Doctor Nikola Svengali

Doctor Nikola Svengali is a amalgalm of two villains: Svengali, from George L. Du Maurier's novel Trilby; and Doctor Nikola, an arch-villain created by Guy Boothby. Since the game had a Trilby, it needed a Svengali, but since Nikola, who had already been written, has some knowledge of mesmerism, the gamemasters found it easier to combine the two. "Certainly," commented Henrietta Wallace, "it was simpler than trying to get another coherent character out of Mr. Walker."

Doctor Nikola, whom Jess Nevins refers to as "one of the classic (and sadly forgotten) arch-villains," appeared first in an eight-part serial in Windsor Magazine in 1895 and then in collected form in A Bid for Fortune, or Doctor Nikola's Vendetta (1895). He also appeared in Doctor Nikola (1896), The Lust of Hate (1898), Doctor Nikola's Experiment (1899), and Farewell, Nikola (1901). Svengali is the villain in Du Maurier's Trilby, mesmerizing the beautiful artists' model Trilby O'Farrell into becoming his "singing machine." In appearance the two are substantially different; Nikola is described as neat, handsome, and "irreproachably dressed," while Svengali is described as "dirty" and "greasy."

Both men behave in ways that the Victorians would consider reprehensible, of course.
The Doctor is a vivisectionist, owning a laboratory is filled with human and other more revolting specimens. Svengali is a man who drives a woman to suicide by rejecting her (it's unclear whether he uses mind control to do so, but it is implied), poses as an artist to get Trilby to pose nude for him, and worst of all, hypnotizes Trilby into traveling as his wife when she is not. Both are potent mesmerists.

On the other hand, Nikola is somewhat sympathetic and can be a generous villain. He lets his archnemisis escape several times, and even sends flowers to his wedding. He is the prototype of the polished "Bond Villian." It's certainly a lot easier to see how Trilby could fall for him.

These two villains were combined into one through the opium-ridden and deranged mind of Thaddeus Walker.

Doctor Nikola Svengali

God only knows how you came to be what you are. Perhaps it was simply a fault of nature, which creates all beasts. Yet also, it could simply be that your mind is so much more powerful than other men. More likely, it might have been the buggery back in boys' school. No matter, you persevere in one great thing - Science!

You are a punctual man, tidy, well-groomed, and very very organized. You expect those who serve you to be yours body and soul. You had the misfortune to be described in a narrative by some ingrate named Dick Hatteras, whom, if you ever find him, you intend to kill in a way as slow and painful as you can devise.

It was your desire to have vengeance on a fellow by the name of Wetherell. Ridiculously, Wetherell's daugher showed interest in that dolt Hatteras, around whom you ran mental circles. Worst of all, he prated at length about it in what should have been your tale of vengeance.

You are a mesmerist of unusual power, and a vivisectionist. Some people would find your practices horrifying. You simply find them intoxicating.

You collect skeletons of men, monkeys, and other animals. You decorate your laboratory with skulls, bones, and the apparatus for every kind of murder known to the fertile brain of man -- European rifles, revolvers, bayonets, and swords; Italian stilettos, Turkish scimitars, Greek knives, Central African spears and poisoned arrows, Zulu knobkerries, Afghan yataghans, Malay krises, Sumatra blowpipes, Chinese dirks, New Guinea head-catching implements, Australian spears and boomerangs, Polynesian stone hatchets, and numerous other weapons the common man would not be able to name. Collected also are implements for every sort of wizardry known to the superstitious; from old-fashioned English love charms to African Obi sticks, from spiritualistic planchettes to the most horrible of Fijian death potions. All with good use.

You have an albino dwarf to assist you in your… experiments, yes, experiments.

You kidnapped Lord Beckenham, placing an iron collar about his neck and chaining him to a wall. What excitement and delight that brought you! How much it reminded you of school! You wanted to put him with your monkey-boy in the laboratory, but damned if Beckenham didn't get away. What on earth could the boy have wanted with the outside world?

But you allowed him and his annoying companion Hatteras their freedom, having your servant Prendergast blindfold them and leave them at the harbor. You sincerely hoped that once there, they'd be sodomized by sailors. Hatteras, at least, considered himself an Australian, so it could hardly have been a new experience for him.

Somehow you managed to find your way to Paris, and met a beautiful young lady by the plebian name of Trilby O'Farrell. She was a model, so you pretended to be an artist in hopes that she would disrobe. No such luck, but later you heard her sing and decided to pursue the matter.

You hypnotized Miss Trilby and made her your creature. Ah, and such a delightful creature she was, too. She became a glorious singer, and you toured around the world with her, making a great deal of wealth and glory for you. She was known as the great singer Svengali.

You posed as her husband and traveled with her, alternately bullying and fawning for her best behavior. Always you had to keep her in your presence to keep her under your spell. Gecko, a young fiddler, small, swarthy, shabby, brown-eyed, and pockmarked, helped you train her properly.

The tour traveled to England, where Taffy, The Laird and Billie attended a performance, discovering Trilby was still alive. Completely under your control, she didn't recognize them, except for a brief moment when your control lapsed. With one look you snapped her back into your power.

Back at the hotel, you put Trilby into another trance. Once again you made her tell you that she loved you. You despaired, knowing she was only echoing your words.

Billie, Trilby's damned former fiancé (not as annoying as Hatteras, but all the same a right bastard) followed you across Europe, vowing to break your spell on the girl. Fearing that Billie's love might actually be able break your hold on Trilby, you canceled appearance after appearance. Finally, you confronted Billie and told him that Trilby would be giving her last performance that night and then she could decide on her future.

The performance began but you faked your own death. Trilby collapsed too, no longer able to sing in tune. You had planted a post hypnotic suggestion for Trilby to write her will and fake her own death to rid you of the annoying and unfortunately named Billie.

Trilby rejoined you, and you sent her to contact the Beetle. This supernatural force has been creating gold and channeling it into the world economy. In a few more months the economy will collapse, and bring ruin to the world, and you intend to take over.

This supernatural creature giant, malignant, deformed beetle. However, it hosts the soul of an ancient Egyptian Princess, who is an avatar of Isis. As the leader of an African Sect - the Children of Isis - who gain magical powers from human sacrifice, she is a dangerous enemy. She can take the form of the Beetle, and also an old man, and a sinister androgynous figure.

She has hypnotic powers and can read and control minds. Except for yours. You can detect supernatural mental influences, and they cannot affect you because of your training and discipline.

You found that she knew Trilby having sacrificed her parents in an obscene ceremony and involved her in orgiastic rites at a young age. This doubtless rendered her mind plastic, having infused her with neuroses beyond human comprehension. Making her the perfect vehicle for your arts.

You have been helping the Beetle place gold into the world economy, and considering what other women you could kidnap. The Vampiress Carmilla came to feed upon you, but you have deceived her. Your powers are greater than hers. She thinks she is controlling you, but every time she "feeds" upon you, she gains only a little blood, and you may implant one post-hypnotic suggestion which she must perform.

You want to avoid the Eugenicist Dr. Schultze. He might be able to identify the part of your brain that gives you your extra-human powers.

You had Lady Grey steal the Airship Astronard for you. You paid her in gold created by the Beetle. Now you will use the Astronard to become master of the world.

The Beetle wants only that you will capture Dr. Frankenstein's plans, and pass them to her. These are for a device which restores life. You suspect the Beetle wishes to be a living human once again.

You will watch, and manipulate everything to your advantage, and influence the right persons so that when all is done, you will be made master of the world.

Bwahahahahaha!