Kingdom Hierarchy

His Majesty, King Talus Valoria the First, will one day rule all of Fastheld. Until he comes of age, His Majesty the Sovereign Prince and His Highness the Ruling Steward assume these duties.

Serath Kahar, the Sovereign Prince of the Blood, is granted supreme authority by divine source until such time as his Sovereignty is surpassed by the King's own. One may consider this an example of absolute monarchy, with the Prince able to act on his own will, rather than the will of the People, without consequence.

It is generally accepted that the Ruling Steward, Zolor Zahir, maintains the highest level of political and military power within the Kingdom on a more conventional level. It has also been observed that the Ruling Steward and the Sovereign Prince work in tandem, and it is equally believed that the two are considered equals in regards to government practice.

It is established that the Ruling Steward acts as King without also being a Sovereign, and as such remains King in all but name and Sovereignty. It is very unlikely that the Sovereign Prince will "overrule" the Ruling Steward without exceptional cause, and it is thought that the Prince makes sure that the Ruling Steward is "on board" before making policy. While the Prince could remove the Ruling Steward, it would seem that he understands that a "Head of State" is a required part of maintaining the Kingdom.

The Royal Healer - though lacking a positional title (such as Grand Apothecary) - is the authority on all matters medical and health related. In this sense, the 'Royal Government' can be seen as a triumvirate, with each of the three members of the Crown Government holding equal positions with exceptions coming into play in regards to matters pertaining to their specific division.

For example, while the Grand Master of the Royal Order of the Sovereign Crown is thought to be THE authority on legal and military matters within Fastheld, the Royal Healer can supercede him on medical grounds if there is sufficient cause to do so.

The Grand Master is the authority on the Royal Law and all matters judicial and chivalric. The Grand Master is able to make and remove laws, dispense High-Justice, and is tasked with maintaining and leading the Knights-Errant of the Royal Order to a high standard, among other things.

In contrast, the Warpriest is the authority on matters relating to faith and the arcane. She works with the Grand Master to allow her Ordinators to keep the Shadow at bay and the flames of the Light burning brightly across the realm, and is tasked with ensuring that the Chapels and Churches of the realm are cared for, that heretics are kindly *persuaded* to revise their attitudes, and that the Shadow-Touched citizens of the realm are documented. In many ways, the Warpriest can be said to be an expansion of the older "Emperor's Hawk" position.

Finally, the Duchy of Fastheld remain the political authorities of the four Great Houses of Fastheld. Though they cannot dictate matters of Royal Law or Faith beyond local territorial policy and governance, they *do* remain the absolute word in matters of House politics and standing - something that the Royal Government cannot get involved with, unless it relates to official matters of the Crown (within reason).

For example, the Grand Master may arrest a Noble of House Lomasa if they are suspected of breaking the Royal Law, but may not dictate House Lomasa policy, disown a Noble from their House, or otherwise undermine the political and administrative role of the Duchy without sufficient cause - only the Ruling Steward or Sovereign Prince may do that, and even then there are procedures that must be followed so as to not turn an entire House against the rest of the Kingdom.