Emperor Ublaz aka Mad Eyes is an anthropomorphic pine marten and the main villain of the Redwall series book Pearls of Lutra by Brian Jacques.
History[]
Ublaz was a former pirate captain and the ruler of a tropical island called Sampetra, a port for corsair vermin to set anchor at. Ublaz ruled ruthlessly from his palace, forcing the pirate captains to pay tribute to him in order to stay at the island. To enforce his laws were savage Monitor lizards (lead by Lask Frildur) that acted as his shock troops, as well as a military of trident-bearing rats.
Emperor Ublaz was tall, handsome, and polite, as well as very cunning. His most known attribute was his uncanny ability to hypnotize others by staring into their eyes, hence his nickname "Mad Eyes". He used this power to tame the cannibalistic Monitors and make them serve him. He could also 'kill' someone with his stare, gazing at them so intensely that they lost their mind and committed suicide. In order to both practice his hypnotizing and show his full power, he would go into a cult-like staring match with a deadly coral snake that he kept in a secret room. Ublaz always won, and forced the snake into silent submission.
Ublaz coveted only one thing: a set of six pink pearls owned by the otter Lutra and his clan. The Emperor sent out corsair ships to retrieve these for him, and the vermin pirates slaughtered the otter tribe and stole the pearls. Over a set of circumstances, the pearls were lost, and Ublaz continued his search for them. Meanwhile, several corsair captains had started an uprising against the Emperor, and they rallied in battle against him. Ublaz spent most of his time trying to keep control over the rebels and outwitting their crafty leader, the fox Rasconza.
When the warriors of Redwall came to the island to rescue their captured Abbot, their leader, Martin, dueled with Ublaz down in his snake chamber. During the fierce battle, Martin forced Ublaz backward, and he stepped on the tail of the sleeping coral snake. It struck and bit his leg, paralyzing and eventually killing him. He never obtained the pearls.
Personality[]
The Emperor was a very sophisticated individual for a vermin; very intelligent, very polite - even to his worst enemies - and very strategic. In his war with Razconsa the fox, he only failed once. His powers of mind control and manipulation was seen as something to be feared by his vermin allies; and they were slightly envious of his intelligence, wealth and cunning. Many of them found it preposterous that Ublaz, who himself was one of them, would worm his way through treachery into becoming Emperor.
He was a cruel bully beneath his handsome and polite exterior, though - he could smile unfearingly at a foebeast while orchestrating their demise. His penchant for discussing his enemies' demises so casually was so frightening it made even his allies turn chill with fear.
His servants were not sure if they feared him more or his Reptilian servants; such was the Emperor's reputation. Even captured searats said they were more welcoming of death from their enemies than the torturous death Ublaz had in store for them.
Emperor Ublaz was very vain - he possessed many luxurious silken robes; ranging in hues from dark green to red and black; showing his lust for power. However only one thing would satisfy him - the Pearls; the Tears of All Oceans.