House Arelius

House Arelius is a monarch faction who once ruled half of the Rosegold Continent before the death of their Monarch, Tiberian Arelius. After his death, House Arelius lost most of their territory and were reduced to a shadow of their former selves. Aside from the main branch on Rosegold, there exists a lesser branch on the Ashwind Continent in the Blackflame Empire who provide janitorial service. Contact between the two branches is possible due to a gateway portal that opens between the two continents every ten years (or maybe eight years?)

Bloodline Abilities

Certain members of the family inherit the famous Arelius bloodline ability, which was originally developed by the House Founder and First Patriarch, Ozmanthus Arelius. This bloodline ability is an invisible web of madra that surrounds the artist for a distance, gathering information — the greater the artist, the further the distance. Miles and miles even.

The trait manifests itself as enhanced awareness, giving the user the ability to sense sights, sounds and smells that they would not be able to with their normal senses. The strength varies from person to person with the most powerful inheritors using their enhanced senses to perceive so much information that they are able to predict action before it happens.

"People in a million fascinating variations swirled and eddied around him, and even with his mind fixed elsewhere, he felt them all...To his left, a ladder tilted fractionally; it would tip over in a moment, and the man balanced on it would have to use sacred arts to right himself. Eithan pressed one finger against it, pushing it back into balance." - Page 64 Soulsmith

Known Members

Ozmanthus Tiberian Merethian Arelius - The Founder and First Patriarch of House Arelius who created the bloodline ability. He mastered the Labyrinth to a large degree. He rose to Monarch rank. Several thousand years ago he ascended and became an unofficial Abidan Judge called the Reaper Ozriel. About two hundred years ago he put on the Origin Shroud to veil himself and went into hiding on Cradle as Eithan Arelius.

Tiberian Arelius -- A good Monarch, killed by his neighboring ruler on the Rosegold Continent, lion monarch Reigan Shen. Against the advice of his advisor, Eithan Arelius, Tiberian approached Shen with a plan and information on how to destroy the dreadgods. The ambitious lion plans to use that information to become the only world-wide ruler. He keeps the remnant of Tiberian in his void key, to use as a weapon (see Reaper).

Sage of a Thousand Eyes, Cladia Arelius, aka The Oracle Sage —- She manifested the Oracle Icon. Cladia is an older woman, but not elderly. She has grey-blond hair and blue eyes. Relaxed, amused. She has the Arelius perception bloodline. When Reigan Shen killed Tiberian, she nearly died too, and was thought dead by some, but she appeared alive and well during the Uncrowned King Tournament. She lives in the Arelius homeland on Rosegold. Her home is scripted, secret, hidden underground, but the land has been destroyed by Shen, the countryside covered in ash. (see Wintersteel)

Cladia is on friendly terms with Eithan Arelius at the Uncrowned tournament. As the Arelius Sage, she takes Eithan back to their Rosegold home for supposed training, when he makes it to the semi-final round of eight contenders (Wintersteel).

"The Sage of a Thousand Eyes can see you anywhere I can.” So Lindon had heard correctly earlier. He looked back at the woman who looked like she might have been Eithan’s mother. The Oracle Sage, or the Sage of a Thousand Eyes, hadn’t been active since the death of her Monarch. Lindon had heard speculation that she was dead. (Wintersteel)

Eithan ‘snuck a glance at her through his bloodline powers. The last time he’d seen her, she had suffered a blow from Reigan Shen that had made her vanish from his senses. “If I may say, Cladia, you look even more radiant than I expected.”
She gave him a wide grin. “Compared to a spray of blood and a Remnant, yeah, I’d say I look pretty good. I’m better at restoration than I am at spatial travel.” (Wintersteel)

Veris Arelius - From Rosegold Continent main family branch. She competed in Uncrowned Championship. At Eithan’s request (via Oracle Sage), she gave her award to Wei Shi Lindon. An elixir that strengthens his iron-forged body. “This is a reward for your hard work so far,” Veris continued, “but we also consider this an investment. “House Arelius needs allies now more than ever, and we hope we can count on your loyalty.”
Altavian Arelius - Cousin to Veris. From Rosegold Continent main branch. He competed in Uncrowned. At Eithan’s / Cladia’s request, he gave Yerin his award, Diamond Veins elixir. See book 8, Wintersteel

Cassias Arelius - A member of the Blackflame branch who was on track to become the branch's Patriarch, before resigning that position to Eithan in order to marry Naru Jing, a member of the Blackflame Empire's Imperial Clan. On (mostly) good terms with Eithan, and protective and friendly towards Lindon and Yerin.

Adopted

Yerin Arelius - An Overlord Herald. She was only Lowgold when adopted into the Blackflame branch by Eithan Arelius, after the death of her master the Sword Sage. She first meets Eithan in book 2, Soulsmith.

Wei Shi Lindon Arelius - An Overlord Sage who was originally adopted into the Blackflame branch as an Iron, mentored by Eithan Arelius. See book 2, Soulsmith.

Birth of Penance

Penance

Eithan, on his knees, stared at the arrowhead with an intensity
Lindon had never seen. His smile was long gone. The messenger
smiled at their reaction. “Long ago, the founder of House Arelius
created this weapon which he called Penance. It is a penance for
its target and, unbeknownst to most, its creation was an act of
penance by its creator.

-Uncrowned, chapter 20

Th arrow Penance, a heavenly weapon of certain destruction, was created here on Cradle by Ozmanthus, Founder of House Arelius / aka Judge Ozriel. It will kill anyone with just a word — including Monarchs and Dreadgods.

Bargain with Reigan Shen

Shen is at the Uncrowned Tournament, waiting to see who will win and hedging his bets. He is aware that the arrow Penance could be used to kill him, so he doesn’t want his enemies to win the tournament. In Wintersteel, Shen begins to fear that Eithan Arelius might win the Tournament, so he deals with him.

Bargaining Begins

“This need not be a long process,” the Monarch said. “Tell me
what you want, so that I may give it to you.”

Eithan stopped himself short of saying “Your head on a platter.”
Not only would it set the wrong tone, it wasn’t what he wanted.
If Reigan Shen didn’t die to a new generation of Monarchs
raised by Eithan, that would be the real tragedy.

-Wintersteel, ch 10

A bargain is struck: If Eithan will throw the match, Shen will send Rootfather Garrylondryth, a green dragon Herald who heals nature, to restore the war-torn Arelius homeland. He will also pay a billion scales to House Arelius and lend one year of protection from his own Herald, Yushi. He will also ensure evacuees from the Blackflame Empire are allowed safe passage when the Dreadgods attack. He will give Eithan his soul forge, kept in a void key. And new clothes. (Wintersteel ch 10)