Eurystheos XIV

Emperor Eurystheos XIV is the current ruler of the Falassian Empire from her seat in Falas.

Appearance
Eurystheos is a young human woman with black hair. While holding open court, she slouched in her throne and generally wore a bored expression. She also carries a scepter that she bangs on the floor to adjourn court. In Port Valor after its devastation, she wore her hair in a bun and dressed in armor.

Personality
Eurystheos appears to be an aloof woman, seeming bored presiding over court and listening to the populace's grievances. However, when arriving in Port Valor after its destruction, she was action-oriented, commanding, and refused to waste time standing on ceremony.

Background
Eurystheos grew up in Falas's imperial court as the daughter of the previous emperor, Karseidon II. She was raised alongside Kain Thessos, who became Karseidon's ward shortly before she was born. She ascended to the throne at a young age. Karseidon died when she was 15, having presided over a near-idyllic period in the Falassian Empire's history. She was the one who found his body and reported his murder to the Drake Guard. Unfortunately for Eurystheos, the realm's problems began to creep in once her reign began. As a result, her reign seems to have a number of detractors among the smallfolk. She was initially a weak ruler, which allowed the Falassian council to resume the expansionist efforts that her father had opposed. However, she seems to have found her footing and now vetoes these efforts wherever she can. Recently, she has found herself in the unenviable position of needing to deal with the return of dragons to Lyvernus, while also needing to manage the empire's daily affairs.

Welcome to Falas
During a day of presiding over open court, Eurystheos received a message from her uncle, Count Corvus, delivered by a band of adventurers. She learned more of the Fireaxe Clan's attacks, as well as the Broken Crown's activities culminating in a failed assassination attempt on the count. She sent some of the imperial guard to Port Valor as a result, despite her seneschal's protests that the city's forces were already stretched too thin.

The Fall of Port Valor
Eurysthesos received word of Port Valor's devastation from Urli Earthbreaker, who was contacted by Kilwin via Sending. Before the day was over, she traveled to the town by teleporation, along with Kain and several members of the Drake Guard. Eurystheos quickly took charge of the situation, ordering the Drake Guard to search for survivors and provide aid wherever they could. She learned more about the situation from her uncle, who had survived the attack. Upon realizing that Port Valor's Abyssal Crest had been taken during the attack and given over to a demon, and that said demon knew there was also a Crest in Falas, she realized that there was a mole in Falas's court. She also realized the need to secure the other Abyssal Crests spread across Alethustria. Unable to undertake this task herself, she offered to support the Champions Valoris by providing them with a line of credit to purchase supplies in Falas, as well as a writ stating that they were conducting business for the Emperor in their travels, in an effort to give them easier access to the Exeter and Atemcester. She expressed some regret over her royal duties preventing her from helping more directly.

Return to Falas
Eurystheos held a private audience with the Champions Valoris when they returned from their quest in Aquos in order to learn of their progress. While she and Kain had eliminated many suspects, they still had not determined the identity of the mole in the Falassian court. She requested that the party attend a remembrance ceremony and ball held in honor of the tenth anniversary of Karseidon's death. She hoped that the party's presence would cause the mole to make a mistake somehow. The party agreed to help her with this. Eurystheos also gave the party a large sum of gold in an attempt to compensate them for the trials they had endured. During the meeting, Eurystheos also learned of Reides's status as an ambassador and prince of Laverathia, and the two made overtures toward an official alliance.

After the meeting concluded, Jorah revealed that, while the party was in Aquos, he had had a dream of someone wearing the emperor's regalia, sent by the Nameless God. While Jorah was reluctant to ascribe a specific interpretation to the dream, Kilwin confirmed by communing with Alethus that there was an active assassination plot against Eurystheos. The party arranged a second audience with the emperor, where she was unsurprised by the revelation, although she asked for further details about the dream. She also revealed that the Abyssal Crest of Falas was the Blade of Lyvernia. Eurystheos expressed confusion as to why or how her ancestor wielded an Abyssal Crest considering that she was known as a dragonslayer but not a demonslayer. Eurystheos also assured the party that they could contact Kain with anything that came up, as he would have an easier time immediately addressing any concerns.

Goals
As the ruler of the Falassian Empire, Eurystheos has many problems to deal with. While her most obvious concern is repelling the return of chromatic dragons to Lyvernus, she is also deeply involved in rooting out the Burning Knight's mole within Falas's court and keeping the city's Abyssal Crest out of the demon's hands. She is also invested in the reconstruction of Port Valor, even though she doesn't seem to be directly involved with it.

Abilities
Judging from her equipment when she arrived in Port Valor, Eurystheos is skilled with a longsword and shield. Her longsword in particular was quite intimidating in appearance. She also has a limited control of magic, including the spell Gentle Repose.

Eurystheos and Kain
Eurystheos has known Kain for her entire life, since Karseidon adopted him before she was born. Her father also funded his education in Atemcester. When Karseidon died, Kain took a break from his studies to return to Falas and protect Eurystheos during the early days of her reign. As adults, the two seem to maintain a close friendship. He calls her "Eury" as a nickname and she seems used to some of his eccentricities.

Eurystheos and Corvus
Eurystheos is Count Corvus's niece, and the two seem close despite the physical distance between their domains. She was willing to stretch her military forces even thinner in order to assist him with the Fireaxe clan's activities around Port Valor and, when receiving his letter on the subject, commented that Corvus frequently writes extra things in his missives.

Quotes

 * Name: "Quote."

Trivia

 * Eurystheos has many, many dogs. They sit around the throne as she holds court.