House Arx

**House Arx** **of** **The Citadel** is a vassal house that holds fealty to House Osorio of Goldreach. The leader of House Arx holds the title of Lord of The Citadel. Their sigil is a black portcullis on a red background quartered with white.

## History

### Beaufort Civil War

After the end of The Beaufort Civil War, Hadrian Osorio resigned as Master of War and returned to The Reach where he constructed The Citadel as a stronghold to defend the land from invaders. Eventually, King Maximilian Beaufort allowed Hadrian Osorio to form his own house and legitimized House Arx as a proper noble house.

### War of the Heirs

House Arx was the primary military power backing Emelia Arx in her pursuit to become Queen of the Realms. Emelia's husband, Lord Scipio Arx, originally served as Jacques Beaufort's Hand of the King before the war started as a favor to Emelia. Scipio proved to be an extremely effective Hand as he lead The Small Council without Jacques present. As Lord Scipio grew in power and influence many in the realm began to feel that it was Scipio who was the true ruler of the realms and that Jacques was merely a figurehead. Hostilities between Jacques and Scipio reached a breaking point as Jacques removed Scipio of his position as Hand. When Scipio returned to The Citadel, Emelia was outraged that her husband had been removed from power despite being a far more effective leader than her brother. Emelia wrote letters to her liege lord, House Osorio, as well as to House Maddox and House Lothair to seek allies in her bid to remove her brother from power.

Emelia dealt first blow in the war by sending Lord Scipio and Seneca Osorio to the Coastlands where they attempted to remove House Reyne, a prominent ally of Jacques, from their seat of power in the Siege of Whitehill. The siege was ultimately ineffective, as Roland Reyne, acting Lord of Whitehill, was an exceptionally talented warrior and was able to hold back the attack. However, despite the loss in the Coastlands, Emelia gathered her forces and marched on the Palace of the Kings along with Lord George Maddox and the remnants of the Maddox forces. The attack on the Palace of the Kings was a failure that resulted in heavy casualties including the death of Emelia's daughter, Triaria. After the failed attack, Emelia retreated back to the Citadel where she stayed as the war progressed onwards. As the war was drawing to a close and Raphael Beaufort had been defeated, Emelia once again emerged with her forces to meet her brother on the field in The Great Battle of the Reach. Despite the ensuing battle resulting in the death of Jacques Beaufort, it heralded the end of Emelia's campaign to become Queen. House Arx suffered catastrophic losses in the Great Battle of the Reach including Lord Scipio who died while fighting Jacques. Although Emelia was the last surviving of the titular ''heirs'', the Hand of the King, Lord Thomas Fairfax, gathered the allies of Jacques Beaufort and lead them in a final assault on The Citadel where Emelia was later executed. House Arx was ultimately able to survive the war despite heavy losses as Scipio and Emelia's surviving children were sent to be fostered at Goldreach until they came of age and returned to The Citadel.

## Notable Members

* Lord Hadrian Osorio- Veteran of The Beaufort Civil War and Founder of House Arx after he served as Master of War to Maximilian Beaufort and constructed The Citadel.
* Queen Emelia Arx of House Beaufort- Laid claim to be Queen of the Realms and became one of the three primary combatants during the War of the Heirs. She later was killed during the final conflict of the war.
* Lord Scipio Arx- Served as Jacques Beaufort's first Hand of the King before resigning his post. Later laid claim to be King Consort of the realms in support his wife during the War of the Heirs.
* Lord Densus Arx- Served as Bastien Beaufort's Master of War.