Ascillion the Great

Ascillion Silvex, known more commonly by the moniker Ascillion the Great, was the Imperator of the Empire of Sevicia from the year 214 to 252. Born of the storied Silvex dynasty that came to power in the early third century and ruled Sevicia for almost a hundred years, Ascillion is widely regarded by many as one of the greatest rulers in Sevician history, mainly for his military exploits. Under Ascillion, the Sevician empire reached its greatest ever extent, stretching as far west as the Twin Cities, as far south as the Neck, and including much of the Shimmering Isles.
== Early life ==
=== Birth and background ===
Ascillion was born on the 4th day of Mandera I, 188 A.S, under a blood moon, to Senere and Victor Silvex. His mother, Senere, was the eldest daughter of Cerba Silvex, a powerful noble of the Silvex clan, who had ties to Sevicia's ruling dynasty of Oscius through their great-grandparents. Ascillion was born into a political whirlwind; in early 188, Esto, the reigning Imperator of the Oscius clan, passed away from a fever, leaving behind no children or siblings. His sudden death left Sevicia with no ruler and no immediate family to take his place. 
On the 16th of Tullena II, eleven weeks before Ascillion was born, the Senate of Sevicia decided that the rule of monarch should pass to Cerba Silvex, the second cousin of Esto, as the only surviving member of his family by blood. Cerba was sworn into office on the 1st day of Tullena I, 188, making Ascillion the first of the Silvex dynasty to be born into rule. His mother Senere took the throne three years later, in 191 and served as Imperator for 23 years, before passing at the age of 57 from complications arisen from an infection. 
=== Childhood years ===
Much of Ascillion's young life was shaped by the idea that one day he would rule Sevicia as Imperator. His mother was a hard woman and extremely superstitious, and had taken Ascillion's birth under a blood moon as an omen from the gods. Serene believed her son to be destined to rule, and much of that belief was instilled in her son, whom she constantly reminded of his gods-given right. Ascillion was taught to read and write from a young age, a rarity for children in the third century, and could speak three languages fluently - Sevician, Duscadorian, and Itrusic. A gifted athlete, he began learning how to fight when he was either ten or eleven, a talent he carried with him for the rest of his life, and spent much of his young life studying books of war and command manuals.
== Ascension and early rule ==
When his mother died in 214, Ascillion was only a week past his 26th birthday. His ascension to the throne was sudden but not unfortunate, and Ascillion - still a firm believer in the superstitious right-of-rule his mother had taught him - immediately proved to be a decisive leader. Though his true talents lay in the military, Ascillion was a competent politician who understood the power of a strong and loyal party of advisors to guide him in domestic affairs. He installed men and women from outside the immediate sphere of influence of the Silvex family, to ensure the best possible advice when it came to matters of the state.
Sevicia enjoyed a short and unprecedented period of relative domestic peace in the early third century, which no doubt makde Ascillion's reign easier to contend with, but nonetheless he proved a wise and calm monarch in the early years of his reign. Ignited both by a passion for war and a desire to see his mother's prophecy fulfilled, Ascillion soon began drafting legislation that would help change the course of Sevicia's history forever.
== Military reforms ==
His defining moment of policy came in early 218. Known as the Ascillion Reforms, he introduced a series of regulatory changes to the way Sevicia's military operated. For much of the first 200 years of Sevicia's existence, it had relied heavily on the service of nobles and the landed class of elites that could afford to participate in warfare. Soldiers were expected to pay for themselves, including weapons, armour, and supplies on the march. This brought with it several problems; first, that Sevicia's army at any one point was limited by the number of available nobles and higher-class patriots who wished to serve, and secondly, that it meant no central or organised system of warfare could be enacted for the entire army.
