Imperial Family

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Writers	MonMarty
Last Editor	MonMarty on 01/27/2023.

The Imperial Family is the extended court of Kade family members, both Imperial and non-Imperial Kades who gravitate around the center of power, the Emperor of Regalia. Each Court member has their own agenda, likes and dislikes, and may join or publicly oppose a Noble Faction in the Assembly for their policies. Generally speaking, Several Kades are mascots (or leading members) of Court Factions, while others have no overt loyalty, but may still be interacted with in Progressions and bestow benefits indirectly to those they favor. House Kade has many more members than are visible here, but these are the only active actors at Court or in some way relevant to Court life. Many other Princes and Princesses not mentioned are minors.

The Emperor

The Emperor is the titular and divine ruler of all of the Regalian Empire. The Imperial seat is currently decided on elective basis, though the Emperor has chosen to keep his choice a secret.

Name	Description
Emperor Alexander the First	Emperor Alexander is a man of portly presence that has been Emperor for nine years now, with a single year interruption while Cedromar was Emperor. Emperor Alexander's reign is seen as one of competence yet opulence, intellectual ambition yet military decline, and enlightened centrism, yet a degradation of the power of the clergy. Emperor Alexander is generally looked upon favorably by the people, who believe he genuinely adores the people much like his predecessor Justinian II, but unlike Justinian II, Alexander has very little actual power and rules mostly as Emperor by consent than Decree, careful not to annoy or disgruntle the Nobility too much. Emperor Alexander enjoys the position of the sagely mediator, choosing never to lean to heavily into one ideology or the other, and remaining as a mentor of sorts with wise words of encouragements for those who break through to the inner courts. Emperor Alexander is completely above Court Faction politics, though the Court Factions whispering into his ears and showcasing him their favorites, does eventually get through to him, resulting in him granting favorable Court appointments to those favored by Factions.

The Princes and Princesses

The Princes and Princesses are those eligible to pass the Imperial Throne through their progeny, and are referred to as Your Imperial Highness. By Imperial Law, all Princes and Princesses are numbered, with 1st being the first in line to the succession, and further numbers being further removed from the throne. These numbers are merely for display nowadays however, as the Empire is now elective and thus the Emperor chooses a new heir to take the throne upon his death, as divined by the Everwatcher, who decided that it needed to choose its next Vessel instead of letting fate determine the heir. Women cannot become Empress of Regalia, however they can pass the right to inherit through to any male descendants they may have.

