King of Abron
By the Justice of Bahamut, High King of the Emerald Throne, Ruler of the Four Holds of the Heart and of the Twin Isles
The King of Abron (or Queen of Abron, if a woman) is the absolute monarch of the Kingdom of Abron, who rules from the Emerald Throne in the Abronese capital of Briathelond. The king - or, more specifically, the king regnant - rules Abron: he creates the laws of Abron, sets officials to maintain law and order throughout the kingdom, dispenses justice either in court or through his representatives, directs the kingdom's armies and navies to defend the kingdom from invaders, and leads the kingdom to prosperity by managing its resources through stewards, tax collectors, and other appointed officials.
"King of Abron" may also refer to the King Consort of Abron when he is not the reigning monarch but rather the husband of the queen regnant.
Requirements
The king of Abron is a hereditary title, and it is determined by absolute primogeniture. To become king, one must generally be the royal family's heir, the exceedingly rare exception being when the king dies with no offspring, consort, or living siblings. In such cases, a new monarch is chosen from among Abron's hereditary nobles by the privy council, with the support of at least two-thirds of the hereditary nobles. Even in such cases, the noble chosen is usually at least a distant relative of the deceased king. If the king dies and the crown prince is too young to govern, the crown prince still becomes king immediately, but his duties are usually discharged to a regent (usually an uncle or other displaced heir presumptive) until he is old enough to carry the responsibility of ruling.
Appointment
Under normal circumstances (assuming the king has an heir apparent or presumptive at the time of his death), upon the death of the reigning king, the crown prince immediately assumes the power and responsibility of the Emerald Crown - there is no gap in power between the king's death and the prince's coronation. In the rare event that the privy council must determine who will be king, an interregnum occurs during the time it takes the council to determine the next monarch. During such interregna, the Duke of Briathe typically acts as a caretaker of the Emerald Throne, managing affairs of state until a successor is found.
Coronation
The coronation of a monarch of Abron is a purely ceremonial event; it is not strictly necessary since the crown prince becomes king the moment the king regnant dies or abdicates, but the coronation of kings is an important tradition in Abron, creating an unusual blend of solemn and celebratory. The beginning is solemn: in the Great Temple of Briathe, the crown prince spends the night before his coronation in prayer to Bahamut, the dragon god of justice and patron of Abronese kings. At first light in the morning, he is led to the temple's "platinum spire" by two Dragonborn Priests of Bahamut, who then anoint the prince as Abron's arbiter of Bahamut's justice. From there, the procession gathers in front of the temple: the two Dragonborn Priests, the prince's retainers, a guard of honor, and finally the prince himself, in full royal regalia. The procession travels from the temple to the royal palace, where, in the throne room, the guard leads the prince to the Emerald Throne. One of the Dragonborn Priests then crowns him with the Emerald Crown, pronouncing him King of Abron in the name of Bahamut. Customarily, the newly-crowned king then stands on the balcony of the royal palace and addresses the crowds gathered in the square, and announces a day of feasting and celebrating to honor his father's memory and to endear himself as their new king.Duties
The duties of the king are entirely moral: there is no authority in Abron higher than the King of Abron, whose reign is a mandate of the god Bahamut. The strength of the king's rule is purely rooted in the strength of his own character. His first duty is to rule the kingdom and provide the greatest justice for all of his subjects. He is generally expected to produce an heir so that the kingdom is not left in chaos upon his death. He provides for the welfare of the kingdom and defends it against invaders, keeping his people safe from pestilence and war.
Responsibilities
The king has many responsibilities for ensuring that the people of the kingdom are cared for and prosperous, and they vary widely depending on the circumstances. In general, however, the king's day-to-day responsibilities largely involve delegating tasks. He sits in audience to answer petitions (the Lord Chamberlain directs which petitions reach the king and which ones can be handled by lesser officials), he sits over the royal court and hears the affairs of the kingdom from the lesser nobles, he issues proclamations and edicts, and he takes advice from the Privy Council. The king is also responsible for directing the King's Guard and the Royal Armada to defend the kingdom from invaders.
Benefits
Since Abron is a wealthy, fertile, and strong kingdom, the King of Abron is one of the most powerful people in all of Emiroth. He has access to Abron's deep coffers, its substantial natural resources, and its powerful armed forces. Since the monarchy of Abron is absolute, the king's word is law. He also has the benefit of the privy council and other advisory councils to help him make the best decisions possible. Additionally, the king has free use of the Green Palace, the royal palace in Briathelond. He also has the King's Guard at his disposal, and may appoint any personal retinue - armed or otherwise - that he sees fit.
Accoutrements & Equipment
Much of the symbolic regalia of Abron is invested in its king. Among the nine kingdoms of Emiroth, Abron is known as the Emerald Kingdom, and consequently, many of the accoutrements of the Abronese throne are styled with emerald. The king usually gives audience from the Emerald Throne, and he wears the Emerald Crown - both of these items are heavily decorated with emerald, but both each also feature several pieces of manastone, a symbol of royal power throughout Emiroth. The king's sword and scepter are also decorated with emeralds, and he wears a green robe. The sigil of the Emerald Throne is a white dragon sejant on a field of green, a reference to Bahamut as the patron of Abronese kings.
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
Since the King of Abron is the law of Abron, there is no mechanism in Abronese law whereby the King of Abron may be removed from the throne. In Abron, hereditary nobility may only be removed from power on a charge of treason against the king, and since the king cannot commit treason against himself, there are thus no legal grounds for removing him from power. Since the king's right to rule ostensibly comes from the dragon god Bahamut, the dragonborn priests could theoretically charge him with heresy against Bahamut and act accordingly, likely with broad support from both the nobility and landed gentry depending upon the circumstances, but there is as yet no precedent for this, and considering the absolute nature of the king's power and the resources at his immediate command, such a gambit would be unlikely to succeed. Generally, the only way for a king to be removed from the Emerald Throne is for him to die, or to abdicate and step down willingly.
Style
His Majesty, Her Majesty
Spoken Address
Your Majesty, Sire/Ma'am
Subordinate Rank
Prince
Superior Rank
None
Type
Nobility, Hereditary
Alternative Naming
Queen of Abron (feminine)
Source of Authority
Length of Term
Hereditary
Related Organizations
Comments