Arlywydd

The Arlywydd (plural: Arlywyddion) is the Head of State and Head of Government in the Land of Caergwynn. The full title, appended to all executive acts and read out at major state functions, refers to the Arlywydd as "Captain-General of the Republic, Guardian of the Predains, Vicegerent of His Majesty Prince Madoc (may he soon return), et cetera", incorporating aspects of the Caeric princely titulary stretching back to the days of Madoc I "the Farsighted." Elected for seven-year terms by the Arcyngor and ratified by the Iscyngor (the Caeric upper and lower houses, respectively), the Arlywydd commands the Caeric military, represents the Caeric government abroad, acts as head of the Arcyngor, and has a suspensory veto power over any legislation passed by either chamber. Originating from the regency in the wake of the disappearance of the last ruling Prince of Caergwynn in 1214, the Arlywydd's position was formalized in 1246, and has remained central to the Caeric state (though with varying powers) ever since then. Though the office has been open to any adult Caeric citizen since 1923, most holders of it come from the ranks of successful Iscyngor politicians, ambitious nobles, or celebrities (with some Arlywyddion having more de facto influence on affairs than others). The summit of power and prestige in the competitive Caeric system, many Arlywyddion have become renowned, a few infamous, but all honored during their terms as the ultimate embodiment of Caergwynn's contradictory politics: a land with no monarch, whose officially temporary replacement has lasted longer than any dynasty could, in an office combining theoretical marks of privilege with sharp limits on its actual power, yet is fluid enough that an ambitious Arlywydd can always carve out a new place.