The Second Imperial Diet and the Second Imperial Election
After the slaughter of the Renders, the empire was without a ruler and without a clear successor. At the Second Imperial Diet, 31 nobles gathered to represent the remaining provinces. The result was the election of Valendor I, the main organizer of the purge, who was elected almost unanimously and laid the foundation for a new stable government.
An empire without a government
After the Great Slaughter of the Renderians, the Empire was left without a ruling dynasty. The Render either died or fled beyond the realm. Out of 48 provinces, 17 remained without a ruler, which posed a serious threat to the stability of the entire empire. It was necessary to quickly decide on a new arrangement of power, otherwise there was a risk of disintegration of the empire into individual regional units.
Distribution of forces
The Diet gathered 31 nobles who represented the surviving and functional provinces. The Ariers and Zelins had the greatest influence, but the Magnurs, Youlenders, Poldechs and Okoliochs also played a significant role. In addition to them, minor nobles without a strong family background also participated, whose votes proved to be decisive for the final result.
The Choice of Valendor I
Contrary to expectations, the choice was not a long and chaotic process. Valendor, the main organizer of the massacre, was seen as the strongest candidate. He had a large territory, a strong army and a wide network of allies. The election ended with 25 votes for his election, while 4 votes were against and the Youlenders abstained. The result was thus almost unanimous and showed that the majority of the nobility preferred stability to further conflict.
Promises and the New Order
On his accession, Valendor I promised to rule according to the old customs and not to favor his house. At the same time, he signed a document that determined the redistribution of the provinces after the Render family among the other families. He kept only one province himself, thereby strengthening the confidence of the other nobles. This move, along with his military might, led to a surprisingly stable government despite a bloody start.