Imperial Government

The **Imperial Government** of Beaglia was the main legislative entity of the Beaglian Empire, tasked with upholding the laws of the state. Throughout the entirety of Beaglia's history, all legislative actions were overseen by the Emperor. It was the Emperor who was invested with the final word on any decision. However, due to the vast size of Beaglia, many different positions and offices were developed in order to enforce the will of the head of state. As the Beaglian Empire declined and decreased in size, the responsibilities of the monarch increased; the higher echelons of the Government would cease operations when Emperor Léon abolished the office of Lord Patrician in 1630. The various Governors of Beaglian territories would essentially lose their power with the signing of the Treaty of Marseille in 1637.

## Emperor

The most powerful person in Beaglia was its ruler; the head of the Caine household, known as the **Emperor**. The Beaglian monarchy was a constant fixture through all of Imperial history, from the end of the Corsican Revolution of 1380 to the disappearance of Emperor Edmond in the 1680s. The Emperor was endowed with the distinction of being the ultimate authority; all legislative decisions, no matter how small their scale or scope were, could and would be changed at the word of the Emperor. From the mayor of the tiniest village to the highest officers of the Imperial Executive, all Beaglian citizens in any position of power ultimately answered to the Emperor. There were eight Emperors in Beaglian history; Beagle (reigned 1380-1437), Callum, (reigned 1437-1477), William (reigned 1477-1515), Raimondo (reigned 1515-1525), Sebastian (reigned 1525-1579), Louis (reigned 1579-1612), Léon (reigned 1612-1647), and Edmond, who reigned from 1647 until his mysterious disappearance on New South Corsica in the 1680s.

## Imperial Executive

The highest section of the government below the Emperor was known as the Imperial Executive; this section was tasked with maintaining laws and making decisions on an Empire-wide scale. The Imperial Executive was headed by the Lord Patrician, the second-most-powerful man in Beaglia, below the monarch. The Lord Patrician would be assisted by the Deputy Patrician, his second-in-command and replacement in times of illness or general unavailability. Below these two very powerful men was the Advisors' Council. The Advisors' Council was a selection of nobles, specially appointed by the Emperor, who had the power to suggest laws. However, they had no power to actually make sure these laws were passed, making appointment to the Council more of an honorific than an actual position of power. The Imperial Executive also contained many different bureaus related to many different specializations.

### Lord Patrician

The office of **Lord Patrician** was technically established in 1382, but formally instituted by Beagle de Caine in 1383. The first man to occupy the office was Reginald Vetinarvi. Vetinarvi's reign lasted for an unprecedented 150 years, spanning the entire reigns of four Emperors and ending during the reign of the fifth. Vetinarvi resigned in 1532 as a consequence of the Corsican Vampire Inquisition, a period of mob-led lynching in the Imperial capital that almost cost the inaugural Patrician his life. Vetinarvi was replaced by the Deputy at the time, Hadwin Palmer; his reign lasted for 18 years, before Emperor Sebastian fired him in 1555. Palmer's incompetence led to the loss of many North American territories of Beaglia; however, his dismissal led to what is now known as the Beaglian Governmental Crisis. This crisis brought about a period of financial and militaristic instability which led to the loss of all North American territory. The office of Lord Patrician was vacant until December 29, 1555, when Corsican nobleman Ottavio Necci was appointed to the office of Lord Patrician. The stressful responsibility of resolving the crisis drove Necci to near-insanity, and he was committed to the Ajaccio Sanitarium in March of 1556. Necci was replaced by Marcel Giroux, who resolved the crisis by November. Giroux is remembered in Beaglian history as the "Savior of the Imperial Government." A total of six men held the office of Lord Patrician in Beaglian history.

The Lord Patrician's main function was to act as the chief executor of the Emperor's will, overseeing all governmental activities below his own level. The man holding this extremely important office became the mediator between the all-powerful monarchy and the rest of the Empire. All officers of the Imperial Executive reported to him, as many of them were too insignificant to be granted a personal audience with the Emperor. In addition to this status, the Lord Patrician possessed other abilities, such as the power to create certain departments of the government or military. Two examples of this ability are the Clerks and Interns created by Reginald Vetinarvi, who are thought by modern historians to be spies with particular allegiance to the office's original holder. When Vetinarvi resigned from the position in 1532, the Clerks and Interns left with him.

### Deputy Patrician

In 1412, the exiles of Lucel Condor and Irene Aarre were lifted by Emperor Beagle. Shortly afterwards, Reginald Vetinarvi proposed the idea of an assistant, to help with his duties as Lord Patrician. In response to this proposal, Beagle established the office of **Deputy Patrician** and appointed Condor as the position's first occupant. As the appointment and fate of the Lord Patrician had a close link to the Emperor, so too did the office of Deputy Patrician have a close link to the Lord Patrician (although the Emperor could, of course, dismiss a Deputy Patrician if he chose to do so). The Deputy Patrician had many duties, such as looking over proposed laws from the Advisors' Council and filling in for the Lord Patrician in times of unavailability. With the latter duty came a line of succession; the office of Lord Patrician was for life unless the Emperor decided otherwise or the office's holder resigned. In the event of the Lord Patrician's death or resignation, the reigning Deputy Patrician at the time of his death would succeed him in the superior role. Three Lord Patricians were elected in this way; two by death, one by resignation. Many Deputy Patricians came and went through Beaglian history; an estimate by modern historians suggests that around 15-20 different men held the title of Deputy Patrician throughout the time of the Empire's existence. The office of Deputy Patrician ceased operation in 1630 at the decision of Emperor Léon.

