The second son of King Cassius Bryant II, Artorius Bryant is the youngest head of state in Primerra at the age of forty-two. Within Emestria, he is often referred to as the invincible hero king do to the fact that he survived the catastrophe at the end of the Battle of Lynnfield. Outside of Emestria, to other heads of state, he is called King Artorius Bryant, first and last of his name. The dig is two-fold, the first being that in a land of first-born succession, Artorius was never meant to reign. The second being with Emestria’s current state of affairs, many believe the small nation will crumble before Artorius has a chance to put an heir on the throne.
Artorius’ older brother Cassius was ill-suited to rule. He was prone to drink, gambling, and prostitution. Nobles took advantage of this and many changes to Emestria’s laws were crafted in back rooms of bars and brothels. When Cassius III passed, to what some say were mysterious circumstances, Artorius inherited a throne that had been significantly weakened. He does what he can for his people but is often waylaid by influential nobles that erode his attempts at treaties and alliances with other nations.
The war over Lynnfield as well as the current war against Rouke are products of the monarchy’s weakened influence. Hostilities at their borders were inflamed by the ruling aristocracy there, crafting legislation that subsumed more and more of their neighbors land and was considered legal due to laws passed during Cassius III’s reign. Where the king once had absolute authority to pass laws, tax the citizens, and approve treaties and alliances, a cabinet of nobles was created in Cassius III’s reign that required a two-third majority to enact any new policies. If it weren’t for the crippling war against their neighbor Rouke that will likely spell the end for Emestria, the country would soon resemble an oligarchy as opposed to a monarchy.