World Sketch
Hon 101
The planet PWN-D1 is a small, isolated world that has isolated itself increasingly over the past few generations. Though they have retained some contact with other planets, it is mainly for economic purposes; the number of foreigners living on PWN-D1 is few, and the number of residents of PWN-D1 traveling to other planets even smaller.
For many years, the central government of PWN-D1 was a monarchy, with the power fairly evenly divided between Parliament and the King and/or Queen. After several years of the ruling classes abusing their authority and the working classes continually losing rights and money, the people spurred a successful revolution. Now, though the throne is not necessarily inherited, it is neither something one is elected to. When the time comes to find a new King or Queen, Parliament will propose a person for the position; this person is usually a direct descendent of the previous “ruler,” and in virtually all cases is someone from a branch of the same family tree. One year, after a particularly mediocre few years economically, the large voting population of farmers voted out a prince who was next in line for the throne and managed to get an unassuming and charismatic self-made banker on the throne. It was the first time in the history of PWN-D1 that non-nobility ruled. Two years later marked the first time the population exercised its power to vote a leader off the throne. In truth, all the voting rights and power of the people is something of a smoke screen, since the King and Queen have no actual power. The rulers on the throne share authority with Parliament and dozens of other smaller government offices, all of which have some power to overrule legislation. While all these branches continually clamor for control and order, constantly passing bills or vetoing them, very little actually changes in the government. The people who really are in control are twelve men who compose the Department for Economic and Foreign Litigation Division, extremely wealthy and influential citizens who surreptitiously grabbed control during the revolution. They instate the Head of Parliament, who is then obligated to vote and rule as they determine. For this reason, the Head of Parliament is usually a wealthy citizen with little desire for power and a great desire for money. Outside of a small inner circle, no one is quite sure what the Department for Economic and Foreign Litigation Division does, and neither can they discern anything from their title, though the use of the word “foreign” excuses the occasional emissary sent to other planets.
After the revolution, the new government enforced an extreme isolationism, declaring that the influence of other planets was not only unnecessary but particularly harmful. Since the new government had changed a lot of legislation for the majority of the population for the better, and no one was thinking of revolting again, the people were happy to embrace this way of thinking. The new nationalism caters especially to the farmers and miners, who make up most of the population, and who previously had little to no control politically and made little money. Now that foreigners are no longer strictly welcome, (coming to the planet without a direct invitation from the government borders on an act of war) there is far less illegal exporting of the precious metals, rare gems and valuable crops PWN-D1 supplies in abundance. The government has therefore placed as high a price and taxes on these items as they wish and have very little need to import good from outside sources.
The powerful force that is the government has almost entirely wiped out organized religion. The general populous is as unforgiving of these “religious renegades” as the government. All religions except for honoring the Mother Country are seen as the influence of outside forces, and the economic and social problems prior to revolution have all been effectively retroactively blamed on all things foreign, though much of the strife on PWN-D1 was internally motivated.