Julianus Valerian 💞🍁

Julianus had a rather privileged life, being born to Magister Chariclo  Valerian and her husband Phaedrus Valerian as their shining heir. Many told their parents of concerning behaviours their son distributed, an obnoxious disregard for authority, they simply passed off as him just discovering who he was. No one would have taken him for their son, they were calm and patient people. Which Julianus was not, he did not understand the meaning of their subtle prowess until much later in life and considered the two pushovers, only leaning into their wishes because he loved them dearly.

Minrathous is a decaying city, glorious back in its day but old and held only together by old magic. Tragedy struck that would have no means of closure, an old building collapsed and crushed the couple so quickly they were dead instantly, while Julianus had been attending studies. He was only twenty one, but he was the only heir, so he was to take his mother’s place as a magister as she had appointed him.

This was when his obnoxious tongue would be his downfall, his stances were the same as his parents, favouring morality, but he was challenging, aggressive, naive and generally a clumsy pest to behold when it came to politics. It wasn’t long before he had enemies, without his parents’ network and influence to protect him he suffered a terrible ordeal by hired sellswords, including having his tongue cut out.

If not for the intervention of some homeless elves who knew not who he was he’d have died that day. In thanks the manor he inherited serves as a boarding home for elves in the city under the radar, whether homeless or just passing through, where they pay rent in home upkeep and he will fund them should they ask for education or money to leave the city for a chance at a better life. Friends who stayed were mistaken for slaves when they accompanied him and in order not to jeopardise everything, they’ll play along. He had to learn a spell that allowed him to speak, but it would only work for other mages, others, he learned sign language for, it’s a hit or miss if they know it to speak back to him, but nonetheless the skill is there.

In his stead, his cousin on his mother’s side, Anastasia sits in for him now that strange whispers have drawn his attention to Vyrantium, where reports of strange beliefs are circulating, and Ferelden, where the whole of Thedas seemed to be watching.