Name	Description
Prince Reynaud	Relation: Prince Reynaud is the oldest son of Emperor Alexander, aged 37 though looking exceptionally young. He is married to his cousin Florence Ivrae de Sange, and has issue. He is the older brother of the twins Frederick and Raymond Kade, and older brother to a larger number of underage children of Alexander from several marriages. History: Prince Reynaud was born destined to inherit the patriarchal position of House Kade as first born of the first born of last generation. As his father became Emperor during the Kade Settlement following Justinian II's death, it was expected of him to become Crown Prince. As the Empire passed into an Elective Monarchy however, and his father favored other relatives for the Crown, Prince Reynaud became more desperate to hold onto the crown that was promised, and started collecting favor from the high culture courts across the Empire. Supporters: Prince Reynaud enjoys wide support among the Ithanian and Lusits Courts, and has extensive connections in the wealthy Ithanian, Leutz and Dressolini Nobility and Aristocracy in the Archipelago. He is in turn strongly opposed by the religious conservatives and non-Ithanian elements of the Regalian military. Ideology: Prince Reynaud is a Progressive in terms of ideology, but with heavy aristocratic leanings. He is considered the Status Quo candidate, though his extreme spending is a problem even for the wealthy Imperial Court. That being said, he has been accused of ideological inconsistency, on account of betraying personal principles for long term political gain. Occult: Prince Reynaud is not Occult, but has strong pro-Occult leanings due to his many Ithanian and Nelfin contacts. He also maintains a squadron of personal Court-Mages for his protection. That being said, due to his strongly egotistical nature, despite being Pro-Occult, he is known to use the Occult as a means to an end and cannon fodder. Company: Prince Reynaud is often seen accompanied by the Ithanian Ambassador, as well as her (and his own) ladies in waiting. There are rumors of his infidelity with the Ambassador, but nothing is proven. He has a wife and children, however is rarely seen near them at Court. Achievements: Reynaud is a coddled first born with little to no achievements despite his uncanny ability to always worm his way to power. It is well understood that due to his connections, no other Princeroyal can quite fund-raise like he can, and he has the considerable backing of the Ithanian Sovereign Court also, which can be seen as an achievement. Favored: Prince Reynaud currently favors Fabienne du Poncaire, Florian du Poncaire,
Prince Frederick	Relation: Prince Frederick is the second born son of the Emperor, younger brother to Reynaud, and older twin to Raymond. Prince Frederick was born Ailor, but became an Urlan. Prince Frederick is not married, and has no issue, though it is unclear whether this was by choice to dedicate his life to being a Viridian Knight, or by happenstance. History: Prince Frederick was, following Kade policy) sent to the Viridian Order as second born of his generation, to protect the first born as a Knight. Because he spent most of his time training as a Viridian, not much is known about his youth and early adulthood. The most notable event in his life, was joining his younger twin Raymond on a campaign in Jorrhildr to recruit the Urlan to their cause, an event he achieved by accepting Symbiosis to try and impress the Urlan and gain their support. Afterwards, he joined Raymond on campaign in Ellador against the Death Isldar and helped the Life Isldar grind the Death Isldar to a ceasefire. Supporters: Prince Frederick enjoys wide support among the officers and the rank and file of the Regalian Military, even if the various culturally diverse generals might be apathetic towards him. He also has wide support from the Viridian Order, as well as the Reliquary Order, as he exemplifies the perfect self-sacrificing Knight who does everything for duty and belief. Ideology: Prince Frederick's ideology is hard to pin down, because he follows his father's wishes to the letter, and largely supports both of his brothers instead of his own ideals. It is however known that he believes Regalia would be better off with more military civil rulers, instead of civilian civil rulers. He supports replacing the bureaucracy and State Governor with military rule. Occult: Prince Frederick is not Occult himself, and has no outwardly stated opinion about the Occult. He does however have a strong publicly stated opinion against the chaos of disobedience and deviancy. He has noted that this very much is not an anti-Occult stance, but it may end up being one through the implication of Occult status being a form of deviancy. Company: Prince Frederick does not have a formal company of his own, rather he is usually the +1 of someone else at court. He frequently lingers around Raymond Kade as it is implied that he dislikes Reynaud, and failing his twin brother being around, his aunt Aliandre Kade is also frequently seen near him. It is said at Court that Frederick is brawn, while Raymond is the muscle, even if their ideologies clash, love of the Empire unites them. Achievements: Prince Frederick is a very accomplished sword and shield fighter, who has only become more skilled and stronger since becoming an Urlan. Perhaps his most notable achievement was his declaration of Godhood by the Evintarian Unionists, as the God of Sacrifice, Training, and Obedience. The Silent Council however remains silent as to why they think he is a God, as opposed to just a strong Urlan. Additionally, he is credited for the military reforms of the recent years, which saw the outlawing of private armies and levies, reducing all of the Nobility's military forces to a pittance as the majority was inherited by the Regalian military as conscripts and professional tenpenny soldiers instead of peasant levies. Favored: Prince Frederick currently favors Brunhilde von Moritz, Galinthios Diakos,
