The Galudonian Government

The Galudonian government has seen many iterations over the centuries. Whether it be noble rule or the senatorial government of recent times, the Kingdom has been consistently managed by an elite political force tasked with overseeing its day-to-day operations without executive oversight of the Galudonian Monarch. Nowadays, the Government is split into four distinct separate executives, each with their own powers and authority.

The Monarchy

The Monarch of Galudon, whether it be King, Queen or other, has full executive authority in all matters within the Kingdom. Since the enactment of the Accord of the Freeborn, most of this authority is relatively withheld to allow for the Parliament and/or Senatorial Government to legislate on the Monarch’s behalf. Only note that, in times of dire circumstance, the Monarch will step in to provide oversight and enact rulings where necessary for the sake of the people of Galudon. The Monarch has full legal immunity. This position is currently held by King Frederick Caelock

Outside of the Monarch themselves, the Royal family, namely any Princes or Princesses have little to no authority unless granted such by the Monarch himself. They do however have legal protections, and are treated as an extension of the Monarch under the Kingdom’s various treason laws. Do note however, that unlike the Monarch, the Princes and Princesses are not protected by the disobedience of royal orders law, and can be taken to task on any order given by their person. The Princes and Princesses have full legal immunity, unless otherwise revoked by the Monarch retroactively. These positions are currently held by Prince Ambrose Caelock and Princess Lyra Caelock.

The Royal Court

The Royal Court encompasses the many courtiers and attendants that work for and on behalf of the Galudonian Monarch. The Royal Court has a number of official positions, each possessing their own individual powers and authority separate from that of the Galudonian Ministries, Parliament, Marshalry and Judiciary. They answer directly to the Monarch, and are expected to carry out their roles dutifully and encompass the values of the Monarch by not intentionally bringing harm to the Kingdom or disrupting the concept of Galudonian progress. Additionally, individuals are appointed directly to these positions by the ruling Monarch. There is no set procedure on acquiring these positions, only that the Monarch must bestow the office upon them. They can be applied for by petition to the Monarch via letter, or by appealing to the Monarch via interaction in game such as a royal audience.

Emissary to the Interior

The Emissary to the Interior is the chief advisor to the Galudonian Monarch. They are expected to liaise with the Monarch and advise on all matters in the Kingdom, but are primarily concerned with advising the Monarch in relation to the welfare of the common citizenry and the happenings of the nations various nobles, magnates, the other government branches etc. The Emissary of the Interior is also expected to govern the Monarch’s written communications, and acts as a direct line between all members of the public, regardless of station, and the Monarch. The Emissary of the Interior’s main powers are:

• Are expected to hold a meeting bi-weekly with the Monarch to advise him on the current happenings within the Kingdom.
• Deals with letters and pleas to the Monarch from members of the public. All letters must go through the Emissary to the Interior, who will then choose whether the matter is important enough to pass onto the Monarch.
• Host monthly exhibits on the health of the Kingdom, such as showcasing various flora and fauna exhibits, holding lectures about the current political climate, hold lectures regarding the natural wonders in Galudon and generally hold events specifically aimed at informing the King, the Court and other attendees about what is happening in the world.

Crown Custodian

The Crown Curator is charged with the Monarch’s cultural and historical collection. The Crown Curator provides displays of music, the arts, fashion, entertainments and historical artifact shows on behalf of the Monarch. Moreover, they are charged with the opening and closing of royal balls of the season, announcing the presence of the Royal Family as they arrive, advising the Royal Court on cultural trends, emerging artists and social happenings. The Crown Custodian’s main powers are:

• Holding cultural royal galas showcasing significant works of fashion, history, music, the arts and entertainment.
• Managing the Monarch’s collection of artifacts, tomes, royal library and fashion.
• Utilizing a monthly royal stipend for the purpose of advancing culture and history within the Kingdom of £50,000.
• Setting the seasonal fashion trends and expected habits.
• Funding businesses with significant contribution to the people of the capital using a monthly royal stipend of £50,000.

