The High King or High Queen of Tadrium is the hereditary sovereign of Tadrium. The crown has remained in the Tadri dynasty since the kingdom was established in the late 25th century of the Shattered Era, when the family’s ancestors displaced the elven rulers who had previously controlled much of the region. Tadrian succession normally follows primogeniture, with the eldest eligible child of the reigning monarch inheriting the crown.
Bjarne Tadri held the crown in 8753 SE. The current vault does not establish who occupies the throne in 8813 SE, so Bjarne should be treated as the monarch documented for that historical period rather than automatically as the present ruler.
The monarch directs royal government, administers royal lands, appoints major officials, conducts diplomacy, commands the kingdom’s permanent royal forces, and serves as the central source of authority through which many noble and civic offices are recognized. The crown appoints the Lord Mayor of Elgaard and has considerable freedom in ordinary administration, especially where policy can be carried out through royal revenues and officials without imposing new obligations upon the great houses.
Royal power is balanced by the Lord’s Council of Tadrium. The Council’s consent is required for extraordinary taxation, major offensive wars, and changes to the customary obligations of the nobility. It also possesses the exceptional authority to depose a monarch who has become incapable of ruling and to recognize another eligible member of the Tadri dynasty. This power does not convert Tadrium into an elective monarchy: succession remains hereditary unless extraordinary circumstances force the Council to intervene.
The crown also plays a central role in the hereditary land system. Noble titles normally descend through the recognized heirs of the house that holds them, but when a house becomes extinct and leaves no lawful heir, its title and attached lands revert to the crown. The monarch can then retain or regrant them. This makes royal favor especially important whenever a great inheritance approaches extinction and has made questions of marriage, legitimacy, and succession recurring sources of political intrigue.