Arth Lucifen d'Autriche

Arth Lucifen d'Autriche is a king of the Kingdom of Lucifenia, known posthumously as Arth I. After marrying Anne Sui, Arth embarked on a largescale conquest to expand Lucifenia's borders, bringing the Kingdom to it's peak.

Early Life
Born into the Lucifenian Royal Family, Arth eventually became heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Lucifenia. In his youth, Arth met Anne Sui and Prim Rogzé and became friends with them. Ultimately, Arth chose Anne to be his queen and the two married with Prim's blessing. Soon after, Arth was saved from an assassination attempt from his poisoned wine glass. After Prim became the primary suspect, both Arth and his wife lost touch with the noble.

Conquest for Lucifenia
Sometime in the early EC 470s, Arth began planning to expand his Kingdom's borders, although discarding Elphegort from his invasion plans due to the natural protection it was provided by the Forest of Bewilderment. In EC 475, Arth began his conquests of Asmodean and the ailing Beelzenian Empire. Becoming well acquainted with Leonhart Avadonia and lter an Asmodean defector, Mariam Futapie, the Lucifenan King and Queen met Elluka Clockworker around EC 479. Earning her friendship, Elluka signed the Sanosun Bridge Oath in EC 480, pledging to serve Arth alongside Mariam and Leonhart. By EC 482, Arth and Anne began growing apart during the war and their marriage suffered problems as a result. Prim, now the Queen of Marlon, visited the couple around this time and secretly seduced the King.

After Prim's visit, 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 King Arth spearheaded an assault on Retasan Fortress, eventually capturing the city. Around EC 490, he posed with his wife and the "Three Heroes" for several portraits by Nikolaye Tolle. Around EC 490, southern Beelzenia became weakened by an epidemic and Arth took the chance to invade and conquer the territory.undefinedDuring the campaign, he was infected by the Goula plague. Crediting Alexiel as his chosen heir in his will, the ambitious king succumbed to his disease, dying in 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 Minis 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 it's neighbors at an end, Arth's conquests left Lucifenia the largest and most powerful nation and history. Although stabalized 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 Handbeat Clocktower.

Personality and Traits
As King of Lucifenia, Arth was an ambitious ruler with a great deal of charisma. Despite the scope of his conquests, he was inspirational to his subjects and supported throughout the bloody conflict by loyal followers, such as the Three Heroes. However, because of his ambition, Arth was also reckless, charging into a plague-ridden territory despite the risks, which ultimately led to his death. Arth held a close bond to the Three Heroes, convincing Elluka Clockworker to defect from Beelzenia and swear her loyalty to him. He similarly held a close bond with his wife, although their marriage became strained at certain points during the war. 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.

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 was a powerful presence, believed to even be capable of uniting all of Evillious under his banner. As a military commander, Arth dealed 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 profficient with using a blade.

Character Connections
Anne Lucifen d'Autriche: Arth's wife. Arth grew to love Anne over the course of their friendship and eventually made her his wife. The two held a close relationship, with Anne eventually birthing Arth' 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.

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.

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.

Curiosities

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

Gallery
Concept Art=