Royal Plenipotentiary

The Royal Plenipotentiary is responsible for hosting the Monarch’s diplomatic parties. This includes coordinating with the other members of the Royal Court to best entertain the dignitaries as well as provide guidance for Galudon’s elite. They also set the diplomat’s social calendars for the duration of their stay. The Royal Plenipotentiary conveys all necessary information to the Royal Court for the diplomat’s stay, as well as provides feedback on diplomatic visits and any detrimental incidents. Importantly though, the Royal Plenipotentiary has Monarch authority to call upon dignitaries without the Monarch’s direct approval, and can engage in diplomatic arrangements and sign diplomatic agreements on behalf of the Monarch in conjunction and with bi-lateral approval with the Galudonian Minister for Foreign Relations. The Royal Plenipotentiary’s main powers are:

• Can summon a foreign dignitary from a non-hostile state to Galudon for the purpose of a diplomatic visit.
• Sets the dignitaries meeting schedule, including with non-royal family members, and are tasked with ensuring the dignitaries comfort during their stay.
• Hosts a public gathering/gala for the dignitary during their stay for the purpose of allowing the citizens of Galudon to interact with the dignitary.
• Has diplomatic authority to enter into treaties, agreements and contracts with foreign states on behalf of the Monarch, provided there is unilateral approval between the Royal Plenipotentiary and the Minister for Foreign Relations.

Premier of Progress

The Premier of Progress is responsible for heading research and sponsoring the latest in technological advancement. They are granted a Royal Stipend of £50,000 a month to invest into future proprietary technologies and patents that best benefit the needs of the nation. They are responsible for briefing the royal court on all technological movements, of both Galudon and nations abroad, and are expected to research these advancements and investigate foreign technology where possible. The Premier of Progress’ main powers are:

• Using the monthly stipend to direct and invest into new public technologies, or those that benefit the Kingdom in some way.
• Advising the Royal Court and Monarch on the current technological advancements of the world.
• Organizing research ventures into new technologies with additional royal funding (pending discussion with the Monarch.)
• Organizing tech related conferences with relevant engineers for the Monarch to attend.
• Visiting foreign nations’ engineering and technology centers for the purpose of viewing and investigating foreign tech.

Royal Marshal of the Sovereign Army

The Royal Marshal not only advises the Monarch and the Royal Court on the overall health of the Galudonian Marshalry and those of foreign armies, but also commands the Monarch’s own Royal Army in official Galudon wars where necessary. The Royal Marshal also organizes the defense of the Royal Palace, the Monarch’s royal guard and security detail for Royal events. They also are the Monarch’s representative at all meetings of the Galudonian Marshalry, military ceremonies and presentations. The Royal Marshal’s main powers are:

• Leading the Monarch’s royal army during a time of war.
• Organizing and maintaining a Royal Guard.
• Attend Marshalry meetings as the Monarch’s representative.
• Relaying Marshalry information back to the Monarch and Royal Court.
• Provide insight and advise the Monarch on all matters regarding the military.

Crown Provisioner

The Crown Provisioner is charged with the distribution of rare and otherwise contraband materials to the public—with a focus on inventors—for the purpose of advancing technology within the Kingdom of Galudon. All recipients of such materials are bound to use them responsibly. Any resulting inventions are, by nature, granted in quasi-lease to the Crown and Government, permitting their replication and use for the benefit of the realm. The Crown Provisioner shall maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date register of all materials distributed, including the identities of their recipients, and shall be held accountable for any misuse of materials granted under their authority. The powers of the Crown Provisioner are as follows:

• The Crown Provisioner shall oversee the allocation of a limited quantity of stabilised Cymrinite, not exceeding three (3) pieces per month, to be granted to inventors for the purposes of hextech innovation and/or research. Such allocations are non-cumulative and shall not carry over between months.
• The Crown Provisioner shall likewise oversee the allocation of rare materials, as designated within the official Materials Registry of the Kingdom (See the materials page on the wiki), not exceeding one (1) such material per month, to be granted for the purposes of invention and/or research. These allocations are likewise non-cumulative.

The Executive Branch

The Executive Branch is an arm of the Galudonian Government that is awarded executive authority to carry out tasks and execute orders without the explicit approval of Parliament. Formerly, the Executive Branch was made up of a number of independent ministries - however, in the wake of recent reforms, the Council of Ministers took over most of those roles. Now, all Ministers are collectively responsible for undertaking the responsibilities of those former offices. The only Offices that remain currently are the Speaker of the House and that of the Prime Minister, which are separate from the Council of Ministers.

