Prince Cassius of Renatus-Marna
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Cassius Horen born on the 13th of Owyn's Flame, 1671, is the child of Prince Tiberius and Princess Theodosia Horen. An Imperial Prince, Statesman, and Knight of the Order of the Red Dragon during the late 17th century, he is hailed for his expertise in war and diplomacy. Viewed as a man of ambition, Cassius was recognized as an exemplary soldier and is remembered for his accomplishments during the Third Atlas Coalition War, in which he was a major general in leal service to his grandfather Emperor Aurelius Horen responsible for laying waste to Krugmar, the reformed Kingdom of Norland and Arrberang, and Kaz'Ulrah.
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Early Life
Cassius Horen was born a Prince within the Palace of Senntisten during the reign of his grandfather Aurelius I. Aurelius took an immediate interest in the boy at his birth and swept him from his mother's arms, entrusting his care to his exiled son, the Prince Antonius in Aeldin. Preoccupied with learning battle strategy and diplomacy from his estranged uncle, he was allowed to return to the Empire of Man once he turned 16. In his teenage years, he commanded many skirmishes at the beginning of the Third Atlas Coalition War, and alongside his allies from House Bartham rose to prominence due to the fact he had not lost a single battle under his command.
The Imperial Legion
During his success in battle, Cassius had reached a superior position within the command of the empire, though he grew bored with idly waiting for conflict to arise in the vassals of the empire... and especially bored with his lack of comment in imperial affairs. To remedy both these nuisances, Cassius introduced himself into the service of the Imperial Legion. The legion had been lacking righteous commandeering for a time, and Cassius reveled in the chance to make a statement of the Empire's importance through it's militia.
Grand Marshal
His first few years of military service consisted of various movements in reform and legislation upheavals- which had been drafted by his own will and knowledge of skill in combat. He put his ideas to paper and brought them forth before the leadership of the army, being met with content over the boy's smart and progressive mind. So much so was the leadership impressed that Cassius was granted the highest position as Grand Marshal following the disappearance of the prior marshal. Once implemented, his edicts resulted in a surplus of new soldiers entering the legion; it had been more than many had seen since it had been under Antonius, likely a reflection of his good teachings passed onto Cassius.
Cassius had been awaiting conflict, even as a man whose sole job was to deter it. His yearning came to a crashing halt when the coalition war reached its peak. Raids and criminal activity were at their highest, as people began to lose fear of imperial power. Cassius crushed both without warning, along with the entirety of the Coalition war beside Emperor Aurelius
Split of the Church
The coalition war wasn't the only conflict that had sprouted near the end of his military career, as Cassius was faced with the suddenly rising new nation of Rosenyr, whose people had come from a distant continent and spoke a foreign dialect. Their presence gave rise to tension in the empire, as their religion conflicted with the beliefs of imperials. Cassius led a crusade towards Rosenyr, in which the raiding party encountered bishops of the imperial religion. The legion ruthlessly battered the bishops in a mistaken haze, which angered the clergy and even more so the High Pontiff.
The High Pontiff declared the Emperor's power futile when compared to GOD's own, and excommunicated him in his own right. The rift between the Canonist church and the emperor resulted in the overthrow of the church power and the creation of a new foundation of the clergy, whose power resided at the will of his majesty and none else besides GOD.
Cassius retired from the Legion following the controversy, though his youth allowed him to continue to engage in military exploits.
Notable Feats
- Defeat of the Third Coalition
Cassius led the Imperial Legion to victory during the entirety of the campaign in the Third Atlas Coalition War against the newly reformed Kingdom of Norland and their allies the Kingdom of Kaz'Ulrah, War Nation of Krugmar and Arberrang. Due to this decisive victory, the Empire of Man conquered most of the land in Atlas alongside their contemporary allies in the fragmented Elven States.
- Reformation of the Imperial Legion
Cassius modernized the Imperial Legion and perfected a number of strategies to make it a well-oiled and large-scale military machine.
- Split of the Church
Cassius' attack of canonist bishops in the Principality of Rosenyr led to his own excommunication from the Church of Canon, although he was later absolved of guilt by his grandfather Emperor Aurelius I.
