Imperial Inspector

An Imperial Inspector, or Inspector of the Empire, is the most senior imperial official in the absence of an Imperial Governor.

The precise duties of an Inspector may vary from place to place, a fact used to both the advantage and disadvantage of these officials. They are understood to be governors by appointment of the Emperor and directors of imperial personnel and policy in a region. An Inspector is granted powers over local imperial forces, both civil and military, and given authority to command the efforts of junior officials. Traditionally, Inspectors are assigned to boost and maintain the influence of the imperial court. For this purpose, they are generally appointed to areas of dissidence and low order.

The Inspectors of the Empire work beneath Imperial Governors where necessary or alongside traditional rulers. For this reason, they frequently come into conflict with these local lords, whose autonomy is often found to be under threat. In areas where the existing powers depend heavily on imperial forces and institutions, Inspectors wield significant leverage. These officials can on behalf of the Emperor deny military aid, introduce new taxes, construct castles, and assign or withdraw imperial officials from court.

[This is really too close to the existing Imperial Prefects methinks, so I'm working on distinguishing the two].