Justinien Victus

> ***"I am the spiritual conduit for House Victus. It is through me that the spirits of our ancestors speak. One day they will speak through you."** - Justinien Victus to his protégée, Claudia Victus.*
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Justinien Victus Sparatinus was the second child of Fabia Victus and her husband, Jonas Sparatus. Upon his birth, he was promised to the priesthood by his mother, destined to serve the spirits and the honoured dead, while his older brother, Matien Victus, served the empire as a soldier. Justinien entered the Bostran priesthood as a lay brother at the age of sixteen, a month before the Reaper War began. He survived the war alongside Sibella Sparatus, his paternal second cousin and fellow member of the priesthood, who would later become the High Priestess of Bostra. Justinien would later fall deeply in love with her, the pair entering into a secretive relationship with one another.

At the age of eighteen, Justinien swore his sacred vows and surrendered his house name to become a full-fledged spirit priest. Despite his young age and relative inexperience, he was appointed as the *Vox Maiorum* for House Victus, as all other priests of the Victus bloodline had been killed during the Reaper War. From this moment onwards, it became Justinien's duty to attend to House Victus' honoured dead and chronicle the lives of its living members in the pages of its ancient genealogical tome; the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. He would also be responsible for presiding over the marriages and funerals of House Victus, and applying the colonial markings of Bostra to the facial plating of every Victus who graduated Bootcamp to become a turian citizen.

Justinien was Fidellion Victus' first cousin once removed. The two men shared a complex bond. Justinien's faith in his cousin was shattered after the executions of Valexien Victus and his descendants, for which he blamed Fidellion. In time he would come to forgive his cousin, recognising that he had been blinded by his grief. But even in the wake of that forgiveness, their relationship would always be coloured by their tense history. However, whenever push came to shove, Justinien always had Fidellion's back and never questioned his authority in public.

## Biography

### Birth and childhood

Justinien was born in Petraea, the capital of the turian colony of Bostra, to Fabia Victus and her husband, Jonas Sparatus. He was the couple's second child, born four years after his older brother, Matien Victus. He was a blood member of House Victus from birth. He also possessed blood ties to House Sparatus through his patrilineal bloodline and House Verrikan through his maternal grandmother, Matidia Verrikan.

As the second child of his parents' marriage, Justinien was destined for a life of spiritual devotion; it is tradition for the second-born children of the Bostran *Familiae Martiales* to serve in the priesthood. As such, Justinien was groomed from birth to prepare him for this future role, his parents paying special attention to his spiritual education in addition to his martial one. Justinien was close with his brother, whom he looked up to and idolised. At times he was secretly envious of Matien, wanting to become a soldier like him, but deep down he knew that it was his destiny to dedicate his life to the service of Bostra's honoured dead. As much as he might have wanted to, he did not attempt to avert his preordained future.

Like all turian children, Justinien was enrolled in Bootcamp on the day of his fifteenth birthday. He relished every moment of it, knowing it would likely be his only experience of combat for the rest of his life. The zeal and commitment with which he approached his training was noted by his commanders, all of whom agreed that he was a fine example of what a Victus ought to be. One even went as far as to declare that Justinien was *"...waisted on the priesthood..."* and would have made an exemplary soldier - if only he had the fortune to have been born first. Justinien graduated from Bootcamp with high aptitude scores and multiple commendations from his commanders. He is recorded as having bade his comrades farewell with the statement: *"If you should fall, know that I will care for you."*

### Lay brother of the priesthood

After Bootcamp, Justinien joined the Bostran priesthood as a lay brother at the age of sixteen. There he began his training in matters spiritual, learning how to perform religious rites correctly, commune with the spirits of the dead, and prepare the bodies of the deceased for interment. While Justinien was as pious as any other Bostran, he struggled to adapt to a life of spiritual contemplation. He craved action and excitement, little of which was to be found in a turian necropolis. In his spare time, he would often practice with small arms on the shooting range and learned how to drive a skycar. He communicated regularly with his family, dutifully visiting his parents, uncles and maternal cousins whenever his duties permitted, and vid-messaging his brother, who was often away on duty with the fleet. Despite staying in contact, Justinien felt as if the lives of those he loved were in constant motion in his absence, while he was trapped in the stasis of the past, surrounded by the silence of death.

