The National Purpose Regime was the government of Vaethia.

Distribution of Power

In name, the National Purpose regime was a legitimate continuation of the monarchy, and it followed the Sublime Constitution. However, the real distribution of power was very different; after all, the group had attained power in a coup, and it did not intend to share it with the nominal head of state.

Due to the king's ailment, and especially so after his death, Princess Vaenya was the figurehead ruler. However, apart from appeasing the masses by occasionally making public appearances and governing those forces loyal to her, she was not allowed any participation in the formal government. The highest placed functionaries were of course the original coup plotters, and their closest associates. General Senovion was now Chancellor, and, though he had the most official power and he commanded the loyalty of many Vaethian Army officers, he could not rule alone. In the cabinet, it was a majority between the Chancellor, Minister of the Interior Vallion, Lord Colonel Aturion (the commander of the Royal Guard, who was given a seat in the cabinet as "advisor"), Minister of Defense Aleaz (a colonel of the Defense Ministry who had led part of the armed forces during the coup), and Public Minister Dean that made executive decisions.

By recruitment and coercion, a small majority of parliament was at the regime's side, and accordingly no laws were passed that the regime didn't want to be passed. The parliament's controlling role over the cabinet was also ignored. As for foreign powers, they had very restricted involvement in the upper branches of government. The Ministry of Trade was considered the least important of the five, and accordingly Licali was allowed to continue its regulatory operations within it, as long as the minister and his associates remained doggedly loyal to the regime. Armuria was happy to do business with whoever was in power, and was ready to support the regime with cheap weapons as long as it meant stability and low industrial taxation. Finally, the Cuprien authorities would be capable of asserting their control over the entire state, but at the princess's bidding the empire merely garrisoned some 500 troops near the capital and allowed the regime to rule in peace.

Armed Support

National Purpose had attained power with armed force, and it was well aware of the risk of another coup; in fact, one of the initial plotters had already attempted to turn against the others. As a result, each of the six main figures - the five de facto cabinet members, and Commander General Laetia of the police - made sure to keep sizeable armed forces loyal to them at the ready. Senovion relied on the loyalty of the commanders of three regiments stationed in the city outskirts, as well as the Extraordinary Protection Company which stood directly under his command. Vallion controlled the Security Brigade's intelligence and armed intervention departments, as well as the 1st Gendarme Mobile Group. Aturion had the Royal Guard. Aleaz secretly had the loyalty of two regimental commanders as well as the Vaethian Eye and its new intervention group. Dean only controlled the extensive public services administration and relied on his irreplaceability for protection. Laetia finally had the capital's uniformed police and - nominally - the entire police apparatus under her control.

In all this, Princess Vaenya - supposedly a hostage of the regime - commanded the sizeable Faith of Vaethia militia, and the five Vaerian Army regiments encamped outside the city.

Special Formations in the Capital

• Extraordinary Protection Company. Created by Senovion in late 97, this large company equipped with heavy weapons - including 10 armored cars and three field cannons - was stationed in the barracks that had previously served the army's armored car companies. This unit's mission was to protect military installations in the capital from any and all threats, but in truth the 400 soldiers were Senovion's insurance of power.
• Security Brigade. Initially an investigative corps of the police, it had been considerably expanded into careful political surveillance, primarily of the regime members. Vallion added an Intervention Department in 98 OW, 90 well-trained agents supposed to act as a "surgeon's knife" against "enemies of the nation"; they were officially used as heavy police, but were also a potential coup tool.
• Royal Guard. The paramilitary force dedicated to the capital's protection grew to 4'000 soldiers in four companies, one of which was mounted and had armored cars. The Crown Company, normally garrisoned in the palace and supposed to guard the princess, was increasingly replaced by the Faith militia and forced to cram into the regular barracks.
• Vaethian Eye. Senovion believed political intrigue of all kinds should be prevented. Besides military policing and political surveillance, the Vaethian Eye was dedicated to keeping an eye on social institutions - especially the Faith and trade unions. Though it received a sizeable new headquarters in the western outskirts, it also gained an Intervention Detachment, 100 heavily armed men loyal to Aleaz.

Political Narrative

When the regime took power, it announced its narrative: "to protect the national purpose and all the people of Vaethia, and secure the nation's road to progress". Though exact political aims differed depending on who the coup plotters recruited, in general, National Purpose stood to right the errors made by the previous politicians and to protect the nation from all unrest.

History

The regime was founded in 97 OW by the successful instigators of a coup. After asserting their control over the capital and government, they were forced to make concessions by allowing Princess Vaenya some freedom and access to her followers due to internal pressures and the threat of Cuprien intervention. During its three years of rule, each of the regime's powerful members sought to enrich themselves as much as possible while protecting themselves with increasingly large armed formations.

The National Purpose clique was finally defeated in 100 OW, when a coup by Vaenya resulted in their arrestation.