Among the Orlanthi, leaders require the consent of their assembled community (who often gather with arms) before taking power (this is not the same as being elected but is somewhat similar) and must lead by example. Leaders may be restricted to particular cults or even specific families, as long as they can keep the support of the community and tend to the needs and desires of their people AND protect them from rest of the world’s reaction to their desires.
Where there is more than one valid candidate, the assembled community needs to rally around one or the community needs to divide into two.
This makes for charismatic and turbulent leadership. It is not unknown for rivals to challenge the leader or factions of the community to try to leave. Even the most successful Orlanthi dynasty of the Third Age, the House of Sartar, nearly failed in the 1550s due to a challenge from the Elmal cult.
Yelmic leadership (which is what we see in the Lunar Heartlands) is quite different. Rulers come out of the Yelm cult or at least must be with the support of the priests of Yelm. The rest of the community has no voice in who the leader is. Their job is merely to conform to their place in society and follow his directives.
Once enthroned, all authority stems from the ruler and can gan be gained only by the ruler granting rights upon some other individual. The Yelmic leader is obliged to uphold the ways of the universe and to intermediate between the implacable ways of the world and the fickle ways of their meek followers.
Remember, the Lunars are Pelorians and at the end of the day they are Yelmites. There’s nothing about Merit in the Lunar Way.
How does the Lunar Tarsh dynasty fit into this? Is Pharandros is a member of the Yelm Imperator cult? Or does his authority just stem from being appointed by the Red Emperor? Ultimately his authority – like ALL Provincial kings except the Queen of Holay (who is special) – comes from the Red Emperor. Pharandros is not a Yelm initiate.
Note that The Red Emperor is not elected. Two versions of the story:
- When he dies, he reincarnates and he’s back on the throne. That’s how most Lunars imagine it.
- When he dies, someone within the narrow group of potential candidates descended from the Red Goddess is recognized and acknowledged by a critical mass of Egi and he’s back on the throne. That’s the “selection” version.
And to say the egi need to recognize the Red Emperor, means that a combination of demigods, temple leaders, and other candidates within the imperial family, need to recognize him.
But don’t assume this is a con game. I personally think the spirit of the Red Emperor alights upon his successor and the egi can recognize it. So perhaps the selector is selected by the Red Goddess. Truly and not metaphorically.
What is important is there is no community involvement or acceptance of the Red Emperor involved AT ALL. The Red Emperor’s spirit alights upon his successor and the Ego are tasked with recognizing that. And they can see that – or at least many of them can. And once that successor is enthroned, that’s it. Your duty is to obey.