It was at this time that he met and befriended Sibella, the ordained priestess who had applied his colonial markings to him as proof of his citizenship and later taken him under her wing. Sibella was, in fact, both Justinien's paternal second cousin and his maternal fourth cousin, due to their houses' shared bloodlines. Like him, Sibella felt restless with her lot in life and struggled to fully commit to her role. In her, Justinien found a kindred spirit. He would eventually fall in love with her, feeling as if she truly understood how he felt about his place in society. However, when he eventually confessed his feelings for her, she gently turned him down, citing her vows as the reason why she could not engage in a relationship with him. Although hurt, Justinien respected her decision and did not pursue her further, choosing instead to remain as her close friend. Unbeknownst to him, the true reason why Sibella could not reciprocate his feelings was the emotional turmoil which stemmed from her sexually abusive relationship with her twin brother, Aren Sparatus.

#### Reaper War

Before Justinien could take his vows and officially become a spirit priest, the Reaper War broke out. When Reaper forces invaded Bostra, all of its citizens were called up to fight, including Justinien's parents and brother. Justinien attempted to join the fight with them but was forbidden to by the High Priest, who gave the order for all members of the priesthood to defend the Petraean Necropolis with their lives. Doing as he was bid, Justinien joined the necropolis' defence forces, using his martial skills to resist the onslaught. He soon lost contact with his family and as the days went by he began to fear the worst had come to pass. Every day he would attempt to communicate with them but all of his attempts failed. Eventually, he stopped trying altogether and instead began to sing prayers for them, believing them to be dead.

Whenever he was in combat, Justinien would witness his friends being cut down and dragged away, screaming, to their deaths. In time, he would notice Reaper creatures wearing the faces of those same friends. Putting two and two together, he realised that the Reapers were repurposing the bodies of those that they killed, ensuring an endless supply of troops for their invading armies. He took this grisly revelation to his High Priest, telling him that there was no hope of victory and that, when they all did inevitably fall, their bodies too would be defiled and their spirits would be forever denied the peace of Eternity. Thereafter, images of his friends' rotting faces hounded Justinien's sleep and haunted his waking hours equally. In his dreams, the Reapers would defile his ancestors with their insidious nanotechnology, taking control of their bodies to claw their way out of their stone sarcophagi and attack the living. In the end, he gave up trying to sleep, surviving on a mix of rationed coffee and caffeine-based stimulants.

All hope seemed to die in Justinien after that point. He kept imagining the ones he loved being killed and turned into Reaper creatures - his parents, Matien, Sibella... It was Sibella who galvanised his resolve, telling him it was his duty to keep fighting:

> *"If you surrender to your despair, you **will** die. We will **all** die. They will turn you into one of them, an unholy amalgamation of flesh and machine. But if you stand and fight, we still have a chance, no matter how slim, to avert that future. You are Justinien **Victus**. Glory runs in your veins. Seize it! If these are to be our final days, our last stand, then ensure that your end is a glorious one. For what we do in life, echoes in Eternity."*
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Emboldened by her faith in him, Justinien once again took up arms and swore to defend his ancestors' sacred resting place until his last breath. On the ramparts of the Petraean Necropolis, he began to sing the anthem of the Aurelian Empire - *Die For The Cause; Stars Behind Me* - while waving a tattered imperial flag amidst the rising smoke and flames, inspiring his fellows to join in the ancient battle cry and face their deaths with courage. Justinien would fight with all that he had for the next several days, each new day bringing a fresh wave of enemies, deeper and stronger than the last. As the fighting grew more intense, he became separated from Sibella in the chaos and began to fear the worst.

On the seventh day, when he felt he physically could not give any more, something changed. A radiant ray of blue light emerged from the skies and engulfed all of Bostra, sending jolts of static electricity arcing across the surface of everything it touched. Shielding his eyes from the light, Justinien curled up into the foetal position, clasping his hands together tightly in frantic prayer, certain that this was the end of everything. But when he reopened his eyes, he found himself to be still alive. Scrambling to his feet, he saw that the Reaper creatures had stopped attacking and were instead retreating, abandoning their weapons and fleeing from the battlefield in a rout. Dazed and extremely confused, it took him a moment to realise what was happening. When reality finally dawned upon him, Justinien let out a triumphant roar, screaming into the night sky *"Bostra est victoriosa!"* ("Bostra is victorious!") before collapsing, his body overcome by mental and physical exhaustion.

