Borus Kostides

Borus Kostides was King of Ilaka in the aftermath of Pelias Kostides. He is known as a relatively simple king, failing to really distinguish himself from the others that came before him.

## Early Life

Borus was born in the city of Ayteran in **524PR** to Thyrsis and his wife, Melita. He was connected to the Kostides family through his mother, daughter of Ilias Kostides. In order to have a claim to the throne, Thyrsis took the uncomfortable act of letting his son keep his mother’s name.

In his childhood a lot of Borus’s time was spent in secret, hiding him from the current King Nasos at the time who killed or imprisoned any claimants to the throne. After his death in **530PR**, Borus was able to return to a relatively normal life, his Uncle Apelles on the throne.

Rather than go to normal schooling, Borus spent a lot of time fighting in his youth, training with some of the best soldiers there were to offer and becoming respected amongst the Atkan. He expected to become a soldier for the army, using his title to take the role of general.

In **550PR,** Pelias Kostides, son of Apelles, took the throne. Initially it was going to be seen as just a simple reign, letting Borus rise through the ranks of the military and eventually become a general when he was confident enough. Instead, in **551PR** the ‘Bloody Night’ happened. On the night of Janu 18 the Royal Guards commanded by Pelias went through the city and nation and killed any written on Pelias’s list, including political opponents and people he just didn’t like.

Borus, as a potential claimant to the throne, was on the list and had to remain hidden in the army to avoid them. His general and mentor at the time was slain as well.

When the night ended, Borus and a lot of the Kostides family fled elsewhere, Borus hiding out in the Nirvan Republic.

## Reign

In **564PR** Pelias was on the way to writing another Bloody Night, making it the final straw for the Royal Guards. When they found out some of their own names were now on the list, it didn’t help. Instead, they seized the King and tried bringing him to the people to face his crimes but he killed himself before they could, leaving the nation without a leader.

As a claimant, Borus rushed back to Kras and became King of Ilaka, beating all his opposition (or what was left of it).

Now King, Borus spent a lot of his time just keeping relative order in the Kingdom, unceremoniously burning Pelias’s body in the streets and letting the people vent their anger. As a relatively peaceful person, Borus ended up gaining the support of the Royal Guard.

In his reign Borus enacted no major policies or acts, or at least none significant enough to be recorded, meaning that most of what happens is unknown.

### Death

In **571PR** Borus was struck with an intense illness, forcing him to remain seated at all times. At one point his own mind began losing it on him, showing signs of a mad King. Fearing the worst, Borus chose to adopt an heir instead of choosing one of his own children, explaining that the reason for all the bad Kings might be a genetic disorder.

After the adoption of Aetios, Borus happily died, believing that the Kingdom was now in capable hands.

## Personal Life

Not a lot is known about Borus’s personal life, a lot of his being lost during his time in the Nirvan Republic.

When he returned to Ilaka he brought 3 sons with him, each conceived during his time away but having no known mother. During his reign two of the sons died from an unknown illness, contributing to Borus’s paranoia at the end of his life. The remaining son, Enops, had little ambition and was not a good candidate for the throne, instead just enjoying the riches that the crown had to offer.

In **565PR** Borus had an apprentice named Aetios, someone he took under his wing in order to help his son if the throne eventually fell to him. Over time, Aetios’s skill and intelligence grew on Borus, realising that he would make a better candidate. In the final weeks of his life he officially adopted Aetios as his own, declaring him Crown Prince and making him a Kostides.