Serene Doge

The **Serene Doge** is the ruler of the Serene Duchy of Aeldrum.

## Powers

### Pre-Coalition War

Historically, the Serene Doge held the sole power to introduce most foreign policy legislation, and could act unilaterally with respect to tariffs and all diplomatic policy except for military action. To commit military or police acts, the Doge had to receive a majority vote of support from the Serene Parliament and a two-thirds majority of the "Spire votes". Military or police action was also the only foreign policy act that the Parliament could commit unilaterally (i.e. without the Serene Doge). In all cases, the Doge‘s legislation could be scuttled by a majority vote, or they could be deposed and a snap election called by a two-thirds vote of the Serene Parliament. A plurality of the Parliament could call for such a vote, whereupon all parliament members were ordered to participate on pain of arrest by the Parliamentary Guard.

### Post-Coalition War

Aeldrum is nominally still a democracy with a chief executive (head of government and of state), the Serene Doge, who is elected by the Aeldman Parliament. Parliament is also still the highest court in Aeldrum, though it has not convened for that purpose since the Coalition War, devolving its judicial functions to an active judiciary controlled by the Serene Doge. However, even Aeldrum’s de facto dictator of forty years, Serene Doge Bareth Aefendt, must defer to the polite fiction of Aeldman democracy. His public image has shifted from the heroic victor of the Coalition War to that of a great reformer who extended the vote to all races and broke the undemocratic power of guilds, aristocrats and the defunct Aeldrum Trade Company (whose votes he naturally absorbed into his own title as Serene Doge).

## Election

The Serene Doge is voted into power by a majority of votes in the Serene Parliament (historically excluding the votes of core worlds and colonial possessions, though this voting pool was expanded by Serene Doge Bareth Aefendt to include the core worlds). Additionally, voting rights were historically granted only to Elves and Humans, until the Coalition War when the right to vote was granted to Aeldrum citizens of all races.

## Qualifications

Only High Elves may stand for the office of Parliament or Serene Doge (More specifically, only Elves that are descendants of Aeldrum's original population of elvish exiles can stand for major office). Though not constitutionally enshrined, every single Serene Doge (including *Count* Bareth Aefendt) has belonged to Aeldrum's titular aristocracy.

## Term Limits

The Serene Doge rules for a term of ten years. Historically, the Doge could never be elected twice in a row, but could hold the office an indefinite number of non-consecutive times (though this also changed with Doge Bareth). A deposed Doge may never run again.

## List of Serene Doges

*This section is incomplete. You can help The Aeldrum Wiki by expanding it*.

* . . .
* 47. Selash Luvelath
* 48. Leopold Orvhim (395 - 396 A.U.)
* 49. Bareth Aefendt (396 - 448 A.U.)
* 50. Guillarme du Montreal (448 - 453 A.U.)
* 51. Manuel Emiir (453 - 460 A.U.)
* 52. Sevrar Orvhim (460 A.U.)
* 53. Chella Nebai (460 - 470 A.U.)
* 54. Soren Alaveth (470 - 480 A.U.)
* . . .
* 60. Garry LaPaix (530 A.U. - )

## Notes

1. ↑ as of the 440s A.U.
2. ↑ Serene Doge Sevrar Orvhim held the title for only three days before being assassinated by the Veiled Masters of Nippon