King's Hand

The title of King's Hand was given to those who were seen as the primary advisor to the king of Andoras, while the Kingdom of Andoras still existed. A King's Hand could be made out of anyone -- there were no criteria, such as nationality or social status. However, the most frequent type of King's Hand were Andorasi noblemen who had already had experience in statehood and had made themselves known in the political circuit of the kingdom. The title was a highly desired one by most, as it guaranteed nobility and paid a hefty wage to the recipient (depending on the era of Andorasi history).

The King's Hand primary job was to assist the king in everyday matters of his reign, such as dealing with taxes and laws. He was the one to organize the king's audiences, making appointments for each and every one and receiving royal consent if one was allowed to continue on. Further along the line, the King's Hand would also have a hand in dealing with the kingdom's trade, monitoring tariffs and trading rates around Drakonius and advising the king to issue decrees to deal with these situations as necessary. If need be, he could also serve as a temporary marshal of the armies, and order the local magistrates to begin recruitment efforts in a certain part of the kingdom.

The King's Hand was not always an official title, however. Although made law by Aegor II Dragomyr in 124 AC, the role of advisor has always been a coveted one regarding the very king of Andoras himself. Some kings did not require any counsel at all to excel, while others had their Hand virtually rule for them, and the King's Hand could qualify as a viable regent if the king was incapable of performing his duties; the Hand was often overlooked, however, in favor of a family member, particularly one who was next in line to take the throne, in order to give them a taste of what managing the Kingdom of Andoras would be like when they were coronated.

As with most other titles related to direct Andorasi government, the title of King's Hand was made defunct with the Treaty of Dragonspire signed on November 3rd, 348 AC. At the time, there was no official King's Hand, as at this stage of his madness, Aegor IV Dragomyr found it folly to employ any men who could change his opinion, and insisted on following his own path -- which, as history has shown, led to his kingdom's downfall. However, Daemalor Celtheon, if he lives, would be designated the new King's Hand if Taeronys Dragomyr was to conquer Andoras.