| History Hundreds of years ago, a great warrior chief rose from amongst the warring clans of the ancient Kingdom of Varangia. Through feats of arms, he conquered the warring clans, eventually uniting the proto-states of the island of Galicia into a single kingdom. He became known as Riurik the Great, the first king of Varangia. Riurik's sons ruled as future kings of Varangia. Both good and bad, the line soon ended when the conflict of two claimants to the throne engulfed the kingdom in civil war. At the conclusion of the war, the power of the monarch was much diminished. His vassals, the various dukes and archdukes, had turned against the monarchy to stop the bloodshed between the rival dynasties. Toghether with the merchants and clergy, a group of nobles (the so called "enlightened nobles") brought peace and democracy to Varangia. In deference to the tradition of monarchy, the legislature created a constitutional monarch, the Retainer, who would rule the successor state to the Kingdom of Varangia, the Commonwealth of Galicia-Volhynia. As Varangian influence grew, so did the number of states that sought vassalage as a way of bringing economic stability to their nations. Blackbears, Florenzia, and the Steppe voluntarily associated themselves with Galicia-Volhynia. As an empire in everything but name, Lord Retainer Hansel Halych gained permission from the Board of Electors to rename himself Tsar, an ancient Varangian religious term for King. With the title for King reinstituted, so were the ancient protocols that elevated the monarch above all others in the kingdom. Since the unification of Varangia, there have only been four dynasties: the Silnyrukjis, the Halychs, the Orlovs, and currently, the Federovs. In Current Context Today, the Varangian Monarch plays a critical ceremonial role as the Chief Executive of the Empire. The monarch is a living representation of the Empire. He or she represents the glory, mercy, strength, and resolve of the billions of citizens that live in the Empire. A sitting monarch also serves as a bridge to the storied history of the Empire and reflects its royal and imperial heritage. A Tsar/ina is supported by the Sovereign Group. The Sovereign Group is a brokerage that manages the many land, commercial, residential, and financial holdings of the Office of the Tsar. The funds distributed by the Sovereign Group ensure that the Tsar/ina is able to live in a manner fitting of their station and that they can support their private army (the Azure Guard) and huge retinue of subordinates without burdening the citizenry. To accomplish the multitude of duties required of the Tsar or Tsarina, the monarch has a large retinue of officers that assist with the day to day operations of the office. They are called the "House Staff." The House Staff are lead by the Monarch's personal assistant, the Lord of the Privy Seal. The other house staff and their function are as follows: -Lord of the Privy Seal - Manages House Staff, Tsar's personal assistant -Keeper of the Golden Scroll - Manages the Geneaology of the Dynasty; Spokes peson for the Monarch -Master of the Imperial Stable - Commander in Chief of the Tsar/ina's personal armed forces (the Azure Guard) -Lord Burghermeister - The Monarch's Treasurer In Current Context Other information about the Monarchy can be found by following the links below. |
| Nobility Scale |
| Protocol Guide |
| Dynastic Gallery |
| Order of Riurik |
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| Riurik Silnyrukji "The Great" |
| Elizabeth Silnyrukji "The Pious" |
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| Victor Silnyrukji "The Valiant" |
| Stephen Silnyrukji "The Enlightened" |
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| Sebastien Halych "The Magnificent" |
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