Prime Minister

The Prime Minister is the de-facto head of the legislative Parliament and its representatives. Typically, the Prime Minister is voted in by majority vote, beginning a 3 month term in office before ceding power back to Parliament and allowing the Parliament to vote again on which representative should be Prime Minister. Additionally, the Prime Minister is charged with ensuring that each of the other Ministries are performing their duties adequately. The current Prime Minister is: Rinnoka Eilheen. In order to carry out these tasks, the following powers are bestowed upon the Prime Minister:

• The Prime Minister is responsible for setting overarching Ministerial policy and what particular areas of governance need to be focused on by the other Ministries.
• The Prime Minister is responsible for calling to order bi-weekly (minimum) Government sittings.
• The Prime Minister can veto any proposal per Parliament sitting if at least 20% of the attending representatives oppose the proposal. Overuse of the Veto may result in a Royal Summons to the Royal Palace depending on the circumstances.
• The Prime Minister can suspend entire Ministerial offices to call for an investigation into impropriety, corruption or stagnancy.
• The Prime Minister has all time access to meetings with the King for Government related affairs, and can bypass the need for approval with the Royal Court’s Emissary of the Interior.
• The Prime Minister is expected to communicate frequently with the public at large about the current state of the Kingdom and the government’s actions affecting them.
• The Prime Minister may dismiss any Minister, regardless of whether a vote of no confidence has been carried out, whereby it can be shown that the Minister is unable to perform their role. The Minister in question may then appeal this decision to the Royal Household if they so wish, but must prove that they were adequately acting within the Ministerial Council.
• The Prime Minister may suspend the governance of any Magnate or Noble, pending investigation, over one of their respective provinces where it is believed they are harming the integrity of its citizens, or merely hoarding funds for personal gain.
• The Prime Minister may prorogue Parliament at any time where they believe that the Government is failing to carry out its duties effectively for the benefit of the Kingdom. Proroguing Parliament stalls Parliament for 1 month or until either the Prime Minister or the Monarch opts to lift the Prorogue. Ministers will continue to carry out their duties as normal during that time.

Speaker of the House

The Speaker of the House isn’t a minister per-se, but rather a conductor who is expected to keep the decorum of Parliament throughout its proceedings. The Speaker has unilateral authority to quell a member of Parliament who is misbehaving or is acting in a way that is unbecoming of the democratic process, and can remove them from proceedings after a warning. The Speaker also advises and informs the house of information that may be pertinent to a particular proposal, and orders the proposals for vote accordingly. The Speaker initiates proposal votes once the proposal and any amendments have been outlined. This position is currently held by Duke Mattigan Wrayburn. The powers of the Speaker are:

• They can call to order the Parliamentary proceedings and remove a misbehaving representative after warnings.
• Initiating the voting procedure in Parliament.
• Tallying the votes and declaring whether they pass or fail.
• Advising the representatives of any information pertinent to an ongoing proposal.

The Council of Ministers

The Council of Ministers is the executive branch of the Galudonian Government headed by the Prime Minister, wielding a significant degree of executive authority. Ministers, those individuals appointed to the Council, are expected to carry out their duties diligently and regularly, ensuring Parliament remains informed about the Kingdom's current needs and necessities. They play a crucial role in briefing legislative representatives, providing essential information and context before voting begins on any particular matter. Their responsibilities include presenting detailed reports, proposing actionable solutions, and advising on the potential impacts of legislative decisions, thus bridging the gap between executive action and legislative deliberation. That said, the Ministers have a vast number of executive powers, and those powers will be detailed fully below in different categories.

Ministers are appointed by attaining at least two approvals from three possible sources. These are:

• Majority vote of Parliament.
• Successful interview for aptitude by Emissary of the Interior Vyrixine Craith.
• Successful interview for aptitude by King Frederick Caelock.

The Ministers themselves need not be a representative in Parliament. They do however need to be part of a representative political party, and may be proposed to a Ministry at any sitting of the Galudonian Parliament.

