The Ascendancy

The Ascendancy is an organisation led by Essotori, dedicated to spreading, and protecting the Nozerod Cult. Once a nation has been converted, forcefully or through choice, they will join the Ascendancy, so that national resources can be coordinated and best used to spread the cult further. Member states are permitted full trade and investment from Essotori, as well as its fellows. Membership of the Ascendancy is fairly stringent, necessitating that any potential membership maintain a functional and effective devolved National Mistery system, demonstrate continual and absolute loyalty to the Tribella, and contribute to Ascendancy financial schemes.

Internationally, the Ascendancy is known by several names, the Esso Empire, the Essotori Association, the Culty Circus, all of which are used scathingly. Inside of Essotori, and member-states there is very little difference between nations, and the Ascendancy itself. To a citizen of Suntterland, and Essotori, both will view themselves as being part of the same country under the umbrella of the Ascendancy, and the Nozerod's benevolent rule, though internationally, there exists a distinction.

Every three years, the Ascendancy hosts the Ascendancy Games, in rotating locations, generating huge revenue, that is poured into the local economy. Every five years, the Ascendancy Conference occurs in Radonstinatle. At this Conference, economic investment plans, global geopolitical, and domestic strategy is discussed, and plans are laid, the last time this Conference was held was 2020, after the Jade Restoration. The Ascendancy funds humanitarian and economic investment into each member at a dramatic rate, with the aim of providing its subjects with a sense of prosperity and belonging. Supplementing this, is the Ascendancy Education Scheme (AES), where high scoring, well disciplined students are invited to study in Radonstinatle University, and visit Essotori. The AES is a well sought qualification in the Ascendancy, and is a source of great prestige.

Domestically, each member of the Ascendancy is expected to celebrate the distinct cultural achievements of the member states each year, typically on allocated days per year. In Essotori, this falls on July 2nd, which is known as Suntterland Day. The Ascendancy operates an Ascendancy wide news and entertainment channel, known as Ascendancy Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which regularly produces Essotori media. ABC is most commonly cited as the Ascendancy's greatest cultural victory, with it even having sway in foreign countries, due to the universalism of its content, though it is dubbed.

## History

### Context

Since the independence of the Ashwood Dynasty from Treka, and the establishment of Essotori, the construction of a powerbase to ensure the prosperity of the nascant state. The first target was Kemet in the late dynastic period, leading to the Essotori - Kemet Wars, which while unsuccessful, began a trend of Essotori attempting to diplomatically enrapture the Pam Empire. The drive for colonial possessions inspired the Heroic Explorer Act 1752, which allowed loyal merchants to apply for a Royal License to explore, trade and expand the reach of Essotori around the world. The possession of Rooding was seized in 1763, as a result of this act, with the Rooding Settlement being recognised as an integral possession of Essotori in 1963, on the bicentennial anniversary of the annexation of Rooding. In the early 20th century, General Harold Suntter was successful in conquering the Pam Empire, establishing a Republic in his own name. After the assimiliation of Suntterland, it remained a nominally independent Duchy, with it's own constitution and political process, and a gateway into Selaria for the Nozerod Cult. Many within Essotori feared that Suntterland would drift outside of colonial rule, as Essotori, and other former territories of Treka and Corusconia had already done.

### Radonstinatle Conference (1929)

To promote a long term project in Suntterland, and make official Cutlist ambitions, the government called all secular and religious authorities, including Governor General Harold Suntter himself, to Radonstinatle to discuss the future of Essotori. The two main proposals were an extractive Imperial model, known as the Essotori Imperial Overstructure, similar to the Corusconian Empire, aimed at resource extraction and maintained through force of arms. The second was a union of equals, joined together through total dedication to the Nozerod Cult, as well as overarching strategic goals. The second proposal was adopted, due to passionate pleas, and lengthy debate. Thus, the Ascendancy was born, and Suntterland was declared a founding member, though most in Suntterland experienced virtually no change in living standards.