The Divine Primacy of Arcadia
Established in the year 35 AA, the Divine Primacy is a world-spanning dictatorship, ruled by the God-Ruler Meridian.
The Divine Primacy was officially established and recognized in 35 AA when the last of the great nations of Annakar surrendered to Meridian, shortly following The Sundering, and subsequent end to the War of Ascendancy. In the months following The Sundering, the nations of Annakar had their governments reformed and their borders redrawn, and were united as provinces under the Divine Primacy.
Structure
The Divine Primacy gives supreme power and absolute authority to God-Ruler Meridian. Meridian's word is law, except should he himself make an exception or change.
Beneath Meridian are several branches, called Ministries, who act to carry out his will. Each member he has appointed himself, or has put in place the means for succession of each position - though all appeals for appointment must be authorized by him directly. These branches are as follows:
- Ministry of Rule, consisting of one Archon, beneath whom serve 16 Ministers who oversee the provinces of Arcadia
- Ministry of Arms, consisting of one Highmarshal, beneath whom serve 16 Generals and as many High Champions.
- Ministry of Labor, consisting of one Overlord of Labor, beneath whom serve 28 Overseers.
- Ministry of Exaltation, consisting of one Divine Vicegerent, beneath whom serve 16 Exalted Princes/Princesses
Life in the Divine Primacy of Arcadia
What one can expect out of life is largely determined by their lineage and social standing. Experiencing the best quality of life are Meridian's own retinue, council, and the heads of the branches of government. These stations are primarily underworld servants who were loyal to him before and throughout the War of Ascendancy, and their descendants. Below them, Reclaimed (fallen) Aasimar enjoy many comforts out of reach of the peasantry. Agents of the Primacy - those in the various Commissions or Divisions - enjoy a comfortable, yet modest existence. Servants and auxiliaries less so, but they are often kept from going hungry or ill. In some provinces, the aristocracy of the Discordant Age has preserved themselves, swearing fealty to Meridian's rule. This class often exists parallel to the Ministry of Rule, with certain aristocrats being allowed to manage (but not truly own) land and property. In some cases, personal retinues or small armies have been allowed, though under the direct and strict scrutiny of the eye of the Ministry of Arms. This has been the case in places where specialized teams with extensive knowledge and experience operating within their locale have proven a significant advantage over an inexperienced occupying force. An example of this would be in the rough mountains and valleys of Grafia, where rangers and indigenous tribes have centuries of experience using the terrain to their advantage. In the middle of the social ladder are the skilled craftspeople and tradesfolk, especially those organized into guilds. While some of the comforts of the upper class are available to them, it takes particular renown and favor to earn such privilege, and it is often unsustained. Parallel to this class are soldiers and naval servicemen and women, and practitioners of the arcane. Just below this rung are unskilled laborers in positions of management. Near the bottom of the ladder are the lay folk, the peasantry, the commoners. While it is not impossible to rise to greatness as a commonborn, it is almost unheard of - skilled trades and craftsmen tend to only take on the progeny of guildmates as apprentices, and most do not have much aptitude for the magical arts, nor the resources to study wizardry. Many commoners simply are born, work for their voucher rights and meager wages, maybe purchase a few relatively expensive baubles, and succumb to disability or illness once their bodies give out. At the very bottom of the ladder are the infirm, disabled, and elderly who lack family support. In general, the members of this class are afforded no rights, and are subject to the whims of those above them. Often people will simply disappear, their lives taken as sport for a sadistic noble, or to be experimented upon by those who dabble in the darker arcane arts.Agriculture & Industry
Matters of agriculture and industry are handled by the Ministry of Labor. The Overlord holds authority over two divisions: the Commission of Agriculture and the Commission of Natural Resources. The heads of these divisions are called Overseers, and there are usually one per division per province. These Overseers report to and receive orders from the Overlord directly, who in turn communicates with Meridian himself.
Agriculture
Each province is given a quota, measured in tons of unspoiled food, to be met each year, and tracked throughout. These quotas are established based on the amount of arable land within a province, determined by surveys conducted by Commision of Agriculture Overseers. Most provinces subdivide their quotas to give each settlement or landowner their own quota. This is determined independently by each provincial Commision of Agriculture with input from other local divisions when necessary. The minutiae is left up to the Overseer for each province - so long as provincial quotas are met, Meridian would rather spend his time elsewhere. A portion of the food is levied, with priority shares being diverted toward more central divisions within the Divine Primacy, according to their need, determined directly by Meridian with input from his High Council and Ministry Heads. The rest is ditributed evenly, based on population, throughout Annakar. A province who fails to meet their quota is often met with harsh penalties. These penalties are usually paid for in blood. Penalties are assessed after a quick trial, in which the Overseer explains why their province has failed to meet their quota. Occasionally, there are legitimate reasons for which an Overseer can fail to meet a quota, including famine or drought on a large scale. This can reduce the penalty assessed. Typically, a responsible Overseer will set deadlines for his underlings that fall before the Overlord's deadline, so that shortfalls can be dealt with in time. Distribution occurs throughout each year. Families are granted a number of ration vouchers, based on their need (family size, land ownership, social status, etc.), with priority given to those of higher social standing. The people can also choose to spend wages should their vouchers prove insufficient. Prices are set by the Ministry of Rule, working in conjunction with the Commision of Agriculture. Intervention, when necessary, is meted out by the Commision of Defense.Industry
Industry works much in the same way as Agriculture, with the Commision of Natural Resources acting in place of the Commision of Agriculture.
Founding Date
35 AA
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Leader
Government System
Dictatorship
Economic System
Command/Planned economy
Official State Religion
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
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