The Cavnish Ministries

The parliamentary body of the Cavnish government is called the Court of Ministries, and is composed primarily of internally-elected representatives (Ministers) of the twelve Cavnish Ministries. The Ministries are the representative and governing bodies of twelve sectors of Cavnish society, and the Ministers who are appointed to oversee them have authority over the internal boards that create the rules and regulations applicable only to the industries or organizations under their purview. Just as the Cavnish monarch functions as the tie-break voice in the Court's legislative procedures, the Ministers have a similar function within their own Ministries.

The twelve Ministries are as follows.

## Ministry of the Interior

The Ministry of the Interior oversees the governing officials of all major cities and towns in Cavnal. It is responsible for making sure each town and city is governed according to the same structure and with the same hierarchy, with the same rules of conduct and standards of justice. The Council of Education and Universities also falls under its authority. The Minister of the Interior presides over court cases against governors or mayors, petitions the Court of Ministries for changes in laws on behalf of the cities and townships, and also acts as the formal Governor of the royal city of Brinmark under the actual authority of the King or Queen.

The current Minister of the Interior is Chavrek Von.

## Ministry of Defense

The Ministry of Defense is responsible for oversight of the operations of the Navy, the Army (including the newly formed Air Patrol), and the Strategic Military Intelligence Directorate. On an internal defense level, the Ministry also oversees the Royal Guard, which encompasses the palace guards, the monarch's Honor Guard, and all bodyguards of the highest members of society. The governing board or Council of Defense is comprised of the two highest-ranking generals and admirals of the Army and Navy, the Commandant of the Royal Guard, the Director of Intelligence, a mater tactician, a master of logistics, and a financial officer.

The Minister of Defense is responsible for bringing financial requests to the Court, keeping the Court apprised of international and internal conflicts, and requesting permission from the Crown to authorize military exercises. During times of war, this Ministry is formally renamed as the Ministry of War, and can absorb members of other Ministries (i.e., Labor, Science, Security) as needed to wage a successful campaign. Internally, the Ministry of Defense is responsible for the organization, recruitment, operations, training standards, and the manning and equipping of bases, forts and naval ports.

The current Minister of Defense is Galan Farro.

## Ministry of the Court

The Ministry of the Court is an under-appreciated and sometimes ridiculed ministry which oversees cultural standards and the conference of honors, awards and honorific titles. The Ministry of the Court is also sometimes seen as a censorship body. All publications in music, fiction, and non-fiction (apart from the Herald, which is overseen by the Ministry of Security) must be approved by the Ministry before being circulated for public consumption. Members of the Court and the *katzpotivyek* are held to strict standards of dress, even including what materials the garments can be made from and what styles of hat are permissible. These standards are more lax for the middle and working classes, and for the petty aristocracy in smaller towns.

The Ministry of the Court is currently headed by Serro Batar.

## Ministry of Science

The Ministry of Science oversees the scientific projects, studies, and innovations of Cavnal's foremost scientists. The top scientists in both the physical scientists and the human (life) sciences work within the Ministry building itself, a vast complex divided into two wings with varying levels of security between them. Any scientist in Cavnal may make an application for sponsorship or a grant to the Ministry of Science, but it is widely acknowledged that few scientists outside of the Ministry itself ever see any state funding. All scientific inventions, however, must be approved by the Ministry before they can be circulated among the population at large. Because of this, most of the scientific innovations occur within the tightly controlled confines of the Ministry building.

The current Minister of Science is Lev Baisell

## Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of Justice oversees the court systems and the appointing of judges throughout Cavnal. Its primary sphere of activity within Brinmark is the Common Court, which is where all of the complaints of the people against the government are heard. Civil courts for cases between private individuals are located in every major city, but most smaller towns and hamlets have only one judicial officer who acts as judge and jury for local complaints. The Minister of Justice not only oversees the court systems but, in cases involving the Common Court, sits on the bench as a tie-breaking vote.

The current Minister of Justice is Desmine Bell (the Elder).

## Ministry of the Exchange

The Ministry of the Exchange is responsible for maintaining the currency, the banks, standards of weight and measure, and securities. Considered one of the most powerful of the Ministries, it also has the power to set standards of cost and wages, the foreign exchange, and taxation. Under its umbrella is the Crown Treasury, the Bank of Cavnal, and the Exchange, which is the Cavnish equivalent of a stock market. Before 1028 the Ministry of the Exchange was governed solely by its Minister. However, in 1028, a number of notorious cases arose where the acting Minister devalued the manufactured products of his family's competitors. After that, a Committee of Finance was established to prevent that sort of corruption from damaging the integrity of the Ministry again.

The current Minister of the Exchange is Desmine Bell (the Younger).

## Ministry of Security

The Ministry of Security oversees the civil police force, the prisons, and maritime security agents. Although the Intelligence Committee is commonly considered the intelligence branch of the police force, it is not actually under the direct oversight of this or any of the Ministries—its independence from Court pressures considered crucial to its ability to maintain neutrality and objectivity. The Ministry does however take report from the IC on regular occasions, and is expected to share pertinent intelligence with the rest of the Court. It also has responsibility for training, equipping, and outfitting the police, hearing disciplinary cases against its officers, and appointing sheriffs and constables in urban areas. The Ministry has recently been under suspicion for creating a second elite police branch, called the *Chernayi,* which a majority of the Court had voted against.

The Ministry of Security is currently overseen by Locan Blake

## Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health is responsible for maintaining standards of practice for physicians, nurses, and other medical care providers, for maintaining state hospital facilities, orphanages and sanitariums, and cooperating with the Ministry of Science in the development of new medical procedures and medicines. It is overseen by the Medical Board, a collection of three physicians, two surgeons, four nurses, and four military medics, representing the Medic Corps which falls under the umbrella of both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defense.

The current Minister of Health is Dr. Ricard Schall

## Ministry of Roads

The Ministry of Roads is responsible for maintaining the Cavnish highways, rural and urban roadways, toll roads, and rail lines. In recent years it has also assumed responsibility for maintaining electrical power lines and radio transmitting stations and relays, but there has been talk of shifting the power lines to the Ministry of Science, and the radio operations to the Ministry of Defense.

Vigda Rigyeri is the current Minister of the Roads.

## Ministry of Maritime Affairs

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs governs the fishing industry, the Merchant Navy, and the licensure of all sailing vessels that fly a Cavnish ensign. The Ministry operates a maritime police force akin to the Coast Guard, which is not under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defense. The Maritime Gun Fleet patrols the coastal waters and ensures that all foreign vessels pay any appropriate tariffs or duties upon docking.

Capt. Vestry Prefanin currently serves as Minister of Maritime Affairs.

## Ministry of External Affairs

The Ministry of External Affairs primarily monitors trade relations with foreign countries, the delegation of Cavnish ambassadors to foreign embassies (with the approval of the Cavnish monarch), and the reception and protection of the ambassadors sent to Cavnal from other nations. It has no authority to broker trade deals or alliances, but the three members of its Foreign Council are frequently brought into diplomatic sessions with other nations as an advisory body to the monarch.

Minister Jak Vitresk is the current Minister of External Affairs.

## Ministry of Labor

The Ministry of Labor is responsible for the monitoring of the Cavnish labor force, the approval and funding of new factories and plants, promulgation of industry safety regulations (where any exist), and monitoring the activity of the *stavos*, who are not technically a criminal body but whose power requires extra oversight. The Ministry keeps data on which industries are flourishing and which are struggling, and advises the Ministry of the Exchange of which companies or firms to support.

The current Minister of Labor is Yelin Nalan