The Peaceful Union of Ashtie is a gargantuan, socially progressive nation, ruled by Lady Aria Latriva with an iron fist, and renowned for its smutty television, frequent executions, and stringent health and safety legislation. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 15.476 billion Ashtieans are ruled by a mostly-benevolent dictator, who grants the populace the freedom to live their own lives but watches carefully for anyone to slip up.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked, well-organized morass — juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Environment, and Education. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Ashtide. The average income tax rate is 85.6%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The all-consuming Ashtiean economy, worth a remarkable 1,064 trillion Rubies a year, is driven almost entirely by government activity. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is mostly made up of the Pizza Delivery industry, with significant contributions from Furniture Restoration and Arms Manufacturing. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 68,766 Rubies, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Cash-strapped junkies lick rabbits for a cheap high, it is illegal to distribute Girl Guide Cookies without an advanced food hygiene diploma, dubiously qualified Skandilundian barristers keep referring to laws as 'government guidelines', and doctors prescribe medicines but they rarely dispense hope or compassion. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ashtie's national animal is the Saint Bernard, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Spiritualism.

Ashtie is ranked 4,343^rd in the world and 3^rd in The Labyrinth for Most Extensive Public Healthcare, scoring 10,732.36 on the Theresa-Nightingale Rating.