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While dwelling in a magical community might be fun, there needs to be a sense of order for the people who live there. Otherwise, everyone would be casting spells at each other all day without having to suffer any consequences. Imagine being turned into an inanimate object just for no reason whatsoever? You’d want to retaliate against the person who did it to you and that’s where magical governments come in.
The primary role of governments who preside over these communities is to safeguard the peace and ensure that everything goes smoothly. That means going after those who knowingly commit a crime and prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law. That way, nobody else thinks of doing it and that is a powerful deterrent.
Magical governments come in all shapes and forms, the vast majority of which are based on those of the real world. You see democratic ones such as the Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter series and those that lean more into the authoritarian side of things like the Galactic Empire from Star Wars. Each system has rules and regulations that all citizens must adhere to, even the ones they disagree with unless they want to suffer the consequences.
Governments interact with their citizens in a number of ways. These interactions are part and parcel of living in a society and how they go dictates how each side perceives the other. To cultivate good-to-excellent relationships, they must go smoothly without any trouble. On the other hand, those that go badly lead to hostility and a distrust which can be difficult to change.
Why should you include magical governments in the story? They highlight why the society depicted in the plot is the way it is. Tyrannical regimes lead to a breakdown in the social order whereas democratic ones encourage freedom and creativity in spades, sparking profound changes in how things are done.
This is the seventh article in the series diving into the various aspects of magic. For more, take a gander at our blog page. We have a ton of articles for you to peruse at your leisure!
With so many worlds in the genre that have different types of governments, it can be hard to choose one that you feel works for the one you’re creating. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to go with the one that fits the vibe of your story, for it’ll influence the decisions your characters make throughout, for good and bad.
When making a choice, there are many magical governments to choose from. One of the most popular is a democracy or republic. People choose officials who serve for a specified term where they work to enact laws that are designed to make the world a better place. These officials work within the confines of the system to enact their agenda and popular ones win reelection and unpopular ones are voted out in the next election.
You also have a monarchical form of government. It can be a benevolent or an absolute one. In the former, the powers monarchs wield are limited, meaning they must collaborate with a duly elected legislature to pass laws and policies. In the latter, monarchs can operate much like tyrants, issuing edicts at a whim.
On the other end of the spectrum stands authoritarian regimes. These magical governments rule with an iron fist and utilize several devious means to keep their citizens in line. They operate without impunity, working overtime to eliminate dissidents and inspire fear and intimidation within the public.
In some cases, you can have a magic-styled theocracy where leaders act as servants of the deity. They receive his messages and spread them far and wide. Only the faithful can work in the government where their sole focus is to spread the gospel all over the realm. They reward supporters and punish heretics.
Most stories don’t typically feature the government of the country as a distant entity that the protagonist is aware of but doesn’t interact with it at all. Rather, it plays a role, affecting the plot in both subtle and overt ways. Thus, the two sides will cross paths sooner and later and how it goes will shape the remainder of the plot.
For the stories that showcase magical governments, how the hero interacts with the one in his world represents how they typically go with the rest of the citizenry. After all, just like everyone else, the protagonist must obey the laws of the land — unless he is part of a rebel army or an area that is in direct opposition with the government in which he is not bound to them. That means he has to pay taxes and not do anything that would draw government scrutiny upon him.
Governments interact with their people in a number of ways. The first of which is collecting taxes which is always unpopular but is one of its most essential functions. Taxes come from a wide variety of places such as businesses and residents. There are other forms of taxes like fees and duties but they perform the same function.
The second way is when it’s punishing someone for violating the law. It could be a failure to pay taxes or not being in compliance with a specific regulation. In that case, magical governments seize the person’s property or garnish his wages which can generate some backlash in the local community since the majority of people will view it as a hostile act. This occurs after sending said person messages reminding him to address the outstanding issue or face the consequences.
Another way magical governments interact with the public is when officials make announcements that will affect the local community. It could be bringing new businesses in, infrastructure projects, or apprehending dangerous criminals. These announcements are designed to generate support and foster goodwill within the community since their lives will change for the better. The announcements will focus on the good stuff and gloss over the bad so that people don’t think about how they’ll affect them negatively.
The world doesn’t remain static as the story progresses. Rather, it undergoes changes and these changes can be anything. It could be that a pristine city is overrun by barbarians, a flooding event, or war breaking out somewhere. The same applies to the governments of the countries of the world.
Magical governments shape the world the plot takes place in which is why they should be part of the story. After all, they are a major contributing factor to why the world is in the condition it is in the story. Having your audience see how they function and how they interact with the public gives them great insight into what’s going on and why the protagonist is doing what he’s doing.
Much like the world, governments change as time marches on. They could become more totalitarian or descend into anarchy and these changes will influence the plot, forcing the protagonist to adapt to them or at least find a way to minimize how much they’ll affect him and his allies.
Changes in rulers will have reverberations throughout magical governments which will affect how the public perceive them. For instance, the demise of a beloved king will lead to a period of mourning before his successor takes the throne. Upon assuming the throne, the new king will institute his own policies to either the detriment or the betterment of the citizens. These changes in perception will steer the story in a new direction, as the protagonist must grapple with the new regime in power.
Governments can both be an active or passive participant in the plot. In the former, they can be an ally or a hindrance to the protagonist’s efforts to save the world. In the latter, they are relegated to the background where the main character hears about what they’re doing and their actions have minimal effect on his journey. In that case, they are more of a tool used to enrich the world and show the audience that there’s more to it than what they’re seeing.
In short, magical governments are instrumental in crafting an imaginary world chock full of spells and other magic-related stuff. They show the audience a different dimension, something that they might not see at first. They are the bodies that set and maintain the regulations and laws that citizens abide by.
These particular governments appear in many works across the genre. They come in many forms modeled after those of the real world such as democracies, monarchies, and even authoritarian ones. These forms make it easier for the audience to immerse themselves into these fictional worlds since they have a clear understanding of how they work in reality.
A common thread the majority of works within the genre that feature magical governments is showcasing how they interact with the people they rule over. How the two sides get along (or not) is indicative of how they perceive one another which is one reason why these worlds are in the state they are in when the story begins. Good relationships foster goodwill between both sides and bad ones beget feelings of hostility that are slow to die, if they die at all.
Governments play a role in the plot, whether they’re active or not. The decisions they make impact people, causing them to make choices that could potentially define their lives. This also includes the protagonist, whose journey will be shaped by these fateful decisions. In some worlds, they work with the main character whereas in others, they are an enemy or view him as a threat to them.
Magical governments are fascinating to create since they are exclusive to the fantasy genre. If your story has magic in some capacity, bringing them into your world will help enrich it and will shape the things people can or cannot do!
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Sunfire
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