Palatine of Stromgarde

The Palatine of Stromgarde is an administrative office in Stromgarde and the Kingdom of Arathor, created to ensure the good governance of the King's domain and mitigate the effect of the constant fighting over the city between various Highlands factions. The Office is currently unfilled.

Origins
The office of the Palatine was created in the early days of the Empire of Arathor to advise and serve the successors of Emperor Thoradin in matters of policy and law. The name Palatine is in fact derived from the Palatine Hill of Stromgarde, the site on which Stromgarde Keep now stands - and which was home to the Imperial Palace until the dissolution of the Empire.

In its role as advisor, the Palatinate enjoyed a prominent position in the Imperial Court, alongside the missi who were formed as the Empire grew and the Emperor's personal comes and thegns. This role did diminish in importance as the Empire began to crumble, however - with less territory, there was much less need for an expert bureaucracy - and by its dissolution the office of the Palatine had not been filled for several decades.

The office has since been revived by King Danath of the House of Trollbane to aid in the management and oversight of his Kingdom, directly in response to the recurring disputes over the Duke of Arathor. Where the Palatine once advised and served the Emperor, he now advises and serves the Duke, though the office retains its status as being directly responsible to the King of Stromgarde and is appointed at the King's leisure.

Powers
The office of the Palatine's powers have varied over the years. In its original capacity as a palace advisor, the office was empowered only to oversee certain legal and administrative functions - the promulgation of decrees being the most notable. As the office's importance expanded in the Imperial Court the Palatinate also took on duties of deciding in matters between the Emperor's other servants in his stead, managing the Emperor's estates, and ensuring the loyalty of the roving missi.

The recent revival of the concept - attached to the missi - holds a lesser status and accordingly lesser powers. The modern Palatinate holds general judicial duties and the duty of ensuring that the King's possessions are adequately maintained and managed with the according powers of access to the royal coffers, an allowance for the creation of new taxes as needed above and beyond the customary fylkirgeld, and the authority to issue decrees as required for the maintenance and good governance of the King's possessions. Further, they possess explicit immunity from the control of nobles other than the King and his delegated envoys, the missi, and are expected to ensure that these nobles do not trespass against the King or his will.

Noble Privilege?
The nobility status of the current incarnation of the Office of the Palatine is uncertain. Though the Palatine is explicitly above the reach of any noble to command, it is not specified as to whether this status constitutes a noble title in and of itself. However, given its high status and role as a direct servant of the King, the role may be considered analogous to the missi - the current form of Arathorian Lord-Magistrates - and to hold equivalent rank in assemblies.

The Office of the Palatine is further expected to act as a representative of the King and, where required, to directly rule an area at the King's command. While these lands do not pass into the ownership of the Palatine, it is difficult to reconcile this role with anything but nobility.

Notable Appointees
Lord Nahbi Retter - First Palatine 31A.D. - 54A.D.

Thane Everen Corelas - Palatine 625KY - 626KY; First Palatine of the Revived Office. Discharged from the office at the conclusion of the Second Arathi Civil War.

Criticisms
The Office of the Palatine has been perceived as an attempt by the King to usurp power from the Nobility by installing a loyal follower in areas of uncertain loyalty to monitor, countermand, and gradually diminish the importance of the local nobles in order to restore the lands and titles of that region to the King.

This criticism reached its peak in the Tiberian Coup, which saw radicals declare the office 'unconstitutional'* and attempt to destroy it in response to its determination that, in the absence of a clear and rightful successor to the Duchy of Arathor, the title should default to the King and be administered as the King found fit.


 * it must be noted that Arathor, at the time of writing, does not have a constitution.

OOC Commentary
The Palatinate was created as a way to represent an alternative to the standard nobility roles. The various factions laying claim to the city of Stromgarde largely seemed to desire the title of Duke of Arathor, but the constant fighting OOC and IC between them was resulting in chaos. As such, on receiving control of the Kingdom of Arathor guild, Everen did not take the title of Duke of Arathor as prior GMs had, and instead relegated himself to a supporting and equivalent status that did not directly compete. The Palatinate was intended, from the very first, to be a complementary role to any other Highlands guild.