The Fantasy Royal Advisor: Part of the Powerful Elite

The king of a fictional nation doesn’t just run it all by himself. There’s simply too many decisions he would have to make everyday for all of its inhabitants that it just isn’t feasible. Rather, he has a royal council who serves at his pleasure who carries out the day-to-day affairs of the government. The person who holds such an exalted position is known as the fantasy royal advisor.

The position of royal advisor is typically held by prominent nobles and other figures who play a large role in the realm. This is due to the fact that they’ve amassed enough information as well as wielding substantial power as to make others not wish to challenge them for supremacy. As such, the council is comprised of the most powerful people in the kingdom.

As to what goes into appointing a fantasy royal advisor, well it varies by world. In some cases, the king chooses close family friends regardless of their qualifications whereas other times, he puts in people who are experts in their fields. Sometimes he will give it to certain nobles in order to keep them loyal to the crown which is a useful strategic tool he has at his disposal.

In the grand scheme of things, the royal advisor’s purpose is to help the king run the realm. As one of his top representatives, he is to implement whatever regulations and policies the monarch wishes to enact into law and to ensure that they are carried out in a timely manner, provided they affect the sphere of government he oversees. He is also expected to deal with whatever issues come up during his tenure and only consult with the king on all major pertinent issues.

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With the position of royal advisor a coveted one among the majority of the nobility, the question then is: what goes into appointing someone to sit on such a honored position? The answer to that depends on the world and the person on the throne.

In some worlds, the king selects the best candidate from a lengthy list to be a fantasy royal advisor. They are experts in their fields, whether it be in business or medicine, and possess the know-how to bring with them as they begin their stint in government. In this vein, having the absolute best people run the government makes things easier since they know what needs to be done and they have the power to make it happen.

Unfortunately the majority of kings don’t subscribe to the idea of populating the council with people who are the best candidates. Rather, some dole out these posts to loyalists as rewards for their continued patronage to the crown. These sycophants are then free to do whatever they like, knowing perfectly well that the king won’t lift a finger to keep them in line.

In other worlds, the average fantasy royal advisor is comprised of a member of one of the most powerful families in the kingdom. It would be an insult to the family to not be one of the king’s advisers and they would voice their displeasure for all to hear. When it comes to appointing members of his council, the king cannot overlook all the powerful families, lest they use being slighted by him in order to cause trouble across the land.

There are some places where crafty kings are shrewd enough to use the post of royal advisor to keep certain families tied to the crown and to the realm. By bringing in someone from such a family, the king is using the member as leverage to ensure that the family thinks twice about rebelling or making a move against him. As time goes on, the family becomes less likely to oppose him since they have more at stake and eventually it becomes too intertwined with that of the royalty to be able to mount an effective challenge against him.