Valerius was born into a peasant family in Rittensberg. For years, they struggled to make ends meet. His father, Lucius, spent most of each day working tirelessly to keep the family from being thrown onto the streets. Shortly after Valerius’s 8th birthday, both of his parents were arrested on charges of theft from a bakery. In reality, it was Valerius who had stolen a few pastries. Seeking to protect their son, his parents took the blame, claiming it was a misunderstanding. They were executed for theft and obstruction of justice.
With no family left, Valerius lived on the streets, surviving as a pickpocket. He frequently fought other orphaned children, and it soon became clear he had a natural talent for hand to hand combat. At age 12, he stole a watch from a wealthy man he had distracted with a simple magic trick. The man, Gaius Octavianus, gave chase but failed to catch him.
A week later, during a city festival, Valerius found himself in another fight against larger boys. Gaius recognized him and watched the scuffle before approaching. Exhausted, Valerius had no strength left to run, but Gaius no longer seemed angry. Instead, he sat beside the boy and asked why someone so capable was living on the streets. They spoke for hours. Valerius wept as he explained his circumstances while Gaius listened with patience before offering guidance. By the end of their conversation, Gaius took him under his wing and offered him a home.
Gaius Octavianus was a member of House Octavius, a minor noble family in Rittensberg. Having lost his wife to illness at a young age and with no intention of remarrying, he had no heir, and his house faced extinction. Over the next several years, Gaius transformed Valerius from an impoverished street boy into a refined young man teaching him High Imperial, hiring tutors in premier subjects, and training him personally in swordsmanship. Eventually, Gaius had formally adopted Valerius as his heir and by age 18 Valerius had become both a distinguished scholar and a skilled swordsman.
During a hunt held to celebrate Gaius’s achievements in the Siege of Salvo, tragedy struck. Gaius was thrown from his horse and broke his spine on a stone. Valerius carried him all the way back toward Rittensberg, only realizing upon reaching the city gates that Gaius had died.
Now head of House Octavius, Valerius is determined to honor the man who gave him a second chance. He seeks not only to repay that debt, but to raise House Octavius from minor nobility into one of the Great Houses of Azuras.
