Familias Regnant universe
Encyclopedia
The Familias Regnant is the name of the government of an area of the galaxy
in the distant future from the Serrano series of books written by Elizabeth Moon
. In the early books of the Serrano Legacy, the government is headed by a monarchy
. As the story progresses, the abdication of the King after the Cloning Scandal caused the Council (equivalent of the House of Lords
in the United Kingdom) to appoint an elected official to govern.
It is likely that the Ruling Families were initially a business arrangement which became a form of government as business relationships grew and merged. Their government is run according to a set of bylaws and there is no constitution
or other set framework in place.
The RSS was initially created from the private militia
s of the 14 ruling families. Known founding member families are the Serrano and Livadhi families. Unlike most senior fleet families, the Serranos have no patron due to the occupants of Altiplano led by the Suiza family over-throwing them and in this process killing them (the Suiza/modern Altiplan(an) version of the history has the Founders dying in the plague which was part of the cause of the initial revolt). The true version of the story was never determined during the storyline. Prior to this amalgamation each militia owed loyalty only to its patron's family.
(While Heris is Captain of the yacht, and captain of the various vessels she commands after her return to the RSS, there is no rank of Captain in the RSS. The rank structure is equivalent to the US Navy, with the apparent exception being that starting with O-4, there is a change in the structure. Moon, a former US Marine, uses the Marine, Army, and Air Force rank of Major after the rank of Lt. She then continues the Naval ranks so that an O-5 would be a Lt Commander, and an O-6 would be a Commander. The last rank before "flag rank" is Commander. This is the equivalent of a Captain in the US Navy, or a Colonel in the other services. It appears, in this series, that "Captain" is used only to refer to the captain of a vessel, of any rank, which is the tradition in the Navy. The Flag ranks, in the novels, appear to be Admiral Minor, Admiral Major, and Grand Admiral (may be a position instead of a formal rank). While Garrivay calls herself "Commodore" at the beginning of Winning Colors, the subsequent conversation with Captain Serrano makes clear that this is a position, not a rank.
Known as the Royal Ass to the members of the RSS.
The Benignity of the Compassionate Hand
is a dictatorial government bordering Familias space. The government is predominantly driven by profit, and failure is usually punished by death. The view from the Familias is that The Benignity is a criminal enterprise governed by criminals who have become the official government. There exists an uneasy peace between the Benignity and the Familias, punctuated by minor skirmishes and border disputes. They are organized in a manner reminiscent of the Mafia.
The Benignity is also known as the ' Black Scratch ', or more officially the ' The Benignity ', or the ' Compassionate Hand '.
The Bloodhorde
is a coalition of pirates operating at the edge of Familias Space. Predominantly from Aethar's World, their government is based on tribal lines similar to the Vikings.
The New Texas Militia
is one of several groups of fanatics descended from old earth radicals who believe women must be controlled and kept in their place for a godly society to prosper. Literally barefoot and
pregnant. They attacked the Familias Regnant by stealing ordnance and piracy against their ships and the ships of other systems. On one such raid they captured and decided to keep Lord Thornbuckle's daughter Brun and use her as breeding stock.
The Lone Star Confederation
was settled by people from the old earth state of Texas. The Lone Star Confederation is one of the
trading partners of the Familias Regnant, and they have no relation to the New Texas Militia.
One of their Rangers was dispatched to the Familias Regnant after the kidnapping of Lord Thornbuckle's daughter to clear up any confusion between their states over their connection to the New Texas Militia.
The Guernesi Republic
A very advanced state bordering the Familias Regnant known for its medical and other advanced technology. They were involved in the clone crises that brought down the king and their agents helped in the retrieval of Lord Thornbuckle's daughter Brun from the New Texas Militia.
The Baltic Confederation
This group is only mentioned in passing.
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
in the distant future from the Serrano series of books written by Elizabeth Moon
Elizabeth Moon
Elizabeth Moon is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novel The Speed of Dark won the 2003 Nebula Award.-Biography:...
