Only the Sun's rightful heir, born of the Radiant Line that dates back to Araman the founder, is the Speaker for the Sun;
To him the Sun's desires are revealed, and from his lips its desires are acted upon by men;
He shall be known as the Sun-King, and his word shall be law.
The Sun-King is the monarch of the Carja Sundom. The Sun-King also serves as the head of the Sun-Court, a noble class made up of Sun-Priests and some noble houses.
The Sun-King rules from the Palace of the Sun, in the Carja capital of Meridian.
Role
According to the Sun-Faith, the Sun-King is the chosen speaker for the Sun. As such, he is granted near unlimited power. The Sun-King is responsible for interpreting the word of the Sun and leading the Carja people accordingly. His responsibilities include managing the judicial, martial, spiritual, and economic aspects of the Sundom.[1]
It is considered taboo for a Sun-King to marry someone not of the Carja tribe; Avad mentioned that if the union between him and Ersa were made public, it would have led to open revolt in the streets. Avad also mentions that he cannot have children without getting married first.[2]
When speaking with the Sun-King, the proper title appears to be "Your Radiance".
At the current time, there have been no Sun-Queens (female monarchs for the Carja),[3] nor are there any known women in the Radiant Line. As the Sun-Faith exclusively uses male pronouns for the Sun-King,[1] and the Carja are patriarchal in general, it appears that historically, Sun-Kings are always expected to be men.
Succession
All Sun-Kings are members of the Radiant Line, which are descendants of the first Sun-King, Araman. The line of succession is decided by the current Sun-King, but it is usually expected that the next Sun-King will be the son the current one, and Sun-Kings may abdicate if they so desire, which Avad plans to do once Itamen comes of age.[2]
List of Sun-Kings
The Sun-Kings, in chronological order are:
- The founder Araman[4]:
- The founder of the Carja tribe. Known for discovering the Leaves of the Old Ones, from which sun-worship and glyphs were derived.
- The bounteous Amavad[4]:
- Oversaw the construction of the Royal Maizelands.
- The far-seeing Sadahin[4]:
- Expanded Carja territory, created the settlement of Brightmarket. Introduced the term "Sundom" to describe the Carja domain.
- Generous Juwadan[4]:
- Permitted trade with the other tribes, going as far as to share the glyphs with them as to allow for easier trade.
- Zavarad, the pilgrim Sun-King[4]:
- Further expansion of the Sundom. Oversaw the establishment of Blazon Arch.
- Bold Iriv[4]:
- Known for his expedition into the land beyond the Daunt, from which he never returned.
- Prudent Basadid[4]:
- Brother of Iriv. Deemed the lands beyond the Daunt as The Forbidden West, and ordered the construction of Sunfall.
- Khuvadin the returner[4]:
- Ordered the construction of Daytower following an unsuccessful attempt to expand further eastward. Last Sun-King to pursue the expansion of the Sundom.
- Ranan, the Firebird[4]:
- Defended the Sundom during a Tenakth invasion, although he was left terribly disfigured for his efforts.
- Nahasis:
- Oversaw the establishment of the Hunters Lodge.
- The illuminated Marzid[4] (c. sometime before 3004 - c. 3010 or earlier[5]):
- Known for his artistic talents, and his transformation of Sunfall into a cultural and trade center. Died from illnesses caused by his own paints.
- Hivas (c. 3010 or earlier - c. 3017[6]):
- Began the re-militarization of the Carja tribe, a stark contrast to his predecessor.
- Jiran (c. 3017 - 3038[7]):
- Infamous for the Red Raids: a ten-year conflict which saw the neighboring tribes raided for human sacrifices. Killed by his son Avad, causing the Carja Civil War. Nicknamed "The Mad Sun-King" by many.
- Avad, the Liberator[4] (3038 - present[8]):
- Overthrew his father to end the Red Raids, causing the Carja Civil War. Oversaw the creation of the Vanguard, banned slavery, and ended tribal & gender discrimination in the Hunters Lodge.
Sun-Kings of the Shadow Carja
- Itamen (3038-3040[9]): Jiran's chosen heir to the throne. However, largely due to his age, Itamen was little more than a figurehead for Helis, Jiran's champion, and High Priest Bahavas. Defected to the Sun Carja with his mother Nasadi, with the help of Aloy and Vanasha.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Sun Faith
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 As mentioned by Avad during Into the Borderlands.
- ↑ As mentioned by Reverent Irid during Mother's Heart.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 The Sun-Kings
- ↑ History of Sunfall reveals that Sun-King Marzid first inspected Sunfall on the sixth year of his reign, and that his death, and the end of his reign, occurred "many years" later.
- ↑ Legendary Hunts reveals the Sun-King Hivas's reign was at least seven years long.
- ↑ The Liberation reveals that Sun-King Jiran's reign ended on its twenty-first year.
- ↑ Record of Redmaw 2 describes the year that Horizon Zero Dawn takes place is the third year of Sun-King Avad's reign.
- ↑ Record of Redmaw 2 describes the year that Horizon Zero Dawn takes place is the third year of Sun-King Avad's reign, which would also be the third year of Sun-King Itamen's reign as they became Sun-King at the same time.