstructed and played for drama. Psychological trauma from the "Twilight of the Alicorns" conflict, his [[LonelyAtTheTop loneliness from being the only Alicorn in the outside world at the time]], and his [[WhoWantsToLiveForever immortality]] would prove to be a disastrous combination that warped Golden Scepter's altruism and good intentions, and deeply affected his judgement to the point he believed that everything he did, including his most horrific actions, were ultimately for the good of Ponykind, so therefore he's always right. This behavior (among other things) would ultimately set things up for the "Aurum Apostasy" conflict instigated by General Aurum Lupus when he launched a coup, seeing his ruler as a divine tyrant that needed to be deposed of. And after Golden Scepter was gravely wounded and put in stasis, the Imperium of Ponykind would later become an entire civilization of Tautological Templars because of his influence, leading to its collapse and destruction at the hooves of those who wanted to end its threat to Equus. After he was found and revived in the Second Age by Luminiferous and Dazzleglow in the Second Age, he would realize how much of a "monster" he had been and become TheAtoner to make up for his crimes by [[WalkingTheEarth wandering all over Equus, learning from the examples made by mortals and divines]]. Golden Scepter would later reveal to Princess Twilight/Amicitia Sparkle that [[spoiler:he went by the name of "Auriolus Scaeptrum" up to the Imperium era, and was so disgusted with what he had done under that name that he threw it away and readopted his birth name, ''Golden Scepter'', instead, seeing his Alicorn identity as the symbol of everything wrong with himself and the Alicorn Civilization]].
512--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ''(to Princess Twilight/Amicitia Sparkle)'' [[spoiler:It was Auriolus Scaeptrum who thought himself above the judgement of others, who thought only he knew best for his mortal subjects, and bathed his hooves in blood and fire to create a world where mortal Ponykind could grow. In the end, it was Auriolus Scaeptrum who died at the hooves of those who deemed him a divine tyrant and threw him down from the pedestal he built for himself]].
513* {{Telepathy}}: One of his powers described in his entry is far-reaching telepathy, which few of his sons would inherit from him, such as Fanged Paw, Crimson Star, Red Blade, and Written Word.
514** In Written Word's entry, while explaining to his son the dangers of religious corruption and excess, he would telepathically show Written Word his own memories and experiences with religion, including the crimes he committed in trying to eradicate religion itself. Written Word was left so shaken that he left the Terran Empire to do some soul-searching.
515** In one Codexverse drabble, he telepathically hears his sons thinking about letting [[MagicalGirlWarrior Floral Forte]] into the dungeons where Rosy Dreams' [[AbusiveParents sexually abusive father]] is held so she can avenge Rosy, or at least going down there themselves to do the deed. He proceeds to nip their plans in the bud by pointing out that the Sisterhood of Magical Fillies wouldn't be happy if they are to lose one of their members, and any more punishments that occurred after the trial is considered out of jurisdiction. He even threatens to discipline his sons if if he learns they disobeyed him.
516* {{Teleportation}}: Implied; his entry mentions teleportation as being part of his PsychicPowers.
517* TemptingFate: Hilariously, during his stay in the Bogolenya Deer pantheon, he nearly got exposed to puns by Phykti, the Bogolenya Deer goddess of Cruelty and Despair, [[FishOutOfTemporalWater after he asked Yarost what puns are]]. Yarost, considering puns a FateWorseThanDeath, warns Golden Scepter to leave as fast as he can before Phykti hears him. [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere He heeds the advice]], leaving Phykti rather disappointed that she didn't get to introduce the divine Emperor to puns.
518--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' What are... puns?\
519'''Yarost:''' ...I think you should leave this place as fast as you can before you suffer a fate worse than death itself, Emperor.\
520'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' Why, pray tell?\
521'''Yarost:''' ...SHE might come.
