Suzerain of Rathrali (Soo-Zer-Rain-off-Wrath-RaaLee)

The Suzerain of Rathrali, normally known as simply The Suzerain, is the preeminent ruling figure in the collection of kingdoms, empires and other polities known as the Rathrali Dominion. The Suzerain is also the over-arching head of the noble House of Rathrali, and is the head of state in all of the Dominion's member nations, as well as being the formal ruler of the state known as the Rathrali Dominion, located in South-to-Central Chotas. The title's current holder is Aldarain Daileus Rathrali.   The more important part of the Suzerain title is it's position at the head of the House of Rathrali. Considering the amount of power, influence, money, magic and prestige that the house wields just based on the contributions of it's members, the Suzerain gains access to a veritable treasure trove of many varied benefits. It is family law that no one can refuse a direct request from the Suzerain, and it is through this that the Suzerain is able to control such a vast amount of territory and command such influence. The tangible trade-off for family members having to do everything in their power for the benefit of the sitting Suzerain is near-complete freedom to live and rule however the member wants. Some Suzerains have tried to get rid of this system and consolidate power, but historically this hasn't succeeded.   A Suzerain serves a life term, but unlike other monarchic systems, there is no line of succession. Instead, the title of Suzerain is elected by members of the House of Rathrali. Only "pure" Rathrali (those family members who were born into the house and, by extension, descended from Madame Optimae Rath) can stand as candidates and vote on the next Suzerain- adopted family members, which there are a lot of, are only allowed to stand and vote in extraordinary circumstances. Any Pure Rathrali can put their name forward for the ballot, but usually only two or three candidates emerge as the main competitors. The widow of the previous Suzerain is not permitted to stand as a candidate- they instead preside over the election. Once a new Suzerain is chosen by a simple majority, that chosen candidate assumes the role immediately.   However, the sitting Suzerain can sidestep this process and unofficially appoint an heir through the office of Lord Mayor of Rathral. This position, the administrator of the first and original city of the Rathrali Family and where it was founded, is second only to the Suzerain for prestige, and serves as an indication of the Suzerain's preferred heir. This usually leads to the Lord Mayor getting the most votes, as the members of the Rathrali Family respect their Suzerain's wishes.