. In the early books of the Serrano Legacy, the government is headed by a monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
. As the story progresses, the abdication of the King after the Cloning Scandal caused the Council (equivalent of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
in the United Kingdom) to appoint an elected official to govern.
Political Make up
The council is made up of members of the Ruling Families. These families have many business interests throughout known space, and political decisions are closely linked to business needs. Non-members of the Ruling Families have little to no control over the choice of leaders and the everyday running of their government.It is likely that the Ruling Families were initially a business arrangement which became a form of government as business relationships grew and merged. Their government is run according to a set of bylaws and there is no constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
or other set framework in place.
Make up of Military Forces
The Military Forces of the Familias Regnant is made up of two distinct forces:Regular Space Service
The ' Regs ' are the professional section of the Familias Military Forces, primarily made up of space capable vessels crewed by highly experienced crews. They also have planet combat elements and are responsible for the enforcement of law and order in Familias Space.The RSS was initially created from the private militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
s of the 14 ruling families. Known founding member families are the Serrano and Livadhi families. Unlike most senior fleet families, the Serranos have no patron due to the occupants of Altiplano led by the Suiza family over-throwing them and in this process killing them (the Suiza/modern Altiplan(an) version of the history has the Founders dying in the plague which was part of the cause of the initial revolt). The true version of the story was never determined during the storyline. Prior to this amalgamation each militia owed loyalty only to its patron's family.
Notable Characters in the Regular Space Service
- Commander Heris Serrano
- Lieutenant Esmay Suiza
- Commander/Admiral Minor Arash Livadhi
- Admiral Vida Serrano
- Ensign Barin Serrano
(While Heris is Captain of the yacht, and captain of the various vessels she commands after her return to the RSS, there is no rank of Captain in the RSS. The rank structure is equivalent to the US Navy, with the apparent exception being that starting with O-4, there is a change in the structure. Moon, a former US Marine, uses the Marine, Army, and Air Force rank of Major after the rank of Lt. She then continues the Naval ranks so that an O-5 would be a Lt Commander, and an O-6 would be a Commander. The last rank before "flag rank" is Commander. This is the equivalent of a Captain in the US Navy, or a Colonel in the other services. It appears, in this series, that "Captain" is used only to refer to the captain of a vessel, of any rank, which is the tradition in the Navy. The Flag ranks, in the novels, appear to be Admiral Minor, Admiral Major, and Grand Admiral (may be a position instead of a formal rank). While Garrivay calls herself "Commodore" at the beginning of Winning Colors, the subsequent conversation with Captain Serrano makes clear that this is a position, not a rank.
Royal Aeronautical Space Service
Is a non-professional space force with officers primarily taken from families of the chair holders. They have a reputation as being arrogant and unprofessional, existing primarily to live a life of luxury. While this holds true of the officer class, it appears, taken from Esmay Suiza's thoughts in the beginning of Rules of Engagement, that Royal Security may also be a part of the Royal Aero-Space Service.Known as the Royal Ass to the members of the RSS.
Other Political Elements in the Familias World
The Familias is only one form of government in existence in the galaxy. Other known groups are:- The Benignity of the Compassionate Hand
- The Bloodhorde
- The New Texas Militia
- The Lone Star Confederation
- The Guernesi Republic
- The Baltic Confederation
The Benignity of the Compassionate Hand
is a dictatorial government bordering Familias space. The government is predominantly driven by profit, and failure is usually punished by death. The view from the Familias is that The Benignity is a criminal enterprise governed by criminals who have become the official government. There exists an uneasy peace between the Benignity and the Familias, punctuated by minor skirmishes and border disputes. They are organized in a manner reminiscent of the Mafia.
The Benignity is also known as the ' Black Scratch ', or more officially the ' The Benignity ', or the ' Compassionate Hand '.
