by Max Barry

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Region: Ascenthia

Xadrya wrote:

Ascenthian Roleplay

by Roleplay council

Political Map

Other Maps

Geography

Claimed nations

Köppen climate

Oil/coal

Rare earth metals

[insert other resource]

UN regions

Tectonic

IRL comparison

Introduction
"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]?)

Section I: Administration
  1. The roleplay shall be managed by the Roleplay Council, which shall consist of a variable number of members elected by the roleplayers.

    1. All vacancies beyond the first council appointments shall be filled via a preferential vote among roleplayers.

  2. All decisions by the Roleplay Council shall be made by a one-half majority consensus.

    1. Changes to the roleplay rules may only be made with a two-thirds majority consensus.

  3. The Roleplay Council may create and appoint roleplay offices outside of the council.

Section II: Nations
  1. All nation claims must be submitted in this form or submitted directly to a roleplay councillor.

    1. If you require any assistance with the form or have any questions, you may contact a member of the Roleplay Council for help or telegram the Cartographer or Minister of Roleplay, Xadrya (Pink/Xad/Nate#4290).

    2. If your claim receives no response within forty-eight hours, you may ping the Roleplay Council or telegram the Cartographer or Minister of Roleplay.

  2. The Roleplay Council bears the right to deny claims.

    1. Claims may only be denied if:

      1. they are deemed too large;

      2. they overlap with another nation;

      3. they don’t properly answer the questions outlined.

    2. If a claim is denied, the Roleplay Council must notify the roleplayer of why the claim was denied and assist them in improving their claim.

      1. This does not apply if the claim was clearly satirical.

  3. The map shall be divided into regions by the Roleplay Council.

    1. Each region shall have a list of resources of three types:

      1. Strategic resources, of which, there shall be the following:

        1. Fuel (oil and natural gas)

        2. Coal

        3. Uranium

      2. Luxury resources:

        1. Marble

        2. Furs

      3. Other resources:

    2. Each nation will get to choose ⅓ of the strategic resources list, ⅓ of the luxury resources list, and ⅔ of the other resources list for their nation to focus production on.

      1. All of the “other resources” may be produced whether or not there are reserves within a given nations border; however, the choices each given nation makes for the strategic and luxury resources will apply as reserves within that nation which cannot be altered.


  4. Nations may be removed if they fail to be active within the roleplay for a period of one OOC week if they’ve yet to participate in the roleplay, or two weeks if they have made a roleplay post.

  5. NPC nations may be created and controlled by the Roleplay Council.

Section III: Internal Economics
  1. Gross domestic product shall be determined by multiplying the GDP per capita by the population.

    1. Population shall be determined by the Roleplay Council (negotiable with the roleplayer).

      1. Population shall grow at a fixed growth rate determined by the Roleplay Council.

    2. GDP per capita shall be determined by the Roleplay Council (negotiable with the roleplayer).

    3. GDP growth shall be variably determined by the Roleplay Council on the basis of the following factours:

Section IV: Foreign Economics
  1. By default, all nations are trading with other nations to some degree as trade is a crucial of aspect many national economies.

    1. Trade allows access to resources exported by other nations, whether they be strategic, luxury, or others.

      1. Trade is conducted by private companies, not governments, though governments create trade barriers (i.e import duties and tariffs) on goods imported from other nations.

      2. Nations may employ different trade policies towards other nations, which may include examples such as;

        1. Bilateral/multilateral free trade, where there are zero trade barriers applied to specific or all goods traded between nations. This promotes international competitiveness and domestic specialisation.

        2. “Normal” trade openness, whereby nations have varying duties applied against goods from other nations to promote or protect their own economy against competition.

        3. Isolationist/autarky, whereby nations are less inclined or completely against trade with other nations. Nations who oblige by autarky maintain minimal trade with other nations and prefer self-sufficiency in terms of meeting domestic resource consumption.

    2. Having access to crucial strategic resources allows for maintained economic growth and continued industrialisation. While being cut off from luxury resources or other consumer goods won’t harm the economy, lack of access to crucial resources will endanger the economy significantly.

  2. Countries across the world are connected by key trade routes that determine the flow of their key imports and exports. These are the cheapest.

    1. Disruption of trade routes will automatically place a growth debuff on relevant economies if related flow of resources are crucial to their economies.

  3. Nations can wield trade and access to certain goods as a weapon against other nations through use of sanctions and embargoes.

    1. If nation A is dependent on nation B for oil and nation B sanctions nation A, this means nation A will have limited or no access to nation B’s oil and will be significantly impacted economically.

    2. If nation A decides to place an embargo on nation B, this is more severe. An embargo implies forcibly restricting access to economic resources, a complete ban on trade. A severe enough embargo may require a blockade or direct disruption of trade flow.

Section V: Military
  1. WIP, will be completed by the 7th.

