Emperor

The Emperor is the absolute authority of the local region. They have the ability to decree edicts to other schools, which must be obeyed. The means of determining the Emperor varies over time, as the method is ultimately decided by the current Emperor, however the common denominator is that the Emperor must always possess the Imperial Seal. If the Imperial Seal is lost, the Emperor's edicts no longer carry any weight, and the region typically descends into anarchy for a time, until a new Emperor is established with the Imperial Seal.

Edicts
In theory the Emperor may give any order as an edict, however in practice there exists numerous limitations on what he can do. A particularly unpopular decree may incite a school, or schools to rebel against the Emperor, and refuse the edict. When this happens, an edict to bring the rebelling school back under control is typically given. Because of this tenuous position, most Emperor's are fairly conservative with their edicts, however some have been known to actively antagonize schools to see what happens.

Grand Tournament
The most common, and legitimate means by which a new Emperor is selected is with a Grand Tournament. As the Emperor approaches graduation, they decree a Grand Tournament between every school. The exact structure of this tournament, and which schools are invited varies between each Emperor, but most of them involve every school, as excluding some schools can lead to needless drama, and possible rebellion.

Rebellion
When one or more schools decide to ignore an edict, they find themselves in rebellion to the Emperor. A rebellion is not officially considered such until the Emperor decrees it, and it's not unknown for some schools to ignore edicts, without being punished by the Emperor. If a school is considered in rebellion, they will find themselves at war with every other school in the region. This typically results in their defeat, and being forced back into line, however sometimes schools manage to defeat the Emperor, and secure the Imperial Seal for themselves. When this happens, the Emperor is removed, and the rebelling school's prince typically becomes the new Emperor.

Anarchy
If the Emperor loses the Imperial Seal, either through bad luck, or the cunning of their rivals, they may lose the position as Emperor. At any time when an edict is given, it may be requested that the Imperial Seal is presented. If it is not, the edict is considered invalid, and the Emperor concluded to be unfit. Lacking an Emperor, most schools will engage in warfare with each other, trying to gain an upper hand. Eventually, one school will emerge with possession of the Imperial Seal, and declare a new Emperor. With a new Emperor declared, anarchy typically comes to an end, however it sometimes leads itself over to being a rebellion instead.