The Bloodhorde
is a coalition of pirates operating at the edge of Familias Space. Predominantly from Aethar's World, their government is based on tribal lines similar to the Vikings.
The New Texas Militia
is one of several groups of fanatics descended from old earth radicals who believe women must be controlled and kept in their place for a godly society to prosper. Literally barefoot and
pregnant. They attacked the Familias Regnant by stealing ordnance and piracy against their ships and the ships of other systems. On one such raid they captured and decided to keep Lord Thornbuckle's daughter Brun and use her as breeding stock.
The Lone Star Confederation
was settled by people from the old earth state of Texas. The Lone Star Confederation is one of the
trading partners of the Familias Regnant, and they have no relation to the New Texas Militia.
One of their Rangers was dispatched to the Familias Regnant after the kidnapping of Lord Thornbuckle's daughter to clear up any confusion between their states over their connection to the New Texas Militia.
The Guernesi Republic
A very advanced state bordering the Familias Regnant known for its medical and other advanced technology. They were involved in the clone crises that brought down the king and their agents helped in the retrieval of Lord Thornbuckle's daughter Brun from the New Texas Militia.
The Baltic Confederation
This group is only mentioned in passing.
Familias Regnant novels
- Heris Serrano trilogy
- Hunting PartyHunting PartyHunting Party is a science fiction novel by Elizabeth Moon. It is the first novel set in her Familias Regnant fictional universe, and the first novel in the informal Heris Serrano trilogy. It is followed by Sporting Chance and Winning Colors.-Plot summary:The plot and narrative center on one Heris...
(1993-07-01) ISBN 978-0671721763 - Sporting ChanceSporting ChanceSporting Chance is a science fiction novel, written by Elizabeth Moon. Published in 1994, it is the second novel in the Familias Regnant fictional universe, and the second in the Heris Serrano trilogy...
(1994-09-01) ISBN 978-0671876197 - Winning ColorsWinning ColorsWinning Colors is the third novel in the space opera, military science fiction Familias Regnant fictional universe written by Elizabeth Moon; it continues the plot centered on the adventures of captain Heris Serrano and the maturation of several wealthy Families' scions, which was begun in Hunting...
(1995-08-01) ISBN 978-0671876777
- Hunting Party
-
- Heris Serrano (2002-07-30) – Baen omnibus edition ISBN 978-0743435529
- The Serrano Legacy: Omnibus One (2006-12-06) – Orbit GB omnibus
- Esmay Suiza continuation
- Once a HeroOnce a Hero (novel)Once a Hero is a science fiction novel by Elizabeth Moon. It is the first of the three books of the Esmay Suiza trilogy in Moon's fictional Familias Regnant universe, following the three of the Heris Serrano trilogy.-Plot summary:...
(1997-03-01) ISBN 978-0671878719 - Rules of EngagementRules of Engagement (novel)Rules of Engagement is a science fiction novel written by Elizabeth Moon. It is the fifth in her Familias Regnant fictional universe. Following Once a Hero, it is the second novel in the informal Esmay Suiza trilogy; despite a major increase in focus on the character Brun Meager, Esmay Suiza still...
(1998-12-01) ISBN 978-0671578411
- Once a Hero
- Esmay Suiza continuation
- The Serrano Connection: Omnibus Two (2007-09-06) – Orbit GB omnibus
- The Serrano Connection (2008-10-01) – Baen omnibus edition
- Suiza and Serrano
- Change of CommandChange of CommandChange of Command is a science fiction novel by Elizabeth Moon, first published in 1999. It is set in her Familias Regnant fictional universe, and is the third novel in the informal Esmay Suiza trilogy.-Plot summary:...
(1999-12-01) ISBN 978-0671319632 - Against the Odds (2000-12-02) ISBN 978-0671318505
- Change of Command
- Suiza and Serrano
- The Serrano Succession: Omnibus Three (2008-02-06) – Orbit GB omnibus