Taftus
BASIC INFORMATION
Full Name: Taftenkhamun (native spelling), Taftenchamunus (Aurean spelling), Taphtenchamonos (Centralian spelling), Taftus (Aurean nickname), Taphtos (Centralian nickname)
Species: Anubian
Sex: Male
Gender Identity: Male
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Pronouns: He/his
Languages Spoken:
-Iteru (Native language, but ability declines as time goes on)
-Classical Aurean (Fluent)
-Common Aurean - Capitoline Dialect (Fluent)
-Galactic Basic (Fluent)
-Centralian (Barely conversational at the beginning of the series, somewhat improves as time goes on)
Eye Color: Brown
Hair/Fur Color: Black
Birth date: April 13, 24 BR
Death date: December 21, 21 AR (age 45)
Birthplace: Palace of Sahul, Iteru City, Kingdom of Iteru
Place of death: Sky Palace, Borealis Governate, Caput Tatiium, Tatian Empire
Cause of death: Sacrificed self to allow Sarah to kill Tate
Burial place:
Titles:
-Prince of the Kingdom of Iteru (24 BR-present)
-Magister Militum of the Aurean Dominate (0-2 AR, 21 AR)
-Grand Admiral of the Northeast Alliance (10-21 AR)
-Supreme Commander of the GTU (21 AR)
Residences:
-Palace of Sahul, Iteru City, Kingdom of Iteru (24-14 BR)
Affiliations/Loyalties:
-Kingdom of Iteru
-Aurean Dominate
-Northeast Alliance
-Galactic Treaty Union
Family:
-Nuterhek I (Father)
-Nefertari (Mother)
Mentors:
-TBD
10 Closest Friends:
-Sarah
-Pompeia Khan (eventually)
-Michael (eventually)
-TBD
Students:
-Sarah
Enemies:
-Kroksses II
-The Cabal
-Tatian Empire
-UNISYN
-Haxamanian Empire (at first)
-Kingdom of Arturia (at first)
-Hoc Nostrum
BIOGRAPHY
Taftus was born Taftenkhamun on April 13, 24 BR on a moon called Iteru to Nefertari and Nuterhek, the Queen and Pharaoh of Iteru respectively. As their only child, Taftenkhamun was essentially guaranteed to be Nuterhek's heir, so from a very young age, he was prepared to rule. He was educated in history, the classics, the Sahulist religion, and magic, showing a particular talent for Rock Magic. He also studied the Classical Aurean and Galactic Basic languages from an early age, allowing him to speak both with little to no accent. When Taftenkhamun was only three years old, the deadly plague known as the Blood Bleaching reached Iteru. Due to almost the entirety of Iteru's population being packed into the dense and poorly sanitized Iteru City, the disease killed more than two thirds of the entire moon's population in the span of six years, including Taftenkhamun's mother Nefertari. As a result, Taftenkhamun spent the vast majority of his childhood confined to the palace to avoid catching the plague, with only his father, palace guards, servants, and tutors to keep him company. He focused on his studies, showing a particular interest in military history.
When Taftenkhamun was ten years old, the powerful warlord Tate arrived on Iteru with his army, demanding Nuterhek turn over the Eye of Heru, a powerful and ancient magical artifact located on the moon. Nuterhek refused and instructed his priests to open a portal to The Duat and throw the Eye of Heru in there, removing it from the Mortal Realm and leaving it under the stewardship of The Gods. Tate grew so angry at this he used Storm Magic to drain Bahariya Oasis, Iteru's single source of surface freshwater, and Rock Magic to bury the lakebed. This, combined with the labor shortage from the Blood Bleaching made agriculture on Iteru impossible, and the entire population began to starve. While the Ishga Government provided Iteru with token water assistance, it was not enough for agriculture and they did not provide any food, so this only bought Iteru's population another month or so. Nuterhek appealed to other worlds to help, but almost all were too devastated by the Blood Bleaching to help. Only Aurea, Iteru's previous colonial master, provided limited food assistance and agreed to break with its previous isolationist policies and take in refugees. With the entire moon either starving or scrambling to emigrate, Nuterhek arranged with Gavicus XXIX, the current Aurean Dominus, to have Taftenkhamun sent to Aurea to live with him. Immediately after Taftenkhamun departed, Nuterhek realized all hope was lost and jumped from the palace balcony to his death. All sentient life on Iteru was extinct within three weeks, with only those like Taftenkhamun who escaped the moon surviving.
Upon arrival to Aurea, Taftenkhamun was taken to the Palace of the Domini in Astras, the Aurean Capital, where he was welcomed and taken in by Gavicus XXIX. Gavicus adopted Taftenkhamun and raised him as the son he never had. Taftenkhamun continued as a studious child, with his education continuing fairly close to where it left off and his interest in military tactics and history continuing. When Taftenkhamun was 17, Gavicus begrudgingly allowed him to enlist in the Aurean legions, despite wishing instead for him to go into politics like he had. During his legionary training, Taftenkhamun gained the Aurean nickname "Taftus", which he would use for the most part for the rest of his life. Scarcely a year after enlisting, Taftus's legion was called up for Gavicus's campaign against the Haxamanian Empire, which was currently in a state of civil war that Gavicus wanted to take advantage of.
The campaign ended in disaster at the Battle of Tasfahn when Gavicus was outsmarted and kidnapped by Rukhsana I Shahanzai and the massive army Gavicus brought with him was forced into a deadly retreat through the Hyrcanian Mountains. However, Taftus showed cunning strategy during the retreat when he cleverly used campfires to scare off a much larger enemy force that would have surrounded the soldiers under his command during a scouting mission. This made him a national hero in the eyes of the Aurean people, and resulted in cheers in the streets when he returned to Astras. On the other hand, Gavicus was eventually freed and allowed to return to Aurea, but only after signing the humiliating Treaty of Mingora that ceded most Aurean possessions on the Planet Awal to the Haxamanian Empire. Upon his return, Gavicus's popularity took a nosedive and he privately swore off military campaigning for the rest of his career. For his battlefield heroism, Taftus was given 3 years of time off in the reserves, and promised a promotion upon his return. Frustrated with what he saw as the political decay of the Aurean political sphere, Gavicus practically begged Taftus to stand for office, as he lacked a protege to succeed him when the time came for him to step down. Taftus begrudgingly acquiesced and ran. He was elected to a 2-year term in one of Astras's seats in the Aurean Senate later that year, running in his father's Vox Populi Aurei party.
Unfortunately for Gavicus, Taftus spent more time in the Aurean Senate making connections and partying than helping him fix Aurea's political problems. He became good friends with Julius Arius III, a moderate Senator from the opposing Vox Aureae Nationis party. While he did assist with things such as getting Gavicus's controversial industrialization and international normalization projects authorized, as well as implementing them, he spent most of his nights attending numerous parties and orgies. He was quite popular with women, and it was said that every other week there was another rumor going around about Taftus having massive orgies involving female politicians and/or prostitutes.