House of Horen
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The House of Horen (High Imperial: Orenii) is the former ruling family of the Holy Orenian Empire, producing the majority of Oren's monarchs and crowned heads. Their rule persisted off and on for three centuries, from the foundations of the modern state of Oren by King Daniel to the collapse of the Fifth Empire during the Coalition War.
The House of Horen is one of the most, if not the most, influential aristocratic families in history. The House of Horen claims direct-most pureblooded patrilineal descent from Exalted Horen, the progenitor of the human race from whom they derive their name, and as a result claims to be the exclusive bloodline which can assert its divine right to rule over an undivided mankind. They ruled over the First Empire as well as the former Fifth and Sixth Empires, and as a result have occupied the throne of humanity for cumulatively longer than any other house, as well as fielding the most kings and emperors of any family.
Thought to be extinct within Oren in regards to the main Imperial line with the death of William I, the house experienced a resurgence after the Aeldin-born John Frederick Horen claimed his birthright lost almost a hundred years earlier, taking the crown of man and reforming the Holy Orenian Empire in 1526. This event would be known as the Horen Restoration.
The dynasty survived, albeit in infamy and notable instability, for the next hundred years - splitting into many cadet branches through its reign. The line of John Frederick Horen, otherwise known as the Johannian line, fell from power eventually in the Coup of Adelburg, orchestrated by the Emperor of Man, and Pertinax patriarch, Aurelius I Horen. Eventually, the uniting of the Crowns of Renatus and Marna, and the formation of the new Empire would, however, unite the House of Horen once again under one ruler.
The Dissolution Horen
Following the War of Two Emperors, Godfrey II ascended the throne victoriously - and contemplating the turmoil the house alone caused, with members of each line vying for the throne. With the support of the leaders of each main line, they all made the decision to dissolve the House of Horen. Splitting it up to the following lines:
The House of Cascadia derives from Romulus and his titles, the founder of the line - named after the titular holdings of this line.
The House of Alstion shall derive from their original progenitor, John I, gallant founder of the 5th Empire.
The House of Tiber shall derive from its progenitor, the famed Tiberius, who brought a new-age of siege warfare upon the Imperial states.
- The House of Helane
The House of Helane shall derive from the Empress, Helen, who was fair in her rule and constructed the monumental capital of Helena.
The House of Vilac shall derive from the ancestral seat of its progenitor, Vilacz, which held as a bastion during the formation of the Aurelian Empire.
