RainOfSteel
SOC-14 1K
The major event that backdrops recent events in the Gateway Domain, Ley Sector, is the removal of Archduke Nells by Emperor Gavin, and his replacement with an unknown, Erechs.
As I read this, I felt that was a pretty gutsy move for an Emperor. A little cheer of "Yes!" went off in the back of my mind.
Then, as I continued reading on, I found that Nells was listed as Sector Duke for the Ley Sector, and I went, "Oops, must have been a missed typo." Then I found text descriptions later about how Nells was still Ley Sector Duke, so I realized that no, the original listing I'd read wasn't wrong.
Now, setting aside the question of how an Archduke could be a Duke at the same time, I find I must rework my judgement of Gavin's actions based on this.
Since this is long before the enaction of Strephon's reforms on Archducal power, the current era is (or at least, I think the current era is) one of highly limited Archducal power and authority. I can vaguely assume that as Archduke Nells was "running the sector down" through a coalition of power he'd built via his personal network of connections among the Nobility and Megacorporate Officers who all felt his plan would benefit them in the long run. Of course, since he appeared to be Sector Duke, as well, that would provide an additional, and much stronger, explanation for how the deleterious conditions on the sector were imposed, because the Sector Ducal position is one of huge power, so this is substantial additional confirmation of how Nells would have the means to impose his negative will upon the whole Sector.
Then, Emperor Gavin, furious with diminishing revenue and increasing criminal activities in the area, went out there and removed Nells as Archduke (a position I cannot see as helping Nells nearly as much as possessing the much more powerful Sector Duke Title), but left him as Sector Duke.
Archduke Erechs, of course, excercised his will by moving the Domain Capital to a new world. But since most administration does not flow through the Domain Capital, I can't see a how that would have hurt Nells, left sitting pretty at the extremely important Sector Capital.
It appears, to one with my yet limited understading of the situation, that Gavin gave Erechs the big finger, and left Nells (who controls the entire Sector Budget) in a position to sandbag Erechs (who has very limited wealth at his disposal in comparison to a Sector Duke) something big time.
Can someone toss me a bone of a thought to undersand why Nells isn't going to be able to politically and economically continue on with his original plan, regardless of what Erechs or Gavin wants? If Nells is interested in revenge, he has plenty of resources to have Erechs "taken care of" while simultaneously shielding himself from discovery. As for fear of being sacked again, why would Nells fear any such thing? The Emperor was just there, and didn't take the step of removing Nells as Sector Duke, and honestly, if Gavin wanted the area to recover, that would have been the thing to do, leaving Nells swinging in the much less powerful Archduke position.
Or, I guess, I just don't understand.
As I read this, I felt that was a pretty gutsy move for an Emperor. A little cheer of "Yes!" went off in the back of my mind.
Then, as I continued reading on, I found that Nells was listed as Sector Duke for the Ley Sector, and I went, "Oops, must have been a missed typo." Then I found text descriptions later about how Nells was still Ley Sector Duke, so I realized that no, the original listing I'd read wasn't wrong.
Now, setting aside the question of how an Archduke could be a Duke at the same time, I find I must rework my judgement of Gavin's actions based on this.
Since this is long before the enaction of Strephon's reforms on Archducal power, the current era is (or at least, I think the current era is) one of highly limited Archducal power and authority. I can vaguely assume that as Archduke Nells was "running the sector down" through a coalition of power he'd built via his personal network of connections among the Nobility and Megacorporate Officers who all felt his plan would benefit them in the long run. Of course, since he appeared to be Sector Duke, as well, that would provide an additional, and much stronger, explanation for how the deleterious conditions on the sector were imposed, because the Sector Ducal position is one of huge power, so this is substantial additional confirmation of how Nells would have the means to impose his negative will upon the whole Sector.
Then, Emperor Gavin, furious with diminishing revenue and increasing criminal activities in the area, went out there and removed Nells as Archduke (a position I cannot see as helping Nells nearly as much as possessing the much more powerful Sector Duke Title), but left him as Sector Duke.
Archduke Erechs, of course, excercised his will by moving the Domain Capital to a new world. But since most administration does not flow through the Domain Capital, I can't see a how that would have hurt Nells, left sitting pretty at the extremely important Sector Capital.
It appears, to one with my yet limited understading of the situation, that Gavin gave Erechs the big finger, and left Nells (who controls the entire Sector Budget) in a position to sandbag Erechs (who has very limited wealth at his disposal in comparison to a Sector Duke) something big time.
Can someone toss me a bone of a thought to undersand why Nells isn't going to be able to politically and economically continue on with his original plan, regardless of what Erechs or Gavin wants? If Nells is interested in revenge, he has plenty of resources to have Erechs "taken care of" while simultaneously shielding himself from discovery. As for fear of being sacked again, why would Nells fear any such thing? The Emperor was just there, and didn't take the step of removing Nells as Sector Duke, and honestly, if Gavin wanted the area to recover, that would have been the thing to do, leaving Nells swinging in the much less powerful Archduke position.
Or, I guess, I just don't understand.
