King of Alderia

The King of Alderia is a title that is passed on by birthright through the Rickart Dynasty. The ruling monarch holds the power to designate an alternate successor, but there has not yet been a historical instance of this occurring.

There are no formal requirements for an heir to claim their rightful title of King. However, in the event of a monarch's untimely death, a regent may be appointed in accordance with the monarch's will if the rightful heir is not yet of age. This age requirement is not strictly defined, but one instance of practice saw the will of King Dumon Rickart specify that his eldest son, Cecil Rickart, must first kill a boar from horseback before he could be considered fit for the crown.

Upon the passing or abdication of the previous king, the Tinted Council is tasked with organizing a coronation ceremony on behalf of the crown prince. Ruling lords from across Alderia are called to the capital of Rickart. The arrival of the final lord signals the beginning of the Coronation Festival, which displays bounties of goods from across the nation.

On the third day of the festival, each lord kneels before the throne and swears their fealty to the crown, accompanied by the finest gift from the territory which the lord resides. Following the lord's oath, the members of the Tinted Council each place a hand upon the shoulder of the prince, declaring themselves as servants and extensions of the Rickart Dynasty.

Finally, the Lord Privy places the crown upon the prince's head, recording his name in the records as a King of Alderia.

During the height of the first Underdark War, the recently independent Elevancies of Alderia were devastated by drow raids. The drow focused their efforts on members of the nobility at the orders of the Bloody Matron, resulting in the extinction of entire Exemplar houses. The people of Alderia were disorganized and lacking in any formal leadership, until the defeat of the Bloody Matron at the hands of Toltem Rickart.

Having been the driving force in ending the war, the remaining nobility were quick to swear fealty to Toltem. Many believed him to be a descendent of Yonwin, the first Exalt of the Peninsulan Provinces. In this belief, the nobility suggested that Toltem proclaim himself as an Exalt of Alderia, an act they felt would unite the new nation and cement their legacy as a rival to that of Eliond. Toltem, however, had a different plan entirely.

Having spent his youth in the Kingdoms of Cen, Toltem denounced the system of Exceptionalism that allowed control of land to fall on noble houses. He claimed this inefficiency brought on the division that allowed the drow incursions to fester. Instead, Toltem believed only a land unified under one ruler, with a clear line of succession, was able to properly defend itself against those who would seek to harm it. Therefore, he would instead echo the Cen culture and take the title of king, protecting and ruling over all who would swear fealty to not only him, but his very lineage.

As so few of the Alderian Elevancies had strong candidates to succession, the people were amiable to Toltem's claim. The remaining Exemplar houses were perceptive to this shift of power and chose to relinquish their claims to land in the expectation that they would be appointed as lords. Before long, the future Toltem desired came to pass, and he was crowned as the first King of Alderia.

The King of Alderia has maintained power in its nation since inception. Within Alderia, there are few groups that argue against the Rickart Dynasty's claim. On other nations of the Peninsulan Provinces, however, resentment still lingers. Both Eliond and Herrisland condemn the anti-theistic culture in Alderia and cite the Rickart Dynasty as the generator of this trend.

The nation of Foline, while consistently neutral to Alderia in their foreign policy, maintains their independence from its crown as a vital part of their culture. At the time of the crown's inception, Folinian nobility feared an invasion from Alderia due to their unwillingness to swear fealty, and that fear still lingers in the current age.

The official position of the crown itself is that all lands of the Peninsulan Provinces belong to the crown by right of the lineage of Yonwin. This view is reflected historically, as there have been many instances of border disputes between Alderia and Eliond.