The 'Lord' Regent

> *"Peace on New-Earth and goodwill to all"*
>
>

> **- Thomas Ashbury, Lord Regent -**
>
>

> *"Voice of the Empress"*
>
>

The Regent is the leader of the Eternal Empire second only to the Empress; acting on the Empress's behalf on state matters, he is the highest point of authority known to the Commonwealth besides the enigmatic Empress.

While many have filled the position of Lord Regent, one Lord Regent Ashbury is noted as one the of the most prominent. His legacy being one of unfettered expansion and advancement that was cut short by an untimely demise.

At first is was not known how the Lord Regent was selected for the position nor was it known how much authority he wielded. Given that the Empire hails an Empress and has done so for over 300 years it was speculated that the Lord Regent could be also be female. It was later discovered that the Lord Regent was chosen by the Eternal Empress though in the case of all four Lord Regents they were also the most highly recommended by peers.

### Overview

The position of Lord Regent is the centre of all power in the Eternal Empire, second only to the Empress, the Regent rules over all and none but the Empress can contest this authority; for the Regent acts on behalf of Her Majesty, his actions and thoughts are supposedly one with the Empress and what the Regent does he does so with her consent.

A Lord Regent has at their control the entire nation, whatever they will is what will be. They may appoint anyone to any position they see fit and vice verse anyone can be removed, the Regents sets state agenda; decides tax rate, directs industrial focus, makes law, enacts edicts etc etc. No other position in the entire Empire bequests such power to personnel besides **Empress Victoria VIII,** the power of the Lord Regent cannot be understated; however, this power is not the Lord Regent's power. It is the Empress's.

If the Lord Regent is ever believed to be acting against the interests of the Empress, the Empire or its people, then his or her power is revoked; Lord Regents cannot go about appointing whoever they see fit or removing those they dislike, for of all the people in the Empire it is his / her actions that are scrutinised and viewed by the Empress most. The Empress may not walk amongst the top ranks but at her will she may look inside their thoughts and the Lord Regent is frequented the most.

The position is not inherited, nor is there a prerequisite of royal or noble blood; the position is assigned by merit entire and only the most devoted and gifted are assigned the position, while those who hold the title may not be the most talented in any one regard they hold a unique ability to grasp at all the cards and direct the Empire like no warlord or bureaucrat could do. In any case the title of ***Lord*** Regent is just a formalisation of the position as the titleholder may come from a background that in no way would give them grounds as a Lord.

### Hierarchy

Besides the Empress, the Lord Regent is the top position of the Empire

* **The Empress:** *The Eternal Empress commands all.*
* **The 'Lord' Regent:** *The Eternal Empress cannot do it alone.*
	+ **The Imperial Court:** *A group of the highest ranking personal within the Empire, as a group coordinating the efforts of the Empire and enacting national policies and campaigns.*
* **The Lord Admiral:** *Charged with delivering what is demanded of the Sovereign Armada.*
* **Field Marshals:** Field Marshals are the same rank as the Lord Admiral but due to the massive dependency on void supremacy nothing can be done without said Admiral's approval. A Field Marshal conducts large scale warfare while a single Marshal oversees the invasion of a planet unless a Field Marshal leads it
* **The Eternal Ministry:** *The governing body of the Empire, bureaucrats and overseers, accountants and advisors. This is the oiling machine for the gears of state.*

### Voice of the Empress ?

The above is a title vouchsafed to the individual who speaks on behalf of the Empress, ether speaking word-for-word or through in their own ways, this person is the most frequent visitor of the chamber in which the Empress lives; while the title of 'Lord Regent' and 'Voice of the Empress' are separate titles it is common for these two titles to be held by the same individual.

If the titles were to be held by two separate people though then the title of 'Voice of the Empress' holds little authority besides what the Empress wishes him / her to say i.e. if the speaker wished to amass the armies or navy than he / she has no power whatsoever to do it unless he does so by the Empresses command.

## Life of a Lord Regent

How a Lord Regent fulfils their duty is left to them, so long as what they do achieves its goal; one Regent may spend the days personally administrating the Empire from an office while another may delegate it to the Eternal Ministry, one might personally oversee developing colonies while another simply sets quotas and priorities. A Regent can do whatever they think necessary and no-one but the Empress can tell them otherwise.

The titleholder has a permanent residence within Buckingham Palace though they by no means have to live or work there; in terms of income the Lord Regent does not directly receive much compared to a Lord Admiral but all costs are paid for and pays no tax, this tax exemption extends to close relatives and after 20 years of service they are all guaranteed additional monetary income. This makes the Lord Regent and close family rich indeed as they can easily turn the extra income into investments and businesses.

## The Lord Regents

Throughout the history of the Eternal Empire there have been a handful of individuals to hold the position, each one shaped the Empire as their different characters were impressed onto the nation.

* **Lord Regent Arabella Allerton** **(2152-2189: Fatal Illness)**

*"One people, one banner; one Queen, one country"*

* **Lord Regent Thomas Ashbury** **(2189-2237: Fatal Wound)**

'*"Peace on New-Earth and goodwill to all"'*

* **Lord Regent Jacob Williams** **(2237-2280: Resigned)**

*"No man left behind, no Xeno life spared"*

* **Lord Regent Daniel Lavoie (2280-Present)**

*"The war will bring about an era of peace, justice, morality, culture, sport, family life, and the obliteration of all other life forms"*