The Emperor's Emissary Valor Mortis character

A puppet of the court, clothed in titles yet deprived of true authority. They vanished within the Valley of Ashes, though few shall trouble themselves to seek them.

All is clear to me now, though I almost wish it were not.

The Shrike, Maria Walewska, and the Emperor's Emissary — they are one and the same. One woman, moving unseen through every corridor of intrigue, her hand steady upon every thread I once thought unconnected.

It was she who guided the rebellion with an iron resolve. She who lured the Mice into obedience with a mothering hand. It was her deceitful voice whispering sweet lies into Bonaparte's ear. And into mine.

I must admit, I do not know what to make of this woman. The experiments to which I was subjected bear some trace of her design, yet her true purpose remains veiled.

There is cruelty in her methods, this I cannot deny — towards the Emperor, towards his ranks. And yet, in her dealings with the common folk there is a devotion so profound it borders on the sacred. She is no simple conspirator. She knows far more than she reveals.

One thing alone I dare to conclude: where Bonaparte hungers for power, she burns for something altogether different. Something fiercer, and perhaps far more dangerous.

Freedom.