The Imperial Hunt

The Imperial Hunt is an annual week long event organised by House Viromaro, and hosted at the Skaði Palace.

The Hunt

Although Hunts are organised from Skaði Palace all throughout the year, once a year ever since the rule of Emperor Alexander there has been a special Imperial Hunt. This equestrian event revolves around multiple days of hunting in the forests around the Skaði Palace. During the Hunt, these forests are closed by the First and Second Agricola Battalions of the Kythiran Imperial Legion. These soldiers are often referred to by the local populace as The Hounds. In these forests, the Emperor and his guests can hunt freely, usually on horseback, with the preferred target being foxes. Younger participants of the Imperial Hunt, usually the children of the guests are also invited along, usually hunting smaller animals such as rabbits. Royal servants help track other wild animals, such as cows, pigs and sheep, which are killed specifically to prepare that evening's meal.

After a day of hunting, the guests retreat back to the Skaði Palace, where staff prepares a feast from the catch of that day. The member of the hunting party that got the highest number of kills gets to sit at the head of the table. At the end of the week the hunting party member with the most kills gets taken to the royal chapel on the palace grounds, where they are crowned that years "King or Queen of the Hunt".

During the Imperial Hunt, it is tradition that there is at least one member of House Viromaro and one member of House Von Roterstein present. Other guests often include other Princes, Dukes and foreign dignitaries.

Other traditions are a royal ball held on the third day, a memorial service to Emperor Alexander on the fifth, and a concert at the palace's theatre on the sixth day.

Controversy

• Emperor Alexander, after ruling the Empire for over 40 years, died on the fifth day of that annual's Imperial Hunt due to an accident. This caused the new Emperor, Louis, to cancel the hunt for three years.
• The Imperial Hunt has been criticised as a "cruel blood sport" by some members of Kythiran and international society. Although it is still popular among the Kythiran upper class, and is still being organised once every year, the Empress Theodosia has not partaken in the hunt. Her younger brother, Prince Charles Viromaro, hosts the Imperial Hunt in her stead.
• House Hjarta has often unsuccessfully petitioned against the Hunt. Although the Imperial Hunt often occurs in forests owned by the Duchy of Hjarta, their authority often gets overruled by House Viromaro. When Amantis Viromaro and Freya Hjarta were still married and alive, House Viromaro respected their requests and kept out of the Duchy's forests. However, after their deaths the Hunt continued, as it has to this day.
• The local populations are not allowed in the forests for the week that the Imperial Hunt is happening, which is enforced through military action. In the past it has happened that poachers have tried to trespass, which would lead to there immediate arrest and execution for endangering the guests. Hunters that live around the forests where the Hunt takes place at are paid four weeks worth of wages by House Viromaro for their lost revenue.