>In the Third Age, he's appointed by the Lunars.
The Red Emperor is the Shah of Carmania - he's not appointed by the Lunars. His vicegerent, the Eye of the Padishah, is appointed.
>But how did succession work in the Second Age?
The Shah nominates his successor from among the likely candidates, his closest male relatives. The criteria he uses is dependant on the personality of the Shah. There's always subtle politicking to get the heir replaced by somebody else.
If the candidate is weak or somewhat unsuitable, somebody else might be chosen by the nobility (I'm thinking primarily of Matilda who was passed over for the throne of England in favour of her cousin Stephen). If you look at the Ottoman Empire, you have juicy details such as the Fraticide law or the Cage.
But not all Shahs are descended from Carmanos. Purush, later Shahtavar wasn't.
--Peter Metcalfe
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