Monarch of Aldevaria

"It must be in your selfish desire to shun the power that makes you the best candidate to the throne."

The King of the West is the leader and ruler of the Aldevarian Kingdom, the most powerful nation of the Old World. He is chosen from the Ducal Electors by the 5 electors and crowned by the Archpriest.

The First monarch was Aldevar and his coronation marked the starting point of the General Calendar. The current monarch, Clothar I, was crowned in 1600 AD.

Despite being technically both the head-of-state and the commander-in-chief of the Royal Military, the monarch is not by any means an absolute ruler. He has to share much of his power, influence and responsibilities with the powerful with the powerful Ducal Electors.

Furthermore, the Kingdom is not a centralized state, but a feudal confederacy. The King does not control the entire military of the Kingdom and he does not receive all, or even the majority, of its taxes. His revenues and other resources are collected from his own domain and his own personal treasury will pay the military units under his direct control.

Each of the Ducal Electors collects taxes from his respective province and will spend his wealth as he sees fit. He will recruit and pay his own provincial army, which is far more loyal to its local ruler than to the distant King. Depending upon the wealth of the province, a wealthy Ducal Elector may even be able to afford to recruit a larger army than the King.

Qualifications

A wise King will realize that trying to subdue the Dukes through threats and/or force is a very dangerous task, all too likely to result in open rebellion against Royal authority and a civil war that may cost the King his crown. Gaining the respect and loyalty of the Ducal Electors of the Kingdom through example and fair leadership tends to be the best policy.

Appointment

Upon the death of a monarch the throne does not automatically pass to his heir. An election is held with the 5 electors. The heir of the deceased monarch is an obvious candidate: under normal circumstances he will be supported by the friends and allies of his predecessor. Therefore a dynastic succession is a strong possibility. However, the heir may lose the election die to personalities enmities, political maneuvering or his or her own personal failing.

Nearly all of the monarchs were chosen from the Ducal Electors and in many ways being Monarch means being but the "first among equals." The Monarch is the recognized leader of the Ducal Electors, who are themselves powerful and independent nobles. Many matters are debated between the monarch and the Dukes on an equal standing and then agreed upon, and the outcome is not always as the Monarch wants.

Responsibilities

The Emperor's power is severely limited by his inability to enforce his edicts within the semi-independent provinces that comprise the Empire. Far from the capital and within their own provinces, the Elector Counts rule as they see fit and they can choose to largely ignore Imperial edicts and decrees.