Law of Paternal Succession

The **Law of Paternal Succession** was a law of the Atlass Empire and subsequent monarchies on Kakhor and parts of Zointh which detailed the path of royal inheritance including situations in which no direct heir is available. The law built upon the Law of Zanarok, which was the precedent of passing the entire kingdom or title to the oldest son before distributing any additional minor titles to subsequent sons. Some monarchies used the law as their standard until the Colonial Era.

The law was codified by Sanelik Solanal Dofin Korytas in -1785 after his selection to Sanelik was arduous and tense, requiring a grand council and two months of debate. Its most important provision designates the most paternally elder branch as the next in line to the throne, and so on. The translation of the original law is as follows:

### The Original Law (Translation)

Hereby, in the Year of the Empire 220 [-1785] let it be known and written this law of the land, ordained by Omaross, witnessed by the Three and sealed by the Holy and True Sanelik. On the subject of inheritence of power, the throne of the Sanelik shall pass:

1. First, to the oldest male child of the ruling Sanelik, followed if he is deceased by the next oldest male child, and so on
2. If no male child remains, the oldest male child of the oldest male child of the ruling Sanelik, that is the most elder of his male grandchildren by the oldest male child, followed by the next oldest, and so on
3. If the oldest male child of the Sanelik had no male heirs, the male children of the next oldest male child of the Sanelik will inherit, in order from oldest to youngest.
4. If no direct male descendants of the ruling Sanelik live, then male descendants of the next oldest brother of the ruling Sanelik may be considered in order based on the previous provisions, followed by the next oldest brother, and so on.
5. If no brothers or descendants of brothers of the ruling Sanelik live, then any brothers and their descendants of the father of the Sanelik may inherit, in order from oldest to youngest, following the previous provisions.
6. If no brothers or descendants of brothers of the father of the ruling Sanelik live, then paternal branches of the grandfather of the Sanelik are to be considered according to the previous provisions followed by the paternal branches of the father of the grandfather of the ruling Sanelik, and so on.

Hence it shall be that no dispute of this law be brought upon the process of succession, for in the eyes of Omaross, the Three, the Sanelik, and all his host it is forever the way of inheritance.

### Examples and Crises

The first crisis which used the Law of Paternal Succession was prior to its codification, when Sanelik Matesu Dofin Korytas II died in childhood, leaving no heirs. his father Matesu Dofin Korytas I had no brothers, and all of his other sons had died in plague. As the council convened, it was chosen that the line of next-most-paternal origin would be chosen. The brother of Matesu D.K. II's grandfather had two sons, the oldest of which had three living sons, of whom the oldest was Solanal Korytas, who became Sanelik Solanal Dofin Korytas.

A later example of the law being cited was the succession of -989, in which the Sanelik Pielik Matesumak Usani III was succeeded by the second cousin of his father, resulting in the beginning of the Osnofin Dynasty under Sanelik Osnofa Izzar Kartisin.