Imperial Collage of Heralds, Information Division
Document TAK-0114/4
001-2370T

The Terran Magellanic Empire is the successor to the Terran Empire in the Greater Magellanic Cloud. Whilst it still owes theoretical fealty to the Terran Empire, there has been no contact with the Terran Empire for over 1,000 years and the Magellanic Territories have continued whilst awaiting contact to be reestablished. Its formal name is "The Magellanic Territories of the Terran Empire", but it is usually referred to as the Terran Magellanic Empire, or more frequently in recent times, simply the Magellanic Empire. Whilst the Empire never technically fell (Imperial rule and the Imperial bureaucracy were maintained on Breakout throughout the Second Dark Age), the current Empire can be best said to date from the proclamation of the Babylon Accords in 2127T.

The founding documents for the Terran Magellanic Empire are the Babylon Accords. These accords set forth the basic structure of the Empire and provide for its administration. These were put forth by Viceroy Henry IV in 2127T and found rapid approval within the former Terran territories within the Cloud. The Accords set forth the roles of the various arms of the Imperial government and established a system of checks and balances to prevent the abuse of power and adequate representation for all Imperial worlds. The Empire’s capital is located on Babylon {Yumazaca 2517} one of the three worlds under direct Imperial control.

The Empire is governed by the Viceroy of the Imperial Magellanic Territories acting as proxy for the Terran Emperor or Empress. The Viceroy is assisted and advised by the Magellanic Assembly (formal name "The Terran Imperial Magellanic Assembly"). The Assembly consists of representatives from all worlds not directly administered by the Imperial Government and is chaired by the Viceroy or (more often) his or her Chief Seneschal. Whilst the Assembly is theoretically simply an advisory body, its approval is required to raise taxes or levies on worlds not directly answerable to the Empire; and it would be an extremely reckless or bold Viceroy who would act without its approval. The representatives to the Magellanic Assembly are appointed directly by the individual worlds according to whatever procedures are decided upon locally. The current Viceroy is Sarah III, Princess of Breakout, of the House of Chang. She assumed the role in 2368T with the death of her father Martin VI. Though the position of Viceroy is technically non-hereditary, it has been held by the hereditary Prince or Princess of Breakout since 959T.

The Viceroy is assisted in his or her role by the Imperial bureaucracy and the Imperial nobility. The Imperial nobility theoretically consists of all those Peers who hold their patents of nobility directly from the Emperor or Empress (as represented by the Viceroy). In practice however only the High nobility are directly involved in Imperial government. These nobles act as proxies for the Viceroy within their respective territories, ensuring that the Viceroy’s policies are carried out.

The Imperial bureaucracy is divided into five ‘branches’: The Imperial Magellanic Scout Corp (IMSC), the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Justice, the Imperial Exchequer and the Collage of Heralds. The IMSC’s role is four fold: to maintain communications within the Empire, to conduct exploration outside the Empire, to maintain diplomatic relations with other states, and to investigate breaches of Imperial law. The Ministry of Defence’s role is to coordinate the defence of the realm. The Ministry of Justice’s role is to prosecute breaches of Imperial law and enforce such punishments as may be imposed. The Imperial Exchequer is responsible for the financial management of the Empire; making forward predictions, keeping detailed records and managing the day to day accounting required for an interstellar state. The Collage of Heralds’ role is less well defined. It is officially stated as ‘To maintain accurate information and records relating to the Magellanic Territories of the Terran Empire and to ensure that those records and information are made available to all who might seek it. Additionally the Collage of Heralds shall establish the legitimacy of those claiming noble rank.’ While this is seemingly a very simple set of tasks, the Collage of Heralds have chosen to interpret them in a very liberal manner.

The Babylon Accords allow each individual world within the Empire to administer itself as it sees fit. This has lead to a very wide variety of local governments within the Empire. However there are some common features of most local administrations. Most commonly, worlds are administered (at least formally) by a noble, who will owe fealty either to a higher noble or to the Emperor or Empress directly. However it is not at all uncommon for such nobles to merely be titular heads for some other form of government. This is a holdover from when the Magellanic Territories were directly ruled by Terra. At that time almost all Imperial worlds were administered by a hereditary noble on behalf of the Emperor or Empress. However during the Second Dark Age many former Imperial worlds changed their actual type of government, whilst retaining the forms of the previous Imperial administration. Only in a very few instance have the old Terran Imperial forms been entirely abandoned. Many worlds have joined together to form multi-world governments (the Diadochi states) and these states exist within the Empire as component parts of the Empire.

