Ard Rídh

The Ard Rídh of Tíortha Briste is a position equivalent to the High King of Doma. Unlike the continent, however, this position is not hereditary, but elected. Following the death of an ard rídh, under the supervision of the Council of Elders, who involve themselves only to ensure a fair election, the rídh of the eight islands gather at heart of the Southern Archipelago, a sacred site on the island of Tír Arnbjorn, to hold a council in which the prospective candidates for the position are tested. The nature of those trials are unknown. That information is not permitted to people outside of the fír suthr.

Once elected, the ard rídh is responsible for the safety and well-being of all of Tíortha Briste, is responsible for holding court to hear complaints, resolve issues, and enforcing laws, as well as purely perfunctory acts such as officiating competitions and festivals.

They are also, in accordance with their mythology, the spouse of the islands (which is represented either by several goddesses, or a single goddess with many faces. The stories cannot seem to agree on this matter). As such, they are expected to please them/her sexually at each religious gathering. They/she may punish the people if she is not satisfied thusly. In this case, the island is represented by one or more female anu, who is declared the proxy of the deity that is also somehow the islands. Curiously, the gender of the island-goddess-proxy does not change in accordance with the gender of the ard rídh at the time.

Though few ard rídh have ever had to face such a task, they also become the military leader in times of strife. In recorded history, there has only been two such ard rídh; one Agmundr, who sacrificed himself to see his people escape the Harrowing of the South, and his son, Anders, who was only formally elected ard rídh after the danger had passed and the fír suthr had returned to their homelands from exile.