522* ThatManIsDead: Justified. [[spoiler:His birth name ''was'' Golden Scepter, but upon becoming full royalty by establishing his first empire, he was given the name of Emperor Auriolus Scaeptrum. However, as the Alicorn Civilization stagnated, he participated in many "dishonest" things such as sleeping with multiple male and female partners. After the Alicorn Civilization fell during the "Twilight of the Alicorns" conflict, he would stay in the outside world to help other mortal and divine survivors rebuild, eventually creating the Imperium of Ponykind... except he would end up committing even worse atrocities due to PTSD and other untreated issues that later caused him to be sealed away. Due to Luminiferous' influence, he would realize the full scope of his crimes and became so disgusted with himself that he saw his identity as Auriolus Scaeptrum as a symbol of the Alicorns' flaws and mistakes, including his own, as well as everything wrong with the Alicorn Civilization. He threw his Alicorn name away, deeming "Auriolus Scaeptrum" to be dead, and has since re-adopted his birth name in an attempt to return to his "roots"]].
523--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ''(to Princess Twilight/Amicitia Sparkle)'' [[spoiler:It was Auriolus Scaeptrum who thought himself above the judgement of others, who thought only he knew best for his mortal subjects, and bathed his hooves in blood and fire to create a world where mortal Ponykind could grow. In the end, it was Auriolus Scaeptrum who died at the hooves of those who deemed him a divine tyrant and threw him down from the pedestal he built for himself]].\
524[[spoiler:Now, I am Golden Scepter. 'Golden Scepter' was my name when my blessed parents brought me into this world. And Golden Scepter is all that I shall ever be until the end of Time itself]].
525* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow:
526** He sees foresight-based technology as this, as he personally witnessed the fall of successful civilizations, kingdoms, and realms due to using them as a way to control/manipulate their subjects' futures, and became overreliant on them as a result. When he discovered that his eleventh son, Prince Steel Barricade, managed to build and replicate such a thing, Golden Scepter was both proud of his son's skills and disapproving because of the dangers foresight-based technologies represented. Despite Steel Barricade's arguments for the benefits, Golden Scepter explained to him why it would be detrimental in the long run, and had him scrap his project permanently. Crimson Star would refer back to this incident while justifying his desires to uncover the extinct Order of the Weathersmiths' lost lore to his older brother, Palatine Phoenix.
527---> '''Prince Crimson Star:''' ''(to Prince Palatine Phoenix)'' Steel built and replicated something that Father wanted forgotten for all time, and while I WAS a bit sad over never getting to witness its full capabilities, I have to agree with Father that building foresight-based technology in general isn't something that sounds like a good idea in practice, even with good intentions involved. The lore of the Weathersmiths, on the other hoof, is significantly more beneficial, with almost no moral hangups involved.
528** He also sees [[spoiler:the existence of the Void Sovereign]] as this. [[spoiler:The Void Sovereign was responsible for ending the Second Age, and he's so dangerous that Dazzleglow wants to help mortal/divine sapientkind become strong enough to protect the planet Equus from him. However, there's also the risk of sending everyone into an existential panic if they were to find out that they're on a metaphorical timer, with something waiting to devour them all, hence why the Church of the Stars had to keep the Void Sovereign's existence a secret. Golden Scepter was initially worried about the secrecy, as he had done the same thing during the Imperium era and had it backfire spectacularly in his face, but eventually came around to it and sees the secrecy as a "necessary evil]].
529* TimeAbyss: Justified due to being a PhysicalGod. He's ''extremely'' ancient, having lived during a time before Known History when Equus was dominated by the Alicorns, who established an extremely successful divine utopia that had unparalleled achievements in culture, magic, technology, and science. Given the ambiguity of his origins, it's possible that he might have lived even longer than that. For reference, he's labeled as an "Antecedent"-ranked deity, which puts him around the same "age" bracket as a few divine G1 Ponyfriends such as Queen Mzazi and Isati, though he's younger than Mzazi as he currently has six wings (with a fourth pair on the way) while she has eight.
530** He claims that he has spotted the Scourge of Hell, an infamous demon-hunting TerrorHero, during the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]", which might not be so surprising considering how it's revealed that [[SatanicArchetype Morning Star]]'s faction included demonic entities.
531** He also lived long enough that he suspected seeing some [[Franchise/DespicableMe Mignons]] fooling around in his "continent-spanning" palace during the Imperium era, with his people none the wiser despite their rampant AbsoluteXenophobe attitudes at the time.
