Role of the Imperial Monarch

The Empire is an absolute monarchy. It is ruled by an Emperor or an Empress from the Khan dynasty. Officially the title of the Emperor or Empress is a lifelong commitment, but most of the monarchs choose to step away from the power, leaving the rule over to their chosen Prince- or Princess-Consort. The Consort is one of the Monarchs children that is chosen as most suited to be in power over the Empire.

The Cult of Personality

The Imperial Monarch is seen as an infallible, incorruptible being that is equal to a divinity in its power. Although religions are banned in the Empire, the cult of the Imperial Dynasty is the most common religious practice amongst the common people. It manifests in day to day practices like loudly thanking the Emperor or Empress before each meal, or widely celebrating Monarch-related dates, like their birthday or the anniversary of their sacred union.

Succession

Unrelated to their sexuality, each Monarch is obliged to commit to a sacred union with a suitor of the opposite sex in order to create multiple possible successors. Aside from that, the Imperial monarch is allowed to have multiple concubines of any gender to satisfy their true needs. Historically, multiple Emperors and Empresses of the Khan dynasty have spent their lives in deep relationships with their concubines while seeing their formal partner only during official ceremonies and celebrations. This practice is kept secret from the general public, but is completely accepted by the court.

Each Imperial Monarch is obliged to have multiple biological children. More than three is a rule and no adoptions are allowed. The reason for this is to preserve the genetic line of the Khan dynasty. There is an existing practice though that the identity of Monarchs children is kept in complete secrecy until one of them is being chosen for the throne. Rumors suggest that until that moment, Princes and Princesses are given away at a young age to the trusted families or institutions to be raised as common citizens on Capitol. The Imperial Monarch is observing their lives carefully and choosing the Consort based on their manifested ability and life merit.

List of the Imperial Monarchs

1. Unmesh Khan – The First Monarch

– Born: 671

– Coronated: 715

– Died: 729

The Conqueror of Limmea. Bane of the Oligarchs. Lover of the Ocean. Unmesh Khan rose to become the first planetary ruler solely by his wit, merit, and willpower. The price for it was the love of his friend and lover, Alexander Denj. Allegedly Unmesh Khan died after being poisoned by his power-hungry wife, Anissa on the fourteenth year of his rule.

2. Surendra Khan I – The Eternal Son

– Born: 716

– Coronated: 729

– Died: 734

Surendra the First was the oldest son of Unmesh Khan and Anissa. By the early age of thirteen, he became the planetary ruler after his father’s unfortunate demise. During five years of his rule, Surendra was merely a puppet of his mother Anissa who assumed role of the Honored Queen Regent of Limmea. Allegedly Surendra Khan died of suicide caused by the inherent stress of his position.

3. Rajiv Khan – The Warrior

– Born: 720

– Coronated: 734

– Abdicated: 780

– Died: 793

Rajiv was the youngest son of Unmesh Khan and Anissa. Disowned by his mother and raised by a Hand of a Monarch named Alec, since the youngest age Rajiv was trained in the military arts. By the age of fourteen, he led a military coup after the suicide of his ruling brother Surendra the First. Rajiv’s loyalist troops have killed both his older sisters and apprehended the Honored Queen Regent Anissa to be trialed for a treason.

Allegedly, Rajiv executed Anissa by his own hand to avenge the death of his father, Unmesh Khan. Rajiv the Warrior was first monarch to abdicate early and open the way for his daughter, Priya Khan.

4. Priya Khan – The Beloved Mother

– Born: 745

– Coronated: 780

– Abdicated: 801

– Died: 836

Priya succeeded her father’s tradition of ruling with justice, and continued using radical reforms as means for prosperity. Her focus on welfare and social development of areas of Limmea that were still struggling to recover from the Unification Wars, gave Priya a title of “The Beloved Mother” of all Limmean people.

During the twenty years of her rule, Priya have challenged Araszin tradition of slavery and regained the trust of Darfolk by relocating generational slaves back to their ancestral homes. Following her father’s principles, Priya retired early to give the throne to her only son, Farukh.

5. Farukh Khan – The Untamed

– Born: 765

– Coronated: 801

– Died: 841

Farukh was the sole son of Priya Khan. Raised under the constant supervision of an army of tutors and bodyguards, Farukh grew up as a passive hedonist and was completely unwilling to rule. When his mother abdicated to transfer her power to Farukh, he became infamous for throwing a private party after the official coronation and crowning a random homeless person to become a “ruler for one night”.

Farukh’s wild lifestyle full of polyamorous adventures have threatened stability of the Kingdom and prompted his mother Priya to come back to power and become a shadow ruler of Limmea in her son’s absence. As an enjoyer of parties and strong men, Farukh refused to marry and produce a heir until he was in his forties. Allegedly Farukh The Untamed died of a heart attack in his bed with a young Araszin soldier.

