Aurelion Aurelos

"'Amare et sapere vix deo conceditur.'"Aurelion Aurelos (356 BCE - 254 BCE) was the last Imperator of the Turian Empire and founder of the modern-day Turian Hierarchy. He is the most revered of all Turian historical figures, posthumously deified for his reunification of the Empire and the reformation of its hereditary monarchy into a hierarchical meritocracy. He is widely considered to be one of history's most successful military commanders, having presided over the largest spacefaring empire of the Early Council Era without ever losing a single battle.

Some time after his coronation, Aurelion came into contact with one of the elusive Beings of Light, which directed him towards the location of an ancient prothean memory shard, hidden within Temple Palaven. When Aurelion took the shard into his hands, he received a vision which warned him about the reapers and their cycles of genocide. This vision spurred him to reunify the turian empire, in the hopes that it could give his people a fighting chance against the coming harvest.

Aurelion was haunted by his vision for the rest of his life. He rationalised it by convincing himself that he was a divine prophet sent to restore his people's legacy in order to protect them from the cycle. This belief profoundly effected his ability to live a normal life and develop healthy relationships with others. His love of Markus nearly broke his resolve, Aurelion wanting nothing more than to forget the horrors imparted by the shard and devote himself entirely to the man he loved. In the end, he was forced to choose between his divine duty to his people and his mortal love of Markus; he chose duty, albeit with great emotional pain.

Lineage and childhood
Aurelion was born in Pellus, the capital city of the planet Macedyn. He was the son of Heredus Verix and Polixena. Not much is known about Aurelion's ancestry beyond his parentage. It is generally accepted that his father was a distant relative of the Empire's ruling Imperators, though exactly how he was related to them is still unknown. It is through his paternal lineage that Aurelion would come to inherit the imperial throne at just twenty years of age, following the untimely deaths of all other Heredi at the hands of rebel colonial forces.

Being the child of a minor Heredus, Aurelion enjoyed relative freedom whilst growing up. He received a typical education for a child of his station, studying military theory, philosophy, religion, critical thinking, and art, in addition to the compulsory core subjects. It was during his youth that he became a proficient player of the kyrix, a traditional Palavenean string instrument, similar to the lyres found in Earth's ancient Mediterranean cultures. Aurelion would later go on to compose many of his own songs, the most famous of which is the ballad Frater Meus ("Brother Mine"), which he dedicated to Markus Abrudas while the pair were on campaign on Epyrus.

Sexuality
Aurelion's sexuality is a hotly debated topic within the Hierarchy's academic sphere. Despite being married to Septonia Halabrian, historical records written during his reign indicate that he certainly was not a faithful husband to her. Aurelion is known to have fathered at least three illegitimate children in his youth, all of whom he loved and provided for. While three is the confirmed number, there may have been others which history has forgotten.

Controversially, some scholars have suggested that Aurelion may have been in a homoerotic relationship with Markus Abrudas, his second-in-command and closest confidant. Dr. Rialla Ionis of Serrice University has argued that, while Aurelion used the women in his life as pawns to facilitate his vision, the lifelong connection he shared with Markus was both genuine and unconditional.

She cites various handwritten letters sent between both men, claiming that the type of language they used is overly familiar and eludes to a mutual longing for one another. In spite of her evidence, Ionis' claims have been repeatedly dismissed by both House Aurelos and House Abrudas, who state that Markus and Aurelion's relationship was a purely fraternal one.

Name and Titles
Aurelion's full name, including all titles and honorifics attributed to him, is Aurelion Imperator, Lux Unitatis, Spiritus Vivus, Caesor Abrulorum, Restitutor Septemis, Restitutor Pax Galactica.

This translates as "Emperor Aurelion, Unifying Light, Living Spirit, Breaker of Chains, Restorer of the Seven, Restorer of Galactic Peace."

Aurelion's surname and titles are posthumous additions to his name. During his lifetime, he would have simply been known as "Aurelion Imperator", as the concept of family names (called nomen gentilicium) did not exist in Turian culture prior to his death.

Imperator Ultimus, meaning "The Last Emperor", is an honorific used in the scholastic sphere to refer to Aurelion, denoting his status as the last in a long bloodline of hereditary monarchs. Following his reign, every subsequent ruler of the empire has instead borne the title of Primarch and succeeded to the throne on the basis of merit, as opposed to blood.

Descendants
While claiming descent from Aurelion has become something of a national pastime for turians, several high profile figures in turian society are irrefutably descended from him. Along with Markus Abrudas, he is a common ancestor for all blood members of House Abrudas, through his grandson Aurelion Abrudas. He is also the progenitor of House Aurix, founded by his illegitimate children; Flavia, Orian and Rea. House Arterius also shares the blood of Aurelion, as Pallix Arterius married and had children with Rea.

Notable descendants of Aurelion include:
 * Desolas Arterius I
 * Saren Arterius
 * Desolas Arterius II
 * Janus Arterius
 * Sarena Arterius
 * Cassian Arterius
 * Alasius Arterius
 * Decian Arterius
 * Nihla Arterius
 * Sairus Arterius
 * Desolas Arterius III
 * Ilithia Arterius
 * Maea Abrudas
 * Gaius Abrudas
 * Gidion Abrudas
 * Marcia Abrudas
 * Keirix Victus
 * Adriana Victus
 * Irixia Victus
 * Gaius Victus
 * Alasius Carteia
 * Aurelion Carteia