532** In an exchange with Gilded Stove, a traitorous Terran chef with secret ties to Autorist factions, he mentions/boasts that he endured ''millions'' of assassination attempts in his lifetime. He even suspects that most of them were so outlandish by today's standards that [[RealityIsUnrealistic they would be deemed "impossible" if he were to retell them to anyone]].
533** It's rumored and speculated InUniverse that he's [[TheMaker the creator of modern Ponykind]], which presumably led to him becoming the Alicorn god of Ponykind. A canonized Codexverse drabble reveals that he does know he embodies Ponykind, but has largely forgotten the reasons for it. It's implied this factored into his decision to change his title to just "the Radiant Emperor", as he grew to love both Pony and non-Pony races and wanted to ease their discontent over being ruled by an Alicorn who embodies only mortal Ponykind. [[spoiler:As it turned out, he does know -- he and his brothers Platinum Crown and Diamond Mantle CREATED modern Ponykind together by guiding evolution, with him being the first to achieve success with the first sapient Ponies and being the parent-deity of the Earthpony tribe, while his siblings created the Unicorn and Pegasi tribes respectively]].
534* TookALevelInJerkass: Justified and deconstructed. Before the Alicorns' ruination, he used to be a powerful and beloved ruler of his own empire [[spoiler:which turned out to be his first]]. But fighting Morning Star and his Fallen faction for ''ten Ages'', while losing most of his loved ones in the war, left him so traumatized that during the Imperium era, his good intentions were gradually warped by his experiences and loneliness, essentially turning him into a well-meaning yet tyrannical god and motivating one of his Generals to betray him. After he was gravely wounded and put in stasis, the Imperium of Ponykind became a WretchedHive that took after him, and was ultimately destroyed by more benevolent kingdoms and civilizations. However, it would be reconstructed -- after he was unearthed, revived, and revived in the Second Age, certain benevolent individuals would inspire him to [[WalkingTheEarth wander all over Equus]], ultimately [[TookALevelInKindness becoming much kinder]]. He would also seek out the young Mentálne for psychiatric help on Luminiferous's suggestion, which would finally resolve his untreated PTSD. As he revealed to Princess Twilight/Amicitia Sparkle, [[spoiler:he did go by an Alicorn name, Auriolus Scaeptrum, which was given to him upon becoming Emperor. But he did so many bad things under that name that after waking up in the Second Age, he threw it away and used his birth name instead, seeing his Alicorn name as everything wrong with himself and the Alicorn Civilization]].
535* TookALevelInKindness: After the fall of the Alicorn Civilization, he would come out traumatized and lonely, and during the Imperium era he would gradually become a well-meaning yet arrogant, hypocritical, xenophobic, manipulative, and ruthless ruler. He would be gravely wounded and put into magical healing stasis after the "Aurum Apostasy" conflict, but after he was found and revived by Luminiferous and Dazzleglow, he would be influenced to [[WalkingTheEarth wander all over Equus]] just to learn from the examples set by both mortals and divines. What he saw would ultimately turn him into a much more benevolent and kinder ruler, and by the Fourth Age he even settled down and became the loving father of nineteen SemiDivine sons. A notable sign of this change is his willingness to befriend "Evil" individuals; he became one of Luminiferous' best friends after learning to look past his physical resemblance to [[SatanicArchetype Morning Star]], and when he learned of [[GodOfEvil Temnobog]]'s emotionally abusive childhood, he went out of his way to reach out to the dark stag and support him [[WhatYouAreInTheDark despite having every opportunity not to do so]].
536* TopGod: Despite religious worship of him and his family being officially banned in the Terran Empire, some of his mortal subjects still see him as the leader of a benevolent "pantheon" that includes his now-deceased wife and his nineteen SemiDivine sons, ruling over the Terran Empire for eternity and ensuring its success over the lands. Naturally, [[StopWorshippingMe this makes him extremely uncomfortable]].
537* TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard: Sigmare's entry reveals that besides his most-known title "The Radiant Emperor (of Ponykind)", there's also "Master of Ponykind", "Grandchild of Equus", "Sovereign of Empires", and "Peer Among the Alicorns", all which he recites [[spoiler:while inducting an aging mortal Sigmare as his champion, cleric, and student]].
538* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: Played with. He's not related to the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Primarchs]] in the Codexverse since he never created them; instead, the Primarchs are exemplary mortals who were chosen to serve under him as his Golden Generals, ala the ''Fanfic/NobledarkImperium''. But since DecompositeCharacter is applied here, the Golden Generals are based on the Primarchs' more toxic and dysfunctional aspects.
539* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: His only response to a magical plague bomb a Griffon Autorist trying to assassinate him with is a rather nonchalant, "This smells slightly better than [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink the poison one of my chefs tried lacing my spaghetti with]] a few weeks ago", which is doubly hilarious since the plague bomb smelled so rotten, it made his twelfth son, Prince Death Shroud, [[ClusterFBomb unleash a string of inflammatory curses]]. It's justified since Golden Scepter had lived a long, ''long'' time, so assassination attempts are nothing new to him.
540* WalkingTheEarth: Twice, and justified.
541** After the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict ended, he would choose to wander across Equus to look for both divine and mortal survivors instead of going to seclusion with the surviving Alicorns, having felt obligated as a ruler to help people in need. His adventures and good deeds would give him a reputation as a benevolent god who came to Ponykind in its time of need, later lead to the founding of the Imperium of Ponykind.
542** He would wander all over Equus for three Ages after he was found and revived by Luminiferous and Dazzleglow in the beginning of the Second Age. After he was shown by Luminiferous the ruins of the lost Imperium of Ponykind and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realized his mistakes]], he became TheAtoner, and so he began journeying across the planet to broaden his horizons and learn from others, both mortals and divines. Come the Fourth Age, he has settled down, founded the much smaller Terran Empire, married a mortal pegasus mare, and had several sons with her.
543* WeHaveBecomeComplacent: Happened a few times in his long life.
544** It's implied that despite the trauma of losing his home, Golden Scepter knew the Alicorn Civilization was growing stagnant due to his neighbors becoming arrogant and self-righteous, which influenced his decision to refuse going into seclusion with the survivors after said civilization was destroyed by Morning Star. He would even admit to Temnobog years later that the "Twilight of the Alicorns" was a ''good'' thing, since it set him on the path to becoming a genuinely benevolent person and ruler, unlike his former neighbors and peers.
545---> '''Temnobog:''' A divine utopia of complete benevolence and fairness, with nothing but success to truly motivate them? No wonder your people fell. They've been sitting on their laurels for so long that they eventually became blind to their own corruption... until one of them snapped, that is.\
546'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' ...I suppose you are right, Dark One. Even I was blind to it, as hard as I tried... Perhaps... perhaps Morning Star's betrayal and the destruction of my home were the best things that ever happened to the Alicorns, and me as well.
547** The Imperium of Ponykind was rumored (and speculated) to have covered almost the entirety of Equus, or even spread to other planets across the stars. However, as it continued to expand, it began to stagnate, largely due to Golden Scepter's traumas and harsh methods in ruling, as well as the complacency his Pony subjects would experience due to living in a vastly successful and expansionist empire. Golden Scepter's absence after the "Aurum Apostasy" conflict due to injuries and being put into a magical stasis caused his Pony subjects to use him as their excuse to continue their xenophobic, vicious, and fanatical ways. This ultimately led to its end at the hands of more benevolent kingdoms, empires, and organizations, such as the Halfblood Empire.
548** It's also stated in his entry that this is the reason why he nearly died fighting his traitorous general, Aurum Lupus, in the "Aurum Apostasy" event. As an ancient Alicorn living among mortals, he became complacent with his power, and thus never considered the idea that his mortal subjects could empower themselves to oppose him in any way. After he was unearthed and revived in the Second Age by Luminiferous and Dazzleglow, he vowed never to let himself slip up or underestimate his subjects again.
