By Official Decree of His Eminence
When the position of Chancellor was bestowed on me approximately five months ago, this was set to the mandate of solving the immediate crisis the Empire had plunged into. Looking back on the appointment vote, the Assembly and Emperor passed a clear mandate for the Chancellor to succeed where predecessors had failed, or even to sweep out the old and bring in the new for the good of the Empire with tragedy on its doorstep. My mandate as Chancellor was to save the state from imminent bankruptcy and collapse, with many sectors of the Empire in open revolt, and refusing their Spirit-given duty to the people and the Crown and His representative body of government.
Throughout my tenure I have learned the meaning of the words 'ruling for the sake of ruling', and how these words might have reflected back on Chancellors appointed in crisis-free and danger-free peaceful times, versus 'ruling for duty and mandate'. I have learned how the Chancellor is a great office of power and respect, but how equally others might reduce it to a personal enrichment vessel for personal gain. Before the appointment, I was encouraged by others and my own ambitions to become the one to fix that which had been broken, but I was also afforded ample warning, that my rule should not be reflected upon in hindsight as one of self-enrichment, but rather as one of honor and dignity.
It is during this tenure that I believed myself to be among the few who had endured the hardships and stresses of being the ruler of this great Empire, the likes of Constanze du Briërust and Countess-Electress Amelina Peirgarten, who many might have opinions on, but I would like to look favorably upon. The matter remains that they, like I, are now a member of a select group who knows the difference between ruling, reigning and coordinating and commanding, and I would like to believe that brings about a level of kinship of a kind that I will look back on fondly. It is said that the first connection that people make is shared hardship, and I believe that we have all felt this at one point or another, and it creates an understanding that is unique to our positions and ex-positions.
It is throughout this tenure that I also learned that ruling and commanding, as opposed to reigning and coordinating, are not the preferred method of rulership. While many might reflect on my achievements as my own to claim, I would rather propose that an effective ruler is able to recognize the traits and specialties of those around them and utilize them for the greater good of the whole. I approached my mandate with the intent to experience and teach, that the Chancellor's position is not only carried by the person who wields the scepter of power, but also by the people they are surrounded with, working towards a common goal.
It is there that I have to proclaim that while I look back on my achievements with pride in success and effectiveness, that I have to recognize that I could not have succeeded my mandate without the people that I gathered around me, and the people that rose to the occasion when challenged to make the Empire a safer, better and stronger place. Beyond my kinship that I now share with Countess-Electress Amelina Peirgarten and Constanze bu Briërust regarding the rare occupation of sole-ruler-representative of the Emperor's authority in the Empire, there are others also to remark upon.
Master of Letters Klaus Typhonus was swift, dignified, and effective in his assistance to reign in the rebellious Hinter-Calemberg provinces, and House Typhonus as a whole bore the brunt of the damage of the Drixagh Rebellion, all for the good of the unison of the Empire. Baron Reimar and Master of Letters Klaus Typhonus also served on the Advisory Council, aiding in privy decisions, and playing a role in sharing the burden at the very top, always continuing the belief that those Alt or New Regalians are the first and foremost servants of the Crown.
House Black, always to be relied upon to be the most generous of allies who is willing to even diminish their own position and standing to aid those in need, was instrumental once more with their fleet to reign in the rebellious northern states, and to secure the Sendrassian border while other nobles were too occupied with personal gain. While the Empire internally was destabilizing, the charitable Grand-Duchess-Electress Dianne Black did not only do her duty to the Empire and refused to become a rebel, but actively assisted in bringing others back to the fold and then turned down her own opportunities of self-enrichment by assisting Qar-Digmaan Yaotl in Hadar to prevent any potential incursion by the Sendrassian enemy, she was the only one with the foresight to remember we also had enemies abroad.
House von Drachenburg should equally be commended for having been instrumental in foiling a coup that could have benefitted them, Duke-Elector Dietrich von Drachenburg in particular showcasing the true meaning of that Alt-Regalian honorability, dignity, and incorruptibility that many strive for, but never truly achieve. His acts to bring Kintyr back in line, skillfully using his military stature, as well as his role in maneuvering around the Drixagh war were instrumental and showcased the true value of the military men of the Empire.
Baroness Kaya Sorenvik is perhaps one of the most faithful government members, serving under numerous Chancellors to continue the good work with the Commoner Assembly, and providing a crucial link between the higher aristocracy and the lower peoples. Without her diligent work among the commoners, ensuring that our policies were always fact-checked against the lives of the people who would suffer the consequences, our government might never have been as successful as it was, helping with constant exposure to reality-checks.
Sol-Electress Vivana Avalorn showcased an unusual cunning when dealing with the fleets of the Drixagh Rebellion, while also playing an absolutely crucial role in maintaining a link of communication with the Altalar Princes in Hyarroc and Teled Methen. Without her insistence on their inclusion to the Empire, and massive amounts of her personal wealth she sunk into that project, our war to conquer the Princedoms and subsequent defense of their lands from the Kathar would have been for naught.