Section VI: Time Progression and Other
  1. Each OOC day is one IC month.

Where can I find more information on [insert region]?

Good question. We have a number of pages detailing the lore of various nations and regions, all linked here. You'll find a broad overview of the history, geography, and a variety of other important features. However, not all regions have all of their information filled out, so if you can't find the information you're looking for, feel free to ask an RP councillor.

What is the United Nations and how does it affect my nation?

The United Nations (UN) plays a very similar role to Earth's UN but with some important differences. One characterising feature of our real-world United Nations is the level of control exercised by regional and global powers over the affairs within the body and the lack of any real influence or power exercised by the GA, General Assembly. Here the United Nations was formed in response to a situation very similar to World War II: Teutonia invaded a large number of nations, there was a strong international response, the government was replaced, and the United Nations was formed to keep war in check. The UN lacks a Security Council, alternatively being, what is, broadly, a direct democracy of nations, all of whom vote equally within the United Nations Assembly (UNA) on all matters, from common matters of international law to dispute resolution. While this organisation can broadly exercise its power in any way, as of the start of the roleplay the real focus is on mitigating conflict and protecting human rights, leaving most matters of development to members. To effectively mitigate these conflicts, they maintain a large standing peacekeeping force to play the essential role of enforcing their will. This means that member nations do contribute to their budget; being in the UN means giving up 1% of your GDP (unless in times of crisis). With this cost comes a few benefits, however; as the body stands to protect all of the globe, no nation is safe from its intervention. This means whether or not you're separate from the UN, your nation is at risk of having the UN intervene in your interests. By remaining, you ensure you still have a voice. You also ensure you have access to all international zones, established and enforced by the UN as a manner of dispute resolution in itself.

Is [insert god] real?

Not quite. While I wouldn't want to make any explicitly religious statements, I'd compare our religious situation to that of Earth's: some people believe in some gods, other people believe in others, but at the end of the day they're beliefs; gods have no influence over the affairs in Ascenthia, they're strictly and fundamentally religious constructs for the interests of the world.

Do I have freedom to decide my own resources?

No. We're all for maximising the freedom of the roleplayers, but at the center of it comes maximising both excitement and realism. To do that, we try to maintain a level of enforced imbalance to ensure that all nations start with a unique position, with advantages, disadvantages, and their own level of potential. This RP is not a game of power, it's a game of worldbuilding.

How much liberty do I have over my own nation's lore?

When creating the lore of your nation you must be synced to your neighboring nations to some degree but are allowed religious freedom, historical events, and culture.*

Will there be some darker subjects such as terrorism? (Or genocide?)

While terrorism and genocide are allowed, we expect that you avoid going into a sadistic level of detail into the atrocities committed. We want to maintain a relatively safe environment for everyone, so please ensure that the level of detail you maintain is just enough as is necessary for your lore.

Can I play as a member nation of the Inomethni Confederation?

You may play as a member state of the Inomethni Confederation, excluding Notia Rodesia and Touvorra. Please consult Tootletopia if you would wish to join as one of the states and he will coordinate with you on which one would fit your goals best and how you can integrate your lore and ideas into the region.

How do events affect me? And will I know if events are just for me or are global?

Events affect you rather directly. If you are faced with an event, you will be contacted with a summary of the event and a broad range of choices you have and the potential consequences thereof. Global events will be more publicly directed, so it should be clear where the line is drawn.

How does trade work?

Trade is conducted through businesses and in a sense occurs passively. Goods flow to and from your nation all the time as businesses will import commodities not found or locally produced in your nation. Alternatively, they may choose to import commodities that are comparatively cheaper. Your nation's produce and goods also flow accordingly to your neighbours and your trade partners across the world. It is a simple transactional process that keeps the world economy running. Your nation or other nations can impact trade through the use of tariffs to protect their domestic industries, or completely ban certain imports from other nations - openness to trade can vary depending on your policy stance. You might want to be engaged in free trade where there is no barrier to trade between nations, or completely isolationist. Both comes with their pros and cons accordingly. Trade can also be used as an economic weapon against other nations through the use of sanctions and embargoes, though their effectiveness will also vary on its scale. Overall, trade is how your nation's economy engages with partners around the world and helps your nation accommodate for what it lacks while providing the world with what it doesn't have.


Administration
  1. Xadrya/Pink
    (Pink/Xad/Nate#4290) Minister, Roleplay Councillor, Cartographer, Miraheze Owner, and Head Designer, presides over the Roleplay Council, designs and manages almost everything, and makes most final administrative decisions.

  2. Tootletopia
    (Battleturtle1#2855) Deputy Minister, Roleplay Councillor, and go-to military guy, responsible for managing most military affairs within the Council.

  3. Fuguerrero
    (Fuguerrero#4020) Roleplay Councillor, Deputy Cartographer, and go-to linguistics guy, involved in making maps that pertain to geography, climate, and much more.

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