Imperial title

Overview

An Imperial title grants the bearer wealth or legal powers. Most come with a set of responsibilities that the recipient is expected to undertake. The most famous Imperial title is Empress (Emperor for a man or sometimes the Throne) but senator, cardinal, general, archmage and the Bourse seats are all examples of powerful Imperial titles.

Eligibility

Any Imperial citizen is eligible to be appointed to an Imperial title, but the constitution explicitly forbids any citizen from holding two Imperial titles simultaneously. A senator cannot be a general - nor can they be appointed to the Keeper of the Dark Groves of Boroz. Any title may be surrendered at any time, so a citizen who is elevated to a second Imperial titles must immediately select which office they wish to hold.

National Title

Some Imperial titles are only eligible to members of a specific nation. For example, only a League character can become a League senator or hold a League position in the Bourse. These titles are commonly referred to as national titles, they are governed by all the same rules as a normal Imperial title - you cannot hold more than one Imperial title at once - but they can only be conferred on a member of the appropriate nation.

Responsibilities

Most titles come with a responsibility or duty that the holder is expected to perform. For instance a citizen granted the title of Defender of the Senate might be charged with ensuring the defence and security of the Senate during the meetings at Anvil.

There is no contractual obligation to uphold the responsibilities of an office - it is not possible to create a title that requires specific action or dictates how the responsibilities must be discharged. However the responsibilities of an office are important - it is not unknown for citizens to face the threat of revocation by the Synod for failing to adequately discharge the responsibilities of the title they have accepted.

Powers

All Imperial titles include either a stipend or one or more powers of state. Powers of state are legal powers exercised by one or more of the five house of government. For example, the General Assembly of the Synod is able to veto a Senate motion, but The Throne can also wield this power - without needing to consult the Synod. A stipend is a regular income which is drawn directly from the Imperial treasury.

Term of office

Lesser Imperial titles usually have tenure. Once elected, the holder of the title remains in place until they die, resign the position or are revoked by the Synod. More powerful titles are usually subject to re-selection on an annual basis.

All Imperial titles have clearly defined rules that state how the occupant can be removed.

Ceremonial titles

There are many other titles that an Imperial citizen may possess. For example, a prominent Marcher citizen may hold the title of Steward, an influential Conclave magician may be appointed as the Mouthpiece of Meraud, a powerful Eternal from the Summer Realm. Any title that does not include a stipend or one or more legal powers of the Imperial state is officially classed as a ceremonial title, even if it the position grants the bearer tangible benefits.

A ceremonial title is not considered to be an Imperial title and does not count against the limit of one Imperial title per citizen. A character may possess any number of ceremonial titles.

Further Reading

• New Imperial titles - explaining the powers of the Senate to create new titles
• Titles by season - listing the titles which are reappointed each season
• Recent history - includes historical lists of appointments to titles at previous events