The Damarii Tyranny

The Damarii Tyranny is one of the major Lobes of the Haruspic Sphere. It is one of three members of The Sphere's Heart.

Overview

The Damarii Tyranny is one of the most bureaucratically sophisticated and politically intricate regimes in the Galactic Arm. Unlike traditional autocratic empires, the Tyranny functions as a stochocracy, a system in which leaders are selected through a lottery-like process from a pool of eligible candidates, rather than through hereditary succession or democratic election​.

The Tyranny has long been a powerful force, with vast territorial holdings spanning over 1,283 planets and habitats​ (at the time of THE REDEMPTRESS). It is renowned for its administrative complexity, requiring citizens to obtain permits for even personal matters such as procreation​.

Government and Structure

At the heart of the Damarii political system is the Tyran, a revered figure often seen as a near-divine ruler. However, true governance is shared among multiple bodies, including:

• The CodexCouncil, a judicial and advisory body overseeing constitutional matters.
• The Vizarch’s Assembly, a legislative body that influences major political decisions​:contentReference.
• The Tyran's delegates, and advisory body constituted by the persons that had been selected through the stochocratic process but weren't chosen to become Tyran.
• The Phalanxes, elite military units loyal to the state rather than any individual ruler​.

Center of power

The Damarii Tyranny's center of power is Damar Station, a gigantic space station that wanders around the Galactic Arm to orbit all Damarii worlds in turn. Every central power is represented aboard the station, which also holds the Tyranny's most prestigious academies, such as the Academy for Advanced Administration (called 3A) or the Baliemy II Medical School.

The Tyran selection process

There are (at the time of THE REDEMPTRESS) thirty-three administrative sectors in the Tyranny, each governed by a Vizarch. In each of those, one adult person is selected randomly. The thirty-three representatives then are flown to Damar Station and kept in complete isolation until they unanimously elect one of them to become Tyran.

The other thirty-two then stay on Damar Station to become the Tyran's delegates. Only the Tyran is allowed to seek their council.

It is customary that when a Tyran's life ends, the remaining delegates take their own lives to offer a clean slate to the next Tyran.