House Victus

House Victus is one of the Familiae Martialis, the Turian Hierarchy's military elite. They are one of the older of Palaven's military families, rising to prominence during the Unification War of 336 BCE. Notable family members include Primarch Adrien Victus, Decurio Tarquin Victus, and Primarch Fidellion Victus.

Humble Beginnings
The Victus family trace their lineage back to Valexus Victus, a Bostran soldier who served under the rule of Primarch Aurelion of Palaven. Valexus was originally a lowly infantryman in the Bostran Colonial Army, obedient to his consul and loyal to Bostra. However, when Bostra became a rogue province under the rule of Dux Soterian, Valexus found himself questioning a lifetime of blind loyalty.

After the unlawful public execution of his former consul and Soterian's declaration of Bostra's independence from the empire, Valexus gave an impassioned speech on the steps of Petraea's Signis, denouncing Soterian's rule and asserting that Bostra had always been and would always be a part of the empire. Soterian called for Valexus' head, prompting Valexus to preemptively move his family off-world and flee to Palaven.

An Oath of Fealty
After landing in Cipritine, Valexus demanded an audience with Aurelion, camping out on the steps of the Primacy Palace when he was denied his request by the Praetorian Guard. But while the Praetorian Guard scoffed at Valexus for being little more than a colonial peasant, Aurelion did not. Instead, the Primarch invited Valexus and his family into his palace as honoured guests, granting them asylum. As a show of loyalty, Valexus then bent the knee and swore an oath of fealty to Aurelion, before requesting that Palaven's armies retake Bostra, depose Soterian, and restore imperial rule to the colonies.

Despite Valexus' pleas, Aurelion was reluctant to throw his forces at a fortified rogue state. Instead, he decreed that he would have his fleets hide in the Cyrenaica system's asteroid belt. From there they could observe the neighbouring Bostran and Epyran rebels skirmish over the system's resources from a safe distance, allowing both sides to whittle each other down before engaging both in their weakened state. His plan culminated in the famous Battle of the Cyrenaican Reef, a pivotal moment in the Unification War which saw the imperial fleet obliterate the waring Bostran and Epyran ships, who had been obliviously fighting over the mineral-rich asteroid Palma-3.

Martyrdom
After his victory at the Cyrenaican Reef, Aurelion sent the newly promoted Tribune Valexus to Bostra as his envoy, accompanied by a full legion. Upon sight of the legion landing at Petraea, Soterian's surviving men left his side in droves. Knowing defeat was upon him, Soterian then barricaded himself inside the Signis, refusing to acquiesce in Aurelion's demands of peaceful surrender. Valexus, speaking to Soterian through the Signis' barred gates, called him a coward and stated that, if he had any true honour, he would face him in a duel to the death.

Enraged by Valexus' insinuation of cowardice, Soterian unbarred the gates and appeared before his enemy with shotgun in hand, spouting the frenzied rantings of an egomaniacal despot. The first shot from Soterian's weapon overloaded Valexus' shields. The second tore a hole in his chest. The third never came; Valexus impaled Soterian on his blade before the tyrant could take the final shot.

Valexus was rushed to the capital's medical centre for emergency treatment but ultimately succumbed to his wounds. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Legatus ("General") by Aurelion, who publicly described him as "the most loyal and upstanding of all Bostran citizens" and "a humble man whose blood ran the bluest". Valexus was entombed with the highest honours within the Petraean Necropolis on Bostra. Upon his tombstone the word "Victus" is inscribed; this was the first documented use of what would become universally recognised as the nomen gentilicium of House Victus for centuries to come.

Etymology
The family's name comes from an ancient and now extinct Palavenian dialect, translating as "he who brings victory". The name was awarded to Valexus and all his descendants by Aurelion for his martyrdom in the name of unification. It was later adopted as the official nomen gentilicium of his house by his descendants, in honour of their founder. In addition to its use as a nomen gentilicium, Victus was also used as the House's motto, often in the form of a battle cry. The female and neuter versions of this motto are "Victa" and "Victum", translating as "she who brings victory" and "we who bring victory" respectively.

Known members
Key: Parriachs / Bloodline Members / Matrimonial Members (note that all parriarchs are also bloodline members of the house)
 * Valexus Victus
 * Aritaea Sparatus
 * Adrien Victus
 * Saira Caesonia
 * Tarquin Victus
 * Iacoba Parvus
 * Fidellion Victus
 * Sarena Arterius
 * Marcia Abrudas
 * Keirix Victus
 * Leila Aventen
 * Adriana Victus
 * Irixia Victus
 * Gaius Victus
 * Aritaea Victus
 * Malkum Victus
 * Alia Sparatus
 * Fabian Victus
 * Fabia Victus
 * Jonas Sparatus
 * Claudius Victus
 * Lysia Marnek
 * Valexian Victus
 * Valexa Victus