The Senate
The Senate of Dominus Columbia gathered once a year for three weeks in the Senatorial Repository, a massive building of white stone and white painted lumber surrounded by elite Standing Army guards and fronted by a floral garden. Inside, a single lecture hall scaled from a couple dozen to a few hundred seats, depending on the year's attendance. The body that filled those seats was composed of political representatives from settlements within the territory, influential traders and caravan company leaders, remote settlement ambassadors from allied communities, and military leaders. They came to deliberate, and they did not act without a majority vote of at least one half of the total Senatorial council.
The title of Senator carried less power than outsiders assumed. Within their own home settlements, Senators held no special authority, privilege, or responsibility beyond what their local governments provided. Their influence existed only in the collective: the ability to bring issues before the full body, request aid from other Senators, and, when the votes aligned, direct coordinated action across the territory. Being a Senator did grant access to enter and leave Dominus Columbia, the Bailey, and City Center itself. Visiting ambassadors who wished to stay beyond the allotted voting period had to serve time on the Red Embankment, the same requirement imposed on any potential citizen.
In prior years, the Senate had been ambitious. Its members pushed for expansion of Dominus Columbia's territory and unification of the wastelands, backed by the Standing Army's military strength. That ambition met resistance. Individual settlement leaders, fearing the loss of their own power, reacted with open distrust. Some settlements became actively opposed to Dominus Columbia's growing influence. Under the guidance of senior members, the Senate voted to shift course. Conquest was abandoned in favor of commerce. The Standing Army was formally released from duty, its soldiers offered lifetime pay, citizenship, and freedom (many continued serving voluntarily). The Senate ceased seeking out civilizations for Trade Union membership and instead focused on what it called altruistic commerce, hoping settlements would voluntarily recognize the advantage of unity.
That hope produced a governing body turned inward, focused on internal affairs and content to let the wasteland sort itself out. The isolationist consensus held, but not without opposition. A growing vocal faction rallied under a banner of intervention, calling for the Senate to oppose settlements built on slavery and cruelty (the Iron Works, the Rat Kingdom, Vegasia), military tyrants (such as those in Bravo), and religious extremists who endangered lives. This dissenting wing sought to drag the Senate back into the world it had retreated from, arguing that abstaining from the future of the Merican wastelands was itself a choice with consequences. The isolationist majority held. For the moment.
The title of Senator carried less power than outsiders assumed. Within their own home settlements, Senators held no special authority, privilege, or responsibility beyond what their local governments provided. Their influence existed only in the collective: the ability to bring issues before the full body, request aid from other Senators, and, when the votes aligned, direct coordinated action across the territory. Being a Senator did grant access to enter and leave Dominus Columbia, the Bailey, and City Center itself. Visiting ambassadors who wished to stay beyond the allotted voting period had to serve time on the Red Embankment, the same requirement imposed on any potential citizen.
In prior years, the Senate had been ambitious. Its members pushed for expansion of Dominus Columbia's territory and unification of the wastelands, backed by the Standing Army's military strength. That ambition met resistance. Individual settlement leaders, fearing the loss of their own power, reacted with open distrust. Some settlements became actively opposed to Dominus Columbia's growing influence. Under the guidance of senior members, the Senate voted to shift course. Conquest was abandoned in favor of commerce. The Standing Army was formally released from duty, its soldiers offered lifetime pay, citizenship, and freedom (many continued serving voluntarily). The Senate ceased seeking out civilizations for Trade Union membership and instead focused on what it called altruistic commerce, hoping settlements would voluntarily recognize the advantage of unity.
That hope produced a governing body turned inward, focused on internal affairs and content to let the wasteland sort itself out. The isolationist consensus held, but not without opposition. A growing vocal faction rallied under a banner of intervention, calling for the Senate to oppose settlements built on slavery and cruelty (the Iron Works, the Rat Kingdom, Vegasia), military tyrants (such as those in Bravo), and religious extremists who endangered lives. This dissenting wing sought to drag the Senate back into the world it had retreated from, arguing that abstaining from the future of the Merican wastelands was itself a choice with consequences. The isolationist majority held. For the moment.
Structure
The Senate drew its membership from political representatives of settlements within Dominus Columbia, influential traders and caravan company leaders, remote settlement ambassadors from allied communities, and military leaders. They gathered once a year for three weeks in the Senatorial Repository, a massive building of white stone and white painted lumber fronted by a floral garden and surrounded by elite Standing Army guards. Inside, a single lecture hall scaled to hold from a couple dozen to a few hundred Senators depending on attendance. The body did not act without a majority vote of at least one half of the total Senatorial council. Individual Senators could request aid from their peers, but coordinated action required clearing that threshold.
Public Agenda
The official stance of the Senate was one of internal focus and commerce-based outreach. Dominus Columbia would not conquer; it would trade, and through trade, demonstrate the advantages of cooperation. This isolationist consensus held as policy, though it did not hold without challenge. A growing dissenting faction rallied to oppose settlements built on slavery and cruelty (the Iron Works, the Rat Kingdom, Vegasia), military tyrants in Bravo, and religious extremists who endangered lives across the wasteland. Whether the Senate would remain turned inward or be dragged back into the wider world was, at the time of the surviving records, still an open question.
History
The Senate's history traced an arc from ambition to retreat. In its earlier years, the body pushed aggressively for expansion of Dominus Columbia's territory and unification of the wastelands, backed by the Standing Army's military strength. That ambition met resistance. Settlement leaders feared losing their own power and reacted with open distrust; some became actively opposed to Dominus Columbia's influence. Under the guidance of senior members, the Senate voted to change course. Conquest was abandoned. The Standing Army was formally released from duty. The Trade Union's recruitment of new civilizations ceased. In place of expansion, the Senate adopted a policy of altruistic commerce, hoping settlements would voluntarily recognize the advantage of unity.
The result was a governing body turned inward, focused on internal affairs. The Grave Authority enforced Mortis Amaranthine law as the Senate's enforcement arm. The Bailey Intelligence Service handled general investigations and warrants. Per the Laws of Ellistown Landing, the Senate held sole authority to order the Permanent Death of a Citizen. But beyond Dominus Columbia's borders, the Senate abstained, and a growing interventionist faction argued that abstaining was itself a choice with consequences.
The result was a governing body turned inward, focused on internal affairs. The Grave Authority enforced Mortis Amaranthine law as the Senate's enforcement arm. The Bailey Intelligence Service handled general investigations and warrants. Per the Laws of Ellistown Landing, the Senate held sole authority to order the Permanent Death of a Citizen. But beyond Dominus Columbia's borders, the Senate abstained, and a growing interventionist faction argued that abstaining was itself a choice with consequences.
Governing political body of Dominus Columbia, convening yearly.
Type
Political governing body
Meeting Place
Senatorial Repository
Schedule
Once yearly, three weeks
Voting Threshold
Majority of total body
Enforcement Arms
Grave Authority, BIS
Capital Authority
Sole power to order Permanent Death
