Government ruled by a single figure (despot, tyrant lord, supreme lord, supreme ruler, god, demigod, landlord, emperor, god-emperor etc) who retains absolute power and exercises it though a series of minions and second-in-commands. These people are often the ultimate power, including the judge, jury and executioner of this state. Whether the one ruler is fair and benevolent, or cruel and tyrannical will depend on the individual, but they rule by sheer force.
Autocracies are usually found in nations where one individual has overturned the previous system of government by sheer strength, for example one noble backed by mercenaries and evil supernatural casting down the monarch, or in provinces that have been invaded and are now occupied by a foreign force. Autocracy is the most common system of government for humanoid monsters, who live by the law of brute strength.
Newly formed autocracies are sometimes considered dictators or despotic governments, often military commanders who have seized power after a coup. until some kind of formal transition of power is established (if ever); many turn into a monarchy or hierarchy. Regardless of how many branches and agencies to the day-to-day work of making the government function, the autocracy is ultimately ruled by a single individual. In the capital of a nation or an empire, that individual could well be the ruler; few care to delegate authority within their own demesnes. In cities outside the capital, the local monarch is likely a viceroy or governor, appointed by or on behalf of the national monarch. A ruler might well maintain his or her share of aides, including chamberlains, chancellors, and even a parliamentary council, but at the end of the day, he is indisputably in charge. In good or selfish aligned cities, the governor typically rules by virtue of noble blood (whether deserving or not) and does his best to keep the people content, even if all that effort involves is distracting them from their complaints. In evil-aligned cities, the governor rules by possessing the might and influence to retain control, with the power -- either appointed or assumed -- to crush those who resist his decrees.
As a autocrat, one has power simply because people are intimidated. There is no question of the ruler having any right to government; conquest is the only right that matters in an autocracy. Religious backing is unnecessary for an autocracy. Whatever the gods may wish is irrelevant; the autocracy wields power for its own ends, not necessarily for those of a deity.
Establishing a Autocracy: All that one needs to set up as a autocracy is an army, a territory to take over and some allies to do other jobs. If there is no government currently in operation, then your route is much simpler. Announce yourself to the locals, if you are not already known and make it very clear that compliance will be rewarded but resistance will be crushed. If there is already an established government, then you will have to overthrow it. This overthrow must be as visible as possible, so the populace know who the new ruler is. It is best if the old governors are publicly executed; this helps to keep resistance down and quashes rumors that the old guard might be returning. You do not have to overthrow the old government by direct confrontation. You can always arrange for a mass assassination to take place, leaving you in sole charge of the regime; if you are exceptionally good at playing politics, you can even change a regime’s nature steadily over time. The fairest of republics can be turned into a autocracy over the years, if you know the right palms to grease and the right spells to cast. Just make sure that when the hour comes to take overt command, you do so firmly, decisively and with a great display of power.
The best position from which to establish your autocracy is from within. If you are the Commander of Armies in an established regime, you have half of your work done for you; the military already obey you and it is likely that they respect you, too. All it takes is for enough evidence to be amassed to discredit the ruling body, such as evidence of scandal and corruption, and you can stage your coup ‘for the good of the nation’. The people will be grateful to you for bringing an end to a decadent regime – at first.
A freshly founded autocracy begins with a default Control rating of 95% and a default Corruption rating of 5%. The initially low Corruption rating is due to the feeling amongst the members of the regime that they must not attempt to buck the system. The lower classes have a goodwill rating of –1 and the upper classes have +1.
System: The autocracy gives the orders and they are obeyed. Disobedience is punished.
Chain of Command: In a autocracy, the chain of command is usually a military one, where the head of the regime is also the commander of the military forces. Orders are relayed from the head, through the generals and commanders, down to local governors who are also military personnel. Settlements are overseen by a local military governor, though the day to day administration of the place may be entrusted to a civilian. It is the local governor’s job to impose law and order on the settlements in the name of the head of the regime, by any means necessary.
Pros and Cons: The advantage of a autocracy is that there is nobody who can tell you not to do
something. If you want to give an order, you can give it and never mind the consequences. Unlike
a monarchy, in which the power of the monarch is sanctioned by religion, or an Ard Ri system in which the High King is supported by the land’s chieftains, there is nobody to whom you are answerable. The great disadvantage of a autocracy is that your power needs to be shored up constantly and people with grudges will always be plotting against you. Government by force is guaranteed to create rebels. It is a given that they will exist, so you will have to busy yourself constantly finding and eliminating them. You will never be quite sure who is on your side and who is not, because people will be in the habit of telling you whatever they think you want to hear. Many autocracies, for all their power, become extremely paranoid and some are not altogether sane.
Council: As a autocracy, council members are mere functionaries. The ruler gives them instructions and they obey them, if they know what is good for them. Their only function is to concern themselves with work that you are too busy to do yourself. The council attending a autocracy is usually so afraid to give bad news that if the nation’s affairs are going badly, they will alter reports and forge documents to make the situation look better than it is.
Player Involvement: A player who sets himself up as the conquering lord of a country will find
autocracy to be an ideal system of government. It is particularly suited to the kind of character, usually a fighter, who has risen in experience levels by hacking and slashing his way through the landscape. Ruling as a autocracy offers a new level of challenge after one tires of massacres and monster-bashing. Having slaughtered commoners, destroyed fortifications and smashed his way into the throne room to decapitate the king, staying on as the head of a autocracy is an obvious progression.
Variations:
Divine or Theological Autocracy: An autocracy might also be a theocratic one, in which case the head of the regime is treated as a divine figure; either an earthy representative of the gods, or even a deity itself. The autocrat is considered head of the church, which is the dominant religion of the land, and its priests exist to inform the rest of the populace of their divine ruler's will. Any who disobey can be declared heretics and excommunicated or killed.
Known Examples:
The Kingdom is one example of a theocratic autocracy, where the God-King's word is considered divine law, and his will executed either through minions or through judicious use of his own vast might. Institutions like the church and the army are in place and have authority, but it is understood that they derive that authority and position from the God-King, who can revoke it at any time should he desire it. Caspian is considered the ultimate head of both secular and spiritual authority, and he delegates them to individuals who enact his will. Governors of individual kingdoms, empires, regions and planets are called viceroys and for all intents and purposes the monarchs of their lands. They may mobilize their local armies to make war with their neighbors or protect themselves, collect taxes, make trade agreements, but again their positions are extremely tenuous. If any of their actions displease their God-King, they can be killed and replaced in a moment's notice. To symbolize their submission, rulers must personally travel to Celes twice a decade to deliver their tribute personally to the God-King, as well as obey absolutely any command they are given.
The Millennial Kingdom of Rapture World. Yeshua rules the world absolutely under the authority of Yahweh, who himself is simply an extension of Yahweh.