The Honorable Grand Commander William Howlester was one of the first to jump to my aid, to dispense his measured and respectable input and advice, seasoned with the history and experience of both a veteran soldier and politician. With his acts, House Howlester once more showcased that it is always ready to serve the Empire's needs and that one can always rely on the Violet Order to shield from upcoming threat, the value of experience and venerability.
Jared Kade was the most active member of the Advisory Cabinet, and also one of only two members to remain in the City Council afterward. He truly is the showcase of what it means to have boundless energy and ambition to provide the people around him with what is needed to succeed because his ambitions reach beyond that of self-betterment, and into the betterment of everyone as a whole, an agent of life itself.
And finally, further compliments ought to be made to Gwyneth Zylmoira, the Kade Court Mage, as well as the Arcanum City Guard, Iron Watch City Guard, and particularly the Old Guard City Guard, for their instrumental roles in suppressing rebellions among the Isldar, rooting out criminals and agents of chaos and destruction, as well as corruption in the ranks of the government and fellow Guard Chapters equally.
As is illustrated, a ruler is only as effective as the people around them, the people they can inspire and lead to become better as they are. While It may hurt my pride to acknowledge this, I could never have succeeded without the due diligence, dedication, energy, and willfulness of the people highlighted above. It is in reflection as such, that I have to conclude, that my own mandate for this appointment has been fulfilled. My original appointment was made for the sake of the collapsing finances and the state in government ruin. Neglect and passivity had led to a complete breakdown of government effectiveness and respectability, and I was charged to restore this.
With the help of these key actors, we reigned in the rebellious north, the rebellious south, brokered deals with the lords and ladies who refused to pay their due taxes and rebounded the deficit of the state from 1 million Regals to 500,000, with a positive income sheet. Under my direction, we re-unified the Empire as whole as it was, and even reigned in the states outside of the Archipelago which had seen their opportunity to attempt to break free and declare rebellion also.
Then, when my mandate was effectively done, I was voted in by the Assembly, a completely unprecedented unanimous vote to reaffirm my rule as Chancellor in front of his Imperial Holiness, to which I am very grateful for, to all of the peerage. The following Clicker Crisis was my second mandate, and through the work of the Chapters and the government's coordination, as well as some unusual occult actors, we succeeded in braving that storm also, and we defeated the ruinous forces together during my second mandate.
Knowing all this, I have come to the conclusion that the best time to step down is now. I look back on the respectable Chancellors like Moriarty Kade and Rodderick Howlester, as well as the Emperor when he abdicated in the face of decreased support for his rule. It is dignified of a ruler to know when to continue ruling, and when their mandate has effectively ended, and it is dignified also not to slip into tyranny and hold onto a government position that no longer serves a personal purpose other than self-enrichment. I have weathered the Empire through civil war, near bankruptcy, and chaos inducing demon-crisis, and when all of this was done, politics returned to normal, and the Chancellor became more of an obstacle than a unifying force. I have faced more crises than many Chancellors in living memory since Moriarty Kade, and conquered them all, with the aid of my allies and personal supporters.
I reflect back and feel satisfied with my work as Chancellor. I am proud of my achievements and proud to have been a part of an effective group of elite individuals that worked tirelessly to rid the Empire of unwanted evil and bring it back to glory, to stave off another pessimism, and to show to everyone that there are still many hearts and souls willing to fight for what we and our Empire stand for. My resignation as Chancellor as such does not come with an ounce of bitterness or regret, but rather with fulfillment and words of praise to those who were invaluable to my work. I am relieved that I can say the position of Chancellor and its stresses have not changed me as a person, that which I was warned for before I began, and I can look back on this chapter of my life as one that has enriched it, and the lives of many others.
I look forward to the future of my replacement, but also must heed the Assembly to urge a mandate for my replacement, and to keep a strong finger on the pulse of the Empire. We are all equally responsible for the correct and honorable ruling of the future Chancellors, and as the Grand Justicar Sovereign Prince Rodderick Howlester proclaimed in the most recent trial cases, the Assembly acts as a check to the Chancellor. We have weathered a storm of crises that nobody wished to be in, but now that we have peace and a better future ahead of us, my parting words of wisdom are to not let up on that vigil and to be watchful, for those who would rule for the sake of ruling and self-gratification.
The position of Chancellor is a privilege and a duty. We rule for duty and mandate. Not for the sake of ruling.
Signed by,
His Eminence
Prince of Pays-Sud
Grand Duke Elector of Basta-Irvelle
Louis Delmotte
His Eminence
Prince of Pays-Sud
Grand Duke Elector of Basta-Irvelle
Louis Delmotte
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