Emperor Ephestus

Emperor Ephestus was born in 280 IC and was the third son born to Emperor Justinian II and Cyrene. Justinian had two other sons, Eternius and Regent. Regent had been killed in battle before Ephestus was born but Eternius lived until shortly before Justinians death. It is considered fortunate for the Empire that Eternius did not succeed his father for his personality was such that war against the Empire's neighbours would have been inevitable.

When Ephestus took the throne in 310 IC he immediately set to work trying to establish peace by ending the war that was ongoing with the General. The eventual result of this was the Treaty of the Eight Thrones which was signed in 314 IC. The peace and subsequent treaty is widely considered to have been made possible in part to Ephestus' radical stance on the use of magic and his commissioning of the Warforged from The Cerulean Chancery.

In 299 IC Ephestus married Aurelia, the niece of Leopold II, the King of Thorast, and they had four children (Divinia, Gaius, Antonius, and Poeta). The Imperial rules of succession allow for an Empress only if there are no male heirs and hence Gaius will be the next Emperor.