Prince Raymond	Relation: Prince Raymond is the third born son of the Emperor, younger brother to Reynaud, and younger fraternal twin brother to Frederick. Despite being the youngest, Raymond ends up looking the oldest, many claim because of the excessive amount of smiling aging his face. Prince Raymond is unmarried, and has been known to have both male and female flings, but is not currently engaged nor does he have issue. History: Prince Raymond was always a bit of a black sheep in comparison to his older brothers because he had very strange progressive leanings in an autocratic family like House Kade. While in his earlier years he had almost outright anti-noble opinions, favoring the removal of all Nobles, he has since softened his stance, favoring a more bureaucracy centric style of Empire, where the nobility is not strictly hereditary but has to face exams and trials like Songaskian Nobles do. Raymond received a wide host of political and diplomatic education when it became obvious he was not cut out to become a Knight, and has mostly stayed in the background until he was able to galvanize more progressive support at court. Supporters: Raymond enjoys the wide support from the bureaucracy and the Empire's scholars and intellectuals, as well as to a lesser degree the non-Ailor subject Races of the Empire like the Allar of Hadar because of his very pro-egalitarian attitudes towards all peoples of the Empire. Raymond by far and large has more enemies than allies at Court however, because of his moderate anti-Noble stances. Ideology: Raymond supports a vast expansion of the bureaucracy, while making the peers and nobility a part of it, and ensuring their competence with enduring trials and examinations. Many nobles pretend they are the cream of the educated crop, but many of them have heads filled with useless information and mostly pretend their skill and knowledge on a whiteboard, without ever doing a meaningful job in their life, or so his belief goes. He believes the Nobility actively hold back the Empire by keeping it mentally trapped in the 3rd Century instead of modernizing. This does not mean he wants to outright disassemble Nobility, but at the very least severely diminish their influence and wealth. Occult: Raymond is not Occult, though has a large entourage of Occult allies and friends, as to many, he is a beacon of a progressive future Empire that fully integrates the Occult. As of late, he has started heavily campaigning for a proactive inclusion of Marken into an accepted class of Occult, claiming that much of their inability to control themselves is a byproduct of their stigma, and that they can benefit the Empire. Company: Raymond is, as mentioned, frequently surrounded by the Occult at Court, though he is also frequently seen flanked by Frederick who acts both as his guardian and muscle, as well as Princess Shelia Manon who is considered his greatest ally in pro-Occult rights within the Empire. Raymond is rarely at the Court, and of the Princes, tours the corners of the Empire the most to build support among the commoners. Achievements: Raymond has almost no achievements to his name, save for a campaign that was so-so effective at not exactly destroying the Death Isldar, but grinding them to a halt and forcing a ceasefire with the Life Isldar. It is however said that his idea to induce the Urlan was nothing short of a master stroke, because the casualties among Regalian forces was extremely low in comparison to other campaigns, even for one that was a stalemate. Favored: Prince Raymond currently favors Merowald Risberg, Clovis Boskovic,
Prince Dominic	Relation: Prince Dominic is the Emperor's second oldest brother, with Prince Thomas being the second). He is the older brother to the fraternal twins Cedromar and Amalia. Prince Dominic was intended to become a Viridian, but was too sickly at an early age to be induced in the order. Prince Dominic never married, and has never been seen to show any interest in romantic engagements, being widely known as an asexual. History: Prince Dominic's history is largely unknown, or only ever framed through the history of his older brothers, because this has benefitted his line of work. Prince Dominic is the publicly facing element of the Black Order, the more clandestine Emperor-serving state police that the Empire largely denies exist, but everyone definitely knows exists. Prince Dominic is largely a great unknown. Supporters: Prince Dominic's support network is unknown, though it is vaguely understood that he has a very good rapport with the Imperial Guard, who respect his input to the security of the Emperor, and has wide support in the foreign intelligence community of the Regalian Empire, feeding a constant stream of secret information to the highest offices in the Imperial Palace. Ideology: Prince Dominic's ideology isn't so much an actual ideology as it is a fervent support of the individual, that being the Emperor. Dominic truly believes that Emperor Alexander is the one and only candidate for Emperorship, and that anyone standing in his way needs to be eliminated, while allowing his hands to be stained in the act so the Emperor's can remain clean with the love for his people. He is, as such, also known as someone who completely disregards external