NationStates Jolt Archive

Ahem...
The head of the Empire is the Steward. Though this is an inherited position, Stewards are kept in office by popular support- a dynasty can be removed and replaced by a recall process not unlike the US recall process. The Stewardship is mostly a ceremonial and diplomatic position, and has little to do with actually runing the country. That is taken care of by the High Council, consiting of 12 members, with the Steward providing a tiebraker vote. This is split into two sub-councils, the Council of Seven and the Council of Five. The Council of Seven is the more powerful of the two, and controls relations between Great Houses and military actions, and is comparable to the US Cabinet. The Council of Five, on the other hand, mostly just picks up the slack, as well as acting as a sort of Supreme Court.

The Organization of Provinces and Great Houses:
Each province is ruled by a Great House, apointed by the Steward with the approval of the High Council. Note that a High Councillor does not necessarily have to belong to a Great House- the only thing distinguishing a Great House from a Minor House is the rule of a province. Whichever individual of the Great House who is most directly in charge of ruling the province is referred to as the Steward of that province, usually the patriarch.
Occasionally, a Great House may decide to further subdivide their province, and allow Minor Houses to rule these sections. Minor Houses that are in the employ of a Great House, but do not rule a section of a province (for example, House Royen, which previously provided security services to House Ur) are referred to as Families, and are for all practical purposes considered part of the Great House that employs them.

Major provinces currently include Amazonia, Dune, Tarath Coraé, Grassland, and Northerness. Yes, we are rather unimaginative.

Expansion on Major Provinces and Houses:

Epsal-na-Narbhal: The capital, it is ruled over directly by the Steward, currently House Crzleídzí. Home of the famous Tower of the Moon, from whence the name derives, the Orion, and the Eniqciri Space Elevator.
Amazonia: Umm... not much to say that would interest the outside world. It's a big rainforest. There are some friendly natives, a few cities (mostly spaceports). Ruled by House Keynes. Notable for it's natural beauty and the scientific and medical value of native lifeforms.
Dune: It's the big desert east of the Rainforest. Yup, we do use it for secret aircraft testing. Administrated directly by the Royal House, as the population is negligible, but with the assistance of House Ur.
Tarath Coraé: The largest island in the Phei Lunaé. Serves as a civillian aerospacecraft control center, an Eniqciri equivalent to Ellis Island, and the center of our (very small) naval forces. Ruled by House Ríme.
Grassland: Composed of the central plains of Eniqcir, this is where most of the Earth-based population is concentrated. It is broken into several counties, but is finally administrated by House Bhalcír. Grassland, as the name implies, is mostly farming territory, and suppllies the vast majority of Eniqcir's food.
Easternness: The mountainous territory that extends from the capital to Northerness. It is primarily a mining district. Ruled by House Ur.
Northerness: A bit of subtropical territory at the northern tip, it is used for weapons testing and as a military aerospacecraft control center. The eastern reaches contain Eniqcir's uranium mines, although output has been steadily dropping.Yes, we are rather unimaginative. Ruled by House Moiríartí. Trivia: The Lady Fíora is the daughter of Lord Moiríartí. This House was favored by the High Council to be a successor to House Crzleídzí in the event of the lack of an heir, and, therefore, Lord Moiríartí was not too happy when he had his chance at Stewardship taken from him via his own daughter.
Kasei: Eniqcir's Martian territory. Ruled by the newest House, House Royen, previosuly Family Royen in the employ of House Ur. As Kasei is larger than any other single province, many Lords are rather annoyed that such a newcomer to power has been charged with it, and there has been talk of splitting it into smaller districts and provinces.