Overview

This Imperial title was created by the Imperial Senate during the Autumn Equinox 381YE to oversee the function of the granaries and storehouses in Mitwold, Upwold,and Bregasland that make up the Imperial Breadbasket. Prior to the creation of this title, decisions about the Breadbasket were made by the Marcher senators - now such decisions would be made by the Keeper instead.

Responsibilities

The Keeper is responsible for.the great work known as the Imperial Breadbasket. The breadbasket on the whole requires little effort to maintain, being largely run by the civil service. If the structures that make it up were to be threatened in any way, however, it would be the responsibility of the Keeper to deal with those threats. Likewise, if any particular opportunity were to arise related to the Breadbasket, the Keeper would expect to be consulted as to how that opportunity might be resolved.

Powers

Right of Address

The Keeper of the Breadbasket has the right to make a Senate address once per summit. This is intended to allow them to present important information for the senators consideration. To make an address, the Keeper must inform the Speaker for the Senate of their intention, so that the Speaker can add the address to the agenda for the next Senate session.

When the title was created, an attempt was made to require that the address be used whenever the Keeper sought to exercise their power to determine how the benefits of the Imperial Breadbasket may be applied, but this was deemed unconstitutional. It is not possible for the Senate to dictate how a power such as the right of address can be used.

Distribution of Imperial Bounty

The Keeper has the ability to determine how the bounty of the Imperial Breadbasket may be used. Usually this will relate to the ability of the breadbasket to maintain a nation's armies that are in danger of disbanding due to a lack of support from the nation.

To use this power, the Keeper provides an announcement to the Civil Service, who present the decision to the Imperial Senate. No voting is possible by the Senate at this point, as the power has been delegated to the Keeper of the Breadbasket. The Imperial Synod may, however, choose to exercise their veto over the Keeper's decision.

Appointment

This title is appointed during the Winter Solstice by unanimous decision of the senators of the Marches. If a unanimous decision cannot be reached, the title may be appointed by the Imperial Senate instead.

The title can be held by a citizen of the Marches. The Keeper can be revoked by the General Assembly, the Marcher National Assembly, and by the Assembly of the Nine.

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.

SummitElected
Spring Equinox 385YEThaddeus
Winter Solstice 383YELily Guildenstern
Winter Solstice 382YELily Guildenstern
Winter Solstice 381YERowan Merrick

Recent Elections

This title is currently held by Thaddeus; it will be reelected at the next summit. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.