Merchant Boyar of the Light Market

Overview

The Merchant Boyar of the Light Market is an Imperial title created by Dima Vasilyevna Novosad, as Master of the Koboldi during the Winter Solstice 385YE. The inspiration for the Light Market was spearheaded by the Varushkan Assembly's call to action to dedicate the builders of the Deep Chamber.

Responsibilities

The Merchant Boyar has a responsibility to maintain trade with Urizen, protect and support Varushka's miners, and monitor the Night Below. They are also expected to liaise with other titles, such as the Warden of the Trees and Hills, to help build Varushkan Prosperity. If the Light Market, its workers, or those who trade there were threatened in any way, it would be the responsibility of the Merchant Boyar to deal with those threats.

Powers

Portion of Trade

The Merchant Boyar gains custodianship of a sinecure. Each season, they receive 12 ingots from grateful miners across Varushka who have benefited from the import of lightstones and other goods from the House of Illumination.

The ingots they receive vary from season to season: they receive tempest jade at the Spring Equinox, weltsilver at the Summer Solstice, orichalcum at the Autumn Equinox, and green iron at the Winter Solstice.

Wealth of the Market

The Light Market is also a great work that provides wealth to every mine in Volodmartz and Miekarova owned by a citizen of Varushka. The season they are appointed, the Merchant Boyar of the Light Market can make an announcement in the Imperial Senate to declare whether the miners of Varushka should employ the lights to seek out precious metals and jewels for trade, or to focus on uncovering deeper veins.

If they announce precious metals and jewels, then the mine owners will receive 36 extra rings each season. If they announce deeper veins, then each mine will receive two additional ingots each season.

No voting is possible by the Senate at this point, as the power has been delegated to the Merchant Boyar of the Light Market. The Synod may, however, choose to exercise their veto over the Merchant Boyar's decision.

Appointment

This title is appointed during the Autumn Equinox each year. The Merchant Boyar of the Light Market is appointed by citizens of Varushka who control mines and forests personal resources through the Tally of the Votes. The more improved a mine or forest, an individual controls, the more votes they can allocate in support of a candidate. The voting is handled by the civil servants in the Bourse.

The title will next be elected at the Winter Solstice 387YE for a shortened term of three seasons.

Only a Varushkan citizen may hold the title. They do not receive a seat on the Bourse. As a title appointed through the Bourse they cannot be revoked by the Synod.

Recent Elections

The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.

The Title in Play

The role does not provide additional information about events in the Empire, nor allow the player holding it to request special reports or downtime actions. These details are assumed to be below the abstraction layer. The title holder is encouraged to create their own stories about their activities within reasonable limits and to get involved in events appropriate to their title during the game, but they do not have any powers beyond those explicitly listed in the section on powers.

These details exist partly to provide context and character to the role - and partly to allow our writers to use the title as a plot hook. Plot that involves the position will be rare - but all the campaign positions in Empire have these details to create the potential for it to happen.