Pactkeeper

The Pactkeeper brushed past us, head to toe in glistening threads as the sun peeked from the dark clouds. Villagers spewed foul rhetoric, proclaiming him a fraud and a crook. Some even dared to say he was common-born and didn't deserve such a honour, yet he didn't bat an eye.
Loke, dreaded as I was to hear it, joined in the vitriol, "Lo, here goes the Sock-Puppet of Ira!" he yelled to close to my ears. As he saw my expression, he leaned in and whispered: "it's the local tradition 'round these parts. Democracy an' all that."

A Pactkeeper governs the maintenance of the Three Kingdoms Forum and by extension, the daily operations of the Three Kingdom Alliance itself. Their position aims to keep talks between the three countries civil, giving them an unbiased party with which to discuss their goals.
Though presumed in charge, they have little political influence outside of the land they directly own. Treated like another ambassador or court official by monarchs in the Alliance, a Pactkeeper is clearly subservient to them by virtue of their source of authority. They are, however, not under any obligation to obey them as a regular citizen would or retain the appropriate formality. 
Sceptical minds have said that Pactkeepers are simply placeholders for whoever appoints them, but if chosen correctly they can become great assets at the negotiation table.
The current Pactkeeper was appointed by the Divine Prophet of Oksal, current ruler of Oksal. The last Pactkeeper, agreed by most to be a mark on the position's honourable station, was appointed by the Council of Camelan.

Qualifications

They have to have a literary and political awareness becoming of a regular ambassador - some rulers only choose from their pool of current or former diplomats when choosing their Pactkeepers. At the very least, they are expected to have a cultural awareness of each nation in the Three Kingdom Alliance, or have to visited for at least a week.
Those who haven't done this go on an Ignorance Mission, where they journey through a country they are ill-informed about for a week. A Pactkeeper candidate undertaking this mission is relentlessly ridiculed by the diplomatic community - ambassadors of the country they are visiting will await them at their country's royal estate to pelt them with fruit. Once a unique and unusual punishment for such disregard for their post, it has become tradition for the uninitiated.

Requirements

Back when the role also required the Pactkeeper to transcribe the discussions themselves, the position meant they had to read and write at least two languages. Though they no longer hold this responsibility, there hasn't been a Pactkeeper who was monolingual in the position. 
Those chosen as Pactkeepers have to have permission from their home court before being approved by the remaining members of the Three Kingdom Alliance. It is therefore uncommon that someone of low birth will become a Pactkeeper, though many compare the role to having another parish to oversee in addition to their other positions. Most aspiring Pactkeepers are of high status, though the most successful own less land.

Appointment

A Pactkeeper is chosen in a cyclical manner and depends on the reign of a particular nation's monarch. As a gesture of good faith, the first nation to appoint a Pactkeeper was Oksal and their King at the time. When the King died, his chosen Pactkeeper was replaced by one elected by Noravägen, followed by Camelot's candidate. It has continued in this manner for hundreds of years. 
When civil war consumes the country of the Pactkeeper, they are kept appointed until a ruler keeps their new position for 5 years. It is declared that the civil war has ended, so the transfer can resume.

Duties

The Pactkeeper is expected to be impartial and keep negotiation proceedings secret from civilian ears. They are also expected, however, to keep the The Union Stones an area open to the public where they can view the latest agreements between nations. This delicate balance makes up the most of a Pactkeeper's duties. Though they are allowed to hear requests for other countries to join the Three Kingdom Alliance, they have to refuse travellers from entering for safety reasons. 
They have a moral obligation to help those in immediate need to the best of their ability and to provide shelter for the vulnerable. This is how the Three Kingdoms Forum came to be a complex rather than a single building as intended. It also serves as a place where the public can make appeals to the Pactkeeper and their council - who represent the monarchs of each nation when they are away from the Forum - when local legislation fails them.

Responsibilities

They have to supervise the maintenance of the Three Kingdoms Forum and all the buildings it contains, whilst also appointing and overseeing the work of Pact Wardens who watch the Union Stones for possible vandalism and erosion. They are also in charge of appointing most other positions beneath them.
The Pactkeeper stores the original transcriptions of negotiations held by the Three Kingdom Alliance, stored by how long ago the agreement was made. Therefore, the ones still in progress are the easiest for the Pactkeeper to access. In olden times, it was the Pactkeeper themselves who transcribed these meetings, but now they are allowed to appoint a scribe to the position and focus on the proceedings themselves. 
They are in charge of the distribution of assets within the Forum, including the trading relations they have with the local community, if any. A Pactkeeper must also visit a newly coronated monarch (or the newly appointed Divine Prophet of Oksal in the case of Oksal) within a month of their succession to the throne. For their own nation, this is when they are formally relieved of duty.

Benefits

They gain only very little income from their position, if at all. It is expected that such proximity to the Alliance's affairs gives them enough power to influence a great deal - not just within Union Hall, but also the lives of many humans living in Poraile.
The resources of Forum upon Pelney are also their own, much like a conventional Lord. This only happened due to the Forum's expansion into a town and was not the intended responsibility of the Pactkeeper. Therefore, though unprepared to take on such a challenge if they have no experience in landowning, a Pactkeeper can come into wealth with careful distribution of these assets. They are only allowed to take a small portion to maintain their own residence (near to Union Hall within the Forum) and not for any other purpose, but there is no solid practise to enforce rogue collecting apart from outright dismissal.

Accoutrements & Equipment

There are vestments related to the position, stored within Union Hall when not in use. A Pactkeeper is required to wear this uniform when visiting another country or in the midst of overseeing negotiations. In a bizarre local ceremony, those of Forum upon Pelney can only insult the Pactkeeper and his practises whilst they are in the appropriate garb.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

Their term ends when their own country changes monarch. Though they are informed of the end of their duties, the new candidate is chosen without their knowledge by the remaining two monarchs - unless the previous ruler made some specification for them to consider. In this scenario, they have to bear in mind the recommendation but do not have to follow it. 
A Pactkeeper can be dismissed if they are too politically invested in one side of an agreement or if they're found using their influence for personal gain. The council of the Three Kingdoms Forum and the two leaders who didn't appoint them usually hear evidence for and against their dismissal. If found guilty, they are removed and the next appointment is passed onto the nation who gains the council's majority vote.

Type

Civic, Diplomatic

Status

In effect

Form of Address

Their Grace, The Discerning Keeper, Union Grace

Alternative Naming

Keeper, Discerner

Equates to

The position was designed to be equivalent to a chief archivist or president, though they are under no obligation to be subservient to the current rulers in the Alliance. That would cause political conflict they were eager to avoid in creating the role.

Source of Authority

Their country of origin, mutual agreement by the Three Kingdom Alliance

Length of Term

The reign of their nation's sovereign / leader, can have two terms

Related Locations

• Forum upon Pelney
• The Union Stones
• Union Hall

Related Organizations

• The Three Kingdom Alliance