Ascillion's reforms aimed to change this by introducing several key designs. The first was that the old system would be scrapped entirely. From 218 onwards, the state would pay and provide for each soldier, including a lengthy period of training that lasted a minimum of nine months in peacetime and two weeks in times of war. This included, but was not limited to: armour, boots, shield and weapons, shovels, canteens and flasks, mule equipment, spare clothes, and food rations. Soldiers were paid a monthly wage, provided by the state, for their service. Initially, this was three silver raex; in 221, this was changed to eight silver raex per soldier (roughly twice the average monthly wage of a skilled labourer or farm worker).
The military system was also entirely reworked to promote ease of command and integration, as well as aid in logistical matters. Each soldier was drafted into an ilos (pl. ilex), a regiment of 20 men who live, train, and march together on the move. Of the 20 men, one was appointed as the numinos (pl. numinex). A numinos could take an assistance, and was in charge of looking after the ilos' supplies and rations. Ilex were organised into multiples of 25, for a total of 500 enlisted personnel, to form a rotos (pl. rotex), known also as a battalion. Each battalion wa headed by a siacos (pl. siacex), or a battalion commander, to whom the 25 numinex must report daily. Battalions were then grouped into multiples of ten (or occasionally eleven during wartime) to form a legion, comprised of 5000 enlisted soldiers. The legion would then be commander by a senior officer - a general, senator, or in some cases even a major.
The reforms had a drastic impact on the future of Sevicia's military. The new, paid-for standing army provided a singular, disciplined system whereby units could be organised and rearranged with much greater ease than before. It also allowed for a far larger pool of manpower to draw from. The monthly wage, which was paid for with the help of a new land tax and import tax, provided an enticing incentive to young men and women, as it was twice, or even in rare cases three or four times, what a labourer would be paid. Under Ascillion, Sevicia's available military force swelled from approximately 20,000 to more than 150,000, including reserves and auxiliary contingents. The system has been altered over the years to accommodate certain groups, but has mainly remained the staple of the Sevician army for almost 500 years.
== Conquest of the Shimmering Isles ==
See main article: Sevician Conquest of the Shimmering Isles
== Conquest of Cyon ==
See main article: Sevician-Cyonian War
== War against the House of Magar ==
In 246 A.S, after a period of relative stability that saw Sevicia flourish, Ascillion's attentions turned south towards the Neck. The House of Magar - a storied clan of Duscadorian nobles - had ruled the warring vassal states and minor kingdoms south of the Neck for more than a hundred years, and Ascillion, who had yet to lose a proper pitched battle in his career, saw an opportunity. On the 16th of Saturna III that year, Ascillion, at the head of an army 30,000-strong, marched south across the river Ostar, passed the border city of Candar a week later, and crossed into Magar territory at the beginning of the next month.
War proved as decisive as it had against the Kingdom of Cyon, with Ascillion and his fellow commanders, including war hero Marcus Opono, enjoying a chain of victories over the course of more than four years that saw vast swathes of Magar land annexed and many of its citizens displaced. The conflict continued for another year, until disaster struck in late of the year 251.
== Death and succession ==
In Saturna I, 251, while still campaigning in the Sevician Lowlands against the House of Magar, Ascillion contracted a severe infection of the airways that left him bedridden for more than two weeks, during which time he lost a considerable amount of weight and, according to his official biographer Nimmias, looked "fit for death at any moment." Ascillion soon recovered enough to lead his men again, though the condition continued to plague him, and he would often have to take prolonged periods of rest - days at a time - to properly recuperate. The campaigning in the south slowed tremendously, and in early 252 Ascillion's condition took a turn for the worse.
He was consigned to bed for a second time, and a number of local physicians were called upon to provide a multitude of local remedies, though none seemed to work. On the 15th day of Tullena III, 252, Ascillion passed away at the age of 63. The war against the House of Magar, now without a proper leader, remained in the balance. Ascillion was succeeded four days later by his eldest son, Manus I, who brokered a peace deal with the Magar that would see no land annexed, but a great sum of money paid in tribute to the Empire of Sevicia over the course of no less than 25 years.
