Monarch of Orbach

The Monarch of Orbach is the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Orbach and the de facto and de jure head of state and government. It is a hereditary position held by the House of Sitricson since Orbach's foundation over five hundred years ago, in an almost uninterrupted line of descent from parent to child. Whilst the monarch holds absolute power over Orbach's foreign policy, with the power to start wars and sign treaties, Counts wield control in their own territories, with the Monarch largely used as a mediator between them; whilst a Count's own armed forces may be substantial, no single Count could stand up against both their rival's and the Monarch's forces.
The monarch rules from the Heathersage Palace in Kaptur, home of the Sitricson family for all of recorded history, and the royal authority is symbolised by possession of the Grieving Blade, a longsword of unknown origins that 'weeps' a magically imbued liquid when not being held by the monarch. Only the monarch is permitted to touch this sacred blade, and only when being held does the monarch have the right to issue royal commands.