6. Rajiv Khan II – The Lost One

– Born: 809

– Coronated: 841

– Died: 842

Rajiv II was the late son of Farukh Khan and the sole heir to the Limmean throne. By the age of three, Rajiv Khan II was taken from his mother and raised by his grandmother, Priya. Historians speculate that she undertook this endeavor out of guilt for failing to raise her own son Farukh to become an appropriate ruler of Limmea.

By the age of fifteen, Rajiv II was seduced by a royal concubine and gifted with a son, Anant. He wanted to marry her, but was denied by grandmother Priya – she planned to turn Rajiv into an antipode of his negligent father and saw such union with a courtesan as a reputational risk for the young Rajiv II.

Rajiv Khan II was coronated a day after his estranged father’s death, but he did not rule for long. Allegedly he died of suicide after a year on the throne.

7. Anant Khan – The Terrible

– Born: 825

– Coronated: 842

– Died: 902

Anant was a son of a concubine and Rajiv Khan II. While his young father spent all his time on being tutored by his grandmother Priya, Anant was raised by his mother and few selected Hands of the Monarch. Since his young age Anant Khan was induced with paranoia by his anxious and power hungry mother. She herself was living in fear to be thrown out the Royal Palace after multiple conflicts with the old Priya Khan.

On the day of his coronation, Anant Khan have survived an assassination attempt that took life of his mother. As retaliation to hidden conspirators, Anant have invoked a perpetual martial law over the Capitol and commanded his troops to invade Araszi and Dar. Despite already being loyal subjects of the Kingdom, both regions have answered to the unprovoked aggression with armed insurgency. A slowly glowing civil war have erupted over . It will be completely ended only by the efforts of Priscilla Khan years after Anant’s death.

After sixty years of his bloody rule, Anant The Terrible was allegedly assassinated by one of his personal bodyguards.

8. Karim Khan – The Rising Sun

– Born: 846

– Coronated: 902

– Abdicated: 907

– Died: 935

Son of a tyrant, raised in a monastery on Dar. Karim became a driver of the largest reforms that brought Limmea back to the light after his father’s rule. Continued the tradition of his Great-Great-Grandmother Priya and left the throne early to his daughter after dismantling the oppressive system built by Anant the Terrible.

9. Priscilla Khan – The Wise

– Born: 877

– Coronated: 907

– Abdicated: 945

– Died: 949

Stabilized the planet after her father’s liberal reforms. All of her children were assassinated by rogue operatives from the secret service. Consequently, she had to conceive a new heir pretty late in her life, with one of her Hands as a father. Left the throne to her son when she deemed that he was ready.

10. Alexander Khan – The First Emperor

– Born: 922

– Coronated: 945

– Abdicated: 1003

– Died: 1005

The first Monarch to face Kingdoms interstellar expansion. Reckless reformer and adventurer. Based on his mother’s experiences, he created a tradition of secret adoptions. Also, he re-organized Hands of the Monarch into the Imperial hand. Was eager to leave the throne to his son while dying of cancer.

11. Rahul Khan – The Calm

– Born: 950

– Coronated: 1003

– Died: 1023

The most calm and unremarkable of all Monarchs from the Khan dynasty. Allegedly died of a stroke, in his sleep.

12. Surendra Khan II – The Wild Pride

– Born: 972

– Coronated: 1023

– Died: 1039

Self-proclaimed Master of the Known Universe. A man of immense ego larger than the interstellar Empire of Limmea itself. Proud warmonger with no idea about military strategy. He began the Mirror Wars and died together with his family during a retaliatory attack on Limmea by Adversarial forces.

13. Igor Khan – The Last Hope

– Born: 1010

– Coronated: 1039

Originally, Igor Singh, a fearless lieutenant of the Imperial Colonial Navy. Secret heir to the throne. He led the suicide mission to capture the Overlord-class cruiser, the Avenging Might. During the coup that followed the demise of the Royal Family, Igor Khan hunted down and killed usurpers that tried to take over the throne. Loved by the Imperial people during the wartime, Igor is a brilliant strategist and a loving father to his people.

14. Alec Khan – The Martyr

– Born: 1048

– Died: 1061

Since the day of his birth, Alec Khan was regarded as the Prime Heir to the Imperial throne. Unfortunately, his days were cut short as he perished together with his mother Sofia Khan during the Shipbuilder Uprising on Zirkon. May the bright memory of Alec Khan unite the Empire through the turmoil of war and internal struggle.

15. Khadijah Khan – The Future

– Born: 1051

Prime Heiress and the only daughter of Igor Khan, the current Imperial Monarch.

Sources:

Classified Accounts of the Khan Dynasty, Imperial Informatorium