== Legacy ==
=== In Sevicia ===
Ascillion's death left wide-reaching consquences for the empire that continued to be felt for more than 200 years. Without his military talent, which had been unequalled by any other commander, Sevicia found itself in need of new commanders. Similarly, his decisiveness in domestic matters, including his willingness to listen to others who knew better than he did, was a rarity among the cutthroat Sevician Senate. A number of statues were erected in his memory, many of which still stand.
After his passing, his son Manus oversaw the construction of the Forefathers Mausoleum in the capital of Morosea. Initially a monument to Ascillion, it was repurposed following Manus' death into the resting place for all of Sevicia's Imperators, from Ascillion to the present day, and both he and his father were interred there beneath marble statues in his honour. The mausoleum remains one of Morosea's most important and famous buildings.
=== Elsewhere ===
Ascillion's life and career became somewhat of a legend outside of Sevicia's borders. In the western Kingdom of Erenna, which survived Ascillion's conquest of Cyon unscathed, he was regarded almost as a mythical figure, whose exploits became known across the realm. Similarly in both the island republic of Manos and south of the Neck, Ascillion's name carried with it the weight of the Empire of Sevicia, and to many he became synonymous with the empire itself. In the Shimmering Isles, Ascillion became a figure of scorn, whom many would refer to as a "demon" for his conquest of the island.
=== Influences ===
After his passing, Ascillion left in his wake a number of imitators. His influence continued to spread both inside and out of Sevicia. Most notable among these was Manus V, of the Mios dynasty, who idolised Ascillion to the point of obsession. In 337 A.S, he ordered a statue to be built of solid gold of Ascillion's exploits, to the sum of more than half a million gold raex. The statue was torn down after his death and melted for its gold content. In 348, Manus V launched an expedition to unite the Shimmering Isles, hoping to finish what his idol had started. The campaign ended in disaster only a year later, with Manus himself being killed in battle. His body was never recovered, and it was rumoured that the Islanders who had defeated him took his corpse as a trophy.
=== The "Four Great Figures" ===
Many within the empire consider four of its Imperators to be the four "great" figures of its history:
* Anaeaus of Cayna, Sevicia's founding father, who killed the Sun King and separated the realms in the year 0.
* Ascillion. For his exploits in multiple conquests, expanding Sevicia to its greatest geographical extent, and for overseeing a period of relative domestic stability.
* Maria Mios, the daughter of Manus V, who reigned for 64 years - the longest of any monarch in Sevician history - and oversaw a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity, ushering in Sevicia's golden age in the fourth and fifth centuries.
* Cloe of Ida. Elected at the age of 23 (the youngest of all Sevicia's non-hereditary rulers) by a vote of 351-9, the largest margin in history. Refurbished the Forefathers Mausoleum and the Great Guard, expanded Sevicia's social stipend programme, introduced the printing press, and heavily pushed for more accessible education for the lower classes. Helped spark a short-lived "second golden age," and who tragically died just six years into her reign, at the age of 29.
== Character ==
=== As commander ===
Ascillion was an incredibly intelligent military leader who understood the battlefield better than anyone. He earned his monikey "the Great" for his victories, and in his career he famously never lost a pitched battle. A decisive commander, Ascillion was known for his use of a system of whistles and trumpets for better battlefield communication and for implementing a system whereby frontline soldiers would periodically rotate out in favour of fresher troops from behind. He was also famous for his reliance on archers and skirmishers, both as a scouting force and as a way of covering his main army.
No more apparent was it that Ascillion was an excellent commander than at the Battle of Mun Nava against the Shimmering Islanders in 227 A.S. Trapped against the banks of the Mun Nava river against a force of more than 50,000 Islanders, Ascillion maneuvred his way to a victory against two-to-one odds. With the Mun Nava river to his left, he moved the bulk of his left flank to the right side to reinforce the centre, and placed the small amount of cavalry and archers he had on the right flank. This meant that the centre of the more disciplined, better-armed Sevician line was doubly secure, and if the Islanders were to attempt to flank from the left-hand side, they would be doing so with their backs against the Mun Nava river. Indeed, when the Islanders attempted that exactly, Ascillion turned his units to the river and routed the superior force.
