The Pertinaxian Dynasty

The **Pertinaxian Dynasty** is one of the four bloodlines of the House of the Dominus. It is known primarily for its patriarch, Pertinax D'lanastion, and his service during and following the Battle of a Thousand Crests.

Before the Reign of the first Dominus of the D'lanastions, following the Battle of a Thousand Crests, the leadership of the five houses from which all the Sons of Tacitus were born was bestowed unto electors of each, distributed unevenly, and based off of a system of "He who hast the most". Militias to each house were not an uncommon sight; the House of the Imperator had yet to establish itself as the main militant body in the monarchy, and thus, was left to its own devices. Of the most-prominent knights in the House of the Dominus' guard, one man stood as the paragon of chivalry and zealotry: Pertinax D'lanastion**.**

Pertinax, the son of Barthanux, the 'Eagle of Tiber', was a proud and mighty warrior. His birth in 1,545 A.F was an extraordinaire event. Tale and legend alike were told through Augustaminca of his day; for the dark and thundered night oversaw it. It was said he mother had been the daughter of the giant Maximillian, who roamed the mountains of the Northern Territories long before Sinn'mearnu was established as the base of operations for the D'lanastions when they were still nothing but a small family with little claim to land other than the precarious cliffs covering the seas. He was a tall, imposing man - with stone-pillar legs and wild, black hair which stained his sunkissed skin, falling over the sides of a square jaw in waves.

Established formally in 1,591 A.F, the Pertinaxian Dynastybegan its climb to power following the Battle of a Thousand Crests, the first internal conflict of the D'lanastions and the Northern Territories. As a hallmark of the D'lanastion Monarchy's transformation from a separated line to a united coalition, the Battle of a Thousand Crests and all the achievements contained within it are considered the pinnacles of sacrifice. It was in 164 A.F, only a mere 19 years following his birth, that Pertinax began to exhibit a remarkable prowess and sense of strategy. At the request of his father, Pertinax was knighted prior-to the skirmish at the River Ashamal. From there, his militant career would only continue to buy him the respect of his peers, and by 1,601 A.F, he had become Captain of the Dominus' Guard and recaptured all territory in the East lost to the rebellion of the minor provinces beneath the control of the House of the Imperator. Through his achievements, he helped the D'lanastion Monarchy expand, spreading their imperialism and extending it to the Southern coast before the reign ofTacitus II dissolved several claims to the lands there. His deeds were so great and so many, that at the end of his life in 1,673A.F, he was deified by the House of Julius and its then-Prince, as well as made into memory by constellations by the House of Britannicus. Evidence of this is found in the original Holy Pslams, written by Prince Julius D'lanastion I, as well as the named constellations covering the Winter Solstice's weeks, known formally as "Leonidas".

Pertinax's marriage to Lilianah of Elisyum, the daughter of the governor and commander of the House of the Imperator's claimed capitol (at the time) of Spartanaus was what began his dynasty's reign throughout the southwest. From their union, a son named Avaron was born; after the birth of his second son, Martanius, that Pertinax passed dominion of the territory to his first son, granting him the powers bestowed upon him by the House of the Dominus after its rise to power, as well as the honourary titles given by the House of the Imperator.

The happiness was not to last. The province ofPraevalita Inferior prospered, becoming one of the top-ranking agricultural lands for the North. Several generations later, long down the line, a son of the dynasty by the name of 'Saturnalius' came to power, successfully serving three terms first as a Magistrate of Silvermoon City and the surrounding areas before retiring North to govern his lands. With the reign of Tacitus II having come to a close, and the territories of the North compromised, Tacitus III was quick in his resolution. Convinced of a conspiracy against him, he quickly tore apart the lines connected to the House of the Dominus, with the Pertinaxian Dynasty as his main target. The family's line was sentenced to either death, or exile in The Blackwald, the heavy forests of the South. Since that day, many of the line of Pertinax have dissolved or deflected, trading their armours and sigils for the promise of the House of Derien.

No one quite knows where the last sons have gone.