Lord Havelock Vetinari, the ruler of Ankh-Morpork, a figure of Machiavellian brilliance who maintains order through an exquisite understanding of human nature. Vetinari does not rule through force but through the careful management of competing interests, ensuring that everyone is slightly afraid of everyone else and that the city functions despite itself. He is thin, precise, and terrifyingly competent. His predecessor was mad; Vetinari is merely very, very sane.