Regions of Enelis
Vigilant Astonia Imperium
Bureaucratic Empire of the Noman Descendants
Banner: White tower on a reddish flag and golden corner lines.
Capital: Ardolia (25,540)
Notable Settlements: Milania (62,280), Lerasia (49,230), Versulia (29,450), Perania (24,650), Nomia (22,830), Ineania (18,230), Radinia (14,520), Lyeecia (12,130), Daralia (11,930), and 63 smaller market towns.
Ruler: Emperor Gauis Alanandriara IV
Government: Bureaucratic Empire; Ruled by the Emperor with the Senate. Senators are elected from noble houses by provincial magistrates who govern individual regions.
Military: Very Strong. Holds 239 defensive fortifications.
Languages: Nomen (Common)
Religion: Eastern Pantheon
Primary Exports: Crafted Goods, Textiles, Furniture, Wine, Spirits, , Literature.
Detailed Map of the Eastern Coasts
.
History
The region of Astonia is steeped with ancient empires and cultures long forgotten. Prior to the appearance of humans, the Astrearvis civilization of the Stelmar (star elves) ruled the area. The landscape is still dotted with their ancient forgotten structures. The Stelmar were eradicated by the dragons, leaving a void in the region, soon filled by humans. The Amarie kingdoms of humans rose to dominance in the region and built vast trade networks. They had good relations with the nearby Elves. With the arrival of the Nomenir and the combining of the Amarie Kingdom into the Nomen Republic, a grand society began to develop. The Nomen Empire set Astonia as the heart and center of the empire with the grand city of Goldwall as its capital.
During the slow decline of the Nomen Empire, the capital was moved to a new city in Astonia, Ardolia. The Palace of the Emperor was built upon the highest hill in the city and the decadent nobility surrounded the hills with large estates, temples, and amphitheaters. After the fall of the Nomen Empire, the Astonia region fell into squabbling among noble families all trying to vie for the right to rule the region or to reclaim the lost glories of the Empire. The land had become a hotbed of intrigue and warfare between city-states and small kingdoms led by former provincial senators. Populations declined and many looked back to the time of the Empire as glorious days of the past. After many centuries of decline, populations slowly grew and some stability was established as the many small petty kingdoms ruled the regions of Astonia and Ardolia fell into disarray. During the Last War, many of these regional leaders overcame their differences and banded together to form a significant fighting force. These armies would march north to meet the Dohkan invasion. After the war, King Gauis Alanandriara was able to declare themself Emperor of Astonia and maintain support over the region. He restored the provincial government of the old empire, placing his supporting kings and lords into positions of power. Now, many centuries later, the Alanandriara family still rules the Astonia Imperium.
Government
The Astonia Imperium is ruled by the Emperor (Gauis Alanandriara IV). The emperor’s rule is not absolute, as he shares power with the Senate, a body of provincial senators who oversee their regions. The Senate has the power to make laws and the Emperor is meant to enforce them via his command of the military. The actual power-dynamic, however, is usually far more complex. There is a vast bureaucratic network of semi-autonomous agencies that oversee the governance of specific tasks. These agencies are created by law and report to the Senate. Thus, the Emperor’s duties mainly comprise commanding the military and meeting with foreign heads-of-state.
Provincial senators have some control over their province. Senatorial candidates are always from one of the prominent noble houses. They can call forth and control regional militias and deal with emergencies in their province using government resources. They are voted into office by the regional Magistarium, a body of magistrates within their province. Magistrates often belong to a lesser noble, merchant, or land-owning family. A magistrate’s job is to serve as a judge for their region, interpreting and applying the law to specific situations and disputes. The magistrates themselves are elected by local representatives of each market district in a three-year ceremony called the Tribunals. Most local villages vote together and then send a single representative to their Tribunal in order to cast their votes on behalf of the village.
Military
The military of the Imperium is one of the strongest in the known world. They are best known for their Legionari, a powerful shield-wall of heavy infantry. The Astonian Legionari includes scouting calvary (Equites) and poorly-equipped skirmishers (Velites) to accompany the heavy infantry. Additionally, the Astonian military employs large groups of cataphracts (armored heavy calvary), who often come from richer and nobler backgrounds. Military service is required of every able-bodied male citizen, even the nobility, for at least five years, as a show of devotion and honor to the imperium. Soldiers in the Astonian Army are treated quite well, however, and many choose to make a career out of their military service.
There is a strong honor in the military of Astonia, as they often see themselves as the maintainers of the peace beyond their realms. Astonia has demonstrated on numerous occasions that they are capable and willing to send their armies to protect the sovereignty of other kingdoms. Such was the case in 655 G.R., when Astonia aided Loyolla and Verland against Kalrua in the War of the Devils. Soldiers of Astonia take great pride as enforcers of law and peace in the world.
Economy
Astonia is the center of culture, trade, and commerce for the eastern coasts. It has the highest population among the eastern kingdoms, with numerous towns, villages, and farms sprawling across its fertile valleys. Even the most basic citizen farmer typically enjoys a higher quality of life than in other regions. Astonian wine and spirits are of the highest quality and the rocky Seacrags are covered with south-facing vineyards near the sea. The cities of Astonia are known for their exquisite craftsmanship and fine furniture. They produce some of the best wood and metal crafts in the world. Astonian textiles are renown as well, either fashioned from their home-grown linen, or from cotton and wool brought in from abroad. The rocky coasts have limited Astonia’s naval trade, especially after the loss of the Goldwall region, which had the best natural ports. However, Lerasia is the country’s major trade port on the eastern coasts, and one of the largest trading ports on the coasts outside of Hopesdawn.
Culture
The Astonia Imperium is the cultural inheritor of the once great Nomen Empire. In many ways, the culture of the region hadn’t changed much in the nearly 1000 years after the fall of the Empire. The social hierarchy extends down from the emperor’s family, to the patrician class of land-owning nobles, wealthy merchants, craftsman and artists, to the basic farmer and laborer. Feudalistic serfdom does not exist in Astonia. Most people are full-fledged citizens with voting rights in their local Tribunal. This also confers the right to marry and own land. Citizens are free to travel and do as they see fit within the laws of the land. However, having the right to own land does not easily grant an actual opportunity to do so. Social mobility is quite rare as labor does not often confer enough wealth for ownership. Many basic laborers and farmers rent their properties and lands from wealthy land-owners or patricians. But unlike serfs in feudal countries, they are legally free to leave if they satisfy their debts.
Education is a fundamental component of Astonian culture. Most basic citizens attend school and learn how to read and write the Nomen script. Even smaller villages are likely to teach school at least once a week. As a consequence, books, scrolls, and literature is quite common throughout the region. The arts are quite appreciated as well, especially music and performance. Theaters are widespread, even in the smaller market towns, where old tales of glory are retold countless times through drama and comedy. Fashion and textiles are often a sign of wealth in Astonia, the bolder colors the better. Astonian fashion tends to include more cloth than necessary, overflowing with very vibrant colors.
People from Astonia often have a strong sense of duty to their nation. They try to treat others fairly and find common-ground. They often take their roles and responsibilities quite seriously, and tend to believe that hierarchies are important for order and general structure of society.
Adventure
The legacy of the Empire is everywhere in Astonia, where countless ruins are found on nearly every hill. New forgotten structures and relics of the ancient Empire are regularly discovered by explorers. Occasionally, ruins of the ancient Stelmar are also found, hidden in the ancient forests and high hills of the land. While the populated valleys of Astonia are some of the safest in the world, the lands outside these regions are filled with the unknown, with plenty of adventure awaiting those willing to leave the comforts of home.