Executive Social Authority

• Oversees social programs and welfare schemes by directing Government funds to specific areas of the Kingdom deemed to be needing improvement. This can also be utilised to construct necessary municipal structures in provinces lacking such but will need to be maintained at the expense of the governing Magnate of said province.
• The Ministers are also responsible for safeguarding and enriching the Kingdom’s diverse cultures through funding for their continued development. Additionally, the Ministers can hold progression-related cultural events in specific provinces and regions, which may temporarily bolster stability in those areas and even attract NPC dignitaries to the region by proxy.
• The Ministers may approve and abolish State regulated guilds and organizations, and set up Guild Accounts as well as provide funding for them if they so wish.
• The Ministers can cordon off entire provinces from outside influence from other Magnate entities by law where there is an ongoing crisis.
• The Ministers are responsible for registering all illegal contraband and manage a register for such.
• The Ministers can bar an individual from acting as trial Justiciars.
• The Ministers can set the punishment regulations for prison sentences for those who waive their right to trial for the Copperguard Enforcers.
• The Ministers can pardon individuals of their crimes where they feel satisfied that in doing so there is an inherent benefit to the Kingdom at large.
• The Ministers can set public health standards for the hospital to operate from during the course of their duties.
• The Ministers are responsible for overseeing education initiatives by directing Government funds to specific areas of the Kingdom deemed needing improvement.
• The Ministers can hold cultural festivals in the city highlighting any particular culture for the enrichment of all members of the public.
• The Ministers can direct the Ironhurst University to research into a specific scientific, arcane, or engineering question to be answered, by funding such an initiative with Government Funds.
• The Ministers can appoint and create an Order to manage a register of all legalized curse afflicted individuals.
• The Ministers manage a register of all active doctors performing out of the Galudonian hospital, and appoint one of them as a director over the others.
• The Ministers can cordon off an entire district or province if there is a reasonably suspected health danger outbreak.
• The Ministers can manage a register of approved medical practices to be performed across all of the Kingdom's medical centers.
• The Ministers can engage with mercenary companies for the purpose of capturing an individual in violation of the curse laws.
• The Ministers can establish their own taskforce or group for the purpose of capturing an individual or individuals in violation of the curse laws.

Executive Foreign Policy Authority

• The Ministers can hire and appoint diplomats/ambassadors to foreign nations on behalf of the Government.
• The Ministers can set government foreign policy toward other nations, and can appoint a Ministerial figurehead for all foreign affairs. By default, this is the Prime Minister. Government Foreign Policy should include whether or not a nation should be treated as a friend, neutral or enemy of the state.
• The Ministers can dispatch diplomats to foreign nations for the purpose of bettering relations/creating treaties/agreements.
• The Ministers can summon friendly nations’ foreign diplomats and dignitaries to the Kingdom.
• The Ministers can summon dignitaries from within the Kingdom (such as NPC Magnates) to the capital.
• The Ministers can declare any citizen or nation’s citizens “persona non grata” and unwelcome in the state, which strips that individual of all citizenship rights.

Executive Military Authority

• Unanimously, the Ministers may declare war on another nation or state.
• The Ministers can force conscription of a particular magnate/magnates or all magnates manpower up to 50% of their total manpower pool.
• The Ministers can designate any number of conscripted manpower to the Galudonian Marshalry.
• The Ministers can force conscription of a particular magnate/magnates or all magnates naval and air vessels up to 30% of each.
• The Ministers can utilize government military resources, such as manpower, naval and air vessels and designate them to the Galudonian Marshalry.
• The Ministers can revoke any number of troops, manpower or otherwise, naval and air vessels from the Galudonian Marshalry.
• The Ministers can ban certain individuals, a group of individuals or all individuals of a particular nationality, curse, or otherwise from serving in the Galudonian Military.

Executive Financial Authority

• The Ministers can freely manage the government’s finances and accounts, and can move finances around to whatever accounts at will.
• The Ministers can set overarching taxes on individual Magnates, all magnates as a group, civilians and organizations.
• The Ministers set the overarching tariffs on imports and exports.
• The Ministers are responsible for levying fines against Magnates in the case of impropriety or stagnation in governance in their areas of influence.
• The Ministers can freeze any individual’s account, save for royal coffers, for investigation purposes for a particular crime.
• The Ministers can purchase more naval and airships for the Government with government finances.
• The Ministers can designate a stipend of any amount to any particular ministry.
• The Ministers can borrow money at an agreed interest rate from other nations.

The Parliament

The Parliament is the main legislative authority in the Kingdom. It supersedes all other executive apparatus’ save for the Monarchy and is responsible primarily with making, changing and revoking laws. The Parliament is awarded a significant amount of authority due to its diverse representatives who are charged with policing one another’s policies and proposals. There is little Parliament cannot do, provided the representatives are able to pass a motion by a 50.01% majority (quorum.) Parliament is also responsible for policing the various ministries, and can remove a Minister from power (the Prime Minister’s veto is considered null in this respect) by a vote of no confidence, requiring a 66% majority of at least 80% of the sitting representatives at that Parliamentary session. More details on Parliamentary representatives and membership can be seen below.

Parliamentary Representatives

Parliamentary representatives are individuals who are elected to, and are responsible for, the law making practices of the Kingdom. All Parliamentary representatives are required to be a member of a political party with a published manifesto. There is only one rule prejudicing against who can and cannot be a member of Parliament, that being that they have to be a Galudonian citizen. One need only qualify under the regulations set out below under Galudonian Parliament membership. This means that any person of any race, gender, creed or even curse can be a member of Parliament, provided they meet the aforementioned criteria.