The Babylon Accords provide for each local government to make and enforce laws within their own territory and provide for a system of extradition for criminals to be returned to the appropriate jurisdiction. Each government may conduct diplomatic relations with other governments within the Empire and make binding treaties with other Imperial local governments. Local governments may raise and maintain armed forces to defend their territory. Indeed some arrangement for armed forces to assist in the greater defence of the Empire is a requirement of the Accords. In short the local governments within the Empire only surrender a small degree of their sovereignty to the Imperial government. The commonly held precedent is that any power not specifically assigned to the Imperial government is held by the local government; though this practice holds no legal force and is disputed by most Viceroys.

There are two basic types of nobility within the Empire: the Imperial nobility and the Local nobility. All nobles hold a patent of nobility and ultimately owe fealty to the Emperor or Empress, who is represented in the Cloud by the Viceroy as his or her proxy. The Imperial nobility are those nobles who hold their patents directly from the Emperor or Empress. The Local nobility are those nobles who hold their patents through some intermediary noble or nobles.

Noble ranks are hieratical in nature and are ranked (termed precedence) as follows: Knight, Baronet, Baron/Baroness, Marquis/Marquesa, Viscount/Viscountess, Count/Countess (the title Earl is often substituted for that of Count), Duke/Duchess, Archduke/Archduchess, Grand Duke/Grand Duchess, Prince/Princess, Emperor/Empress. Though Viceroy is not a noble rank and indeed technically the Viceroy does not need to be of noble rank (the only non-noble Viceroy was Mordred Alaman [626T - 631T]), the Viceroy is considered to be part of the Imperial nobility, holding a precedence one less than the Emperor or Empress or two less if the Empire is currently ruled by a Regent. Knighthoods and Baronetcies are generally for the individual’s lifetime only whilst the higher ranks are generally hereditary (though this is not always the case). Hereditary nobles are termed Peers and non-hereditary nobles are termed Chevaliers. Peers with the rank of Archduke/Archduchess and above are termed High nobles, those of rank Marquis/Marquesa to Duke/Duchess are termed Seigneurs, whilst lesser Peers are termed Squires; there is no specific distinction between the various ranks of Chevaliers.

Any Peer may petition the Collage of Heralds to create a lesser noble owing fealty to them; or since some Peers hold more than one title, may simply reassign one of their existing hereditary titles to another individual (subject to approval by the Collage of Heralds). The Emperor or Empress may personally bestow a noble title without resort to the Collage of Heralds and this power now resides in the Viceroy as Imperial proxy. However this power has only been used very sparingly by the Viceroys (only twice in the past 100 years) and in all cases the Collage of Heralds has later ratified these appointments (though this is not necessary). In certain circumstance, an Imperial noble may transfer direct fealty from the Emperor or Empress to some intermediate noble, in doing so becoming a Local noble (though such changes require approval by either the Collage of Heralds or the Emperor or Empress). It is likewise possible (though extremely rare) for a Local noble to become an Imperial noble.

There are three arms of the Imperial military: The IMSC, the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Marines. The Imperial Navy and Marines maintain their headquarters at Riyergrock {Yumazaca 2925}, location of the only Imperial military depot; whilst the IMSC still maintain their headquarters on Nemesis {Newlands 0920} inside the Principality of Breakout.

The IMSC is not strictly speaking a military organisation. However they maintain a fleet of ships (including warships up to ships of the line) and trained personnel to fulfil their duties. Most of these ships are in the Patrol Service of the Communications Office. The IMSC maintains these warships to fulfil its role keeping the spacelanes free from piracy and lawlessness. During time of war the assets of the IMSC are placed at the disposal of the Ministry of Defence and its ships serve under naval command. Generally its ships will serve as couriers, escorts, scouts and auxiliaries; but some of its larger vessels will serve with combat units. It must be noted however, that the IMSC’s role in keeping the spacelanes open tends to become even more important during a war and this places a major limitation on the number of vessels which can be made available to the Navy. However, many former scout personnel (technically scout personnel do not retire, they merely opt for "detached duty") are recalled during wartime and a large number of these are seconded to the Navy and Marines.

The Imperial Navy is responsible for the conduct of warfare in space. In peacetime it maintains a small number of active squadrons and a pool of senior officers to provide a higher command structure during war. It also maintains a stockpile of materialé and a list of reserve personnel to allow for rapid expansion in time of crisis. In peace it is reinforced by a number of local squadrons temporarily attached to it on a rotating basis; this not only strengthens the Navy, but also ensures that the local forces are familiar with current Imperial doctrine and operating procedures. During war the Imperial Navy is further reinforced by other local units, to bring it up to the force levels required. The Imperial Navy also encourages commonality and interoperability amongst the Diadochi forces. To do this the Navy maintains a large design staff and encourages the various Diadochi forces to use the standardised designs it produces. The Navy also maintains training establishements open not only to Imperial personnel, but also Diadochi forces and friendly non-Imperial states.

