Arana'Aethi

Arana is a hereditary position. However, if the reigning Arana dies without an heir or is deposed by the government, it triggers a complex election process. First, the Assembly of the Spear nominates an interim steward from amongst their number via a ranked-choice voting system. Then, a special council of Electors is convened, containing a mixture of military leaders, aristocrats, and elected officers. These in turn vote for a new Emperor via ranked choice, from a number of candidates put forward by the territorial governments. Then winner of this vote becomes the new Emperor, with their family instated as a royal house with an Isaani-style designation¹.

The Emperor is the chief individual responsible for the execution of the laws of the Imperium, and the throne is also designated as the highest military office. The Arana is also at liberty to issue decrees regarding almost any issues not yet settled by law, until such time as the issue is addressed by the relevant Chamber of the Hall. The only exceptions are that the Emperor may not promote or initiate wars of aggression, violate the personal privacy of an Imperial citizen, nor suspend extant laws outside of a state of emergency. Additionally, neither an Emperor's decree nor an act of the Hall may "be formulated such as to target and seize the lawful physical property of any individual citizen(s), except for to substantially preserve or improve the general welfare of the Imperium". This limitation does not cover intellectual property, however.   Finally, the Emperor functions as head of the Imperial state, representing the entirety of the Arenu'Aethi in a ceremonial capacity and as a sort of chief diplomat in dealings with other stellar polities.

Aethi Emperors are typically outfitted with an array of cybernetic augments which boost their physical resilience against physical or energy weapons fire, and other enhancements to increase the span of time after an injury wherein medical intervention can prevent death. Originally, some Emperors opted to be fitted with mental augments, however an amendment to the Charter forbids any government official, including the Emperor, from utilizing any cybernetics which modify or enhance brain function, except to interface with external machines or to cure officially-recognized diseases and disorders.