Laterano/Branches

## Government

### Politics

Laterano is governed by the **Lateran Church**, the national religion of the country. The Chruch is led by the **Pope** and its **Curia** is overseen by the **Cardinal** who deals with executive and diplomatic affairs. The main duty of the Church is to interpret their religious scriptures and rituals as well as carrying out missions for the Pope himself or the Chruch as a whole.

The Lateran Pope is also the "**Saint**" of the nation, a title first held by only the founders of Laterano. To the Laterans, the Saints are regarded as the genuine leaders of Laterano whose wisdom will guide the nations and preserve it from any disaster. For millennia, only the Popes were allowed to carry the title of the Saints, but Federico Giallo is the first non-Papal candidate to ever hold such official title under the proclamation of the current Pope.

The Lateran Curia is divided into departments called **Tribunals** supervised by a Cardinal in each of them, and currently, there are at least seven known Tribunals:

* The **First Tribunal**
* The **Fifth Tribunal,** which handles law enforcement; also the Tribunal where the Notarial Hall belongs to.
* The **Sixth Tribunal**, which handles public welfares.
* The **Seventh Tribunal**, which handles national diplomacy and intelligence service.

#### Notarial Hall

 File:Notarial Hall.png
The **Laterano Notarial Hall** (***Secretaria Notariorum Curiae Laterani***) is the official legislative bureau of the nation that is responsible for enforcing the 13 rights of the Lateran citizens. Members of the Notarial Hall are usually referred to as "*Executors*" who are given the power to supervise their citizens and use lethal force to enforce the law on them. As a matter of fact, many perceive them as fearful and strict officers. But most of the time, they focus more on ordinary legal problems like taxation, managing estate properties, contract enforcement, dealing with parental rights, and, most importantly, retrieving the deceased and their patron firearm.

#### The Legati

The **Legati** system was founded in the year 1069 in response to the escalating geopolitical crisis across Terra, escpecially after the devastating Battle of the Four Emperors. The Legati act as envoys to many nations and perform the job of peacekeeping, hence lessening the tensions and earning the title as the **Nuntii Apostolici**.

In order to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of its institutionalization, the Summit of Nations is held in the spring of 1099 under the order of the current Pope.

### Military

The military of Laterano is mainly the **Pontifica Cohors Lateran**, a Lateran elite special force. Aside from being soldiers, they are often assigned to protection and escort missions. The **Apostolic Knights**, another elite Sankta forces, are responsible for defending both the country and the Pope, and their sheer destructive power through their firearms make them the backbone of Laterano's military force.

## Factions

### Pathfinders

The **Pathfinders** is a Lateran sect founded and led by Andoain. The sect welcomes all races to join them, especially the Lateran Liberi and even Sarkaz, and their ultimate goal is to have a reformation in their country by ending its isolationism. While to the official Church, they are despised as the "**Astray**," the current Pope actually tolerates them and even agrees some of their ideologies.

## Note

1. ↑ Sing. *Legatus*; Latin for "ambassadors"
2. ↑ Sing. *Nuntius Apostolici*, fem. *Nuntia Apostolici*; lit. "Apostolic Diplomats"

## References

2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Spuria's Archive files
3. ↑ Gradus Secreti
4. ↑ Executor's Archive files