Characters/Dall Narcis

This character only appears in this timeline.

Dall Narcis is the Emperor of Creteria, and you probably couldn't have asked for a worse guy for the job. As his name implies, he is almost completely self-absorbed. Even though his country is deteriorating all around him, he contents himself with drinking and debauchery, much to the disgust and frustration of Gilda, his Captain of the Guard. He seems to have no problem with living in the lap of luxury while his people suffer. Even his outfit is foppish, a garishly asymmetrical collection of robes and baubles that causes him to resemble a bizarre cross between an evil overlord and a Christmas tree.

As far as the debauchery goes, from the very moment Dall is introduced, he makes his intentions clear. That the newcomers from El-Hazard might be a threat to his country means little to him. What DOES matter is that some of them are pretty girls. Makoto he dismisses instantly, offhandedly remarking that he "has no interest in men". Thus, it is up to Nanami, who arrived with Makoto, to do most of the talking, since the emperor is obviously annoyed by his presence. The implication is clear that the only reason he cares about what Nanami is saying is because Nanami is saying it.

In spite of his brief infatuation with Nanami, his REAL interest lies with Qawool Towles, the new Priestess of Water. Qawool is the one that he truly goes gaga over and he spends almost all of his time thinking of how to win her heart, or what he'll do with her once he has her. To that end, he even goes so far as to ask Nanami for advice (something Nanami is happy to provide, since the Water Priestess is starting to look like competition for Makoto). He becomes furiously jealous every time Qawool demonstrates affection for Makoto (though, thankfully, never to the point where he's willing to harm Makoto over it). When it finally becomes clear to him that he stands no chance with the girl, it seems to shatter him completely. He retires to his chambers and spends much of his time drinking himself into a dark stupor.

Oh, to be sure, Dall Narcis isn't COMPLETELY oblivious to the problems of his nation. When he sees that Makoto has knowledge that could help them save their country, he puts him on the job. He also allows the boy quite a bit of free rein around the castle, much to the dismay of Gilda. His trust of the boy, though, stems entirely from his trust of Qawool and Nanami. After all, if Makoto is a friend of theirs, then he must be trustworthy, right? Not that he should have any more reason to trust those two, as Gilda would love to point out, if she didn't know that the emperor was absolutely close-minded on such a notion.

That's Emperor Dall Narcis for you... A foolish, arrogant, and corrupt man who has absolutely no business running a country. When faced with his idiocy, it becomes obvious why Gilda eventually felt the need to stage a coup for the good of the nation that Dall would drive into the ground.

Now.

Forget all that.

That is the face that Dall Narcis WANTS the world to see. The real Dall Narcis is a very different man, indeed. To describe him, it would be best to start with the event that caused him to erect his foppish facade.

In his youth, Dall Narcis was an ordinary sort of nobleman. He was a happy and headstrong youth, with a bright future ahead of him as the leader of his nation. At his side was Gilda, a noblewoman from another country who had been engaged to him. Though it was an arranged marriage, the two of them seemed to be quite happy with the arrangement and perhaps even in love with one another.

Dall Narcis comes from a family line that was entrusted to guard what has become known as the Spring of Life. This power source is what ensures both Creteria's prosperity and its dominance over other nations. The trick to it, though, is that no one knows how it works. In fact, it is forbidden to even enter the room containing it. To ensure that it remain forever sealed, only members of Dall's family have the correct genetic sequence to control the Spring of Life and only they are entrusted with the code words needed to activate it.

In Dall's case, it was like showing a young child a neat toy and then saying, "Don't touch it."

Consumed by curiosity, Dall was determined to enter the chamber containing the Spring of Life, completely against the advice of Gilda, who was understandably concerned for his safety. After all, the man had, apparently on a whim, decided to toss aside centuries of tradition and sacred law. Nevertheless, there was little she could do but stand aside while he entered.

Within the chamber of the Spring of Life, Dall was shown images explaining the origins of the Spring. He was shown the Eye of God and the horrible destruction it wrought when it appeared in their world. The Spring was no mere power source, but the control center for the most devastating weapon ever devised.

The truth behind his family's legacy was too much for Dall to take. When he emerged again, he was a broken man. Haunted and driven, Dall broke his engagement with Gilda and commanded her to leave the country. He withdrew into himself and, eventually, created a new image for himself to cover the nightmarish horrors that plagued his mind.

In the present day, it is implied that Dall's unconcern for the plight of his country is more than just foppish arrogance. He is actually resigned to the fate of his country. He sees the gradual deterioration of the Spring of Life as a just punishment for the sins of the nation's founders and a fitting end for such a horrible weapon. He will not lift a finger to help or hinder its destruction. He is unconcerned by Gilda's political maneuvering

His tune changes when Gilda shows herself able to actually activate the Spring, an action that would certainly bring widespread destruction. While the deaths of the people of Creteria might be acceptable, the deaths of the innocents from El-Hazard were not. In his efforts to stop Gilda, he displays a great deal of fighting skill. Sadly, his attitude changes too late to stop Gilda from carrying out the wishes of the being known as Arujah and he is left with a terrible wound for his efforts. While his means are hindered at that point, he lends what assistance he can to the people of El-Hazard, who are doing their best to avert disaster, revealing to them what he knows of the history of the Spring of Life.

This Emperor Dall Narcis is a very different man. Angst-ridden and tormented, he lives a life of frivolity to distract himself from the horrible truth that is hidden from the people of Creteria. Of course, his willingness to allow his nation to crumble STILL makes him a pretty terrible Emperor... Just a much less shallow one.

Fortunately for Dall, his story has a happy ending. With all misunderstandings gone between Gilda and himself, the two fall in love once again and are married. With the Eye of God whole once more, but forever sealed by Makoto and his friends, his nightmares leave him. The newly fertile lands of Creteria provide a beautiful rural paradise for the two of them to raise their daughter. It is uncertain whether Dall is still Emperor, but if he is, he is an emperor finally willing to live and, presumably, work with his people.

Portions of this page originally belonged to The Wanderers' Guide to El-Hazard: The Magnificent world, co-authored by Jason Bertovich (Makoto) and Aaron Ziegler (Spanner). The original page is no longer available on-line.