Emperor of Allech-Atreus

The Emperor of Allech-Atreus is the supreme executive leader and highest office in the Imperial government of Allech-Atreus. The title has been in existence for some 20,000 years, and with the exception of short periods of time, has always been in used as a political position.

Originally, the title was created by the Grand Duke Askar Sivarik of Bizan Tan when he became the first warlord to unify the various star regions and declared himself "Great King," which became "Emperor."

Early Use

Askar Sivarik, Grand Duke of Bizan Tan, created the First Empire, declaring himself first King (ancient Gaddam Rakhan) of the Core Worlds, then Great King [ancient Gaddam Khalrakhan), and finally declared the creation of the first interstellar Empire, naming himself Emperor (ancient Gaddam Arakhalrakhan).

Evolution of the Throne

The Sivarik Emperors, despite the common view of them as legendary god-kings, were little more than despots who held the Empire together through force of will and military brutality. They held complete power, but as their hereditary line began to retreat more and more into the luxuries of court life, a litany of strongmen, sycophants, and regional nobles usurped the power of the throne. This disintegration of the Sivarik line resulted in the death of the last Sivarik Emperor with no male or female heir. The Sivarik line was extinguished, and the throne was in flux.

The Lakarik family, the most influential noble family in the Sivarik court, engaged in a heated war of succession with the other important court families, eventually subduing their opponents and taking the throne. Under the Lakariks, the Emperor became more of a benevolent leader, setting up a strong bureacracy while retaining fiat himself. Under the Lakariks, the idea of the Emperor as an inviolate figurehead developed.

However, the Lakariks suffered the same fate as their Sivarik predecessors, delving into court life and the culture of Imperia Prime, before they were overthrown and the First Empire ended.

Throne under the Valtens

The throne was empty for a great period of time, while the former Imperial regions developed as independent political entities focused on their own advancement. The Core Worlds, and by extension Imperia Prime, were viewed as sources of legitimacy, and a sort of religious following began to develop which anticipated Taam In Phar. The dynasties of the First Empire had used the ancient polytheistic religions to maintain control, but had never claimed a divine mandate to rule.

The Kolthurnian Empire, a somewhat misleading title, was the first political entity to attempt to reconstruct the First Empire under a single Imperial figure. Gurray Keltan, King of Kolthurnia, took control of the Core Worlds and proclaimed himself Emperor. Although his dominion of the cosmos was never complete, the Kolthurnian Empire injected the view of legitimacy with a new vigour- whoever could control Imperia Prime could be the Emperor.

The Kolthurnians failed, but the Valten/Novans, the descendants of the original refugees from Valtenhayn, managed to rebuild the Kolthurnian war machine and took advantage of the weakness in the other regional powers, once again seizing Imperia Prime and installing an Emperor. However, the Valtens managed to conquer the other regional powers and established the Second Empire.

Under the Valtens, the idea of a divine mandate was advanced as a means of legitimizing Valten rule. The myriad independent shrines and temples began to put their allegiance behind the Emperor to maintain their worshippers, and slowly began to develop the ideals of the divine Emperor.