Gaius

And do you who would be Gaius, swear to uphold the Empire of Man, it's people and all that it stands for, for as long as is required of you, and to make use of every resource available to you to bring the state of emergency that has called you to service to it's end?
May the eyes of the Wyrms guide thee in your pursuits.

-Exerpt of the Oath of the Gaius

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The title granted to individuals who were given authority over all of the Old Empire in times of crisis, with the intention that the ability to act decisively would give them the edge needed to save the Old Empire, in a way that the Senate could not with it's regular processes.
As the Charter of the Empire of Man stated, the Gaius, once put in power, was cut loose from Senatorial authority and thus was the most powerful individual within the Old Empire until the Gaius in question willingly relenquished that power. If the individual decided to do so, there was still a ritual to it, as the Laurel, sign of the office of the Gaius, would be granted back to the care of the Senate and the Senate would declare whatever state of emergency that had necessitated the Gaius to be officially over.
That last part, the ritual, has caused the Gaius to remain in relevance to this day.
It is well marked in what little we have for contemporary sources that the last Gaius, named to try and guide the Old Empire through the War of the Wyrms, was killed as the war tore the Old Empire apart. The Senate never reclaimed that old authority, for they were likely dead or scattered as well, and the Laurel was seemingly lost to time. Many view that as an oppening.
The Laurel is, perhaps, one of the most saught after artifacts of the Old Empire, as he who possesses it can claim the title of Gaius themselves. Through claiming that title, all who claim heritage to the Old Empire would have to fall in line.
Make no mistake, the authority of the Old Empire does not carry practical benefits today. There is no nation who is free of the nation that holds the Laurel, that would simply bend their knee at the declaration. Politically, though? The benefits would be astounding. The prestiege that claiming the title of Gaius would bring, as well as the opposite effect it would have on every other nation cannot be understated.
To claim the title of Gaius, then prove that authority politically and militarily would be the magnum opis of any statesman or rulers career for the next one thousand years.

Type

Civic, Political

Status

The last Gaius was never relieved before the end of the Old Empire

Source of Authority

The Senate