Justinien awoke a week later in the infirmary, his body hooked up to myriad bags of hydrating fluids and monitors. He ached all over and felt as if he was too weak to move but, to his great surprise, he was still alive. When he inquired about the fate of Sibella, he was told that she had survived the onslaught and been preparing the body of her brother for burial, who had given his life to protect her from a rampaging brute. Wanting to be there to comfort her, Justinien hauled himself out of bed and made his way to the mortuary. There he found Sibella delicately placing her brother's death mask upon his freshly embalmed face. Hesitating, he gently spoke her name to attract her attention. When she turned to face him, he saw that she was silently weeping. On impulse he ran to her side, embracing her tightly and apologising profusely for not having been there when Aren died. The pair of them then burst into tears, overcome by the trauma of the living nightmare they had both somehow survived, sobbing into each other in their shared grief. The following day, Sibella laid her brother to rest in the Sparatus family vault, Justinien at her side for moral support.

## Biography

### Timeline

Timeline of events related to Justinien's life as a spirit priest:

* **2186 CE:** Entered the priesthood as a lay brother after graduating from Bootcamp; had the colony markings of Bostra tattooed onto him by Sibella Sparatus. Aged 16.

* **2188 CE:** Swore holy vows and surrendered his house name of Victus to become a full-fledged spirit priest; became the new *Vox Maiorum* of House Victus; inscribed the name of a two-year-old Fidellion Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 18.

* **2189 CE:** Sent to Tuchanka as an envoy of *Primarch* Adrien Victus to retrieve the ashes of Tarquin Victus. Aged 19.

* **2190 CE:** Performed his first *Loquor cum Vox Eorum* ritual to commune with Saira Victus on behalf of Adrien, nearly killing himself in the process. Aged 20.

* **2194 CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Claudius Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 24.

* **2200 CE:** Presided over the wedding of Adrien and Iacoba Parvus; inscribed the name of a newborn Ariteus Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 30.

* **2202 CE:** Tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Fidellion after he graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 32.

* **2204 CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Aritaea Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 34.

* **2210 CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Malkum Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*; tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Claudius after he graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 40.

* **2219 CE:** Presided over the wedding of Fidellion and Sarena Arterius. Aged 49.

* **2220 CE:** Presided over the funeral of Adrien; invested Fabia Victus as the new *parriarch* of House Victus; tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Aritaea after she graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 50.

* **2222 CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Sairus Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 52.

* **2224 CE:** Presided over the joint funeral of Fabia, Jonas, Matien, Laurentia and Lysia Victus, following their murders. Aged 54.

* **2225 CE**: Performed a *Loquor cum Vox Eorum* ritual to commune with Matien on behalf of Claudius. Aged 55.

* **2226 CE:** Presided over the memorial service for Sarena Arterius, whose body and ashes could not be recovered; tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Malkum after he graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 56.

* **2228 CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Valexa Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 58.

* **2230 CE**: Attempted to perform a *Loquor cum Vox Eorum* ritual to commune with Claudius but failed, proving to him that his nephew was still alive. Aged 60.

* **2238 CE:** Arranged to tattoo the colony markings of Bostra onto Sairus after he graduated from Bootcamp but was prevented from doing so after Sairus ran away from home and went missing. Aged 68.

* **2240 CE:** Inscribed the names of newborns Desolas Victus and Septimus Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 70.

* **2241 CE:** Presided over the joint memorial service for Valexien, Amadea, Vivien, Carrix, Ariteus and Caela Victus, following their unlawful execution and cremation; invested Aritaea as the new *parriarch* of House Victus; adopted Valexa and Septimus. Aged 71.

* **2242 CE:** Invested Fidellion Victus as the new *parriarch* of House Victus and presided over his marriage to Marcia Abrudas; began work on a new copy of the *Caudex Gentis Victi*, commissioned by Fidellion. Aged 72.

* **2243 CE:** Performed a *Loquor cum Vox Eorum* ritual to commune with Adrien on behalf of Fidellion. Aged 73.

* **2244 CE:** Inscribed the names of newborns Ida Victus and Aren Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*; tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Valexa after she graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 74.

* **2248 CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Keirix Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 78.

* **2249 CE:** Removed the names of Sairus Victus and Desolas Victus from the *Caudex Gentis Victi*, officially recognising them as Arteriuses. Aged 79.

* **2250 CE:** Inscribed the names of newborns Irixia Victus and Claudia Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 80.

* **2254CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Adriana Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 84.

* **2256 CE:** Tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Septimus after he graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 86.

* **2260 CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Gaius Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*; tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Ida and Aren after they graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 90.

* **2264:** Tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Keirix after he graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 94.

* **2266 CE:** Tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Irixia and Claudia after they graduated from Bootcamp; began training Claudia to succeed him as the *Vox Maiorum* of House Victus. Aged 96.

* **2268 CE:** Presided over the wedding of Keirix and Leila Aventen. Aged 98.

* **2269 CE:** Presided over the wedding of Septimus and Adriana. Aged 99.

