The Government of the Empire

There are three major parts that are involved in the governance of Imperial Llysander and while they are all inter-connected, they are quite separate. Each piece has a role to play and jobs to do. Allow us to take a closer look.

The Imperial Family
Often also referred to as the monarchy or the aristocracy by critics, the Imperial Family has ruled by inherited right for more than two thousand years--the Llysus Dynasty has been long and very fruitful.

The Imperial Family is responsible for safeguarding the Empire. They command the Imperial Legions and the Emperor is the final authority in all disputes. While there is some criticism as to the necessity of the Emperor, particularly from the aristocratic mages of Carthys who rule by council, the people of the Empire are loyal and have enjoyed a great many things that most others are not accustomed to.

The Imperial Family holds the titles of:

• Emperor and Empress
• Imperial Crown Prince
• Imperial Prince and Imperial Princess
• Archduke and Archdutchess

Each province--other than Llysor, which is headed by the Emperor himself--has a Provincial King, usually a member of the original royal family of the region before it fell under Llysandan rule. These Kings are responsible for the guardianship of their province, but they have no control over the Imperial Legions; instead they generally have control of smaller armies made up of local town and city guards. Only Llysor, the central province, uses the Imperial Legion as town and city guards.

Within the Provincial Families are the following titles:

• King and Queen
• Crown Prince
• Prince and Princess
• Duke and Dutchess
• Marquis and Marquess
• Earl and Countess
• Viscount and Viscountess
• Baron and Baroness
• Baronet and Baronetess

While for the most part, knights are unrecognised throughout the Empire, the three southern-most provinces (Oleris, Ogahn and Surius) do recognise knighthood and use the titles 'Lord' and 'Lady' to refer to them.

The Senate
The second level of government, existing below the Imperial Family, is the Senate. This is a republican body which serves as advisor and general law-maker to the Emperor. The Senate exists in three levels:

• A Council is a body which governs a district or township.
• A Praetorate is a body which governs a province.
• The Senate is the body which governs the Empire.

The Senate is responsible for two major areas. First, the Senate is responsible for legislation and the Empire's court systems. Second, the Senate is responsible for setting government policy and directing the Parliament via the Prime Minister.

The titles afforded to members of Senatorial bodies are not noble, by definitions set by the aristocratic families. However, they are generally considered to be quite worthy and afford the individuals who hold such office a reasonable amount of respect. These titles are:

• Consul
• Praetor
• Senator

The Consuls are those who serve on local councils, usually numbering between seven and twelve members. From their ranks they choose one member who will be Praetor. The Praetor serves as chairperson of the council and has does not possess a normal vote. Instead, the Praetor holds the deciding vote in the event of a hung council. Consuls are elected by the people of the district or township to serve on the council, as the Senate's ultimate purpose is to provide a voice for the common folk of the Empire.

The Praetors from each district within a province, as well as a few others who are elected, make up a province's Praetorate. The Praetorate is responsible for the province as a whole, providing advice to the Provincial King and also serving as the second level of court in the chain of appeal. From their ranks, the Praetorate chooses one member to become a Senator who will serve as chairperson (with the same, deciding vote rules as on a local council).

The Senate itself is the Empire's primary governing body. The Senate is made up from the Senators from each province, along with several who are directly elected to the Senate. The Senate does not choose a member from it's ranks to be it's chairperson, instead the Emperor sits at the chair of the Senate. Also, unlike the lower councils, the Emperor is afforded a great deal more voting power (approximately equal to one-third, which means to overturn the Emperor's decision requires a two-thirds majority of the Senate). Furthermore, the Senate can not remove any of the Emperor's powers--by right of the Imperial Charter, under which both Senate and Parliament operate--including the Emperor's position as ultimate commander of the Imperial Legions. The Senate is the final level in the chain of court appeals.

It is common for members of noble rank to also serve on the Senate.

The Parliament
This is the final government body and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Empire. Separated into Ministries, each headed by a Minister and his Secretary. At the head of the Parliament is the Prime Minister (who is a Senator chosen by the Senate) and the Deputy Prime Minister. With the exception of the Prime Minister, all other Ministers are appointed by the Prime Minister.

While this is not an exhaustive list, here are a few example Ministries:

• The Ministry of the Exchequer is responsible for taxation and government coffers.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for diplomatic dealings with other nations and conducting espionage upon other nations.
• The Ministry of Internal Affairs is responsible for keeping an eye on other government divisions and maintaining the Empire's security from espionage.
• The Ministry of Trade and Commerce is responsible for import and export of goods from other nations, setting the standard rates of necessities within the Empire and maintaining the Empire's economy.