Francois Baptiste

"Francois Baptiste is without a doubt solely responsible for the downfall of our great nation! What? Don't give me that look; you were all thinking it!" -- Bernie "Thunder" Downs, media personality and popular demagogue

Early Life[]

Francois Baptiste was born in E6Y678 to Maria Ptolem, favorite concubine of Second Emperor Livy Baptiste. Francois' birth interjected him into the line of succession somewhere between 73rd and 81st, depending on which set of geneological documents have been taken into account. Nevertheless, his young life was rife with the intrigue and tragedies inherent in such a court as the Yellow Giant Citadel. As was customary for one of dynastic blood, he grew (physically and mentally) at a geometric rate, and by the [normal] age of 3 had already arranged for 17 murders to be committed among his rivals for the Yellow Giant Throne. Thus, he rose through the ranks of succession at an alarming pace, managing to become next in line for the Throne by the time he was merely 14.

Reign[]

At the age of 17, Francois finally managed to depose his predecessor, Grand Pomp Xeracis Baptiste, in a game of poisoned chess. Having so prodigiously gained the Throne, Francois set about implementing all of his (perhaps insane) policies of governance into effect.

During the course of his reign, Francois implemented a new economic model based on toothweed production, leveled sanctions on technological innovation, participated in (most sources point to Francois as the instigator of the Revolution) a war with Phlogistonia, built the Barca, among other "enlightened" actions.

In retrospect, it is easy to say where Francois went wrong and to point out when he should have rescinded his moratorium on technology, but to Carthaginians of the time, he was never anything but a hero and a gentleman. Despite his obvious war crimes, people the world over continue to hold celebrations in his honor.

Disappearance (Ascension?)[]

As the Phlogistonian Revolution raged on, and the Yellow Giant Citadel crumbled, Francois grasped ever tighter at what straws were left to him. In E7Y41, he turned to the underground technological movement, the Technoprats, for aid. As most documents from the years leading to his disappearance were burned in the destruction of Carthage, it is unclear what actually transpired between Francois and the Technoprats, but enough remains for scholars to argue about their conjectures.

If Francois did indeed Ascend in E7Y59, the details of whether or not he utilized the expertise of the Technoprats are lost to the ages. Then again, he may have just opted for gene-replacement therapy and lived out the rest of his life on an equitorial moon.