input, and has his own views about what is good for the Empire. Occult: Prince Dominic is not an Occult, but he is known to have extensive contacts and work with the Occult, particularly the Court Mages of the Emperor. Prince Dominic frequently makes use of Occult means to empower and enable his spies to work better, so their information gathering projects bear more fruit. Company: Prince Dominic has no company, because he prefers not being seen at all. Prince Dominic is very hard to reach, and often in fact does not show up unless someone appraised a different Princeroyal of the need to meet him, as he himself cannot be reached. He is deemed the reason why 9 out of 10 letters never arrive at court, because he does not want the other Princes to be bothered with "little matters". Achievements: Prince Dominic has no listed achievements, mainly because the work he does is not publicly available to protect both himself and his contacts. This has led some to believe the possibility that he is in fact, critically incompetent, and has never contributed anything of particular value while slurping up a considerable portion of the Imperial budget. Favored: Prince Dominic currently favors Howland von Moritz,
Prince Cedromar	Relation: Prince Cedromar is the third younger brother of the Emperor, has been Emperor himself for about a year until he abdicated in favor of Alexander again, and is the fraternal twin of Princess Amalia, and sibling of many other younger Kades. Prince Cedromar has four sons, Renly who is adult (and known to actually be a bastard of Cedromar's older brother Thomas raised by him), and toddlers Augustus, Jovian, and Valerian. Cedromar is a publicly known homosexual, who was married twice, but is currently single. History: Prince Cedromar was largely forgotten by history because he was considered one of the least notable Kades who almost lived the life of an anti-Noble. Known to have terrible temper, inability to follow rules, and trouble with proper clothes and court etiquette, Cedromar became a Viridian, but resigned or was removed from the order after a few years, the details remain unclear. After this period he largely disappears from the historical narrative until his support for his older brother Thomas put him more into the public eye. Eventually it was revealed Cedromar was a Dragonblood or carried a Dragonsoul, depending on perspective, which set in motion a series of events that thrust him to the limelight. Supporters: Prince Cedromar lacks general support at Court, in fact he is almost universally despised by the wider court factions. Cedromar represents a difficulty in Unionist theological rhetoric, and is himself recognized as a God in Dragon Worship, meaning everyone is perpetually frightful of him staging a Coup against the Emperor and taking over, despite his repeated claims that he would not. Cedromar is however fanatically supported by the lowest of the lowest soldiers, the levies and conscripts, who considered him the best soldier-Emperor they ever had. Ideology: Prince Cedromar's ideology is extremely unclear, and often entirely contradictory. He makes next to no political proclamations, and often also refuses to sign any decrees sent out by the other Princes on principle. As such, he is the large unknown in the Imperial Court, because only his views pertaining to the rights of the Occult are known. Occult: Prince Cedromar by nature of being a Dragon is Occult, as he is the nexus of Dragon Magic, bearing the soul of Regulus the Crown Dragon. He has an army of Crown Witches and other Archon at his beckoning call, the fact that makes many courtiers uncomfortable. He is generally opposed to the expansion of Occult presence across the Empire, but is also conciliatory with their existence. He represents a unique conversion faction at court which believes Magic can be cleansed to become more natural to the world. Company: Cedromar has no company at court, especially not since the court influence of the Dragon Worshipers collapsed after the Matron retired to Anglia, and recent events which resulted in the loss of influence among them at court. Cedromar is rarely seen at court, only arriving when he feels like, and often being absent when others need him, speaking only cryptically when he is actually around. Achievements: Cedromar's achievements begin with his Emperorship, which is known to have been very successful militarily, but a complete mess-up on the civilian side. as Emperor, Cedromar largely ignored his regal duties and handed off all control to his under crowns, who ended up using his absence to install a terror regime of reactionary politics. While eventually the status quo returned, Cedromar's reputation as a terrible administrator could not be undone. He was however very successful in the war department, installing a puppet ruler on the throne of the Songaskian Masaya, and leading the first successful foreign expedition to the Sihai lands, where he assisted in the destruction of many Akula. As Dragon he has been active on many battlefields since, providing critical support to the Regalian military, but in the last year or so he has become more and more distant and unwilling to help Regalia's wars. Favored: Prince Cedromar currently favors Viggo Sorenvik, Rodrigo Peirgarten,
Princess Noor	todo Favored: Princess Noor currently favors Wilvamair Arnyn, Markus Delmotte, Ren Maiyusa, Cadwyn Marth, Rowena Mailaan,
Princess Juliana	todo Favored: Princess Juliana currently favors Eleanaire of Jophael,
Princess Amalia	todo Favored: Princess Amalia currently favors Viviwynne Guentyr, Petra von Moritz, Therese Braunschweiger
Prince Xander	todo

