Dark Council

The Dark Council, also known as the Shadow Council, is the governing body of the Crux Empire, and comprised of the Empire's most powerful sorcerers within the Shadow Order.
Individually, each councilor holds control over one of the thirteen Domains of Authority. The Council as a deliberative body attempts to make unanimous decisions, however due to infighting and competition within the Empire, this is not always possible. Whilst a Councilor holds near-absolute authority over his or her domain, each councilor answers to the rest of the council as a whole, which in turn answers to the Emperor.
Every aspect of the Empire's government ultimately falls under a Domain of Authority. Due to the highly efficient and bureaucratic structure within the Empire's middle and lower levels of central government, no legislative body is needed within the Empire outside of the Dark Council. As such, regulations by various imperial ministries and departments constitute lower level laws.
While the Council answers directly to the Emperor and his executors, in his absence the council is lead by the Master of the Dark Council, a Council member appointed to lead the Council's meetings, but with considerably less authority than the Emperor.