Magistrates are one of the most important government positions which can be
held by citizens of a settlement. There are three Magistrate positions per
settlement, which are voted in by way of elections, and serve to be the
representative voices of the citizens. Magistrates are the foundation of all
power in the government, as they wield the most important power and responsibility
to choose and oath in the settlement's crown leader - or equally important,
to remove their oath should they no longer find the leader suitable.
Swearing an Oath to the Crown
The choosing of a crown ruler is undertaken by swearing an oath of allegiance
to a particular citizen by typing MAGISTRATE OATH <citizen>. Any citizen
may be named, including yourself or a fellow Magistrate, Consul, or Cardinal.
All three Magistrates must share a unanimous oath, naming the very same
citizen, before that citizen is offered the crown.
Reaching unanimity does not crown anyone outright - the named citizen instead
receives a formal offer of the crown, which they alone may accept or decline.
See HELP ACCEPT CROWN. If they hold a seat as Magistrate, Consul, or
Cardinal, accepting the crown automatically vacates that seat for them.
Retracting an Oath
Any Magistrate may withdraw their oath at any time with MAGISTRATE UNOATH,
for any reason - including while a crown offer is pending, which immediately
cancels that offer, since it can no longer claim unanimous support.
Once a ruler is crowned, they keep the throne as long as at least two of the
Magistrates currently holding a seat still name them in their oath. Only once
two seated Magistrates fail to do so - by unoathing, or by swearing to
someone else instead - is the ruler dethroned. A Magistrate who has simply
not yet sworn any oath is not counted against the ruler.
Power of Veto
One additional responsibility of the Magistrate worth highlight is their power
to veto the crowned leader's appointed Consul. For more information about
vetoing, refer to HELP VETO.