Ruler of the Woodlands

A thorough education in administration, diplomacy, negotiation, foreign relations, different languages, the art of war and peace, learning the history of Estira, training in different forms of combat, long meditations and more must be completed before one can take on the mantle of ruler.

Usually, direct ancestry to the last ruler is required to become the Ruler of the Woodlands. The system operates on birth right. However, since Estira has had a long and complicated history and was split into multiple realms for a big part of it, heritage became a very muddled matter. Estishya also didn't leave behind an heir, and the following of a bloodline is only being strictly implemented again since the reunion of Estira and the beginning of the reign of House Talukhin.
When a ruler gets dethrone or doesn't leave behind an heir, a new ruler gets elected by the public.
There used to be a rule that prohibited anyone under the age of 300 to take the throne because they were deemed as too immature and unwise to lead a nation, but many years of conflict have made the rule obsolete.
An incredibly important requirement, however, is the compatibility with Tilestras the Earthshaker. If someone cannot wield the sword and cannot establish a connection with it, they are seen as unfit to rule because they lack willpower and don't have the founder's blessing. This rule has been implemented with the beginning of the reign of House Talukhin, since Shian Talukhin found the long lost sword, which gave him the right to rule. That is because the sword belonged to Estishya Kutseirth, the founder of Estira, and it chose Shian, which was seen as the sword giving him Estishya's blessing. Therefore, every subsequent ruler needed to prove themself in the Ceremony of the Sword to be deemed worthy of the throne.

Usually, the next ruler is born to the predecessor and the first child of that ruler becomes the successor. That is, however, not all. There is a ceremony, usually during childhood, where the sword is passed down to the oldest child of the ruling family. The Ceremony of the Sword tests the compatiblity between the sword and the heir to the throne. If the compatibility is there, then the ritual continues ad a soul bond is forged between the sword and the heir. If there is no capability, the ritual ends there and rulership is denied to that child.
When the succesor ascends the throne, there is another ceremony with a ritual where the crown gets passed down from one ruler to the next and where the soul bond between sword and heir is reinforced and officially sealed. Before that the bond is not entirely "closed" and the heir still has the possibility to step down, but once the bond is sealed there is no going back.

Administrating Estira, negotiating with other nations, keeping peace, making decisions about the nation, making and enforcing laws etc.

Political power over the Estirian Woodlands, residence in the palace, a comfortable lifestyle

Crown, Sword and the finest gowns

Estishya was crowned Queen of the Woodlands after she aquired the ability to fully bend magic to her will. She reigned until her death and was generally a beloved ruler. After her death, however, things started falling apart. She didn't leave an heir, but left her crown and sword to Sahshri, her close friend and High Priestess of Sirfeth Etzesi. From there on, Estira split into three, then seven and in the end twelve realms, before reuniting to three and then one realm again. It is believed that Tilestras was lost in the Fracturing War, during which the twelve realms emerged.
It changed the way the rulers of the different realms were determined, especially in the northern realm, where Tilestras had been passed down from ruler to ruler. This is seen as one of the major reasons why all Estirian realms were so unrestful and struggled with leadership.
Once Shian found the Sword in an ancient grave hill, the sword went back to determining the Ruler of the Woodlands.

Estishya Kutseirth, Shian Talukhin