Board Thread:Custom Lore Development/@comment-26535281-20170520154957

The Senatum or as we would call it The Senate is the chief legislative body of the Empire and is put just slightly above the Adeptas and slightly below the high lords.

Senators themselves are not elected by any means they are picked by Consuls (Who are elected) and are appointed for life. The Senate itself is powerful as it passes almost all laws in the Empire, sets tariffs, taxes, and tithes, and sets many social and religious regulations and laws (Things like cults and the class system)

Senators are supposed to be appointed officials that represent the world of their birth in the greater Imperial government. As the system stands each world has 3 senators at any given time each appointed by the consul. If the Consul or the magistrates of the world do not believe they represent the world in the way they see fit they may be removed and replaced (This generally happens when a new political party takes over a world or during purges)

Senators themselves are not that powerful. Young Senators have little to no influence in the Senate as they are untested yet in the political waters of the Empire. The Senate instead is rather hierarchical with power vested in a few powerful older Senators.

Most younger Senators trying to find themselves a voice in the Senate fall to the lure of political parties of which a few major one's have lasted the tests of time, they are as follows:

Populares (Favoring the people)

Optimates (Favoring the nobles)

Other political unions also exist for example Senators that represent the Ecclestum tend to band together (Or split into the two parties of the church), same with senators of the Administratum, Militum, and so on.

The Senate like most bastions of Rin culture are hierarchical with the most prominate Senators (Those from the home world and Core worlds) sitting up front, the inner colonies in the middle, and the outer colonies in the very back.

The Senate also has ranks within it's own order here are a list of the most important:

Princeps Senatus:

The 'First Senator' who is the elected head of the senate (elected by the other senators) when ever the senate as a whole must be represented it is his job. He/she also holds great sway in the Senate and can be the deciding factor if a law is passed or not.

Secundus Senatus:

The 'Second Senator' is a group of Senators who sit up front with the First Senator and hold great sway in the Senate as well. Most of this individuals are from prominent families, lavish military careers, or the head of political parties.

Social wise Senators (And their close family) upon election are lifted to the position of Princeps and are considered nobles under Rin law and have a great amount of wealth and power in Rin social and political circles. Some families in the Empire have been Senators for generations (Normally worlds with a strict feudal system or worlds in which the consulship is lorded over by one family)

Any questions? (More information on consuls and questors are to come later) 