Speaker to the Leshun
Overview
The Speaker to the Leshun is an Imperial title responsible for overseeing trade and good relations with the orcs of northern Karsk. The title was created by an announcement from Borys Vardovich Straskovich, the Boyar of the Iron Roads, during the Winter Solstice 385YE and construction was completed shortly before the Winter Solstice 386YE. More information on the opportunity can be found in the Pride and prejudice wind of fortune.
Responsibilities
The Speaker to the Leshun is responsible for maintaining good relations with the Leshun, with an expectation that they serve to mediate between orcs and Varushkans throughout the nation. If the market, or travellers using the market, were to be threatened in any way it would be the responsibility of the Speaker to deal with those threats. Likewise, if any particular opportunity were to arise related to the market, the Speaker would expect to be consulted as to how that opportunity might be resolved.
Powers
| At the Market | Expand |
At the Market
As a ministry, the Speaker to the Leshun can purchase quantities of ambergelt, bladeroot, and Imperial roseweald at a set price. The Speaker spends their money and makes their choices during downtime from their character page. Money is removed from, and resources are placed into, the character's inventory when the downtime is processed.
Appointment
This title is appointed during the Winter Solstice each year. The Speaker to the Leshun is appointed by citizens of Varushka who control mines and forests personal resources. The larger the resource an individual has, the more votes they can allocate in support to a candidate. The voting is handled by the civil servants in the Bourse.
Only a Varushkan citizen may hold the title. They do not receive a seat on the Bourse. As a title appointed through the Bourse they cannot be revoked by the Imperial Synod.
Recent Elections
The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.
The Title in Play
The role does not provide additional information about events in the Empire, nor allow the player holding it to request special reports or downtime actions. These details are assumed to be below the abstraction layer. The title holder is encouraged to create their own stories about their activities within reasonable limits and to get involved in events appropriate to their title during the game, but they do not have any powers beyond those explicitly listed in the section on powers.
These details exist partly to provide context and character to the role - and partly to allow our writers to use the title as a plot hook. Plot that involves the position will be rare - but all the campaign positions in Empire have these details to create the potential for it to happen.