The Titular Princes and Princesses

The Titular Princes and Princesses are Imperial-Royal by relation to the Emperor, but cannot claim direct descent from the Imperial Vessel (who through blood, was Liliane Ivrae-Kade). As a result, they are Princes and Princesses by law, but are excluded from the inheritance line, therefor not having a title (such as 4th Princess). They still wield considerable power in the Kade Family itself and should not be considered any less important than the Princes and Princesses of Imperial Blood.

Name	Description
Princess Aliandre	todo
Princess Shelia Manon	todo Favored: Princess Shelia Manon currently favors Anathema,
Prince Justinian	todo Favored: Prince Justinian currently favors Mila Braunbecker, Joanna von Duerr,
Princess Glorianna	todo Favored: Princess Glorianna currently favors Mila Braunbecker, Erwin Braunschweiger, Therese Braunchweiger, Riftan Vaedra
Prince William Friso	todo Favored: Prince William Friso currently favors Alexandra Petralias,
Prince Henry	todo Favored: Prince Henry currently favors Revna Vikström, Kaya Sorenvik, Tuija Vikström
Prince Constantine	todo Favored: Prince Constantine currently favors Sivrid Sorenvik
Prince Calric	todo
Prince Bohemund	todo
Prince Derrick	todo Favored: Prince Derrick currently favors Saren
Prince Francis	todo Favored: Prince Francis currently favors Jocelyn von Duerr, Naaji Al-makir

Non-Family Courtiers

The Imperial Family is usually surrounded by a whole host Non-Family Courtiers. These individuals possess some sort of function at the Imperial Court, and can also be interacted with through Progressions, and may occasionally also show up during Events. The vast majority of the Courtiers are just sychophants, but the few exceptional members are mentioned below, each with their own specialty.

