OOC:
I want to note here and now that the majority of the images were not created by me. Everything is is borrowed from the internet, and hosted on my photobucket. Obviously, I intentionally stole no copyrighted material, and will remove anything if contacted by the rightful owner of the image. I have no altered the images in any way. (aside from removing some swastika armbands from one uniform picture)
IC:
“Good morning class” the high school professor stated as the entered the room. In her late twenties, clad in a white blouse and knee length skirt, she was the perfect vision of a teacher. Laying the books she carried under her arm gently on the desk, she looked up at the group assembled before her. 15 students seated at their desks, the epitome of uniformity. White dress shirts, black ties, black dress pants, shined dress shoes, each one of them looking like the next. All were quiet, attentive, as good children should be. Everything was in order. “Good morning Professional Landis” they greeted her in perfect unison.
With a curt not, Professor Landis acknowledged the classes greeting, and began her lesson. “As you know, today we are having an oral exam regarding the hierarchy of government within Transnapastain. This is worth 25% of the randomly selected student’s grade. Students not selected will submit a research paper on any of the three councils by 0800 tomorrow, minimum length is 8 pages. Questions?
There were none
“We shall begin with Mr. Dexter, then” Professor Landis stated, a young man stood from his chair, standing at rigid attention. “Mr. Dexter, please name for the three ruling councils, and their primary duties.”
“Very well, Professor. The three councils are the Synod, responsible for reviewing and passing legislation submitted by the General Assembly of the People. The Executer, head of the Synod, is the head of government for Transnapastain. The Synod makes foreign policy and trade decisions as well. Both Councilmen and the Executer serve for life.”
“Where are the Councilmen drawn from?” snapped the professor
“The GAP, ma’am, at the recommendation of the Executer and a ¾ vote of the Synod. The Council responsible for the judiciary, as well as the direction of the National Intelligence Office and the Office for Public Order is the Magisterium, headed by the Chief Provost. Acting as the Supreme Court, they handle all matters involving criminal and civil trials, and appeals, as well as administering law enforcement at the local, state and federal level.” Mr. Dexter paused “Finally, the Curia, headed by the Proctor of the Lord-“ with this statement, Mr. Dexter crossed himself, as did the rest of the class. “-deals with all religious matters, establishing and marinating religious doctrine. Further, it is the Curia’s mandate to oversee all government activities to ensure they are in line with god’s will. A member of the Curia sits on the Magisterium and Synod at all times, and has the right to block any legislation that he deems to be outside the will of the Lord. Each council has 14 positions, but only 13 positions are filled.”
“Why?”
“Because the final position, at the head of council, is reserved for the Lord, as he is always with us, and leads us in all that we do, no man may come before God in anything. That is all ma’am.”
“Be seated” stated the professor. Mr. Dexter did so at once.
“Ms. Heisman?” The young woman looked towards the professor “Yes, ma’am?”
“Explain the General Assembly of the People for the class.”
“Ma’am, the General Assembly of the People, or the GAP, is the legislative body of the nation, reporting to the Executer and Synod. Assemblymen are appointed by the elected Prefect of each military district.”
“How many military districts exist, how many assemblymen server in the GAP, and explain the reasoning for appoint to representatives for each district” asked the professor, rapid fire
“Ma’am, there are 25 military districts, meaning there are 50 Assemblymen. The Prefect appoints one representative from the local Dioceses, and another from the municipal government in the area. This is to ensure both God’s will, and laws necessary to the survival of the State, are proposed. That is all ma’am.”
“Very well, sit” commanded the professor. Ms. Heisman did so at once.
“Mr. Loxley, explain the procedures undertaken if a member of the Curia blocked proposed legislation.”
“Ma’am, in the event that a learned member of the Curia feels it necessary to enact is executive power, the Proctor will conceive the Council of the Elders, consisting of all 39 members of the Synod, Curia, and Magisterium. The opposing member will present his case, explaining why he felt a veto was necessary, and the burden of defense of the proposal falls to the Executer. After the facts are heard, the Council of Elders will vote on the proposal. The Council’s decision is final. That is all, ma’am.”
“Sit” the professor ordered.
“Final question, Mr. Brady.” The professor considered for a moment “Explain the Protectorate.”
“Ma’am the protectorate functions as the personal guards of the Proctor. The Protectorate reports directly to the Curia and the Proctor, and is personally loyal to him, and, by extension, to God. The Protectorate is divided into 3 distinct formations, consisting of elite military formations, police forces, and personal guards of the Proctor and high Church officials.”
“Very well.” The professor consulted her notes “That will be all class, non-selected students are dismissed to begin work on their research papers. That is all. God Bless…”
OOC:
Transnapastain’s government is convoluted and sprawling by design. When questioned, the nation will respond that it is a moralistic democracy, dedicated to bringing God’s will into existence on Earth. Its people are educated, happy, and utterly loyal to God and Government.
This is a lie, one the government works well to disguise. In reality, the nation is run by corporations and members of the Church. Religion is not an option, it’s the law and its mandates are strictly enforced. Tolerances have sprung up in over the years, and gone are the mass purges of “disloyal heretics”. Gone are the witch hunts, both figurative and literal. An utterance of “God damn” will not, in general, result in a trip to the gallows, but instead in a fine, and maybe a night in jail, maybe even being sentenced to community service. It all depends on who you are, who you know, and how many zero and comas can be found in your bank accounts. For a price, salvation can be bought, and any sin can be forgiven, with the proper application of currency. There is no government sanctioned, or secretly supported racial intolerance, bigotry, or sexism. Those things are not good for the State, and do not help maintain order. Your place in society is not determined by your racial heritage, but by your financial heritage, and the people you meet along the way.
Other religions are not tolerated, and practicing anything but the national religion is surest way to end up arrested, exiled, or executed. No criticism of the government, or the church, is tolerated, and disinters dimply disappear “under night and fog”. There are no thug policemen beating the average working man in the streets, no soldiers raping and looting as they see fit. No, none of that here, here there is order, always order. Order maintained, and kept, by the watchful eye of the nation, by the Office of Public Order, the Protectorate and the Transnapastaini National Intelligence Service (TNIS)
There is, of course, a guiding hand behind the scene. A secret, selective group, an Order, a fraternal Society, shaping, changing, maintaining, always maintaining, order and the status qua from behind the scenes. Almost every high-ranking businessman, Councilmen, Magistrate, General, and even Clergyman belong to it. They are the watchers and the keepers. No internal action occurs without their knowledge, no events go unnoticed, and no one is moved into a position of power without their assistance.
Their philosophy is simple. Loyalty to the State and the order it brings is way of the world, and that loyalty and order must be maintained, at any cost. They are the Order of the Rose, or simply "The Order." Their symbol, the Windrose, taking their name for that which has dictated direction for centuries. They are Transnapastain’s Windrose. For them, God is simply a tool used to impose order on the masses. Every tool of society, media, industry, research, military, they wield in the name of order.
For Transnapastain, God is the State, and “God’s” is in Order.