King Julthmar's Promise

King Julthmar’s Promise is the popular name for the Royal Decree of King Julthmar of year 451 A.A., in which the King ordained that at least one seat on the Royal Council of Keltheron should be held by a representative of the Azemian church. The seat is always held by a person with a status of bishop or higher.

Background

The decree was made after a drawn out period of conflict between the church and the throne, during which the loyalty of the populace became more and more divided over a number of decades. In order to heal this rift and ensure the ongoing strength of his regime, King Julthmar made peace with the church. To ensure a long-term cooperation between the two great powers the Seat of Faith, third of the seats in the Royal Council, was promised to be awarded to a high-status church representative “in perpetuity”.

Consequences

Just as the decree states, an official of the Azemian Church has sat on the Seat of Faith since the year 451. Church officials have at various times also held the Seat of Might, the Seat of Coin and the Seat of Grain, though never more than 3 at the same time. The cooperation between the throne and the church has only deepened over the centuries, both institutions strengthened by the enmeshment. The seats have been held by various high-profile church officials, including on three occasions by the grand patriarch of the church.











The expression “King Julthmar’s Promise” has come to refer more widely to the understanding that the Azemian church, as faith and institution, is an inextricable pat of the power and soul of Keltheron. It is frequently used in public addresses and serves as a counter-argument whenever church influence over public affairs is opposed by the public or the nobility.