Just running through DB and I'm wondering, who is this guy and what are his motives? Does anyone have guesses? Or smigdets of evidence suggesting... anything? He appears to have some connection to the Elder Council and greatly wants his Imperial Highness dead.

Evidence I know:

-Owns an Elder Council Amulet
-Has access to massive resources and an old, noble blood-line
-Has Imperial soldiers as his protectors (bodyguards, housecarls, what have you)
-Related to a Dark Brotherhood contract from Oblivion (who didn't do much of anything important)
-Thinks killing Titus Mede II will save the Empire.

Also, did anyone else kill him? And if so, when he said "But we had a deal..." did you say in your best Vader-voice: "I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further." 'Cause I imagine my Assassin would.

Who: A high-ranking politician.

What: Power overwhelming.

-he's making a bid for the throne
-he wants someone in power that'll be more receptive to his suggestions
-he is a thalmor plant

that last one could coincide with either of the other two.

Councillors on the Elder Council have been notoriously selfish, I don't see this guy actually thinking it will "save the empire".

Perhaps he believes that Mede has done a commendable job, but he's taken the empire as far as he can, and knowing he wont simply abdacate, has him assassinated.

Mede knowing his position is untenable, comes to terms with his imminent demise before the contract is even taken out, thus explaining why he is so at peace when you confront him.

He's a greedy politician.

That is all.

This is pretty much what I thought. Emperor Titus Mede II was pretty disliked overall if I remember correctly. That's a petty enough reason for someone to call a hit out on him.

He is either a greedy politician or simply wants a more capable ruler on the throne. Or both, if he thinks he could be a better emperor than Titus.

In considering Our-Dear-Scion-Motierre and his motivations, I think we may need to reconsider the character of Titus II; the concensus seems to be one of general disapproval, of ineffectuality and unpopularity, but I can't help but see parallels with Uriel VII, if only in his mannerisms and demise, and wonder if he, like Our-Dearly-Departed-Septim, wasn't playing a much larger game. His request seemed, at least to me, to be less a final thumb-biting to his foes, and more a calculated effort to ensure that events would play out in a certain fashion. In short, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if he was at least partially aware of the hour-and-means of his demise long preceding the event, and saw the hope reflected in his assassin's face as Uriel saw the reflection of his own son's victory-in-sacrifice in the CoC.

Then again, that could just be the fever talking; pay me no mind.

Aren't emperors blessed by Akatosh the moment they are crowned, so that they know how they die? Uriel Septim recognizes the player in Oblivion and when I saw Titus behaves the same way, I thought it was because of this.

No, that blessing goes hand in hand with being Dragonborn, of which the Septim line is. Without the amulet of kings or the dragonfires to light, there is no way for it to be established. Remember, the Medes ascended to the throne by rule of Might is Right, not mystical. Titus knows there are dudes out to whack him, so a Dark Brotherhood member coming to whack him is less then shocking.

I think it may have been different, since Uriel was of the Septim lineage (despite all of the political marriages with other families of power and races) which would carry weight since Uriel probably had a link with Akatosh through his Dragon Blood whilst Mede has no known link to Aka.

Thanks. So I guess the whole theory "the old and despised emperor just give up" is the good one