Governors

A governor is an official appointed by the Predaconian monarch (or the cabinet) to oversee one of his dependencies and realms and is the (sometimes notional) head of the colonial administration. A governor's power may diminish as the colony gained a more responsible government vested in such institutions as an Executive Council to help with the colony's administration, and in a further stage of self-government, Legislative Councils or Assemblies, in which the Governor often has a role. A **governor** is also an official to be the chief administrator of Imperial law throughout one or more of the many areas constituting the Imperium.

The generic term in legal language is *Rector,*regardless of the specific titles, which also reflect the area's intrinsic and strategic status, and corresponding differences in authority.

The title can also apply to the executive officials acting as representatives of a chartered company which has been granted exercise of sovereignty in a colonial area, such as the West Cybertron Company. These companies operate as a major state within a state with its own armed forces.

## Prince-Electors

The secular Prince-Electors hold the gubernatorial title of **“Proconsul”**, as well as personal endings depending on original meanings. Each of them holds an optional, personal ending as well.

* Proconsul-Elector de Provincia populi Predaconi Warzyle
* Proconsul-Elector de Provincia populi Predaconi Magyk
* Proconsul-Elector de Provincia populi Predaconi Erembros
* Proconsul-Elector de Provincia populi Predaconi Pryson

## Gubernatorial ranks in constituent polities

A constituent polity is a state entity that constitutes a part of the Imperium. A constituent state holds regional jurisdiction over a defined administrative territory, whether it be an Inperium, Planetary prefecture, or province. Government of a constituent state is a form of regional government, and most devolutions have an appointed governor, creating some governors under others.

### Governors of the Inperiums (Kings and Vicars)

Officially, the sons of the Predaconian emperor are named, according to their position in succession, as King of the Inperiums, with official gubernatorial power.

In reality, due to the kings’ domicile being the Imperial Palace, officials known as **Vicars** (Latin: ***Vicarius*** (singular), ***Vicarii*** (plural) are appointed to the Inperiums, representing the Emperor and named at the position by His Majesty. The title literally means “deputy [of the Emperor]”, and is a position of great prestige, with all governors within his territorial jurisdiction under him. Where the Greek language is the *lingua franca*, the title may also be known as *exarch*.

The staff of a vicarius, his *officium*, is rather similar to a gubernatorial *officium*. His staff include:

* The princeps (i.e. chief of staff) was chosen from among the senior agentes in rebus (couriers or special investigators, 'men of affairs,' from the ministry of the interior headed by the master of the offices), from the salaried class of the ducenarii (those earning 200,000 sesterces a year - the highest regular pay grade in the Roman civil service; the highest officials, governors and above, were not civil service).

* A cornicularius ("chief of staff").

* Two numerarii (chief accountants).

* A commentariensis ("keeper of the commentary," the official diary).

* An adiutor (adjutant; literally "helper," an assistant).

* An ab actis ("acts-keeper," archivist).

* A cura epistolarum ("curator of correspondence").

* A personally-decided number of subadiuvae ("deputy assistants").

* Various exceptores (lower clerks).

* Singulares et reliquum officium (various menial staff).

### Governors of the Planetary Prefectures (Propraetors)

**Propraetores**, known in English as **governors-general** are Predaconian subjects, appointed on the advice of the Imperial Parliament, who act as agents of the Predaconian government in each Dominion, as well as being representatives of the monarch. As such they notionally hold the prerogative powers of the monarch, and also hold the executive power of the country to which they were assigned. The governor-general may be instructed by the colonial secretary on the exercise of some of his functions and duties, such as the use or withholding of the Imperial/Royal Assent from legislation; history shows many examples of governors-general using their prerogative and executive powers. The monarch or imperial government may overrule any governor-general, though this may often be cumbersome, due to remoteness of the territories from Rifarious.

The governor-general is also usually the commander-in-chief of the armed forces in his or her territory and, because of the governor-general's control of the military, the post is as much a military appointment as a civil one. The governors-general are entitled to wear a unique uniform, which is not generally worn today.

### Governors of the Provinces (Prefects of His Most August Majesty)

A **Praefectus Augustalis** (English: **lieutenant governor**) is the representative of the monarch and acts as the nominal chief executive officer of the realm, although by convention the lieutenant governor delegates actual executive power to the premier of the province. A prefect of a province usually holds the office for three or four years. An equestrian appointed to the office receives no specialized training, and is chosen for his military experience, and knowledge of Imperial law and administration.

### Governors of the Colonies (Procurator)

The executive branch is led by a governor, known as a **Praesidal Procurator Augusti**, and the legislative branch is divided into two houses, a governor's council and a representative assembly. In royal colonies, the governor and the council are appointed by the government. In proprietary colonies, these officials are appointed by proprietors, and they are elected in charter colonies. In every colony, the assembly is elected by property owners. The governor also commands troops, for conquest in name of the colony.

### Gubernatorial reformers (Correctors)

The office of corrector is for extraordinary officials of senatorial rank, who are tasked with investigating and reforming the administration in the provinces. To this end, they are entrusted with full *imperium maius*, which extends also to territories normally exempt from the authority of the Emperor's provincial governors: the free cities and the the senatorial provinces.

## Gubernatorial ranks within satellite areas

A satellite state is a state that is *de jure* independent but *de facto* heavily reliant, to the point of being completely dependent upon an the Imperium and completely submiting to their orders. Satellite states have nominal sovereignty, but the Empire effectively exercises control for reasons such as financial interests, economic or military support, while broadcasting a benevolent image. Thus such governors are not styled as such, but rather as advisors.

### Gubernator (Protectorates)

The title of gubernator is used for the protectorates, where the appointment of a governor would be inappropriate. While they, by custom and treaty, hold the real power over the protectorates, in theory they are all simply advisors to the natives for the interest of the Protector, the Imperium.

### Vices agens Imperator (Princely states)

Much of the Imperium is not ruled directly by the Government; outside the Commonwealth realms and dependencies, there are hundreds of millions of nominally independent princely states or "native states", whose relationship is not with the Government or a constituent state, but rather one of homage directly with the Predaconian emperor. All princes recognize the single paramount ruler as their senior, though not necessarily with effectively commanding authority (as in a true empire), but rather similar to lesser vassalage. To reflect the governor’s role as the Monarch's representative in fealty relationships with the princely states which are nominally independent and willingly under suzerainty, they are not titled as a governor but rather as Viceimperial, to show that they simply represent the emperor in the relationship. They are usually appointed to represent in multiple territories, and may be simultaneously the governor of an area.

### Moderator provinciae

A moderator is a provincial governor over a colony, but is not fully annexed into the Imperium (such as if a protectorate passed legislation to be a province but has not been also annexed to the Imperium for whatever reason).