### Advisors' Council

The **Advisors' Council** was a collection of nobles specially appointed by the Emperor. The existence of this position is a nod to the early days of Beagle de Caine's time as King, when a small inner circle of trusted people (which was **also** known as the Advisors' Council) would suggest certain ideas to the ruler. The original head of this inner circle was Lucel Condor; upon his affair with Irene Aarre and subsequent exile, the position was filled by Reginald Vetinarvi. While the Advisors' Council did not have any executable power regarding legislative decisions, they could suggest laws (often ideas from the citizens of their respective territories) to the Deputy Patrician, who would then review them and deliberate on their future. Notable members of the Advisors' Council in its early days included Lord Ramiel of Feronia, a small Corsican village near Ajaccio, and Vic Lyons, a British nobleman who was known to the family of Empress Mathilda.

### Other bureaus, offices, and ministries

In addition to the aforementioned higher offices, the Imperial Executive was also comprised of many different institutions, tasked with overseeing various important areas of the Empire.

#### Emperor's Court

The highest level of the Beaglian justice system was known as the **Emperor's Court**. Established by Emperor Beagle in the late 1390s, the Emperor's Court was a method of resolving the most important judicial matters in the Empire. A select handful of these matters would be brought before the Emperor himself, their verdicts determined in the throne room of the Ajaccio Palace. However, a large number of experts in judicial matters were employed to determine which cases were worth the Emperor's time. If they were not, a verdict would be rendered immediately by the particular judicial expert assigned to reviewing the case.

#### Imperial Treasury

The **Imperial Treasury** was charged with maintaining the finances of the Empire. It kept track of debts owed by the Imperial State and Imperial Family, as well as collecting taxes from the populace and ensuring the integrity of Beaglian currency. The head of the Imperial Treasury was known as the Imperial Treasurer.

#### Imperial Archive

Headquartered in the enormous basement of the Ajaccio Palace, the **Imperial Archive** was responsible for keeping records of the Empire. Members of this agency, known as Archivists, maintained documents storing all the legislative, militaristic, and ceremonial actions of Beaglia. These included, but were not limited to: laws, judicial cases, tax records, wars, battles, munition supplies, state weddings, state funerals, parades, and tournaments. In 1412, half of the Archive was destroyed as a result of the war with Sekris, but the supernatural memory of the reigning Chief Archivist enabled it to return to full capacity. Many records kept by the Archive survive to this day, and are the reason that the history of Beaglia is known in such extensive detail. However, some records have been lost to time, leaving the estimates of modern historians to fill in the gaps.

#### Ministry of Sport

One of the shortest-lived offices in the history of the Imperial Government was established by Emperor Beagle himself in 1401. Upon his declaration that cricket was to be the official sport of the Empire, he also established the **Ministry of Sport**, tasked with organizing various competitions featuring the best athletes the Empire had to offer. The Ministry of Sport organized the Imperial Cricket Cup, which took place every two years (except in 1411) from 1405 until 1479. The head of the organization was known as the Minister of Sport; the Ministry ceased to exist in 1480 at the declaration of Emperor William, who infamously abolished the Imperial Cricket Cup in the same year.

##### Imperial Combat Commission

In 1412, Beagle established an additional subcommittee in the Ministry of Sport, known as the **Imperial Combat Commission**. Beagle, being an avid fan of fighting tournaments, appointed himself head of the Commission. While its name sounds rather impressive, the activities of the Commission were few; its main functions were to seek out competitors, secure a tournament venue, and organize the matches that would take place in the tournament. The Commission, like the rest of the Ministry, ceased to exist in 1480.

#### Imperial Guild of Explorers

Formed in 1398 by Emperor Beagle after his marriage to Mathilda, the **Imperial Guild of Explorers** was an organization of scouts dedicated to expanding the territory of the Beaglian Empire. The Guild played a pivotal role in the beginning of the North American Campaign; its scouting efforts enabled Beaglia to take control of the entirety of modern-day Canada and the United States, as well as an area of land in Mexico which became known as the Central Mexican Colony. A notable member of the Guild was Cecil Runnels, who in 1541 described the phenomenon of the "Cultu di l'imperatore" among Australian aboriginal people. This phenomenon involved the worship of Emperor Beagle as a god, continuing long after his death in 1470.

#### Ministry of the Military

Overseen by the Grand General, the Grand Admiral, and the Axtetii, the **Ministry of the Military** was responsible for overseeing the military activities of the Beaglian Empire. The Ministry held many responsibilities, from conferring with the Emperor and his associates in strategic war meetings, to the recruitment of soldiers in territories from around the Empire. The Ministry was founded by Emperor Beagle in 1412 on account of an increased level of threats to his Empire. From its inception, the Ministry was intended as a guide in times of warfare and strife, both for Beaglian troops and the higher legislative powers of the state.