The Murray Government, Military and Security Services

The Murray Government

Murray is ruled as a Constitutional Regency: the government governs, and the Regent oversees and makes sure that the interests of the King of Sable, from whom she holds her position, are represented.

The two continents and Rothiemay Island are split into regional constituencies which elect councillors who sit in the regional councils in the major population centres. Those local councils elect representatives from their number, who then go to Huntly, to sit in the National Parliament, which meets at Government House and comprises about 400 people. The Prime Minister is selected from the largest party in power: the current incumbent is Ethan Wheeler, of the Tory Party.

A mechanism of emergency powers does exist allowing the Regent to suspend democratic rule temporarily at times of high threat or disaster, but these have only ever been invoked once, in SY136, when Murray was in the direct path of a major Shadow storm. The smaller Shadow storms of April SY159 were more limited in scope, and didn’t require the invoking of the emergency powers.

The Murray Military

Murray has its own standing military, which also operates out into the Murray Trading Shadows, right to the borders with Sanguine’s and Seconde’s spheres of influence. It comprises land, sea and air branches, all of which are Headquartered on Rothiemay Island. In addition, they have bases elsewhere on Murray, as well as in or near the capitals of each of the Trading Shadows. The Murray military is a volunteer force of very highly-trained individuals, operating cross-Shadow in the war against the Reich. The minimum age for signing up as a squaddie is 16, while for officers it is 18.

In the years after Murray was first built, most members of the Officer Corps of each force come from either Murray or Sable. In the fifty or so years since, the split has become much more even between officers from Murray (especially) and Sable (to a lesser extent) and officers native to their respective Shadows, although officer training for all is undertaken on Rothiemay Island. The Combined Military Academy is located in Millburn, the second city of Rothiemay Island, with two smaller campuses at Drumblade (for the Air Force) and the deep-water port of Shindarroch (for the Navy).

NCOs and basic personnel are recruited primarily from the populations of both Murray and the individual Training Shadows, and go through basic training on their home worlds.

Field Marshal Jonathan Connor FitzWilliam, Commander-in-Chief of the Murray Forces

Jonathan is the younger son of William O’Connor, the former Commander in Chief of the Sable Forces. Born in SY063, he was identified as Talented at a young age, but as he intended to follow his father into the Sable Forces, he chose to study at the Sable College of Military Magic. Following a successful career with the Sable External Army, including a stint with the Black Panthers, he spent a while as Duke of Caulder. He was replaced in that role by his Sandhurst contemporary, Oswy Marne, on his appointement as CiC of the Murray Forces in SY118. He is married with three children.

Reporting to him are:

  • General Richard Pierce, Commander of the Murray Army
  • Admiral Rory Croft, Commander of the Murray Navy
  • General Eileen Steed, Commander of the Murray Air Force (including its small force of dragons)
  • Lt General Gwendolen Mark, Commander of the Murray Guard (responsible for the protection of Rothiemay Island, as well as Regent Emily and her Family)

The Murray Security Services

The Murray SIS is responsible for all intelligence gathering on the Outside. The Murray SIS Director reports to General Graham, but operations are largely independent, due to the different size of is purview, and the challenges thereof.

Brigadier-General Lady Jenaya Cross, DMg

Lady Cross  was appointed as head of the Murray Security Services in SY150. Prior to that, she was Head of SIEXT, working directly for General Graham, who selected her personally for the position and oversaw her training . She started her military career in the Palace Guard, before being transferred over to the Special Operations Executive, where she had a long and distinguished career, often working behind the lines. She is Talented, and holds a Doctorate in Magic.

She is quite well built, although it’s obvious that she hasn’t let herself run to fat. She never wears military uniform, preferring instead to dress in smart business suits when at the office.

After his defection from the Reich in SY152, and a thorough debriefing,  Lady Cross extended a position on her staff to former journalist Heinrich Straβe, who sometimes acts as a liaison between the Murray and Sanguine security services – or more specifically, between Lady Cross and Oberstgruppenführer von Raeder.