Tyros Reffa

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Tyros Reffa is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He plays a role in the third book of the Prelude to Dune trilogy, Dune: House Corrino, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

Tyros Reffa is the illegitimate, secret son of Padishah Emperor Elrood Corrino IX and Lady Shando Balut-Vernius, and the half-brother of Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV and of Prince Rhombur Vernius and Lady Kailea Vernius of Ix's House Vernius. Tyros, a former Jongleur, owns an estate in the House Taligari fief-held planet Zanovar.

Shaddam, believing that Tyros is a threat to his throne, attempts to have Tyros killed by having several major cities on Zanovar destroyed along with Tyros' estate, killing 14 million people. Tyros, who never cared about the throne, seeks revenge by returning to his Jongleur friends with the secret intention of assassinating Shaddam when their theater group next performs in the Imperial Palace on Kaitain.

Tyros' assassination attempt fails and he is imprisoned along with the rest of the Jongleurs, who had no knowledge of Tyros' plot. All the Jongleurs and Tyros are later executed. Prior to Tyros' execution, however, the Ixian ambassador-in-exile on Kaitain is able to visit him in prison and record a final testament from him, and obtain genetic samples that prove his parentage -- including sperm samples that later help to secure an heir for the recovered House Vernius.

Raised in wealth, Tyros represented a far better example of the Corino family than many of his relatives, including Elrood, Shaddam, and Wensicia. He believed similarly to the philosophy of his late distant-cousin, Duke Paulus Atreides, that governance is a sacred responsibility, and that the people deserve a good leader, rather than one who kills because it suits his petty goals.