Name	Description
Viscountess Milena Cadieux du Lierre	Lady Milena Cadieux du Lierre, Viscountess of Centre-Vixe, is a non-Family Courtier with particular skills that exists within the Imperial Court. Milena Cadieux du Lierre is the manager of the unofficial but highly esteemed Court d'Amour, which is a court-à-court that exists on a separate layer from the Imperial Court. She exists as the nexus for all relationship gossip, matchmaking and paramour-caroussing, though only at Court. As such, when anyone has an eye on a member of the Imperial Family or the Imperial Court, they always present to Milena Cadieux first, who appraises them, and informs them which members of Court might be interested in them if any at all. She also always acts as a discreet liaison between the members of court and their favorites outside of it. Milena frequently hovers around the court ladies, and particularly Shelia-Manon Kade.
Iron-Duke Ryker Lampero	Iron-Duke Ryker Lampero is the ruler of the formidable Vultarin Hegemony, a large stretch of Dukelands in the south of the Regalian Archipelago covering multiple Duchies and spheres of influence. Ryker is a wrothful beast of a man who is sometimes also referred to as the Imperial watchdog, because of his habit of threatening anyone who brings warfare to the Regalian Archipelago. He is chiefly the backer of what the Court calls the "Iron Peace", which bars the Nobility from attacking each other. The Iron-Duke himself is also a Silven, and has deep connections with the Occult and the Imperial Family, usually being a nexus for strong warriors who make a name as his champions and liberated Occult alike. The Iron-Duke frequently hovers around the Emperor at court as his unofficial speaking watchdog, as Imperial guards do not speak.
Ëssela-Neveï Vivana Avalleia	Vivana Fëallora Avalleia Bel Ant Avalla-Loseia, often shortened to just Vivana Avalleia, is the Ëssela-Neveïa (Mist Shield) of Solleria. This position grants her the representative of all the Myst Wardens of Solleria, a prestigious military unit across Solleria that exists beyond borders and operates independently from the Dukes. Additionally, she also has a micro-court of her own of Altalar specialists and historians, having both deep connections with some of the rulers in the resurgent Allorn Empire, and a vast wealth of information on Altalar history and customs. She frequently acts as Altalar liaison at court, or informant of Altalar special interests, usually stick somewhere in the background of ongoing events.
Lord Protector Parzival Ravenstad	Lord Protector Parzival Ravenstad is one of the few survivors of the Viridian destruction during the Deathling Crisis, and remained a staunch Knight even after the reforms. Lord Protector Parzival nominally rules the Lordship of Ravenstad, the titular city where his family hails from, however he is more commonly seen at Court. Much like the Lord-Protector Dietrich von Drachenburg, Parzival Ravenstad is in the unique position to universally liked and respected by all the Knightly Orders, and even beyond that in the Military. Lord Protector Parzival always has a finger dipped in each army, and knows well what the status of their morale and inner thoughts are. Lord Protector Parzival is frequently found among Prince Willem Friso Kade and Prince Justinian Kade. He also really likes Reindeer.
Grand Magistrate Dianne Black	Grand Magistrate Dianne Black is not formally Noble (though she is of noble lineage), but she has accrued immense financial wealth and trade connections through her marriage with Christopher Black. She eventually eclipsed his control over the Merchant Guilds of Narlas, and is now the go-to person for all things trade and mercantile in the Empire. It is said that there is not a trade deal she does not know about, and she has a deep and complex understanding of the economy of the Empire, while also being deeply aware of the opinions and resentment of the free traders of the Empire at large. Grand Magistrate Dianne Black usually hovers around Aliandre Kade, on account of having political similarities with the Hiltfrontists.
Bundeskanzler Ulrich Typhonus	BundesKanzler Ulrich Typhonus was once the Archduke of Calemberg, but has since taken a more subtle background role as Bundeskanzler, a position unique to the highly urbanized environment of Calemberg. The Bundeskanzler position afford Ulrich Typhonus far reach in the greater Calemberg area, having the ear of all the wealthy aristocrat families not only of his native Wirtem lands, but also beyond. Ulrich Typhonus is the poster-figure for "old money", nobles who grew up with wealth, and sustain the old court styles and habits. As such, Ulrich Typhonus has the ear of the non-Noble wealthy upper classes, and can fund-raise like no-one else for causes which he finds agreeable. Still, Ulrich is mostly a conservative (with some pragmatic sensibilities) and as such leans in the same direction and presence as Lord Protector Parzival Ravenstad.
Count Leufred du Briërust	Count Leufred du Briërust was once the Duke of Maraisburcke, but relinquished control over the region after the mostly purist population became hostile to him and his Mage wife, eventually settling in the Imperial Palace while retaining some property on the edges of Tirgunn in Osteiermark. Count Leufred is mostly avoided by most of the Palace attendants on account of being Occult, but still has freedom of movement around the Palace, hovering particularly around the Princes. While it is not stated out in the open, the general belief held by those who visit the Imperial Court, is that he acts as a liaison and the eyes and ears of the Dragon aligned. Count Leufred is also a very active detractor from anyone Magical who tries to infiltrate the court.
Mountain Duke Rodderick Howlester	Mountain Duke Rodderick Howlester remains an active member of the Imperial Court, particularly busying himself with matter of legality, and championing the Empire's moves away from a chaotic feudal everything-goes society to one administered by rule of law. The Mountain Duke has generally also been seen as a voice of Peer choice, arguing against State mandated changes being forced on the Nobles, and trying to give them as much leeway as possible to ignore decrees from the central authority of the Empire. As such, the Mountain Duke is diametrically opposed to Typhonus and Ravenstad at Court, remaining a voice for decentralism versus their centralist views. He frequently mingles with Cadieux du Lierre's company, and the Emperor's sons.
Arch-Consul Louis de Basteville	Arch-Consul Louis de Basteville remains an active member of the Imperial Court, particularly busying himself with foreign diplomacy, and acting as an Imperial liaison to advise others on how to approach foreign states and foreign rulers, particularly Ithania. The Arch-Consul is generally also seen as a Pro-Crown division member, who does believe in absolute Monarchy, but would see the Empire split up into different Imperial Mandates led by different Kades. Louis de Basteville does not spend particularly much time with anyone else at court, and seems to dislike practically everyone else. Louis however spends a lot of time with Prince Cedromar in private, especially when Cordenia brings Antonius around.
Lord Protector Dietrich von Drachenburg	Lord Protector Dietrich von Drachenburg remains an active member of the Imperial Court, particularly busying himself with the occupation of Master of the Keep, which is a kind of secretary to the Emperor who acts as the most reliable way to contact him directly without navigating the maze of intrigue at court. The Master of the Keep is also responsible for guiding the Ministers to their relevant authority and occupational expectations, and executing direct decrees from the Emperor without the intervention of the bureaucracy. Lord Protector Dietrich von Drachenburg is often seen with Parzival Ravenstad, and Ulrich Typhonus, as the "Troika of Imperialism", the three old guard who support the Emperor's absolute control (even if it is yet to materialize).