Imperial coat of arms of Joshmaul I.
The Emperor of the Imperial Reydovan Empire, known outside the Empire as just the Reydovan Emperor, has been the head of state for the Reydovan Empire since its founding in 2296. The House of Joshmaul is the current Imperial House. The current Emperor is Kiran Joshmaul I, who has ruled since the inception of the Empire in 2296. He is opposed by the Emperor-in-Exile, Kieran Devaneaux, who - along with his supporters - seeks to overthrow the tyrannical Joshmaul and free his people from the power-mad Emperor's genocidal mania.
The Emperor is addressed by his title, or as "Your Majesty" or "Sire"; some of his subjects, particularly his guards, addressed him as "my lord Emperor".
Coat of Arms[]
The Imperial coat of arms, as devised by Joshmaul, are a gold crown at the center of a gold laurel design, with the symbol of the Empire in dead center. In exile, Kieran Devaneaux created a new crest; he chose a blue-and-red shield, with a knight's helmet and a crown at the top, the symbol of the Empire and two Celtic crosses, and a castle in the center. The Emperor's arms became the official crest of the House of Devaneaux in Exile.
Imperial coat of arms of Kieran I, officially established as the coat of arms of the House of Devaneaux in Exile, January 23, 2377.
Official Powers[]
Aided by his elite Praetorians and the machinations of his new Chancellor, Artimus Devaneaux, Emperor Joshmaul has absolute power. He has taken away the rights of much of the Reydovan citizenry, even the nobility; he tolerates no opposition and brutally murders any who oppose him. This change has proven to be puzzling to the majority of the Reydovan citizenry who are old enough to remember Joshmaul's early reign; at the time, he seemed to have the best interests of the people and of the Empire in mind. "We know now that Joshmaul is evil, and seeks only more power for himself," Alexander Britanov has been quoted as saying. His "white-maned lapdog", Artimus Devaneaux, enforces the Emperor's will, and like Joshmaul is a master of political intrigue and propaganda. Also like Joshmaul, Artimus does not hesitate to kill anyone he believes is in opposition of the Emperor's command.
Joshmaul's regime is often compared to Nazi Germany, where independent thought was practically forbidden; the Emperor himself is described by some historians (outside the Empire, of course) as "a nightmarish combination of Adolf Hitler's seductive charisma, Reinhard Heydrich's unfeeling cruelty and Joseph Goebbels' mastery of political manipulation".