Melanthios IV

Melanthios IV is the current high king of the Empire of Strios, and has been since the 9th of Ketillon, 1212 ADR. He has been controversial from the start, abolishing the Council of the Common and greatly reducing the power of the Council of the Ennobled in his first year on the throne. He has also been criticized for his poor handling of the major crises of his reign, such as the current drought in Valia, preferring to leave it to the local authorities and not interfere.

Reign
Melanthios came to power at the age of 18, five years after his father Evandros's death. He wished to be seen as a stronger, more absolute ruler than his father had been, and set about consolidating his power immediately after taking the throne.

His first act was to abolish the Council of the Common, which effectively took away any voice the general public had in government. Melanthios then replaced all members of the Grand Council with his own appointments, and greatly limited the power of the Council of the Ennobled. This left him as the only real power in the empire, save for perhaps the leaders of the vassal nations, which are subject to his will anyway. To reflect this, he gave himself the title Arbiter of Law, which had not been used by a high monarch since Pelagios.

Despite the Council of the Common never having any real power, abolishing it enraged the public, and caused a number of riots. Melanthios crushed each of these violently, sending in the military to put them down. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed to restore order, which deepened the resentment the people held for him.

In 1217 ADR, Prince Ariston, his uncle, along with a few minor members of his family, were brutally murdered by a mob outside the Imperial Palace. Ariston had been ripped limb from limb, and then burnt alive, leaving his body so damaged that it couldn't be shown at his funeral. Though he responded to this event in his usual matter, having the rioters killed by the army, it shook Melanthios deeply. Afterwards, he stopped making as many public appearances as he had previously, and became more reclusive in general. It was also in that year that he replaced his old High Chancellor with his current one, a mysterious figure that goes by the name Cleisthenes, of whom virtually nothing, not even their race or real name, is known. They are only ever seen at Melanthios' side, and always wear a featureless silver mask and a hooded indigo robe that leave none of their skin visible.

His reign has been plagued by a resurgence of the Dread Cough, a deadly disease that has, over the course of 20 years, killed millions. He has hired physicians, healers, and alchemists to find a cure, but has not dedicated nearly as much gold to the project as needed, meaning that it will likely bear no fruit. He has also advocated for burning the homes of those infected to stop it from spreading, which is considered by many to be wholly insensitive to the issue.

Tedra's south is currently suffering the longest drought in its history, with the worst of it being concentrated in Valia. This has caused food shortages in many places, and a famine in Valia itself. Melanthios' response has been slow and largely ineffectual, blaming the issue on poor farming techniques and the weakness of Valians, rather than acknowledging it as a real problem. His current policy of distributing food to wealthier regions first has kept the rich content, but infuriated the poor. There have been a number of attempted peasant revolts as a result.

There have been calls for independence in many of the empire's territories, with the majority of them coming from Ostelux. Though King Haakon remains a firm supporter of Melanthios' rule, he is equally as unpopular within his home kingdom, and it is likely that he will not be able to maintain power. Melanthios has responded by placing all of Ostelux, along with parts of Shoar Kascia and Voskine under martial law.

Melanthios has refused to respond to the church's disappearance at all, having not sent out the military to search for the missing church leaders, or appointed new officials to fill their vacant positions. The statements that he's released on the subject have been noncommittal, with his official stance being that they will return in due time, and that there is nothing anyone can do about it but wait. This has, understandably, not satisfied the empire's faithful at all, and has only made them more restless if anything.

Public Perception and Character
Melanthios is disliked by most people, stemming from his authoritarian leadership and general callous nature. Even those that seek to keep him in power generally only support him because of the house he belongs to, and not because of any loyalty to him as a person. Many would prefer to see his younger brother Demetrius on the throne, viewing him as much more just and likable than Melanthios.

He is seen as deeply insecure, taking any criticism towards him as a personal attack. More than anything, he wishes to be considered a strong leader, but has only proved time and time again that he is not. His attempts at appearing so have only made him seem like a dictator.

He is paranoid of being assassinated, and rarely makes public appearances if he isn't required to, generally avoiding festivals and gatherings where he would have to interact for an extended time with his people. He will not eat any food without having it tasted first by someone else.

Styles
His Imperial and Royal Majesty Melanthios IV, King of Kings, by the grace of the Gods, of Strios and of His other rightful territories.