Ascillion was also excellent at adapting to the techniques and systems of his enemies. When confronted with a force primarily of spearmen at the Battle of Nacia in 239, Ascillion massed his cavalry on the right flank and his skirmishers and lighter infantry on the left, forcing the Cyonian forces to spread themselves too thin to cover the threat of a double envelopment, which ultimately allowed Ascillion to mount a focused attack with his faster, more nimble troops and break the Cyonian centre. It was this adaptability, and his quick thinking in the heat of the moment, that made Ascillion such a fearsome commander.
=== Physical appearance ===
Ascillion was described as tall and handsome in a way that was rugged and utilitarian, with a strong jaw and deep-set blue eyes like much of the Silvex family. For most of his life he was infatuated with portraits, so much so that during the campaign against the Magar he had a contingent of painters and official Imperial portrait artists follow him in his personal legion. The writer and biographer Nimmias suggests that Ascillion's obsession with appearing outwardly regal and heavenly stemmed from the influence of his mother, whose superstitions of Ascillion's righteous birth and divinity never quite disappeared. He was known for his trademark helmet, a great, sloping iron helm, often with a plume of red or purple feathers, that extended down past the back of his neck.
=== Personality ===
Nimmias describes Ascillion as stout, almost stoic, but occasionally warm to those in his immediate circle, including close personal friends. A man of war more than peace, Ascillion made no attempt to pretend he enjoyed the company of senators any more than he truly did. Despite this, Ascillion earned a reputation among his soldiers as a leader of great warmth, whose presence felt both innately important and strangely calming. He also had a noticeable ego and a heightened sense of self-worth, occasionally bordering on the delusional, to his detriment. Nimmias suggest that this too was a product of his mother's influence on him as a young boy.
=== Personal life ===
Ascillion married twice: his first wife, Plutea of Otesia, a noble of the Cleminia clan, was a political marriage at the behest of his younger brother. He married Plutea in early 212, divorced her in 217, and fathered no children. His second wife was out of love; Lady Joyce of Merissa, a noblewoman and local governor from the Lowlands city of Merissa. He met her during a tour of the Lowlands prior to his campaign to the Shimmering Isles and was smitten. The two married in a private ceremony on the 19th of Tullena II, 218, exactly three months before Ascillion and the Senate declared war on the Shimmering Isles. The pair had three children together - a son, Manus (b. 219), and two daughters, Rosea (b. 229) and Othelia (b. 233). Manus would become Imperator of Sevicia following Ascillion's death, and Ascillion's granddaughter, Nianna, would then rule for a further nineteen years before the collapse of the Silvex dynasty.
== Sources and historiography ==
=== Cyppian ===
The seventh-century writer Cyppian, known as one of Sevicia's great historians, chronicles Ascillion's life and career in great detail across more than one and a half volumes of his epic, The Annals of Sevicia. Cyppian provides an in-depth look at both the domestic and foreign consequences of Ascillion's reign and places his rule in the context of Sevician history.
=== Ozmenast of Sayil ===
Born in 213, the year before Ascillion ascended to the Sevician throne, Ozmenast of Sayil was a native of the Cyonian city of Sayil, in what is now considered part of the Kingdom of Erenna. Ozmenast was a learned scholar who held a close relationship with members of the Cyonian court. After the fall of Cyon, he documented the history of the realm, including Ascillion's conquest, in three great books. Though not as in-depth as Cyppian, it provides a less Sevician-based portrayal of one of the empire's most notorious figures.
=== Nimmias ===
The main source for Ascillion's life and career, Nimmias was chosen as Ascillion's official biographer in 224, and remained in the role until Ascillion's death almost three decades later. Though biased, it provides invaluable insight from a man who spent more than 30 years at Ascillion's side, including details about his personal life and his character that other writers such as Cyppian cannot provide.
== See also ==
The Empire of Sevicia
List of Imperators of the Empire of Sevicia
Kingdom of Cyon
The Shimmering Isles
Category:People