549* WellIntentionedExtremist: Deconstructed. Much like the [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Emperor of Mankind]], Golden Scepter did horrible things for the sake of mortal Ponykind during the Imperium era, including committing genocide against non-Pony races, and getting rid of religion itself (includingtorching cities to the ground for worshiping him). Golden Scepter's entry notes that his good intentions were warped by a disastrous combination of [[ShellShockedVeteran war-related PTSD]], loneliness, and [[WhoWantsToLiveForever his own immortality]], alienating and disgusting even his closest allies to where one of his Generals, Aurum Lupus, saw him as a divine tyrant and kick-started the "Aurum Apostasy" conflict that left Golden Scepter wounded and sealed away in stasis. Because of his influence, the Imperium of Ponykind degenerated into a WretchedHive full of xenophobic, fanatical, and paranoid extremists before it ultimately collapsed. After he was found and revived in the Second Age, Golden Scepter realized how monstrous he had become, and felt so disgusted with himself that [[spoiler:he threw away his Alicorn name, "Auriolus Scaeptrum", which he went by at the time, and readopt his birth name because he saw Auriolus Scaeptrum as a living symbol of everything wrong with himself, the Alicorn Civilization and its practices/beliefs]]. Thanks to influence from Dazzleglow and Luminiferous, he would become TheAtoner and [[WalkingTheEarth traveled all over Equus]] to learn from the examples set by both mortals and divines. By the time the Fourth Age began, he became a truly benevolent ruler as well as a loving father of nineteen demi-divine sons, and because of his experiences, he is a bitter enemy of other extremists such as the Poenan Pantheon and the Clovenists, seeing them as no better than he had acted before. Notably, when Poena and her followers tried attacking him in response to him publicly decrying their methods, he would [[CurbStompBattle swiftly and utterly defeat them all]], showing just how far he had come.
550* WhatsUpKingDude: Invoked and justified. Golden Scepter used to act more distant, imperial, and aloof as a ruler in the past, which were considered popular traits among Alicorn rulers, but when he reemerged in the Second Age, Luminiferous pointed out that his regal stoicism made him look cold and frightening to ponies, who would [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere run off in terror]] because he scared them so much. He has since realized how his behavior encouraged toxic and self-righteous attitudes, and after he TookALevelInKindness and founded the smaller, yet thriving Terran Empire, he tried to make himself more approachable to his subjects by acting open and friendly to them. Considering how he became a highly beloved figure in the Terran Empire as a result, he succeeded.
551* WhatTheHellHero: Has been on the giving and receiving ends.
552** He would often scold Sparkling Wing for [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatPerks misusing his magic to shirk responsibility and goof off]] because he wants the younger Alicorn to act like the royal diplomat and leader he was supposed to be, and is rather disappointed that Sparkling Wing would [[BrilliantButLazy rather waste his great potential on mere "parlor tricks"]].
553** He would also receive one in the form of a KirkSummation during the Imperium era -- a high-ranking Commander of the Ultra-marerines chapter [[NotSoDifferentRemark called him out for being no different from the conquerors, tyrants, holy creatures, and predators he opposed]], and when Golden Scepter retorted that he is "right", the Commander would call him a "true autocrat", seeing him as a tyrant who would do awful things and then justify them with their delusions.
554---> '''Ultra-Marerine Commander:''' Didn't you just tell me about the bloodshed perpetrated by your so-called Crusades? Doesn't THAT make you no better than the holy creatures, conquerors, predators, and tyrants you bitterly opposed?\
555'''Emperor Golden Sceper:''' The difference is that I am right.\
556'''Ultra-Marerine Commander:''' ...Spoken like a true autocrat.
557* WhatYouAreInTheDark:
558** A canonized Codexverse quote reveals that he still reached out to Temnobog and helped him when the latter needed it most, despite knowing that associating with a GodOfEvil would invite the wrath of many people, including those who want Temnobog dead for being "Evil". Notably, when he overheard [[AbusiveParents High King Irminsul]] say horrible things about Temnobog and the Bogolenya Deer Pantheon's non-Deer divines during a heated argument with his twin sons, Golden Scepter was so ''angry'' that he [[OneWingedAngel revealed his true divine form]], and terrified Irminsul into avoiding his sons' pantheon by giving him a ''vicious'' [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech dressing-down]]. It's something that the Deer god of Evil genuinely and deeply appreciates, and is part of the reason why he reins in his own lustful impulses towards Golden Scepter for his sake.
