Aurelian Imperial Family

The Aurelian imperial family was comprised of Aurelion Aurelos, his wife and children, his close relations and their spouses and children. There were strict legal rules on who was or was not a member of the imperial family, as defined by the reigns of several preceding imperators of Aurelion's bloodline. Typically, the imperial family included the spouse of the reigning imperator/imperatrix, surviving spouses of a deceased imperator/imperatrix, the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, and paternal and maternal cousins of the reigning imperator/imperatrix, as well as their spouses. Special dispensations could be granted by the reigning imperator/imperatrix which would bestow associate status - such was the case with Markus Abrudas. As Aurelion would become the last imperator to rule the empire, so too would his family be the last imperial family before the line of imperators was broken.

Members

 * Aurelion Aurelos and Septonia Halabrian (Aurelion and his wife)
 * Trebia Aurelos and Markus Abrudas (Aurelion's legitimate daughter and son-in-law)
 * Aurelion "Auri" Abrudas and Elissa Miras (Aurelion's grandson and granddaughter-in-law)
 * Septonian Abrudas (Aurelion's great-grandson, husband of Drusilla Arterius)
 * Aurelia Abrudas (Aurelion's great-great-granddaughter)
 * Trebia Abrudas (Aurelion's great-granddaughter)
 * Rea Aurix and Pallix Arterius (Aurelion's illegitimate daughter and son-in-law/adoptive son)
 * Elia Arterius (Aurelion's granddaughter)
 * Nereia Arterius (Aurelion's granddaughter)
 * Drusilla Arterius (Aurelian's great-granddaughter, wife of Septonian Abrudas, mother of Aurelia Abrudas)
 * Castian Arterius (Aurelion's grandson)
 * Flavia Aurix (Aurelion's illegitimate daughter)
 * Cressida Aurix (Aurelion's illegitimate granddaughter)
 * Orian Aurix (Aurelion's illegitimate son)
 * Castus Arterius and Teresa Kandros (Aurelion's adoptive son and daughter-in-law)
 * Quintus Arterius (Aurelion's adoptive grandson)
 * Teres Arterius (Aurelion's adoptive great-grandson)
 * Tyra Arterius (Aurelion's adoptive great-granddaughter)

Succession
When Aurelion came to the throne he did so by the ancient right of blood. He inherited the position from Glabius Imperator following his assassination, who had been his second cousin; they both shared a great-grandfather. The laws of succession did not change until Aurelion was a much older man. His only legitimate heir, Trebia, had died in childbirth, leaving her infant son the heir to Aurelion's reforged empire. However, like many of his predecessors, Aurelion also had illegitimate children to contend with, which further muddied the lines of succession.

To secure his grandson's claim, Aurelion was forced to marry off his illegitimate children to loyal allies to ensure they could never revolt against little Auri. He married his eldest daughter, Rea, to Pallix Arterius, his adoptive son. His younger daughter, Flavia, he married to Atreus Impera, a distant relation from his maternal bloodline. Lastly, he married his only son, Orian, to Rigela Halabrian, his wife's neice. He originally planned to have Flavia married to Castus, his other adoptive son, but Castus adamantly refused the match. Castus would later provoke Aurelion's ire by marrying the daughter of Thracia's primarch without his permission, unwittingly making it appear that Aurelion favoured Thracia over the other colonies.

Not wanting to insult Thracia by having the marriage forcibly annulled, Aurelion permitted Castus to remain with his new wife on the condition that he leave Palaven to reside on Thracia in soft-exile. Castus agreed to his terms, citing love as his reason for giving up his imperial lifestyle. He was permitted to return to Palaven for private family occasions but was otherwise excluded from public duty for the rest of his life. This was a political decision that held no personal animosity; Aurelion privately corrosponded with Castus regularly and continued to regard him as his son.

Aurelion decreed that should anything happen to Markus, he and his wife would become the legal guardians of their grandson. However, when Septonia passed away from a heart complication, Aurelion changed this decree to include Rea as the second legal guardian, highlighting just how much he trusted her.