B is for Borusa

Borusa is noted as one of the most important Time Lords in the history of their race.  He appears four times in the televised series (The Deadly Assassin, The Invasion of Time, Arc of Infinity, The Five Doctors) and each time we see him it is a new incarnation. This leads us to believe that, at odds to most Time Lords, Borusa got up to some dangerous business in between the times that we actually see him.

Borusa starts out as a Cardinal (one of many officious titles amongst Time Lords) actually campaigning to become Lord President of Gallifrey.  As the interactions between the 4th Doctor and himself go on, it is revealed that in the past he was a teacher. One of the Doctor's teachers no less, and perhaps his greatest *official* teacher.  As we go on learning of this Time Lord through the four stories, we learn that each has a begrudging respect for the other, although the Doctor resents his former tutor's rigidity towards the stagnant society of Gallifrey and Borusa resents the Doctors reckless insubordinate off-planet behaviors.

By the end of The Deadly Assassin the Cardinal moves up to the position of Lord Chancellor (though possibly illegally) and in The Invasion of Time seems to be acting President as well (until the Doctor puts his claim in) He assists the Doctor in saving Gallifrey yet again. But, as we all know the Doctor did NOT stay on as President of Gallifrey.

Borusa finally, and officially, does become President. We next meet him when one of the other (thought deceased) heroes of Gallifrey comes back to avenge himself. It is possible that the necessity to destroy Omega took its toll on Borusa as the climax of this adventure begins a downward spiral for the President.

Or perhaps....he was just power mad. Whatever the reason when we meet the next incarnation of Borusa he is consumed with the desire to be President eternal. He activates the Game of Rassilon, ensnaring five of the Doctors to carry out his will and open the way to immortality.  However, it is learned that immortality was a curse. Rassilon sought it and won it, and decided that this game would be to get nefarious parties out of the way, keeping clean (or cleanER) the political forum of Gallifrey.  Thus, once Borusa claimed his gift, he was turned into a living statue to live out his days on the side of the bier of the mighty Rassilon.

However, Borusa's story does not end there.  In the novel Blood Harvest, a trio of Time Lords fanatical to the (late?) President attempt to restore him to his former glory. As the Time Lord is reconstituted it turns out that he does not share the desires of the three villains and after assisting in their thwarting, goes back to his eternal slumber.

Then again, in the novel the Eight Doctors, Borusa is shown to be redeemed from his lust for power and is actually released from the incarceration to find some life back in Time Lord society.

Granted, even with the addition of two novels we only get but a glimpse into this Time Lord's life (especially with how long they live; remember we have looked into four of his lives and that's roughly a third of them) There must be quite a lot of other events that concern him for him to have become as great a figurehead in Time Lord history as we are led to believe...