* **2270 CE**: Assisted Claudia with her first *Loquor cum Vox Eorum* ritual to commune with Adrien; tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Adriana after she graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 100.

* **2272 CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Justinia Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 102.

* **2274 CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Livia Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 104.

* **2276 CE:** Presided over the wedding of Irixia and Kiron Caelax; begins counselling Gaius through the painful reality that he will never be able to achieve citizenship. Aged 106.

* **2279 CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Euphemien Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 109.

* **2280 CE:** Promoted to the office of High Priest of Bostra after the death of his predecessor and lover, Sibella Sparatus. Aged 110.

* **2286 CE:** Presided over the divorce proceedings of Keirix and Leila, officially ending their marriage in the eyes of the Spirits and House Victus; removed Leila's name from the *Caudex Gentis Victi*, rendering her a member of House Aventen once more; inscribed the name of a newborn Gidion Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 116.

* **2287 CE:** Presided over the wedding of Keirix and Callian Vecturis; amended Keirix's entry in the *Caudex Gentis Victi* to include his departure from House Victus in favour of his husband. Aged 117.

* **2288 CE:** Tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Justinia after she graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 118.

* **2290 CE:** Tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Livia after she graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 120.

* **2293 CE:** Presided over the funeral of Iacoba. Aged 123.

* **2294 CE:** Performed a *Loquor cum Vox Eorum* ritual to commune with Iacoba on behalf of Fidellion. Aged 124.

* **2295 CE:** Tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Euphemien after he graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 125.

* **2296 CE:** Inscribed the name of a newborn Iacoba Victus into the *Caudex Gentis Victi*. Aged 126.

* **2302 CE:** Tattooed the colony markings of Bostra onto Gidion after he graduated from Bootcamp. Aged 132.

* **2312 CE:** Justinien dies; his protégée, Claudia, embalms him and presides over his funeral, succeeding him as the *Vox Maiorum* of House Victus. Aged 142.

## Quotes

* "How can I embrace you as cousin after *your* actions led to this? Your talons are stained with blood and ash."
* "I serve Sibella as I would any superior. If that makes me worthy of being her successor, then it seems we commend the bare minimum in service here."
* "What twisted irony that *you*, of all people, should be the saviour of our house. You are undeserving of their forgiveness."
* "After you've spent as much time as I have working with the stuff, you get used to the smell and the nosebleeds."
* “Valexa and Septimus. They're...the children I could never have. I couldn't protect their parents. But I can protect them.”
* "Each one of these urns contains the charred remains of a life unfulfilled, the only physical evidence that their spirits ever existed. It is...eerie, to lay offerings and sing prayers and hear only silence in response. An entire line of House Victus, erased by fire and the mad ambition of a deranged despot. To tend to jars of ash, no more sentient than motes of dust... It grieves me beyond what I thought I could bear."
* "I loved her, you know? More than I ever thought possible. I hope the love I bore her brought her the same comfort that she brought to me."
* "You've only read about it in history books. I *lived* it! I saw my colleagues - my friends! - twisted into undead monsters, and *I* had to cut them down!"
* "I may be a priest but that doesn't make me infallible. I was wrong about Fidellion. I let my grief blind me."
* "Death is an apotheosis. Those who give of themselves for the protection and elevation of the living are deified in glory. Their memory is forever inscribed upon the Spirits of those whom they saved. They are immortalised in *you*."
* "If only we had been born the elder siblings and not the younger, you may have bestowed your name upon me... But, alas, we were both destined for another fate."
* "My brother, my mother, my father, my uncle...they're all dead. They're dead and I couldn't save them. I couldn't even save my nephew from exile. This robe and cowl might have spared my life...yet what life is this, to be surrounded by such death?"

## Trivia

### Character colour palette

* **Plate colour**: Purple Taupe #50404D
* **Skin colour**: Purplish Grey #7E6C7B
* **Eye colour**: Hazel #8E7618
* **Markings colour**: Bone #E3DAC9 (originally White, faded with age)

#### Colour genetics

Justinien looks more like his father, Jonas Sparatus, than his mother, Fabia Victus. He inherited his plate and skin colour from his father, the colourations of which are typical of strong House Sparatus genetics. The strength of his Sparatus genes may have been influenced by his parents' relation to one another; both Fabia and Jonas share a Sparatus a great-great-grandparent, making them third cousins. The only thing Justinien seems to have inherited from his Victus side is his eye colour, which he shares with his maternal uncle, Adrien Victus, and his maternal grandfather, Fabien Victus.