Septonian Abrudas

Septonian Abrudas Mirinus was the son of Primarch Aurelion "Auri" Abrudas of Carthaan and his bonded wife, Elissa Miras. He was the older brother of Trebia Abrudas. He was named in honour of his great-grandmother, Imperatrix Septonia Halabrian, the consort of Imperator Aurelion Aurelos and last Imperatrix of the empire. He was the grandson of Primarch Markus Abrudas of Carthaan and the great-grandson of Aurelion Imperator.
Septonian would marry his paternal second cousin, Drusilla Arterius, in a bid to bolster the Aurelian genetics in House Abrudas' bloodline. Their union would usher in a period of incestuous intermarriage between Houses Abrudas, Arterius and Aurelos, which would last for several centuries. This practice of historical inbreeding has led to a loss of genetic diversity, resulting in a higher concentration of the pale gene within the gene pools of these three great houses. While their union was initially a political affair based on a mutual lust for power, Septonian and Drusilla would later develop feelings for one another and become bondmates. Drusilla was already heavily pregnant with Septonian's child when he wed her and soon gave birth to his only child; a daughter, whom he named Aurelia. 
Septonian was a firm believer in Aurelion’s vision but had doubts about the ability of the new Primarchae of Palaven to safeguard it. Regarding Aurelion’s succession act, Septonian agreed that merit should be the sole determiner of social mobility but felt his great-grandfather had placed too much faith in the goodness of people’s hearts when it came to leadership. He believed that the empire needed to be ruled by the descendants of Aurelion to preserve his legacy and guide his people to enlightenment. Thus, in his mind, the Aurelian Throne should have kept the original blood succession laws. 
Septonian believed his father, Aurelion Abrudas, was the rightful Imperator and thus he was the rightful heir to the throne as his son. In private he referred to himself as Heredus, a title translating as “prince” and, likewise, called his daughter, Aurelia Abrudas, Hereda, or “Princess”. Using his power as Primarch of Carthaan, Septonian would successfully place his daughter on the Aurelian Throne by ensuring she was born there, becoming one of the first to bend Aurelion’s laws about colonial birthrights. 
Primarch Aurelia would later be assassinated after trying to alter Aurelion’s succession laws, as ordered by her father, demonstrating to Septonian that too much time had passed since Aurelion’s reign to be able to change his laws so easily; the people would no longer accept Aurelion’s descendants as rulers unless they had legitimately earned the throne through merit. Septonian was promptly arrested for treason alongside his wife, Drusilla. The members of the Radiatum, who had ruthlessly stabbed their daughter to death mere days previously, were the ones who tried them. From the outset of the trial, Septonian confessed his guilt and stated that he would accept any punishment they deemed necessary. He repeatedly declared that he had manipulated Aurelia into doing what she did, concluding that his life should have been the one taken, not hers. In recognition of his contrition and honesty, the Radiatum sentenced Septonian to the swift death of beheading. 
Septonian's sister, Trebia, visited him in prison the day before his scheduled execution. She gently lectured him on the cost of pride, telling him that the person he had become was that which Aurelion had changed the succession laws to prevent rising to power in the first place: "In the end, your pride has proved His prudence...though such foresight does not bring me comfort." Wanting to spare her brother from public humiliation, Trebia chose to show him mercy by slipping him a blade and telling him that he still had time to do the right thing and redeem himself. The blade in question had been gifted to Auri by Aurelion upon the former's forfiture of his claim to the Imperial Throne and was inscribed with the poignant words, Multitudinis Cor ("The heart of The Many”) - a title with which their father was often referred to, with great respect. 
The next morning, when his guards came to take him up for his exuection, they found Septonian dead with said blade embedded in his heart. As he had committed treason, his body was cremated rather than embalmed. His ashes were then given to Trebia, who oversaw their trasportation back to Carthaan. There she placed them in their family's tomb, beside the tomb of Septonian's beloved daughter. Drusilla's passing would not be as peaceful - she was paraded through the streets of Cipritine in chains before being hanged by the neck until dead. Her body was then burned and her ashes were returned to House Abrudas, who had them quietly buried in an unmarked grave away from their family tomb. Before she was killed, Drusilla experienced the pain of Septonian's death through her bondmark and was driven to madness by the knowledge of what it meant. By the time she was standing with the noose around her neck, all the life had already gone out of her eyes and she did not resist.
A song known as The Lament of Septonian documents this historical event and acts as a cautionary tale to those who would seek to undermine Aurelion’s sacred meritocracy.
Category:Turians
Category:Males
Category:House Abrudas
Category:Historical figures
Category:Primarchs
Category:Duarchs
Category:Imperial Family of Aurelion Aurelos
Category:Primatial Family of Markus Abrudas of Carthaan
Category:Primatial Family of Aurelion Abrudas of Carthaan
Category:Primatial Family of Septonian Abrudas of Carthaan
Category:Imperial Family of Aurelia Abrudas
Category:Tria nomina
Category:Carthaaneans