Primarch
The chair of Absalom’s High Council, who sets the agenda of Absalom’s government, is called the primarch.
The primarch chairs the High Council, allowing him to set the agenda of the city’s government. As Protector of Kortos, the primarch is also the titular ruler of all the people and settlements of the greater Starstone Isle. His ceremonial role is equal to that of any head of state, and when a foreign ruler visits Absalom, they tend to view the primarch as their most worthy equal and functional counterpart. On the rare occasion when Absalom has been ruled by a despot, that despot has always sat in the primarch’s throne.
The primarch alone holds the power to convene the months-long sessions of the Grand Council. As a matter of tradition, sessions run regularly throughout the year with breaks for district elections and festivals. The populist demands of the Low Council sometimes run at odds to the practical concerns of the High Council, however, and canny primarchs have been known to delay sessions for months or even years to preserve the status quo or the political upper hand.
The primarch appoints the High Council, which serves as a sort of advisory board in addition to the members’ duties overseeing particular departments of the civic government. Primarchs also have the power to veto any political appointment to the Low Council or any of the district-based provincial councils, but doing so brings substantial political risks that range from public condemnation to assassination, so the tactic is rarely used.
Absalom’s primarchs are themselves elected by the High Council and hold their position for life. Or, as in the case of Lord Gyr of House Gixx, the elusive current primarch, until they simply vanish and an acting primarch must be installed in their place. The current acting primarch, former First Guard Captain Wynsal Starborn, is eager to hand off the responsibility of rulership (and the stink of politics) to a worthy successor, but he hasn’t yet managed to find one he trusts enough to hold the best interests of Absalom’s people in mind. The Grand Council hasn’t yet formally declared Lord Gyr dead but seems poised to do so in an upcoming session, potentially forcing Starborn’s hand to endorse a successor before the people demand that he fill the role on a permanent basis.
The primarch chairs the High Council, allowing him to set the agenda of the city’s government. As Protector of Kortos, the primarch is also the titular ruler of all the people and settlements of the greater Starstone Isle. His ceremonial role is equal to that of any head of state, and when a foreign ruler visits Absalom, they tend to view the primarch as their most worthy equal and functional counterpart. On the rare occasion when Absalom has been ruled by a despot, that despot has always sat in the primarch’s throne.
The primarch alone holds the power to convene the months-long sessions of the Grand Council. As a matter of tradition, sessions run regularly throughout the year with breaks for district elections and festivals. The populist demands of the Low Council sometimes run at odds to the practical concerns of the High Council, however, and canny primarchs have been known to delay sessions for months or even years to preserve the status quo or the political upper hand.
The primarch appoints the High Council, which serves as a sort of advisory board in addition to the members’ duties overseeing particular departments of the civic government. Primarchs also have the power to veto any political appointment to the Low Council or any of the district-based provincial councils, but doing so brings substantial political risks that range from public condemnation to assassination, so the tactic is rarely used.
Absalom’s primarchs are themselves elected by the High Council and hold their position for life. Or, as in the case of Lord Gyr of House Gixx, the elusive current primarch, until they simply vanish and an acting primarch must be installed in their place. The current acting primarch, former First Guard Captain Wynsal Starborn, is eager to hand off the responsibility of rulership (and the stink of politics) to a worthy successor, but he hasn’t yet managed to find one he trusts enough to hold the best interests of Absalom’s people in mind. The Grand Council hasn’t yet formally declared Lord Gyr dead but seems poised to do so in an upcoming session, potentially forcing Starborn’s hand to endorse a successor before the people demand that he fill the role on a permanent basis.
Type
Civic, Political
Current Holders
Past Holders
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