Allied Southern Territories

Overview

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The Southern hemisphere of Terra Nova is dominated by the Allied Southern Territories. Far from a confederation of equals, the AST is a puppet used by the Southern Republic to maintain control of its conquered vassal-states. The AST is nominally governed by the Curia, but since all twenty-five members of the Curia are appointed by the Estates-General of the Southern Republic, it is far from independent. The most important members of the Curia are the three Lord Chancellors, each assigned to supervise one of the three vassal Leagues and the Lord Protector, who supposedly controls the entire AST. The Curia’s influence over day-to-day life is minimal. Most affairs are handled by the AST’s massive bureaucracy, which advises and assists the governments of the vassal Leagues. The bureaucracy is widely regarded as corrupt and useless, but the political climate of the South makes change difficult. Jacques Molay, the current Lord Protector, has broken with tradition by ruling largely independently of the Estates-General. Under Molay, the Curia has become increasingly authoritarian and the MILICIA has frequently been deployed into Southern cities to maintain order, quell rebellions and suppress dissent. Those who publicly oppose Molay frequently disappear and he has gone as far as to have members of the Curia who vote against him executed for treason.

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