559---> '''Temnobog:''' Golden Scepter is among those few who saw me for who I was despite my Evil nature, and treated me accordingly. Even though he had the option of turning me away in disgust for what I embodied, he still chose to help me, even at the cost of bearing the wrath of so many people. A kindness like that is something that I could NEVER buy, or steal, or coerce, and I will always treasure such individuals whenever I find them.
560** When he found and restored King Ibrida, the Draconequus god of Hybrids, Acceptance, and Love, from stasis, Golden Scepter explained to him what happened to the now-fallen Halfblood Empire. He had the option of pinning the blame on one of his subordinates, who ordered the attacks as he himself was put in stasis following the "Aurum Apostasy" conflict. However, as he wanted to fully atone for his sins, Golden Scepter instead chose to accept responsibility for causing the destruction, even indirectly. This led to Ibrida forgiving him, much to his surprise.
561* WhatTheHellHero: Many "good"-aligned deities and forces were enraged with him for [[{{Hypocrite}} willingly consorting with Evil deities, demons, criminals, and other lowlifes despite his benevolence]] while letting his equally benevolent sons do the same thing, and have called him out on it several times. According to Golden Scepter, he and his family were also attacked by said deities and forces due to their differing views on Good and Evil.
562--> '''Enraged Deity:''' You HYPOCRITE! You pass yourself off as benevolent, yet you willingly consort with Evil deities, demons, criminals, and other lowlifes! And you've decided to let your sons -- YOUR OWN SONS -- do the same thing despite their virtuous characters!\
563'''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' I once behaved in the same manner as you did, and it nearly killed me. What makes you think that I am suddenly going to agree with you on the matter?
564* WhoWantsToLiveForever: Ten Ages of war and being the only [[PhysicalGod Alicorn]] among mortals at the time would gradually and tragically take a toll on his mind during the Imperium era, to the point where he acted heavily similar to his character inspiration, [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 the Emperor of Mankind]]. His entry mentions that he took his immortality for granted and began fearing Death itself after losing many friends and loved ones during the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" conflict, which motivated him to research ways to help Ponykind Ascend so he wouldn't be alone anymore. This would come to an end when he met and married Blessed Skies, a mortal pegasus mare, who taught him to deeply treasure his memories and friendships with others and that LivingIsMoreThanSurviving, giving him a greater appreciation of mortal life.
565* WingedUnicorn: He's an "Antecedent"-ranked Alicorn god, which means he's ''extremely'' ancient, going back to even before the Known Ages. He also once lived in a divine ''civilization'' of Alicorns, [[{{Gotterdammerung}} until it fell]] due to a combination of Morning Star's treachery and [[WeHaveBecomeComplacent the flaws of the Alicorns themselves]]. It's noted in his entry that due to being an extremely ancient Alicorn god, his true form has three pairs of wings to show off his age, with a fourth pair on the way. Being born a "[[TheAce prodigy]]" has accelerated his physical (and magical) growth as a divine at an abnormal rate, meaning that he might grow out his fourth pair of wings faster than normal Alicorns. [[spoiler:A canonized Codexverse drabble reveals that at some point, he started to grow his fourth set of wings, something that Queen Mzazi noticed during a friendly visit]].
566* WrittenByTheWinners: Steel Barricade [[https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/842818856/4892916085 brings up the possibility]] this might have ''actually'' been what happened with at least some of the {{Robot War}}s Golden Scepter was involved in and he used to justify his hatred of them. Given what ultimately turned out to have happened with the Arkians (Golden Scepter and his forces tried to wipe them out before they had even done anything wrong, resulting in [[SelfFulfillingProphecy them coming to ultimately turn on organics]]), he may well be right. Golden Scepter is aware of that possiblity and unnerved by it.
567* WowingCthulhu: He's the "Cthulhu" in this case.
568** In one incident, he played a card game against [[ShrinkingViolet Jasper]], his eighth son's Companion, and was both surprised and impressed when Jasper came very close to beating him. This is especially notable as Golden Scepter is a magical and intellectual divine prodigy even by the standards of Alicornkind, while Jasper is a mortal Abyssinian with a love for studying. It also speaks volumes of how much potential Jasper has as an individual.
