Uri Ardishapur
Uri Ardishapur (born 22621 AD, died 22836 AD) was a member of the Ardishapur Family. The son of the Heir, Uri is most well known for provoking Lady Phanca into pressuring her son, Velenus IV, to issue the edict that became known as the Ardishapur Decree.
Early Life
Uri was born in 22621 AD. While his father had grand plans for the boy, it quickly became apparent that he had a temperament ill-suited to leadership. Uri was hasty, short-sighted, and quick to anger. While he was an eager student, he was frequently petulant and often berated his tutors when he failed to grasp some concept.
In 22626 AD, his father was named the heir of the Ardishapur Family with the ascension of Velenus IV to the Imperial Throne. Uri's churlish demeanor was problematic from the start. His father attempted to curb his son's cantankerous attitude, but found him intractable. He was unwilling to simply send the boy away, however, believing that it would be a sign of weakness if he was unable to properly raise his son himself. As such, he simply kept Uri on a short leash, often at his side, where he could watch and attempt to correct his behavior.
Lady Phanca Incident
In 22642 AD, the Ardishapur Family was entertaining Lady Phanca, the mother of the emperor, at the family palace on Radonis. Phanca was noted for being irritable and strict, qualities which quickly set her at odds with the boorish Uri. His father attempted to keep his son away from the Lady as best as possible, but several incidents occurred regardless.
The tensions came to a head during a feast. Lady Phanca had a pet furrier which she doted on constantly. She gave the animal free reign of the table, with the Ardishapur family forced to tolerate it. It reportedly seemed to take pleasure in tormenting Uri, constantly snatching food from his plate and nipping at his fingers, all while Lady Phanca encouraged it by stroking it and cooing at it, leading it to take bolder actions.
Finally, the animal jumped onto Uri's plate and began kicking his food into his lap. Unable to tolerate any more, he angrily lashed out at the furrier, sending it flying from the table into a wall. The blow broke the furrier's neck, killing it.
Lady Phanca was apoplectic and stormed out, despite the heir's attempts at an apology. She was well known for her influence over the emperor and demanded he take action against the young boy. Velenus IV declared that the hand that had struck down the furrier, as well as the right hand of every male Ardishapur newborn, was to be amputated in retribution.
The Ardishapur Family, which was still struggling to regain its standing after the disastrous reign of Zaragram II, could not help but follow the mandate. Uri had his right hand amputated, but also noticed a loophole in the law. He quickly had the lost appendage replaced with a silver cybernetic replica.
Lady Phanca was furious, but was unable to have further punishment carried out against the family. Since then, the Ardishapur Decree, as it came to be known, was adopted by the family as a badge of honor and loyalty toward the Empire.
Aftermath
Despite what should have been a humbling experience, Uri instead treated the incident as a moment of pride. He regularly bragged about having been the one to kill Lady Phanca's furrier, even among company which did not appreciate it. Eventually, his father realized that there was no hope of making Uri the family's heir, and sought out a replacement.
Uri was sent off to tend to a number of the family's more remote domains, keeping him as far from the public eye as possible. He was skilled at his tasks, but his temper never diminished. He eventually married, and had several sons, all of whom had their right hands amputated at birth and replaced with silver cybernetics.
Aside from the Ardishapur Decree, Uri lived a fairly uneventful life for a royal. He continued administrating various parts of the family's duties over the years, serving in whatever position was required of him. Eventually, in his later years, he mellowed greatly and proved himself a valuable advisor to the Heir.
Uri passed away in 22836 AD from congestive heart failure. He was entombed on Radonis, while his cybernetic hand has been kept as a relic of the Ardishapur Family. It currently sits on display in the open court of the royal palace.