Emperor Ephestus

Emperor Ephestus was born in 1158IE 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 1179IE he immediately set to work trying to establish peace by ending a war with the General. The eventual result of this was the Treaty of the Eight Thrones which was signed in 1190IE although actual hostilities had been ceased for some years by then thanks in part to Ephestus' radical stance on the use of magic and his commisioning of the Constructs.