The Ralsiian Star Empire and Ralsiian Species

The Ralsiian Star Empire and Ralsiian Species - Government

The central government is a three-stage system similiar to that of Imperial Germany Pre-WWI on Earth in many ways. The Queen of all the Ralsiians (Official title) is also the Empress of the Ralsiian Star Empire. Though she is the absolute ruler of Ralsiia and four major colony worlds which are considered parts of Ralsiia as far as the entire Ralsiian Star Empire is concerned, answering only to the Twenty Two Countesses (Or Counts, in rare cases), of the Counties of the five said planets, and the colonies in-system. This Oligarchy of sorts has the Countesses and the Empress proposing legistation, which the Countesses would then vote on; The Empress has a right to absolute veto or approval of such bills that apply only to Ralsiia and the main Colonies.

The Elven system is rather similiar in all respects, while the humans have a King or Queen who is only a figurehead and a House of Lords and a Senate (Though it is like a House of Commons) for their own homeworld and colonies. The Wolven elect a ruler from among the rulers of their various nation-states to act as an absolute ruler until such time as they choose another; Elections are arbitrary six year events or whenever one is called by popular demand for them.

The Vyrmpyre have no formal government.

The Dominions all have governments consisting of a House of Lords, a House of Commoners, and an elected Premier, who selects the representative to the People's House of the Ralsiian Star Empire.

The People's House of the Ralsiian Star Empire votes on all legistation and creates it. If it passes them, it goes on to the House of Lords, which consists of nobility from the five major races; the People's House has representatives from the five races, but also from the Dominions, while there is no nobility of high enough rank to receive seats on the House of Lords from the Dominions.

The House of Lords must have a 60% majority to veto bills coming from the People's House, but it can be done. The Empress of the Ralsiian Star Empire is the commander of all military forces, and makes all foreign policy decisions; Including those of War and Peace, and relation status with other governments. The Empress, of course, being the same position as the Queen of All the Ralsiians, is a matriarachal position inheirited from mother to firstborn daughter or the next closest female relative, as per the Ralsiians' matriarachal heritage. Only a 60% majority in the Ralsiian Star Empire's House of Lords can overrule such decisions. Likewise, an Imperial Veto must be met with no less than 60% of the People's House and 75% of the House of Lords voting against it to change the veto.

This places rather awesome power in the hands of the Empress of the Ralsiian Star Empire, but it is not absolute... Though close to it.

The People's House does select the Commissar of the Colonial Branch, which oversees all subject races and the colonial planets, and can appoint and dismiss governor-generals of said planets at will, while the Dominion Minister is responsible for relations with the Dominion. The twin planets of the Concordiat are governed by the Commissar of the Concordiat, who is selected by the People's House as well. They have their own House of Commoners and House of Lords under that.

The Empress can appoint and even invent titles of personnel to assist her in her duties and rights, such as the Foreign Minister, ect, though such titles and ministerships require approval by 50% of the House of Lords before they can become formal. The Empress can dismiss such ministers and revoke such titles at will, however.

In addition to City and local courts, there are courts appointed by local nobility or by local vote (In the Dominions and many of the areas of the Counties of the three major powers, as with the Wolven). Above those courts, appeal can be made to planetary courts, which are the House of Lords to that planet or government, or a court made up of members appointed by the Governor General for Colonies and subject worlds, or, for the Wolven, a court made up of the leaders of the assorted nation states on their two worlds. Beyond that, appeal could also be made to what functions as the highest court of the land, the House of Lords for the entire Ralsiian Star Empire.

The current reigning Empress is Empress Saverana II, which a new class of Dreadnought has been named in honour of (It is customary to name the first ship of a new large-ship class after the reigning Empress). The Empress is comparatively young for her post, at only 45 standard years old (Ralsiians have an average lifespan of roughly 550 years, though they develop as quickly as Humans, and then age more slowly). She is a very strong-willed leader, but one who has been tried by the recent revelations in these past years about the full scale of the intergalactic civilization that they have been thrust into. However, she leads her people from the front, so to speak, and is a popular, vocal figure. As a downside, she is also hot tempered and inclined to make off the cuff remarks that her Diplomats can end up spending months playing down. The Empress is as of yet unbonded.

[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

Writeup by Marina O'Leary (LusankyaN@aol.com ).

Reformatting by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).