New Oceania: Political Landscape
Introduction
The government of New Oceania is a none-too benevolent dictatorship. While it has its origins on the Broken Pattern world of Manira, under the Brotherhood of the Martyr, since the SY120s the Brotherhood has been disestablished and New Oceania has become a wholly secular state.
- The World of New Oceania
- Life in New Oceania
- The Political Landscape and the de Real Family
- The Data Centre
- Manira: Precursor of New Oceania
- A Timeline of Manira and New Oceania
The original first family of New Oceania was the de Real family. Its founder, Diego de Real was formerly one of the Triumvirs from the original days of the Broken Pattern world of Manira. He was instrumental in the relocation of the Maniran BP from hostile territory near Sable, to the world of New Oceania, but died in the attempt. Since SY120, however, the ruler of New Oceania has been Secretary General Andreas Delatz. He was single-handedly responsible for the move from a theocracy to an effective autocracy. His correct form of address is Mr. Secretary.
In nature, Andreas is a cold, calculating, almost mechanically efficient individual, with a slightly accented, soft-spoken voice. He rarely shows emotion, preferring to act based on logic rather than feeling.
While he holds all the power, he is advised by the Council of Ministers: the Ministers of the five government departments, the Party Chairman and Lady Isabella Hamilton de Real, widow of the original mastermind behind the establishment of New Oceania. Delatz’s primary residence is on the old Martyr’s Island, now called the Data Centre, although he does have residences in both San Carlos and Constantine. He is married to Gabriele Schwarz.
The Party
The Party is the controlling political influence in New Oceania. The Party hierarchy runs the Ministries (with the exception of the Ministry of Data) and its members hold the majority of senior positions both within those Ministries, and in the major industrial and agricultural concerns. To become a Party member, you need to have either be born into a Party family, or have proved your loyalty to the New Oceania government in another way. Party membership is highly desirable, as without it, you cannot be considered a full Citizen of New Oceania, and without citizenship its impossible to access the higher echelons of New Oceania life.
Alberto Teodoro, Chairman of the NOWP
The Chairman of the Party is one Alberto Teodoro, who was appointed to the position by Secretary General Delatz. Teodoro deals with the day-to-day running of the Party machinery and co-ordinates closely with the five Secular Ministers.
The Ministries
The five Ministries are housed in huge, pyramidal structures. The Ministries of Peace and Love are based in San Carlos, the capital of Northern Oceania, and offer a bleak, impersonal face with a decided lack of windows. It is rumoured that there are as many floors below ground in the Ministry of Love as there are above it.
The Ministries of Welfare and Truth are located in Constantine, on Southern Oceania, and the buildings have a more welcoming, airy feel and are primarily sheathed in glass. The Party HQ is also in Constantine, but is architecturally more of the imposing stone ediface model.
The Minister of Data is based on the Data Centre.
The Ministry of Love
Minister: Ezequiel de Real
The main purview of Miniluv is law and order in all its forms. This comprises three arms: the normal police force, state security and the secret police, and the much-feared Thought Police, under the command of Bieito Abreu. Miniluv is responsible for issuing ID and movement papers cards to both the Citizens of New Oceania and the Proles.
The Ministry of Peace
Minister: Alexander Lynch
Minipax deals with maintaining of the New Oceania armies, which are currently involved in keeping the peace within New Oceania, and protecing it from its enemeies. With respect to the provision of troops, as well as recruiting humans to the New Oceania forces, it co-ordinates closely with the Ministry of Data for the provision of Drone troops.
It is also the Ministry with overall control of the Ministerial Protection Service, a paramilitary arm charged with the protection of important Inner Party figures, under the command of Colonel Rodrigo Sanchez.
Responsibility for any diplomatic efforts which New Oceania may wish to consider would also come under the purview of Minipax. The New Oceania Diplomatic Service, run by Under-Minister Félix Castellan, is a relatively new department, formed in response to a recent adjustment in policy by the Council of Ministers.
As a world built on the mentality of New Oceania usually needs a war to keep the people compliant, the government has defined four “enemy powers”, located around the Security Ring. These are Noreasia, Norwasia, Sorwasia and Soreasia. New Oceania is currently “at war” with Soreasia and Sorwasia.
The Ministry of Truth
Minister: Jaime de Real
The Ministry of Truth is most closely allied with the Ministry of Welfare, and is responsible for news, entertainment, education, the arts. By default, this means it also deals with deals with propaganda and keeping the people happy and believing in the Cause. This Ministry runs the Ocenania Children’s League (age 6-11) and the Oceania Youth League (age 11-18), for the youngsters of the Party families .
The Ministry supervises publication of the two New Oceania newspapers, and is also responsible for oversight of the New Oceania Network, which broadcasts the two-stream programming for the video screens (again, one for the Party, and one for the Proles).
The Ministry of Welfare
Minister: Iago Rocha
This is the Ministry that deals with economic affairs, including the day to day welfare, medical care, etc of the people of New Oceania. It keeps them fed, clothed and housed, at least to the degree it can. It also co-ordinates imports of additional resources from the worlds immediately around New Oceania.
The Ministry of Welfare also has oversight of the Bank of New Oceania, the single major financial institution on the Shadow, which is completely under State control.
The Ministry of Data
Minister: Data Controller Graham Dorian
Based on the Data Centre, the Ministry of Data oversees all actions undertaken by the various Drones that are part of New Oceania life, from the dirty jobs that someone’s got to do, to acting as frontline troops in the war against New Oceania’s enemies.
The Ministry of Data is also responsible for the installation and maintenance of the New Oceania security systems, including all the surveillance machinery, and the two-way TVs that are installed in every home.
The de Real Family
Isabella Hamilton de Real
Isabella was married to Diego de Real for many years, before his death, and is the mother of his four children: the twins, Ezequiel and Louhira, Jaime and Carlos. She is a Talented sorceress, with magical specialities in healing and forensic medicine, as well as being a skilled Trump artist. Since the foundation of New Oceania, she has been heavily involved in setting up its medical services, given the challenges both within New Oceania society and from the hostile worlds which have potentially surround it. She has been seen less often in public over the last few years, but she occasionally makes public apperances with her children, and serves on the Secretary General’s Council of Ministers.
Three of Isabella’s children are important within New Oceania in their own right. The youngest, Carlos, has not been seen in New Oceania for a long time.
Ezequiel de Real, Minister of Love
The eldest son, Ezequiel is a skilled mage, and did his apprenticeship within the Brotherhood of the Martyr, before launching out into politics. Within New Oceania society, he serves as Minister of Love. It has occasionally been whispered that Ezequiel is not entirely content that it is Delatz, rather than himself, who is Secretary General of New Oceania. However, whisperers often have an appointment with the Thought Police shortly afterwards.
Louhira de Real
Louhira studied with the Brotherhood of the Martyr from a young age, and her understanding and interpretations of the Martyr’s words were respected and treasured by many within the Church, before its disestablishment She is acknowledged as a skilled ritual magician, and is well versed in the comparative mythologies of a number of other religions. Since the disestablishment of the Brotherhood, she has worked closely with Secretary General Delatz in an unspecified capacity.
Jaime de Real, Minister of Truth
Ezequiel’s younger brother, Jaime, used to work on the intelligence side of Maniran/New Oceania society, and acted as his father’s agent in Shadow back in the Manira days. In spite of (or perhaps because of) this, Secretary General Delatz decided to appoint him as Minister of Truth, rather than Minister of Love, which might have been considered a better fit. He is considered to be more charismatic than his brother, but appears to be less driven by ambition, which may be another reason for him being given his current position.