Lucian Caedus
The Lingering Lucian Caedus
Lucian Caedus was an incredibly ambitious man and spent most of his life gathering power for his house. Even as a boy, he longed to be King of all of Hemlock, though he kept his intentions hidden for many years, until he started the Red Rebellion. He got his nickname from his long life, and his continued survival even after fourteen assassination attempts and several injuries in battle. He eventually succeeded in his goal and united the land to overthrow House Lambros.
The Young Bull
Born in 1352 to the Lord of Blackfield Tiberius Caedus and his wife Pompeia Quintius, Lucian was a sickly child. He was born prematurely, and his family was worried he would never even make it to adulthood. Eventually, his family brought in an elven healer from Allysium, and allowed him to treat the boy. Nobody knew how the elf did this, as only the elf, Tiberius, and Pompeia stayed in the room while the elf did his work. It is theorized that whatever magic he used to heal the boy may have been the source of his longevity. Regardless, from that point on, Lucian was perfectly healthy. He was a prodigy in many things growing up, and he was known for his skill with a sword, as well as his intelligence, and tactical mind. He was always a serious boy, rarely joking or goofing off. When he was twelve years of age, the King of Hemlock, Arvon Lambros, visited his House at Whiteridge. He saw how his family all had to bow for this young man, a young man who did not even take his role seriously. From that point on, Lucian became obsessed with taking on the role himself, and began his quest to become King. When the King had arrived, he jokingly referred to Lucian as "The Young Bull", a nickname that caught on from that point, and Lucian embraced until he took the throne.Preparing for a Rebellion
Lucian grew up to be a strong and respected man, and his House was flourishing by the time he reached adulthood. His best friend was the heir of House Sideris, Roland Sideris. Lucian was married in 1371, when he was nineteen, to the King's niece, Olympia Lambros. They had their first child the next year, a boy named Aurelio Caedus. Aurelio was a strong boy, some said the spitting image of his great-great-grandfather, Aurelius Caedus. In 1378, the couple had twins, two girls named Elia and Athena, though Athena died shortly after being born due to medical problems. Their final child was a son named Albus Caedus, born in 1386. Tiberius Caedus died in 1390, meaning leadership of the House fell to Lucian. He immediately began gathering strength and allies. He already had the loyalty of House Gideon and House Sideris. He ensured the loyalty of House Sideris by offering his daughters hand in marriage to Roland Sideris's son. When he felt his House was strong enough, Lucian went to war with House Lambros in 1399, starting the Red Rebellion.The Red Rebellion
During the war, Lucian survived seven assasination attempts at various points, never sustaining permanent injuries. Lucian participated in most battles himself, leading the charge. He wielded his families ancestral weapon, the Greatsword Lifedrinker. As he began to win battle after battle, multiple other great houses joined him and betrayed House Lambros. The worst loss that Lucian suffered in the war was the failed Siege of Paelford Keep. The army he sent to take the keep was led by his son Aurelio Caedus, and his inexperience in combat lost the battle. The siege was disastrous, and when his force attempted to break into the castle and failed, they took heavy casualties. On the armies second attempt to break the enemy defenses, Aurelio broke through the gate, and led the charge inside. He was slain by archers that had set up on the other side to fire at intruders, and when he was killed, the siege fully fell apart. His army's command structure was decapitated, and the rest of his men were quickly killed or captured. Lucian was crushed by this, but he only fought harder. Eventually, He had garnered the support of most of the Noble Houses, and he was approaching the capital with his armies. The King came out to meet them at Ridgecrest, a large cliff on the shores of Dawnton. In the ensuing battle, the King was betrayed by his allies at House Flavius, with Septimus Flavius stabbing King Arvon Lambros through the back with a shortsword. Lucian had won the war, and his first act as King was to execute Septimus Flavius, as well as his father and brother, ending his families bloodline. He did this because they only sided with him when they were in immediate danger and had dishonorably stabbed the King in the back. He then instilled a loyal house, House Marius, to rule Whitehaven and take their place. He also decided not to call himself King, instead being reffered to as the Emperor.The Lingering Lord
Lucian was a good ruler for the most part, but he endured seven more assassination attempts. One of them costed him his left eye, as a man attacked him with a knife and slashed his face. He was also stabbed in the side, poisoned twice, and bludgeoned with a mace, but he always seemed to survive and recover within weeks. On Lucian's 68th nameday he hosted a feast and tournament at the castle, with disastrous results. During one of the jousts, a nefarious plot was undertaken by enemies of the realm, when Lucian descended from his seat in his well guarded stands to greet the winner of one of the jousts. The man had been paid to assassinate Lucian, and he quickly unsheathed a dagger and plunged it into the Emperor's chest. Lucian roared like a lion and pulled out the dagger, slashing the man's throat with it and then collapsing. He survived, but was never the same, becoming a recluse and refusing to attend social events or meet with subjects, only speaking with his top advisors and most trusted confidants. Despite all of these injuries, he lived to be 111, with his son Albus Caedus inheriting the throne when he was injured in 1420 on his nameday and he decided it was unwise for him to sit on the throne. And so, his son became emperor in 1420, and Lucian reportedly died of a heart attack in 1463.Family Tree
Relationships
Current Status
Deceased
Species
Ethnicity
Life
1352 AoL
1463 AoL
Family
Spouses
Olympia Lambros
(spouse)
Siblings
Children
Sex
Male
Hair
Shoulder Length, Black
Height
6'1"
Aligned Organization
Comments