The Imperial Marines are responsible for the conduct of warfare within planetary environments (a planets surface and atmosphere out to 20 planetary diameters). They are much like the Imperial Navy; in peacetime they only maintain a small number of units, a pool of senior offices and stockpiles of materialé and lists of reserve personnel. In peace they have attached a number of Diadochi units on a rotating basis and are expanded by more Diadochi units in wartime. They also maintain and encourage the use of standardised equipment and organisations. In addition to this the Marines also maintains a force of personnel (drawn from the regular combat units) for service aboard Imperial Naval vessels. As is the case with the Navy, the Marines maintain training establishments open not only to Imperial personnel, but also Imperial Diadochi and friendly non-Imperial states. However in addition to this, they also have personnel serving as cadres in some friendly non-Imperial states.

In addition to these forces, mention must be made of two other sources of Imperial forces. The first are the various mercenary units hired by the Empire as are required. These are generally surface combat forces, though starships are hired to act as naval auxiliaries on occasion. The Empire generally uses mercenary forces in secondary theatres and for auxiliary duties (there have been however, a small number of notable exceptions to this policy), preferring to use Imperial and Diadochi forces as their primary combat arms. Also, though the Imperial Marines do occasionally provide cadres for friendly non-Imperial states, the Empire generally prefers to hire mercenaries for this role.

The other source of Imperial forces is the Jneril Eiahya Legion. This is a Legion of ground combat troops at the disposal of the Empire. While it is placed under the tactical command of the Imperial Marines it is quite separate from them. The Legion is recruited from non-Imperial Jneril. They serve out of a sense of honour for the Empire’s intervention to save the Jneril world of Hrali from conquest by the Mwoah. The Legion is funded and maintained entirely by donations from non-Imperial Jneril, though its personnel are frequently rewarded by land grants within the Empire when they retire and many of its members have been elevated to the nobility. This Legion is one of the best at the disposal of the Empire and has no difficulty in recruitment (indeed it is frequently over strength).

Imperial justice is administered by the Ministry of Justice and the IMSC. The IMSC’s Security Branch and Patrol Service are responsible for enforcing Imperial laws and regulations. The Ministry of Justice maintains the Imperial court system, which hears both criminal and civil cases; and enforces such judgements as the courts may hand down. In addition to this, the Imperial Navy, Marines and IMSC also maintain Courts Martial for breaches of the relevant military codes.

Imperial justice generally only covers crimes which are not covered by a local jurisdiction or crimes which have a direct bearing on the Empire (such as treason, espionage, piracy, use of psionics or assault of an official on Imperial business etc.). Areas under Imperial jurisdiction include: Imperial bases, starships in or in transit to jumpspace, the extraterritoriality zone of a starport, designated combat zones in time of war, Imperial diplomatic missions etc. It should be noted that current serving Imperial personnel are subject to Imperial justice at all times. However the Empire will generally defer to local authorities where there is an overlap in such cases. The Empire holds to the principle that no person should be tried for the same crime twice; thus if a person has been charged with a crime by a Local jurisdiction, they will not extradite them to face an Imperial tribunal over the same incident. The same of course applies in reverse, though some exceptions are made to this policy. The Empire only has jurisdiction in civil matters when no local jurisdiction applies, in regards to contracts made under Imperial law, or in the very rare case that an article of the Babylon Accords may have central relevance to the action.

All Imperial courts take the form of an inquisitorial tribunal of three to nine judges. Imperial law and custom dictates that any person called before an Imperial court shall have legal representation if they so desire. The Ministry of Justice maintains the Office of Imperial Attorneys for those unable to afford legal representation, as well as the Office of Imperial Proctors to present the indictment in criminal cases. The Empire is required to engage private attorneys to represent it in civil cases. Imperial courts reach their judgments on a majority basis. A dissenting opinion by a judge is usually grounds for an appeal. There are several different layers of courts. At the lowest level are the District Tribunals, these generally cover a single subsector, though some heavily populated subsectors may be divided into more than one district. Above them are the Quadrant Tribunals, which usually cover four subsectors. Above them are the Provincial Tribunals, these generally cover an entire sector. Finally at the highest level is the Imperial Magellanic High Tribunal. This is effectively two courts, an junior court of between three to seven High Tribunes; and a senior court of the full bench of eleven High Tribunes. Most cases will be initially heard in a District Tribunal, though some more serious cases may be heard directly in a Quadrant Tribunal; the higher levels acts as courts of appeal. Babylon, Riyergrock and MCN-378290 are somewhat different as the Empire has sole jurisdiction on these worlds. Therefore these worlds contain multiple Imperial Districts and Quadrants; and both Babylon and Riyergrock are treated as complete Imperial Provinces in their own right.

