Laputan Guardianship

Laputan Guardianship
Government Type: Theocratic–militaristic monarchy
Ruling Figure: The Guardian (sacred monarch and supreme commander)
De Facto Diplomatic Center: Armaneya (orbital city above Ramcat)

The Laputan Guardianship is an interstellar state governed by a hereditary theocrat known as the Guardian—a single figure who combines the roles of monarch, high priest, and military commander. Rooted in religious law and martial tradition, the Guardianship is simultaneously a nation, a temple, and a standing army. Its cultural strictures remain uncompromising even as it engages in diplomacy across Compact and Realm space.

---

Religion and Philosophy

The Unseen
Laputans worship a singular, unknowable deity referred to as the Unseen. This faith is not symbolic or metaphorical: all law, custom, and leadership trace back to divine will as interpreted by scripture and the Guardian’s authority.

Syncretic Origins, Monotheistic Discipline
Laputan religion originated as a fusion of tribal pantheons but has solidified into monotheism. Ancient rites are retained for ritual purposes, but all power flows from the central doctrine of the Unseen’s plan—known collectively as The Guardian’s Peace.

---

Government and Law

The Guardian’s Peace
This is both the legal code and spiritual foundation of Laputan society. To break the Guardian’s Peace is not just criminal—it is sacrilege. All foreign policy, internal law enforcement, and military conduct are judged against this principle.

Hereditary Rule
The Guardian is selected from a bloodline considered divinely chosen. Successors are trained from childhood in theology, martial discipline, diplomacy, and sacred law.

The Guardian’s Hand
A potent office with judicial and operational power across Laputan territory and extraterritorial zones. In Jump, Delda Rallis is revealed to be the Hand for Armaneya, enabling him to arrest Realm nobility, impound vessels, and impose political outcomes without direct approval from higher offices.

---

Military and Cultural Customs

First Contact Doctrine
Upon encountering new species, Laputan tradition demands an initial strike to test the alien culture’s resilience. Only then is a truce offered. This process has led to several near-wars but is regarded as sacred proof of character.

Hair and Honor

• Left shoulder: Active-duty military personnel

• Right shoulder: Veterans

• No ponytail: Disgrace or dishonor
  Hair is grown into a single long ponytail that may only be cut voluntarily or by public judgment. Even foreigners living among Laputans are expected to understand the symbolism.

Hospitality and Law Enforcement
Laputan hospitality is binding. Anyone granted safe passage or station access is protected under the Guardian’s Peace. However, that same protection comes with strict legal expectations, as illustrated by the events of Jump, in which Delda Rallis uses his authority to shield a Gelt indenture (Shrian) while detaining a rogue Realm noble (Laral Raas) on technical charges.

---

Cities and Infrastructure

Armaneya
A vast orbital city above the world Ramcat, Armaneya is the largest and most politically active city in the Guardianship—but it is not the capital. It serves as the Guardianship’s premier diplomatic and commercial hub, housing embassies, trading consortia, and elite enclaves from the Compact, Foundation, and even the Realm.

In Jump, Armaneya is the site of a political flashpoint when Compact officers and a Gelt engineer reveal the existence of a functional quantum entanglement transport system. The city’s legal structure—anchored by the presence of the Guardian’s Hand—allows for containment of the situation without open interstellar conflict.

Hypergate Access
All travel into Laputan space is funneled through the Armaneya Hypergate, giving rise to the common saying:

“All roads to the Guardianship lead through Armaneya.”

---

Post-Jump Addendum

• Delda Rallis’s Office as a Model: The events of Jump highlight how the Guardianship’s theocratic legal system can be applied flexibly through empowered, high-trust agents like the Guardian’s Hand.

• Interstellar Arbitration Role: With Armaneya as a neutral space under Guardian law, the Guardianship is poised to act as a peace broker or wildcard force in Compact–Realm–Foundation tensions, particularly when key technologies or personnel cross political boundaries.