(Disclaimer: the Abh are ultimately the work of Hiroyuki Morioka. This adaptation to the fourth edition of Dungeons and Dragons deviates significantly from the original.)
The Ablïarsec clan is the royal family of the Astral Empire. Only an Ablïarsec can be a King (larth) or the Emperor (speunaigh), and use of the name Ablïarsec is restricted.
A King is the ruler of one of the eight kingdoms that make up the Empire; as such, there are never but eight Kings at once. A King is a military commander as well as a civilian ruler; they rule over the nobility whose demesnes lie within their kingdom, and command the kingdom's fleet. They may ennoble citizens (laimh) freely, and subjects (soss) with their liege's permission (which is rarely denied, if ever); they may also grant demesnes to unlanded nobles. (This is a change from previous posts: the Imperial Demesne is no longer the sole source of entitlements.) The King (or Kingly authority) is generally responsible for interdemesne traffic (including the Merchant Fleet and antipiracy measures) and resolving interdemesnal or extrademesnal disputes.
The Emperor, on the other hand, is (as the name suggests) the supreme ruler of the entire Empire, the highest military and political rank alike. He or she is chosen by the eight Kings from those with the Ablïarsec name; a King may become Emperor (though this is rare), but must yield the Kingship to another Ablïarsec. The Emperor (or Imperial authority) also resolves intrakingdom disputes. In practice, except in times of war, the Emperor's power is usually less than that of a King — but declaring war is the Emperor's prerogative.
If an Ablïarsec is neither King nor Emperor, their children may not use the name Ablïarsec, and must instead take new gens-names.
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