There are only ten representative seats in Parliament.

Parliamentary Representatives have no specific title, such as Senator for the senators of old. Instead, it's customary, but not mandatory, to simply refer to them as ‘Representative’. For example, a PParliamentary Representative named Spungo Bob would simply be referred to as Representative Bob. It's rare that you would call a Representative by their first name during a Parliamentary sitting, and such is seen as a mark of disrespect. The only time this is considered permissible is if two sitting representatives share the same surname, at which point a distinction can be made.

Galudonian Parliament Membership

To be represented in Parliament, you must be a member of a Political Party. These parties can stand for any ideology—whether conservative, centrist, liberal, pro-magic, pro-technology, or values that oppose those positions. However, every party is required to maintain a group thread in the Roleplay Groups channel of the Gears of Galudon Discord. This thread should detail the party’s manifesto, goals, and overall vision. It must also include a list of members, with each character’s name and their player’s Minecraft username.

For example, Duke Mattigan Wrayburn is the chairman of the Galudonian Technological Supremacy Party, a group that supports centrist ideals, is pro-monarchy, advocates for a stronger nobility, and is firmly anti-magic, anti-cursed, and pro-war with Galudon’s enemies. On the other hand, Prudence Steelspire is part of The Luminary Coalition, a liberal-leaning party that supports undocumented inclusion of some curses, favors relaxed trade and tariff laws, opposes military expansion, and prioritizes entertainment and business development. The direction your party takes is entirely up to you, and the more detailed your manifesto, the more material you’ll have to engage in meaningful debate in Parliament.

Once a party is created, it must compete in elections, which occur every three months. Individual characters do not run—only the party itself does. During each election, players vote for the top three parties they’d like to see in Parliament. The system is proportional representation, first past the post. A party can hold a maximum of three seats. If a party receives more first-place votes than it has seats available, the extra votes transfer to the party listed second on those ballots.

If your party secures seats in Parliament, you may send up to that number of party members to any Parliamentary sitting as official Representatives for that seating. Once chosen, these representatives are logged in the master spreadsheet as in attendance, and may vote and debate on the Parliament floor.

Galudonian Parliamentary Procedure

The Galudonian Parliament has a strict code of conduct attached to it known as Galudonian Parliamentary procedure. All representatives are expected to comply with Parliamentary procedure during their tenure as representatives. The procedure is as follows:

• The Speaker of the House will call the Parliament to order at the beginning of each sitting, after which, any absentee representatives will be noted.
• The Speaker will then require all Parties to announce their representatives for that sitting.
• Any individual acting in place of an absent representative will then make themselves known to the Parliamentary floor.
• All Parliamentary replacement representatives are required to follow the same rules as regular Parliamentary representatives when sitting in Parliament.
• Representatives are required to be seated by the call to order. Those late will not be allowed to join the sitting until the first recess is called, if any.
• No weapons of any kind can be brought into the Parliamentary sitting. Those found bearing weapons in Parliament will be found in violation of Galudonian law and be imprisoned and fined.
• Representatives must submit any proposals or bills that they wish to bring to the floor by at minimum, 24 hours before the scheduled sitting. All proposed bills will be logged in the logistics spreadsheet master document 24 hours before the scheduled sitting. Any last minute proposals/bills can be brought up at the end of the sitting, provided the speaker allows them. Note, these last minute proposals/bills must be minor to be permitted.
• All proposals save for votes of no confidence pass with a 50.01% majority.
• Representatives must wait to be recognised by the speaker before addressing the Parliament. Outbursts of any kind without being permitted to openly debate by the speaker may result in expulsion from the Parliamentary floor.
• Representatives are expected to conduct themselves with behavior fitting of their station. Vulgarity, personal insults or physical threats of/or violence during Parliamentary proceedings will result in expulsion from Parliament and possible incarceration by members of the Copperguard Enforcers.
• Parliamentary sittings are set to operate at a maximum of 2 hours. Any additional time required is at the discretion of the speaker.
• The speaker can call to close any proposal if it is suspected of being a filibuster. Representatives are expected not to waste Parliament's time.
• Members of the public are permitted to speak at the Parliamentary floor, if called upon by a representative or the speaker, however the speaker must permit such.
• Members of the public are expected to act with decorum and behave during Parliamentary proceedings and can be ejected from Parliament Hall if they are being disruptive to proceedings.
• Representatives are permitted to call for a vote of no confidence on any Minister. The vote must be carried with a minimum of 66% of at least 80% of all representatives, whether they are there during that sitting or not.