The Centuriate Assembly functioned as a democratic forum for those who had served, or were currently serving, in military or civil capacities. It convened biannually in the capital to vote on legislation proposed by the Senate and to elect Magistrates from candidate lists also provided by the Senate. The laws it enacted formed the bedrock of Concalian legal code, only amendable by another Assembly vote.
Voting within the Assembly was stratified by military rank and public service role, with each rank or role being allocated a set number of votes. Participants belonging to the same rank or role would be divided into a number of groups equal to the number of votes their rank or role held, where each group had to come to an agreement on how their vote would be cast. This structure inherently favored higher ranks and those able to influence through persuasion or wealth, particularly as the sum of votes held by officers and equivalent civil positions outnumbered those held by lower ranks. Magistrates and Senators were barred from voting in the Assembly, preserving a degree of separation between legislative and executive powers.
The Magistrates were the elected government officials of Concalia. It was their job to run and govern some portion of the Concalian Empire. They held some authority in determining taxes, make laws, and enact policies for their domain, but could never make a decree that went against a law voted in by the Centuriate Assembly. Most magistrates served 2-year terms, with roughly a quarter of the positions being up for election each time the Centuriate Assembly convened. The highest position were held by the empire's two Consuls, who acted as the overall leaders of the Empire, and jointly governed the capital. The two consuls held equal power, with both importantly having the power to veto any decree made by the other. The Conculs were also responsible for appointing new members to the Senate.
-Below the Conculs were the Preators, who each governed one of the empire's provinces. Preators were simultaneously the only members of Concalian Society allowed to lead military campaigns, with the only exceptions being if the Preator died or was incapacitated in the middle of a campaign. Preators therefore acted as both governors and army generals. Newly annexed would either be incorporated into the Preator's existing domain, or make made into a new province who through political machinations would typically have someone handpicked by the conquering preator to govern it. This would typically be a family member. The higher political positions thus tended to be quite dominated by a few very powerful extended families.
-Magistrate positions below Preator were not typically voted on by the Centuriate Assembly, instead being appointed by the governing Preator or Consul directly. However, the Centuriate Assembly, as the highest legislative body, did have the authority to overturn any selection if such a decree passed their vote.
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Magistrates, elected to govern various domains within the Empire, were responsible for local administration, taxation, and law enforcement, albeit within the constraints of Assembly-approved laws. The highest-ranking Magistrates, the two Consuls, jointly governed the capital and held equal authority, each with the power to veto the other’s decisions. Consuls were also tasked with appointing Senators.
-Below the Consuls were the Preators, who governed provinces and were the only officials permitted to lead military campaigns, unless incapacitated. New territories were often governed by appointees, typically relatives of the conquering Preator, highlighting the system’s vulnerability to nepotism and familial dominance.
-Lower magistrate positions, not directly elected by the Assembly, were appointed by Consuls or Preators, though the Assembly retained the right to reject these appointments.
+The Magistrates were the elected government officials of Concalia, charged with running and governing various portions of the Concalian Empire. They had authority to determine taxes, make laws, and enact policies within their domains, but were bound by the overarching laws enacted by the Centuriate Assembly. Magistrates served 2-year terms, with roughly a quarter of the positions up for election at each session of the Centuriate Assembly.
+The highest positions within this structure were held by the Empire's two Consuls, who governed not only the capital but also wielded supreme authority over the entire Empire. The Consuls had equal power and could each veto any decree made by the other, ensuring a balance of power at the highest level of governance. Their duties extended to implementing empire-wide policies and laws, reinforcing their roles as the paramount leaders of Concalia. The Consuls were additionally responsible for appointing new members to the Senate.
+Below the Consuls were the Preators, who governed individual provinces and were the only officials permitted to lead military campaigns, except in cases where a Preator was incapacitated or killed during an ongoing campaign. When new territories were acquired, governance was officially determined by the Centuriate Assembly, which voted on candidates from a list presented by the Senate. However, this list was often strategically compiled to favor appointees selected by the conquering Preator—typically relatives or close allies—effectively ensuring that the Preator’s preferred candidates were elected. This practice highlighted the system’s vulnerability to nepotism and allowed familial dominance to persist under the guise of democratic procedures.
+Lower magistrate positions, not directly elected by the Assembly, were appointed by Consuls or Preators. Although these appointments could be overturned by the Assembly, the Senate controlled whether such decisions were brought to a vote.
The Senate's function was to draft legislations, and candidate lists for magistrate positions which, the Centuriate Assembly would vote on. Senate members were appointed by the Consuls. The Senate had no fixed rule for how many members it would have, though the norm was to keep the number close to 100. They served for life, unless they became so disliked that the rest of the Senate brought forth a decree for vote at the Centuriate Assembly to deprive them of their position, and said decree passed. The Senate acted as a forum where they, and people they invited in, would discuss the state and future course of the empire, and put forth decrees regarding these for the Centuriate Assembly to decide on the course of action through vote. The argument for the Senate's existence was that the regular citizen would not have the capacity or time needed to form an informed proposition about the empire's future trajectory.