Government

The single most influential force in Thembria, the Thembrian government affects practically all areas of Thembrian life. Best termed a bureaucratic monarchy, Thembria's government is responsible for shaping Thembrian business, commerce, and society through its many laws and ordinances.

The head of state is the Thembrian Grand High Marshall, who also serves as commander-in-chief of the Thembrian armed forces. Chosen due to either aristocratic standing or military prestige, the High Marshall serves a lifetime term as supreme ruler of Thembria's government. Though some believe the Thembrian bureaucracy makes the High Marshall little more than a figurehead in the nation's affairs, the High Marshall does wield considerable power as he has direct control over the Thembrian Army and the Glorious People's Air Force. Quite frequently, the High Marshall uses the threat of court-martial and capital punishment to influence others in the Thembrian government (threats which, due to their effectiveness, have rarely been carried out).

The High Marshall rules and addresses the commoners through a complex network of bureaucratic officials and subordinates, which make up the legislative branch of Thembrian government. The Thembrian bureaucracy is represented by a cabinet of several delegates, each overseeing a specific government ministry (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Air Defense, Ministry of Agriculture, etc.). Each ministry is further subdivided into more and more specific departments dealing with everything from anti-aircraft shells to imported lawn ornaments (the latter being a special subdivision of the Trade Ministry).

Since the Great War, the Thembrian government has become greatly entwined with the Thembrian military, particularly in matters of justice and international relations. Many of the government officials in Thembria, veterans of the Great War, dwell mainly on their past achievements rather than looking ahead to future ones. As a result, Thembrian government has lost much of its former vitality, succumbing to a pervading atmosphere of lethargy and boredom. Lacking any real initiative, many Thembrian officials shamelessly ingratiate themselves to their superiors — a practice called "toadying" — in the hopes of advancing their careers.

Notwithstanding, Thembrian officials have a reputation for being thorough, a fact demonstrated by the enormous amount of bureaucratic rules and regulations in Thembrian legislation. The Thembrian government demands extensive paperwork to keep all official and unofficial proceedings properly documented. Such unnecessary measures have become standard Thembrian protocol — even something as trivial as a parking violation may require the completion of several dozen apology forms in triplicate.

This enormous amount of paperwork means day-long waiting lines for Thembrian civilians and officials alike. Furthermore, given the vast amount of clerical work being done, filing mistakes and errors plague the Thembrian bureaucracy. Despite sufficient authority to do so, few top Thembrian bureaucrats ever interfere with bureaucratic matters, considering them as much a part of their venerable Thembrian tradition as anything else. This puts foreigners at a particular disadvantage, as they are very likely to get caught up for weeks in negotiations with Thembria.

The one truly efficient area of Thembria's government is the judicial system. Swift and expedient, Thembrian justice owes much of its quickness to the prevailing assumption that defendants are "guilty until proven innocent". Few people, especially foreigners, can expect a fair trial from the Thembrian court system. Officially, truth belongs only to the state, whose input takes precedence in judicial matters. Defendants have no such benefit — they are often forced to represent themselves in Thembrian court hearings. Misappropriated evidence, falsified testimony, and exorbitant sentences (sometimes upwards of one thousand years in prison depending on the judge's disposition) are the norm in Thembrian trials.

Given the extreme dearth of popular entertainment in their country, Thembrians relish the opportunity to participate in matters of "official justice." The government airs radio broadcasts from the Glorious Colossal Thembrian People's Court on a regular basis; not only does the program serve to keep the people in line, but it also gets good ratings, as Thembrians are only allowed to listen to state programs. The few public executions in Thembria are handled swiftly as well, requiring only short forms instead of the usual triplicate. In accordance with Thembrian thoroughness, offenders are shot and then hung — but not before being starring in an episode of "This Was Your Life", a radio show that presents the condemned with a rather revealing look into their past.

Those Thembrian prisoners fortunate enough to escape the firing squad are usually shipped to a remote prison camp to serve their lengthy sentences. While most Thembrian prisons — such as Prison Camp Sunnyville — are located within the continent itself, a few are based in areas far from the Thembrian mainland. The most infamous of these is Bedevilled Island, a tropical prison camp containing Thembria's worst prisoners.

To Thembrian political officials, the rigidness and inflexibility of the Thembrian government preserves national unity and prevents interference with the "due process" of the bureaucratic system. Individual initiative and freedom therefore is considered a danger to the structured workings of the Thembrian state. For this reason, expressions of personal creativity or imagination — without state license — are deemed capital offenses punishable by life imprisonment. Contradiction of the state is also strictly prohibited, leaving few Thembrian commoners any direct involvement in their own nation's affairs. To foreigners this system is unfair, but to the Thembrians it is simply their way of life.

Concerning international politics, Thembria has historically taken a stance of armed neutrality. Unwilling to participate in warfare unless directly provoked, Thembria nevertheless maintains a large and very active military force within its own borders. Relations with other countries such as Usland, strained at times, are more or less peaceful in nature, although Thembria remains extremely competitive in areas such as foreign trade.
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