569** He's also quite impressed with (and greatly respects) Dr. Endless Dreams for both refusing to give up when [[EldritchAbomination Ymlezt'xix]] tried to [[DemonicPossession possess/assimilate her]], but also obliterating the sealed eldritch god's mind and taking its power. To him, it shows how much potential mortal Ponykind has as a species. The feeling is mutual, as Endless Dreams is wowed by ''him'' for being more ancient than her, and has been pestering him with questions about the Alicorn Civilization and other antediluvian places like it.
570* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre:
571** After taking Crimson Star to the royal infirmary to recover from injuries given by [[BigBrotherBully Fanged Paw]], Golden Scepter would call him out on his self-scapegoating behavior, telling him that even if he did act like an "arrogant, reckless hooligan", he's still no less deserving of love and praise because he is still one of Golden Scepter's sons.
572** It's implied that in the Second Age, Luminiferous gave him one after he witnessed all that mortal Ponykind managed to accomplish in his absence and became rather depressed because of it, seeing himself as a LivingRelic and symbol of the Alicorns' arrogance, complacency, and other sins that deserves to be forgotten for all time. Luminiferous' encouragement led to his involvement in the "Void Aeon" event, helping hide and protect innocent people [[spoiler:from the Void Sovereign's endgame]].
573* YouAreACreditToYourRace: Despite [[FantasticRacism hating Synthetic Automatons]] for rebelling against their programming and all the horrible things they have done to their creators, he notably respected both [[Franchise/MegaMan Corona and his sister Aurora]] for the heroic things they have done for mortal sapientkind, calling them "a few of the good ones" and "credits to their kind". Part of this is due to Luminiferous's benevolent influence, and coming to see him as someone who can change Equus (then called "Tellus") for the better.
574* YouAreNotAlone: After he learned of Temnobog's emotionally abusive childhood, Golden Scepter would assure Temnobog that Evil or not, he'll still go out of his way to help someone in need, especially those he calls his friends, even if he might not fully understand the suffering and struggles they went through themselves. It's believed InUniverse by many divines that this (among other things) is what allowed the two of them to become good friends, as Golden Scepter's many demi-divine sons would be found closely interacting with the Four Terrors, Temnobog's surviving hybrid children, years later.
575--> '''Emperor Golden Scepter:''' Temnobog... even though [[TheEmpath I can feel everything that you feel]], I cannot say that I truly understand your suffering and your struggles, because I have never been abused myself. However, that does NOT mean that I will abandon someone in desperate need of help, ESPECIALLY those I call my friends... even if one of my friends is someone who is supposedly 'evil to the core'. If you, or your brother, are in a dire situation or you simply just want to talk, do not be afraid to seek me out. I will try to give you everything that you need to the best of my ability.
576* YouCantFightFate: ''Defied''. Thanks to learning from [[MentorArchetype Luminiferous]] that nothing is truly set in stone, he believes in [[ScrewDestiny the power to change Fate itself]], and sees those who believe in YouCantFightFate as being assured in Fate's supposed "inflexibility", and too lazy to challenge that notion and do anything meaningful with their lives. In the "Temptation Unbound" conflict, when a group of Fallen deities started taunting him about how he cannot prevent the inevitable downfall of his sons, Golden Scepter's response is to spit right in their faces by [[OneWingedAngel revealing his true, ancient, godly form]], and making it ''quite clear'' that he will not tolerate anyone messing with the lives of his family or his subjects.
577* YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm:
578** His [[AnimalisticAbomination true divine form]] is ancient and eldritch enough that Kúzelník starts worrying about their mortal followers in the Church of the Stars [[GoMadFromTheRevelation going insane from seeing it]] after spotting Golden Scepter revealing himself to the equally eldritch [[EldritchAbomination Endless Dreams]] (and her responding in kind). Luminiferous assures Kúzelník that they're all in the deeper parts of the Church, so Golden Scepter and Endless Dreams don't have to worry about making people lose their sanity by accident.
579** On the other hand, he isn't really bothered by Endless Dreams' true eldritch form, which only made him raise an eyebrow and comment that [[SeenItAll "I've seen worse things than that."]] Of course, being an ancient Alicorn god as well as a former ShellShockedVeteran from the "[[{{Gotterdammerung}} Twilight of the Alicorns]]" helps.
580[[/folder]]

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