"O boundless Land, o infinite Sea. To give'ee a name is to rob thee of thy divinity, to shackle thee to mine human perception. World, o World, what mysterious lands you hold. What people, what glory, what tragedy. O Ascenthia, bare mine gaze to thy heart!"So spoke the poet and adventurer, Gardanos of Faeron, about the world that lays before you. For man, even one as genial as he, it is hard to coin its essence with a mere couple words. From the first brick laid down of the first city, to the grand battles fought between grand empires, and the fall of those empires the same--giving way to new kingdoms; governments of, by, and for the people; or oblivion itself. The madness of the past that shapes the meticulous order of the now, our futures scripted, and yet ours to write. Where to begin to describe this world? What people, scenery, or story shall one muse on? Well, perhaps it is best to begin such narration where it all started, for Man. To travel back to the origin of our Dance, and flow the torrents of history from the spring.
In the western reaches of the world, stands the ancient home of humanity as we know it, the lands of Montra, the cradle in which the earliest of man found a home. Once dominated by rich and powerful kingdoms—both militarily and culturally—this ancient continent now finds itself culturally divided, overpopulated, and gripped by corrupt regimes that fail to act outside of their own greed. And while this continent was once a beacon for the world, nations now turn away across the globe from the face of failure. Confronting rapid growth rates, but no true growth in capacity to handle the same, how will you lead? In the face of untouched resources but tribal conflict across the continent and authoritarianism that refuses anything better, how will you turn Montra from the face of failure to the land of plenty it could be? (How does population growth work?)
Across the Abylos Ocean, a region with a far different past but a remarkably similar present finds itself united by and isolated from the rest of the world's most developed continent, on the southern tip of Nuvia. Inomethni consists almost entirely of the Inomethni Confederation, a collection of almost thirty nations historically united by the threat posed by the powerful kingdoms to their north. While united on the foreign front, the Inomethni are culturally, linguistically, and politically separate domestically. These nations find themselves broadly divided into two groups: a collection of resource rich nations that refuse any exploitation or development due to their tribal origin, and a group of several richer states that have begun to enter a period of industrialisation. These two groups now sit on the brink of civil war, a battle between tradition and the influence of consumerism. What will you choose, corporatism or tradition? Further unity between the nations or the continued domestic separation that has plagued development until now? (Can I play as a member nation of the Inomethni Confederation?)
Just north of Inomethni stands the richest region on Ascenthia: Esthybia. Starkly divided between two halves, the Empyreans and the Velkarians, that worship two sides of the same religion and follow policies in fundamental opposition. The Empyreans are broadly internationalist, united under the Esthybian Union, and the Velkarians are broadly isolationist, the north of them members of The Iron Wall, a communist alliance. While this continent holds a majority of the world's wealth and power, it now finds itself faced with ethnic, religious, and border turmoil that threatens the delicate balance of stability Esthybian nations have carefully worked out over the past millenia. Which side will you choose? Isolationism or globalism? Authoritarianism or democracy? Tradition or progress? (Is [insert god] real?, What's this talk about Esthybian "patron gods"?)
On the bridge between two worlds lay a region of desert left dry and barren by the scorching heat of the sun, but in turn blessed with rich of resource reservoirs. With exception to the great river of Vilna, Carytas is a region that seems on the outside of little potential. Faced with religious turmoil and rabid theocratic authoritarianism, underpopulated with little growth, and lacking any decent arable land, Carytas is in what is perhaps the worst position on Ascenthia; if it weren't for one thing. Despite its poor position, massive oil reserves have been discovered across its desert sands, but foreign powers increasingly seek to somehow exploit this oil as the corrupt nations that preside over them fail to take action. Can you bring Carytas away from religious extremism, violent war, and stagnating population? Can you balance gains from massive natural resource reserves with the many powers that violently vie for control of them? (Will there be some darker subjects such as terrorism? (Or genocide?), Is there a canal in Carytas? Can I build one?)
Just across this bridge of fire a fertile paradise finds itself the home to the fastest growing population in the world, but subjugated by the fiercest threat on Ascenthia. Baeron, a land of plenty terrorized by one empire, Teutonia, is faced with a troublesome choice that will determine their fate: poverty-stricken but growing at rapid rates, the surrounding nations find themselves unready to face the rich and powerful slaver empire that continues to threaten their safety. How will you handle the rapidly growing population? How will you face the looming Teutonic threat? Can you birth a new Esthybia? (How do NPC nations work?, What's the deal with Teutonia? Is it claimable?)
Starkly contrasting the fertility of Baeron, the tundras of Vyris, just north, are barren and underpopulated. While faced with gargantuan natural resource reservoirs, Vyris is populated sparsely with the traditional and rural. As such, they've yet to take advantage of them outside of small scale extraction efforts. How will you bring this region to the wealth and strength it deserves? How will you act in spite of the miniscule population and grow your nation to great heights?
Between these three continents and six regions in the Abylos Ocean lay the Gathlan Archipelago, highly populated but lacking in economic development; this region finds itself in-between drastically different worlds, but in a remarkable position to interact with each of them from a distance. While separate from the continental geopolitical situation, nations in this region find themselves victim to a number of domestic struggles; ethnic division, overpopulation, and poverty, how will your nation face its past and future to become a power over the great Ocean that surrounds you?
To the east lay a circle of volcanic islands rich in oil but sharply divided ethnically. The Espyrian Isles, once united but now broken and divided on the vastly different cultures and ethnicities that inhabit each island. In spite of this setback, the Espyrian Isles find themselves not only rich in resources, but also the world's center of tourism. How will you handle the ethnic division? Can you maintain tourism in the face of hyperactive volcanos and frequent natural disasters? (How do random events like volcanic eruptions work?, Do I have control over industries like tourism?)
The final, easternmost region and continent is the most developed region on Ascenthia outside of Esthybia. Once united under a great holy Empire, this region is now divided between north and south on sharp religious lines. Despite this, the continent is one of the most fertile, enjoying respectable growth rates. In the face of this religious and political division, who will you align your nation with? Will you focus inward, taking advantage of your fertile lands to bolster an even larger population, or will you focus on exports? (What's this political/religious division?, What's this holy empire?)
The great land of Ascenthia, united and disunited by the same great force of time. Anywhere you choose, you have the opportunity to forge your own future, your own past, your own present. So stake your claim now and find your place in our great history. (How do I claim a nation?, Where do I find additional information on [insert region]?)