Arth Lucifen d'Autriche

Arth Lucifen d'Autriche, known posthumously as Arth I, was the king of the Kingdom of Lucifenia and the father of Riliane and Alexiel. As a Prince, Arth embarked on a large-scale conquest to expand Lucifenia's borders and later married Anne Sui, having children with her. Throughout his many battles, the King earned the loyalty and friendship of his closest retainers, the Three Heroes.

Early Life
Born into the Lucifenian Royal Family, Prince Arth met Prim Rogzé and her best friend, Anne Sui, during his childhood, becoming close friends with them. Sometime in the early EC 470s, Arth began planning to expand the Kingdom of Lucifenia's borders, although discarding Elphegort from his invasion plans due to the natural protection it was provided by the Forest of Bewilderment. Afterward, Arth declared war upon their neighbors, Asmodean and Beelzenia, and invaded. Beginning to expand Lucifenia's territories, the courageous young Prince became famous within the kingdom.

At some point, he fell in love with Anne and asked her to be his wife. She accepted and the two married with Prim's blessing. With his father stepping aside, Arth was crowned King but, after drinking from his wine glass, became poisoned. Narrowly avoiding death, Arth refused to let anyone remotely suspicious near him. With Prim's family known to specialize in drugs and poisons, such as the new Gift poison used on Arth, the royal couple distanced themselves from her as well.

Conquest for Lucifenia
As the years progressed, Arth and Anne continuously tried to have children together but, bearing no offspring, their relationship began to dwindle. At some point, he became acquainted with Leonhart Avadonia; in EC 477, he also became acquainted with an Asmodean defector, Mariam Futapie. Around EC 480, the Lucifenian King met Beelzenia's famed Elluka Clockworker. At the Sanosun Bridge, Arth offered Elluka to join him and serve by his side. The mage agreed to his offer, pledging to serve him.

Around EC 482, Prim, having become the Queen of Marlon, visited the couple. While there, she secretly seduced Arth and they pursued an affair. After Prim left, Arth and Anne's relationship improved, and they sired two children together in EC 485: Princess Riliane and Prince Alexiel. As the war dragged on, Arth and his armies gained more and more territory, and he eventually spearheaded an assault on Retasan Fortress, capturing the city.

Around EC 490, he posed with his wife and the "Three Heroes" for several portraits by Nikolay Tolle. Around the same time, Beelzenia became weakened by an epidemic and Arth took the chance to invade and conquer more of the territory. During the campaign, he was infected by the Gula plague. Crediting Alexiel as his chosen heir in his will, the ambitious king succumbed to his disease, dying in late EC 491.

Legacy
In the years following his demise, Arth was remembered as a strong ruler and powerful leader for the Kingdom of Lucifenia. Not long after his death, a political struggle broke out between ministers over the right of succession after Minister Presi forged a will claiming Princess Riliane was Arth's true successor. In the wake of the incident, the King's heir, Prince Alexiel, was entrusted to Leonhart as his adopted child while the prince was publicly declared dead.

With the war between Lucifenia and its neighbors at an end, Arth's conquests left Lucifenia the largest and most powerful nation in history. Although stabilized for years by his wife's rule, the tyranny caused by Princess Riliane after her mother's death led to the Kingdom's swift decline, with starvation and crime becoming rampant. The Lucifenian Revolution in EC 500 ended the Lucifen dynasty and led to a Marlon occupation by Prim's son, King Kyle.

The child unknowingly sired with Prim, Ney Marlon, became a tool used by her mother and her close compatriot, Abyss I.R., and eventually served as a spy in the royal palace to help undermine Riliane's rule. She later led Marlon's invasion of Beelzenia in EC 505 but failed in her conquest, later dying in Marlon after the Battle of Castle Hedgehog.

In history, Arth was famed in legend as the great king that spearheaded Lucifenia's conquests along with the Three Heroes. After the death of Shaw Freesis over a century later, Elluka recalled also losing Anne and Arth while mourning his death. When Elluka later confronted Fourth Shadow, the criminal mocked her resolve to stop Third Sleep Princess' Gift plague, pointing out Elluka's previous failure to save her dear friends from the Gula they had suffered from.

Personality and Traits
As King of Lucifenia, Arth was an ambitious ruler with a great deal of charisma. While considered childish, Arth still won the affection and respect of practically everyone he met. As a youth, he held a deep love for his country and desired to greatly expand it, hoping to make Lucifenia a powerful kingdom in Evillious.

Despite the scope of his conquests, he was inspirational to his subjects and supported throughout the bloody conflict by loyal followers. However, because of his ambition, Arth was also reckless, charging into a plague-ridden territory despite the risks, which ultimately led to his death. Regardless, he did show some restraint, such as his choice to not invade Elphegort for the tactical disadvantages.

Arth held a close bond to the Three Heroes and developed a lasting friendship with them, trusting them throughout their wartime efforts. He similarly held a close bond with his wife, although their marriage became strained due to their failure to produce children. While under the influence of the Venom Sword, Arth did enter a small affair with their old friend, Prim, and unknowingly had a child with her as a result. However, after Prim's departure, Arth remained faithful to Anne and later had children with her.

Skills and Abilities
"I... often think that people are born with innate abilities. Unifying Evillious is quite remarkable, but I think only a few people may be able to do so."

- General George Ausdin

Arth had a powerful presence, believed to even be capable of uniting all of Evillious under his banner. As a military commander, Arth dealt largely in all-out offensives, directing his soldiers to overwhelm his opponents. Despite this, he recognized geography's role in protecting his enemies and discarded Elphegort from his attack plans because of the forest protecting it. During his lifetime, Arth also learned the art of swordplay and became proficient with using a blade, earning fame on the battlefield as a result.

Character Connections
Anne Lucifen d'Autriche: Arth's wife. Arth grew to love Anne over the course of their friendship and eventually married her. The two held a close relationship, with Anne eventually birthing Arth's children; despite this, Arth's marriage with Anne was not always a happy one, with Arth growing distant at times over the course of the war and cheating on her under the influence of the Venom Sword.

Prim Marlon: A childhood friend of Arth's. The two were friends over the course of Arth's youth, however their relationship became distant after Prim was suspected of poisoning Arth's wine glass. Due to the influence of the Venom Sword, Arth's feelings for Prim became passionately romantic, prompting their affair. Despite their complex relationship, Arth was in favor of uniting their houses with Riliane's marriage to Kyle.

Elluka Clockworker: One of Arth's subordinates. Arth found Elluka's magical abilities useful in battle and the two formed a close friendship, with Elluka defecting to aid the former. This bond continued until Arth's death during the war.

Mariam Futapie: One of Arth's subordinates. Arth was impressed by Mariam's skills in espionage and assassination at such a young age and formed a close friendship with her after the latter defected. This bond continued until Arth's death during the war.

Leonhart Avadonia: One of Arth's subordinates. Arth relied on Leonhart's skill as a swordsman in battle and the two formed a close friendship over the course of the war; this bond continued until Arth's death during his invasion of Beelzenia.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Arth's name may be derived from the name of King Arthur, a legendary figure in British history and literature.
 * His surnames, Lucifen and d'Autriche, are a reference to Lucifer, the patron demon of Pride, and Marie Antoinette, respectively.
 * Arth's appearance is based on an adult version of Kagamine Len as imagined by Ichika.

Curiosities

 * Interestingly, Arth named his daughter after his grandmother, Empress Riliane Roses.
 * Like his son Alexiel, Arth tied his hair in a ponytail.

Gallery
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