Seneschal
I stand beside the one who wears the Crown, and help them bear its weight
A Seneschal is the power behind the throne of one of The Great Houses. They are technically the second-in-command in the strangely feudal Great House structure, holding the equivalent rank and power of a Dux or Prinx, possibly even a Monarch, if one assumes the most powerful Houses are the equivalent of empires, and a House Leader is the equivalent of an Emperor. Some Houses even regard their Seneschals as co-rulers.
The Seneschal of a House answers only to the House Leader, and is appointed to support them. However, this position is not one assumed to be in the Succession. If something happens to the House Leader that causes them to be unable to fulfill their duties on a permanent basis (death, abdication, or removal) it is the House Heir who takes the Crown, and not the Seneschal. If the Seneschal is required to assume rulership of a House until the Heir is ready or an Heir is found, they are then considered to be a Regent. In addition, if an Heir or Regent is required to assume control of a House in a crisis, the Seneschal supports them.
Qualifications
Ideally, a Seneschal should be wise and knowledgeable enough to serve the House Leader in an advisory capacity, and respected among the Tome Knights. This means they usually have combat experience against The Undead Horde or other supernatural threats.
Requirements
A Seneschal must be a Literomancer. Unlike with many other House Leadership roles, they are not usually required to have anything to do with the House's Totem animal, however — and often do not.
Appointment
By tradition, appointment to Seneschal is solely at the discretion of the House Leader. They may literally be selected from anyone with Literomantic abilities. However, the other members of The Council of the Great Houses must also approve this choice, since they will be working closely with the other House Leaders.
Other Houses may have additional rules. For instance, the Aster Prime, "Seneschal" of House Mollusca, is the leader of an arcane order that advises the Anassa (Monarch) or Cosmic Kraken by ancient tradition. On the other hand, the current Seneschal of House Ailurus, HappyHappySad, ended up with the job because they and the Archon were the least effective at arguing themselves out of the position.
There is usually an Investiture ceremony associated with the appointment, but not always.
Duties
The primary supporter of any House Leader is their Seneschal. Often, they're "the person who knows what's going on" or "the person that gets sh*t done," the power behind the throne. They serve as an additional connection point between the House Leader and their people and their needs. They should be an embodiment of duty to the Crown, and the way they serve is an example to their people. They are expected to act in ways that are often more circumspect than that of the House Leader themself, since they are known to act with the House Leader's authority and voice, and therefore, should never bring them dishonour.
Responsibilities
The Seneschal is the right hand of the House Leader. In many cases, they are empowered to act in the House Leader's place, such as executing diplomatic efforts, commanding their armed forces, or signing official documents, something like a Governor-General. Effectively, they are empowered to make any decision the House Leader has the power to make, assuming the House Leader does not gainsay them.
It should be noted that some House Leaders have taken advantage of this arrangement to invoke the principle of plausible deniability.
Benefits
As the hand and voice of a House Leader, a Seneschal holds considerable power, and often the access to wealth and privilege that goes with it. They also have the absolute confidence, and ear, of the House Leader. They are almost always assigned Bodyguards for their personal protection.
Accoutrements & Equipment
Some Seneschals have official regalia associated with their role, but not all of them do. Some examples include the Aster Prime's magical trident, and the mantle and star ruby pendant of the Rabbit's Paw.
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
A Seneschal may technically be dismissed at a House Leader's whim — but not at the whim of a House Heir or Regent. In practice, this is not known to have happened in recent history, since House Leaders are very careful with whom they would trust in this role. Further, removing a Seneschal without cause would create no end of political headaches for the House Leader who did it, in light of modern sensibilities about potential tyrants.
WIP
Streamer
Missing
Status: Location Unknown
Deceased
Status: Deceased Character
Retired
Status: Retired Character or Article
Type
Royalty, Military
Status
Active
Form of Address
Usually "Your Royal Highness" or "Your Highness" first, "Sir," or "Ma'am" thereafter. His, Her, or Their Royal Highness (HRH/TRH) when addressed indirectly.
Alternative Naming
Prinx, Prince, or Princess; Vizier; Panda Polemarch (Ailurus), The Rabbit's Paw (Lapin), Aster Prime (Mollusca), Prinx, Prince, or Princess Badger (Meles)
Equates to
Aster Prime, The Rabbit's Paw.
Source of Authority
House Leader and the people of a Protectorate
Length of Term
Until death, abdication, or removal
First Holder
Current Holders
Reports directly to
Related Locations
Related Organizations
Related Professions
The Bunny Queen & the Rabbit's Paw, Erin Righ by Sable Aradia (HeroForge)
Royal Monogram of Queen Sable and Erin Righ by Sable Aradia
Princess Badger Shyredfox by SRF + HeroForge
Happyhappysad in their everyday Comedy Theater Mask by HeroForge
Royal Monogram of Prinx Tempest by Sable Aradia
by Shyredfox + HeroForge
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