The ruler of the Capitol where Pennon de Justise was forged and used for generations.  The Monarch and the sword were powerfully influential beings, and the king's sanity was tied to the collective consciousness of the people.  The sword was imbued with a spirit that enhanced subconscious awareness allowing it to bind its mind to that of its wielder.  It also held the memories of all who it ever bonded with, thus many voices rather than one.  

The king and some people embraced a big change towards imperial expansion, betraying the bonds to both sword and community, which caused a split in the king’s mind that manifested a fractured reality. The king alternated between appearing mad or strong. The Mad king was actually the humble and compassionate part, while the Strong king had sought too much power. The Initiative took the advice of the Strong King and destroyed the sword which broke the two halves apart into two different people.

Introduced in #4 Monarch