Rat der Ratten
The Rattenvölkern beneath Arcaniksburg operate on a sort of warped monarchy. While technically the King has a significant amount of power over the people of der Zuflucht, the people in turn have a number of tools in place to prevent tyranny and other diseases of the ego from leading to the downfall of their society. Most notably, they have the Rat der Ratten; one part self-deprecating joke, another a stop-gap measure put in place to prevent monarchical corruption.
The Rat der Ratten - literally 'the Council of Rats' - includes the King or Queen as one half of the ruling body, and a sort of military senate known as Der Begrenzer as the other.
Structure
The Rat King or Queen
According to laws set in place by the earliest Ratten, the Rat King or Queen is, without exception, someone who has never held a military position. A ruler of the people, for the people, this lack of military service is almost universally due to birth defects/mutations that have left them physically infirm, since military service is compulsory for much of the rest of the population. As such, this ruler tends to be a scholar or otherwise knowledgeable individual. Physically, they are rarely imposing or even particularly strong, generally preventing them from ruling purely through intimidation. The monarch's role is to weigh in on matters of social and cultural importance, as well as to have the final say in most legal matters. They will often be made aware of any ongoing military action, but the day to day of espionage, intrigue, combat, and other, more direct methods of self-preservation are generally left to Der Begrenzer.
Shortly into their tenure, the reigning Rat King or Queen is expected to begin seeking out a prospective heir from the people they meet during their time on the throne. They do not have to choose immediately, of course, but they're reminded early on to meet often with their people, learning their plights and their strengths and seeking out those who might best serve the next generation of Ratten. In most cases, an heir is selected in advance and groomed for the position by the reigning monarch, but at the very least the Monarch is expected to create a list of potential candidates for Der Begrenzer to look over should they die before making a definitive selection.
Der Begrenzer
The military branch of government, Der Begrenzer is a council of high-ranking military officials who are not currently in active duty. They serve to inform the current monarch of the status of the constant cold war against the humans above. They are generally seen as advisers, with provisions in place to prevent them from making most decisive military action without at least informing the monarch first, however in times of emergency they are granted full power to do whatever must be done. Additionally, should the current monarch die without a chosen heir, Der Begrenzer is permitted to choose the next one by whatever means they deem necessary, as being without a leader is itself a time emergency. However, as mentioned above, the monarch will generally have left a list in their wake - often in the care of a trusted official not part of Der Begrenzer - and it's seen as incredibly suspect for the individuals on it to not at least be interviewed on the matter before a new monarch is selected from elsewhere.
Public Agenda
The goal of both halves of the Ratten government is to finally establish legitimacy for their people on the world stage. Whether this means taking the surface lands above them by force or winning the hearts and minds of the people dwelling there, they will have their day in the sun. Currently, each half of the government is working towards their own methods of gaining legitimacy, with the current Kings Siegward and Sepp and their envoys seeking to curry favor with the people of the world beyond Arcaniksburg's borders and members of Der Begrenzer largely devoting their time to military reconnaissance of the Burgraff's forces within them. While these efforts are not technically at odds with one another, there are still frequent meetings between both parties to ensure that they work at cross purposes as rarely as possible.
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