Sun-King

Sun-King
Concept art of Avad, the reigning Sun-King
Culture	Carja Shadow Carja
Profession	Monarch

"Only the Sun's rightful heir, born of the Radiant Line that dates back to Araman the founder, is the Speaker for the Sun;
To him the Sun's desires are revealed, and from his lips its desires are acted upon by men;
He shall be known as the Sun-King, and his word shall be law."

―The Sun Faith

The Sun-King is the monarch of the Carja Sundom. The Sun-King also serves as the head of the Sun-Court, a noble class made up of Sun-Priests and some noble houses.

The Sun-King rules from the Palace of the Sun, in the Carja capital of Meridian.

Role

According to the Sun-Faith, the Sun-King is the chosen speaker for the Sun. As such, he is granted near unlimited power. The Sun-King is responsible for interpreting the word of the Sun and leading the Carja people accordingly. His responsibilities include managing the judicial, martial, spiritual, and economic aspects of the Sundom.

It is considered taboo for a Sun-King to marry someone not of the Carja tribe; Avad mentioned that if the union between him and Ersa were made public, it would have led to open revolt in the streets. Avad also mentions that he cannot have children without getting married first.

When speaking with the Sun-King, the proper title appears to be "Your Radiance".

At the current time, there have been no Sun-Queens (female monarchs for the Carja), nor are there any known women in the Radiant Line. As the Sun-Faith exclusively uses male pronouns for the Sun-King, and the Carja are patriarchal in general, it appears that historically, Sun-Kings are always expected to be men.

Succession

All Sun-Kings are members of the Radiant Line, which are descendants of the first Sun-King, Araman. The line of succession is decided by the current Sun-King, but it is usually expected that the next Sun-King will be the son the current one, and Sun-Kings may abdicate if they so desire, which Avad plans to do once Itamen comes of age.

List of Sun-Kings

The Sun-Kings, in chronological order are:

• Araman: The founder of the Carja tribe. Known for discovering the Leaves of the Old Ones, from which sun-worship and glyphs were derived.
• Amavad: Oversaw the construction of the Royal Maizelands.
• Sadahin: Expanded Carja territory, created the settlement of Brightmarket. Introduced the term "Sundom" to describe the Carja domain.
• Juwadan: Permitted trade with the other tribes, going as far as to share the glyphs with them as to allow for easier trade.
• Zavarad: Further expansion of the Sundom. Oversaw the establishment of Blazon Arch.
• Iriv: Known for his expedition into the land beyond the Daunt, from which he never returned.
• Basadid: Brother of Iriv. Deemed the lands beyond the Daunt as The Forbidden West, and ordered the construction of Sunfall.
• Khuvadin: Ordered the construction of Daytower following an unsuccessful attempt to expand further eastward. Last Sun-King to pursue the expansion of the Sundom.
• Ranan: Defended the Sundom during a Tenakth invasion, although he was left terribly disfigured for his efforts.
• Nahasis: Oversaw the establishment of the Hunters Lodge.
• Marzid (c. <3004 - c. 3010): Known for his artistic talents, and his transformation of Sunfall into a cultural and trade center. Died from illnesses caused by his own paints.
• Hivas (c. 3010 - c. 3017): Began the re-militarization of the Carja tribe, a stark contrast to his predecessor.
• Jiran (c. 3017 - 3038): Infamous for the Red Raids: a ten-year conflict which saw the neighboring tribes raided for human sacrifices. Killed by his son Avad, causing the Carja Civil War. Nicknamed "The Mad Sun-King" by many.
• Avad (3038 - present): Overthrew his father to end the Red Raids, causing the Carja Civil War. Oversaw the creation of the Vanguard, banned slavery, and ended tribal & gender discrimination in the Hunters Lodge.

Sun-Kings of the Shadow Carja

• Itamen (3038-3040): Jiran's chosen heir to the throne. However, largely due to his age, Itamen was little more than a figurehead for Helis, Jiran's champion, and High Priest Bahavas. Defected to the Sun Carja with his mother Nasadi, with the help of Aloy and Vanasha.