Deltarian Politics

Overview
Deltaria is an absolute monarchy, with the the Czár presiding over the highest official seat of authority. However, in reality all national law is dictated solely by the Okhranka ; and at times, the Czár seems to be nothing more than a figurehead and hostage of the internal politics of his secret police. Most legislative and executive decisions are devolved to the local nobles, wth each family maintaining a military wing, or Huskarle to defend their holdings and maintain civil order. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Okhranka maintain a balance of power over the five noble families, by keeping a vested involvement in all law enforcement throughout the nation, constantly collating intelligence on every noble or lawmaker in the Empire, and ensuring that their assassins are capable of striking down any of them at any time.

The Czár
The Deltarian Czár is the highest authority of Deltaria, chosen from the closest living descendent from the pre-Republican royal family. The position of Czár grants unlimited authority over every protectorate and colony of the Deltarian Empire, and limited authority in the tributary nations. The Czár is protected, and to a large extent controlled by his personal bodyguard and secret police, the Okhranka.

Czárist Advisory Council
The Czárist Court is a small group of the Czár's most favoured and valued advisors, chosen directly by the Czár himself. The highest position in the Council is the Dvorný Radca, who maintains close ties with the Czár and councils him on a range of issues, while others provide specialised knowledge and advice.

The Okhranka
The Okhranka represent the Czár's militant. The Okhranka have jurisdiction over the entire Deltarian Empire, and are responsible for protecting the Czár, forming and maintaining a national military, and keeping surveillance over all nobles within the Empire and maintaining loyalty to the Czár by any means necessary. The Okhranka are pariahs within Deltarian society, feared and reviled by slaves, freemen, nobles and clergymen alike. A campaign of propaganda has cast what is known as 'The Long Shadow' over the Empire ; a deep-seated belief that the Okhranka are omnipresent and omniescent, observing everything and hiding everywhere. While this is completely untrue, the belief has made the Okhranka's job much easier.

The Okhranka is excempt from many of the regulations nobles and freemen merchants find themselves bound by, and are able to freely recruit women and racial minorities. All forms of religion, however, are utterly banned within the Okhranka, and members are forbidden from attending worship services and may be retired from the Ohranka if suspected of harbouring illegal religious beliefs. Okhranka recruits are taken from a very young age, often from orphanages, and those who aren't are orphaned by their recruiters. Okhranka members are also barred from marraige, parenthood, or establishing emotionally meaningful relationships with other human beings. The only love or sense of duty allowed to them is for the Czár.

The Church
The Terran Catholic Church has retained a large measure of power in Deltaria even after being denegrated to a lower position by the Czárist reforms, holding administrative power over a small section of Darali known as the Holy Lands, receiving a huge amount of revenue from tax-free tithings, and maintaining their own private army of Huskarle. The bulk of the Church's power, however, lies in the hearts and minds of the millions of Deltarians who see Boh as one of their only escapes from the misery of everyday Deltarian life.

Despite holding enough influence over the common folk to potentially overthrow Deltarian society, the officials of the Church have been sated by the luxuries piled apon them by the Czár and cowed by the constant presence of his Ohkranka rooting out malcontents, and preach subservience to the State above all else.

The Pápež
The office of Pápež is the highest position within the Church, and Pápež is considered an infallible ambassador of God. While most decisions are delegated to Kardináls and Arcibiskups, the Pápež is legally authorised to control every aspect of legislature within the Holy Lands. This authority, however, is second only to the presence of the Vatikan's Okhranka, and like every other man in Deltaria, the Pápež lives under the Long Shadow.

The Holy Lands
While the Deltarian Vatikan technically comprises of the entire Holy Lands, an area which includes the city of Dolinka, the towns of Pradubice, Unicov and Kolin, and their surrounding hinterlands, the word is generally used to mean the beurocratic headquarters of the Terran Catholic Church, a stately palace in the heart of Dolinka. In contrast to the rest of Deltaria, the Holy Lands are vibrant and rich with luxuries and extravagance second only to the castle of the Czár.

The economic output of the Holy Lands, however, is utterly negligable ; the entire region supporting on the enormous tithes offered to the Vatikan. A small standing army has been raised from the local populace, but concerns itself with domestic police work only, as no noble would be foolish enough to lay claim to the Vatikan.

Nobility
The noble families in Deltaria are entrusted with the administration of the Deltarian Empire, usually headed by a Vojvoda or Vel'kovojvoda to delegate responsibility and rule over the lesser nobles.

The Deltarian titles of nobility mirror those of former aristocratic states, with the notable exclusion of the viscount. Grand Dukes are generally given power over groups of Duchys, whilst a Marquess or Machioness will preside over a large city. Counts have holdings over large to medium sized towns, while Barons take responsibility over smaller towns and villages. Knights generally control sizable plantations or factories.

Premyslovská Dynastia of Alazinder
The Premyslovská Dynastia is the noble family who rule and maintain the Vojvodstvo of Alazinder. Although they are by no means the wealthiest, or the most popular, prestigious or powerful of the dynasties, they do excert the greatest amount of influence over the Czár, with Oldrich Premysl being an old and dear friend of Sebastian I and holding the coveted title of Dvorný Radca. While Vojvoda Oldrich of Alazinder is the official Dynastic patriarch, his duties in Cachtice take up so much of his time that day-to-day leadership is often shared between the Vojvodkyna of Alazinder, and the Markíz Spytihne of Melnik.

Mojmírovská Dynastia of Darali
The Mojmírovská Dynastia is the noble family who rule and maintain the Vojvodstvo of Darali. They are the most militarily powerful of the five Deltarian Dynasties, and recruit heavily into their Huskarle, often at the expense of their economic and infrastructural growth. They are heavily represented in the Czárist Council.

Antonescuovská Dynastia of Ushalande
The Antonescuovská Dynastia is the noble family who rule and maintain the Vojvodstvo of Ushalande. They are by far the richest of the Dynasties, led by a shrewd Vojvoda with an eye on the economic development of Ushalande.

Eroberenovská Dynastia of Doron Akigo
The Eroberenovská Dynastia is the noble family who rule and maintain the Vojvodstvo of Doron Akigo. Constant lip-service to the ideals of communism and social democracy have made them the most popular Dynasty among the common folk, who look up to them as saviors, although there is a small minority who hate them bitterly ; having learned first-hand of their treachery and lies.

Nádašdyovská Dynastia of Dissuwa
The Nádašdyovská Dynastia is the noble family who rule and maintain the Vojvodstvo of Dissuwa. They are the most prestigious of the five families, having helped rule the Dynastická Oligarchia Deltársko for decades, and married heavily into the legendary and now extict Bátoriovská Dynastia.