Curse of the Crimson Throne
Monarchy
Overview
The Korvosan monarchy is a relatively recent innovation in the city government, less than a century old, the result of the city’s desire for status and stability after its abandonment by Cheliax. As a result, the monarchy’s powers are significantly constrained by both tradition and Charter Amendment when compared with rulers of other kingdoms.
- By Charter Amendment, the monarch of Korvosa is at all times subordinate to the ruler of Cheliax—not that the Imperial Court at Egorian knows or cares.
- The monarch may issue decrees from the Crimson Throne with the force of law, although the city’s arbiters can counter any edict that violates the City Charter or Chelaxian law.
- The monarch can issue direct commands to the Field Marshal of the Korvosan Guard and can appoint a new Field Marshal—but only with the assent of the Archbanker of Abadar. The monarch’s orders to the Field Marshal can be contradicted a unanimous vote of the Peerage Review of the Five Great Houses.
- By convention, the Commandant of Sable Company offers the group’s loyalty to the rightful monarch when they assume the throne, but the Commandant reports to the Seneschal of Castle Korvosa, not the monarch.
- In times of need, the monarch may call on the Lictor of the Order of the Nail to send Hellknights to protect the city—so long as the city has gold to pay for the privilege.
- The monarch can offer clemency (but not pardons) to convicted criminals.
- The monarch can be imprisoned within Castle Korvosa by order of the Seneschal, or even evicted from it entirely by a unanimous vote of the Peerage Review and the Seneschal.
Monarchs of Korvosa
To date, Korvosa has had six monarchs, all but one of them from the Arabasti dynasty. Every monarch, save the current Queen, has not died of natural causes nor produced an heir while reigning—all victims of the Curse of the Crimson Throne.
The monarchs of Korvosa, listed chronologically from the date they assumed the throne:
AR 4644 | Eodred I Arabasti |
AR 4657 | Cardraith Arabasti |
AR 4661 | Chadris Porphyria |
AR 4667 | Domina Arabasti |
AR 4686 | Eodred II Arabasti |
AR 4708 | Ileosa Arabasti |
AR 4708 | Aquilos Nox & Cressida Kroft |