In criminal cases a conviction may be appealed to a superior court if given leave by the higher tribunal. Generally the first appeal is granted automatically, though subsequent appeals require a serious point of fact or law to be granted an appeal. An acquittal may only be appealed on the grounds of perjury by or on behalf of the accused. In civil cases either party may appeal to a superior court if given leave. As in criminal cases, the first appeal in a civil case is generally automatic, with further appeals requiring a serious point of law or fact. One further level of appeal theoretically exists above the High Tribunal: the Emperor or Empress themselves. This power now resides in the Viceroy as Imperial proxy, but this has only been exercised five times since the first Terran colonies were established in the Cloud, only once since the Babylon Accords.

Penalties levied by Imperial Justice are varied. In civil cases they invariable take the form of restitution and punitive damages (almost always financial). In criminal cases they can range from fines though imprisonment to execution. To enforce judgements, the Ministry of Justice maintains bailiffs and a number of prisons (including the prison world of MCN-378290 {Newlands 1315}). Terms of imprisonment imposed by Imperial Courts Martial are served in Ministry of Justice prisons if they exceed 100 days duration. With the exceptions of those imposed by Imperial Courts Martial in time of war, Imperially mandated executions are always carried out at MCN-378290 using the traditional method of plasma vaporisation. Any person executed under Imperial justice forfeits all rights, titles, honours and property to the Empire.

Whilst the vast majority (around 74%) of the population of the Empire are Terran Humans, significant minorities of non-Terrans and Non-human do exist within the Empire. Of these approximately 15% are non-Terran Humans (10% Efrip, 3% Akhrini and 2% others), 5% are Dk’arek, 4% are Jneril and the remaining 2% are Ulkoyo and various Minor sophonts native to worlds within the Empire. Most of these species have retained their native cultures in some form, though many have been heavily influenced by Imperial culture.

Imperial law grants full and equal citizenship to all intelligent beings within the Empire. However the Babylon Accords do not require the same of local governments and a few do differentiate on the basis of species, despite Imperial attempts to discourage this. Still generally non-Terrans and Non-humans are treated as full members of Imperial society and many have achieved prominence within it. Few Imperial citizens would be unaware of the exploits of the Jneril General Ealr or the Dk’arek Admiral Owarkh during the Second Mwoah War; and the Empire certainly takes great pride in the Eiahya Legion.

The official language of the Magellanic Empire is Maganglic, a variant of the Imperial Terran Anglic spoken in the Terran Empire. Maganglic developed in the Principality of Breakout during the Second Dark Age and it became widespread by its use in the Phoenix Project. Other Anglic languages are also common within the Empire, often having official status at the local government level. The various Non-human members of the Empire also retain their own languages and these are protected and encouraged by Imperial decree and custom.

The Magellanic Empire uses the old Imperial Terran calender and temporal system. The system is based on a day of 24 hours and a year of 365 standard days. The days within the year are consecutively numbered from 001 to 365. Archaic divisions such as the week of 7 days and month of 30 days are still widely used, though these are purely unofficial. The Imperial Terran calender uses a zero year and 001-0T (14th September 2635AD in the old Terran Gregorian calender) is the date of the Treaty of Zuukish which marked the end of the 10th Interstellar War and the final triumph of the Terran Confederation over the Glorani Empire. The Imperial Terran calender was introduced by the first Terran emperor, Paul I in 297T some 5 years after the foundation of the Empire.

There have been occasional calls for the abandonment of the old Imperial Terran calender in favour of a more ‘Magellano-centric’ calender; but there is no sign of any widespread support for such a change. However two other calenders are widely used at a local level: the Efrip Ereyt calender and the New Magellanic calender. The Ereyt calender uses a pentad of 5 years, each of 292 standard days numbered 001 to 292 consecutively. The Ereyt calendar uses a zero pentad and 001-1/0Er corresponds with 094-692T. The New Magellanic calender uses the standard Imperial Terran temporal system and a zero year, but has its start date (001-0NM) at 213-511T (the date of the foundation of the first Terran colony at Breakout).

The Psionic Revolt (589T to 642T) is still keenly remembered by the Terrans within the Cloud; and the use of psionics is one of the very few Imperial crimes as laid out in the original Babylon Accords. Most local governments also have strict laws prohibiting the use, instruction in, or advocacy of psionics. However psionics are not unknown within the Cloud. During the Psionic Revolt many of the psionic criminals fled to the Cloud and attempted to continue their practices beyond the reach of the Terran Empire. Many Psionic Institutes were set up both within and without the Empires borders. These have proven almost impossible to totally eradicate. Despite continued efforts to stamp out this criminal practice, there still exist those who would seek out and use such abilities for personal gain without any regard for society as a whole.