Ashen

## **Government**

### **Government Type/Function**

Ashen is a Monarchy run by a King and Queen. The rulers are not elected, they inherit their power. This doesn't mean they're not subject to uprisings or rebellions, however. There have been a few in Ashen's past, and they've shaped how the country is today.

#### High-Ranking Positions

##### The Queen

The Queen of Ashen is the highest position in the country. The Queen is responsible for making laws, running the country, starting wars, and ending them. Every major decision goes to her, and nothing can go without her say. The Queen is highly respected, and Ashen citizens choose respectful silence when in her presence in order to be as polite as possible.

##### The King

While the King counts as a ruler, he isn't allowed by law to make governmental changes or important decisions. The highest amount of power the King has is the command of the military. Even then, any actions or changes must first be approved by the Queen.

##### Ironsides

There are only 3 Ironsides at any one time, though there could be hundreds of soldiers training every day to become one. Ironsides are the generals of Ashen's army. They're responsible for hiring, promoting, training, and punishing soldiers. Ironsides are highly respected among their peers, especially soldiers.

##### Steelminds

The 5 Advisors of The King and Queen, who are regarded as the brightest in the land. The 5 Advisors are all experts on a different subject each; economy, military, public opinion, foreign relations, and agriculture. Steelminds often spend their time working to collect information and advise decisions based on what they find.

### **Border Policies**

Ashen has open borders with Rosale, Mortis, Evershade, and Duskshine. While there have been no negotiations with Mortis, Ashen lets Shu fly freely in their skies and takes care to ensure trade and military ships don't intrude on their territory.

Khione and Druantia are outright banned from the country, regardless of citizenship. While the Impetus don't quite like the Khione the ban is more for their safety than out of spite, as the high temperature in their lands can easily kill a Khione, who are sensitive to heat. Morticus and Home have not had any border negotiations with Ashen.

### **Currency**

Ashen's currency is referred to as "Embers".

## **Geography**

### **Ignition**

This region is the heart of Ashen, giving a home to the royal family as well as providing the country with a base of operations. It's named after the Muliebrous Ignition, which is what issued in the superiority of Impetus females. This change was brought by Queen Cowalis.

#### Lunari

The capital of Ashen and the home of the royal family. Trade routes all eventually lead here, leaving this city as the richest in the country. The city has a main road straight up to the palace, lit with fantastical towers of eternally burning straw.

### **Ember**

A trade-heavy region, where most incoming merchant ships are from Rosale. The people here are quite fickle, bartering is almost always out of the question.

#### Redseed

A port city that commonly trades with Rosale. Despite being in Ember, this is mostly a farming village. The city serves as Ashen's main export of crops, making it an essential city. It's incredibly expansive and is the biggest city in Ember.

#### Firebend

The sister city to Norbury, it's famous for the bridge connecting the two cities, boat rides for visitors and tourists, and the popularity of fishing. This city is the prime place to get seafood or jewelry made with minerals found in the ocean.

#### Norbury

The sister city of Firebend, the bridge that connects the two was commissioned and built by a rich merchant that founded the city back in the early days of Queen Cowalis. The city is mainly populated by nobles and has a rampant slavery problem.

#### Ilragorn

One of the many port cities in Ember. Despite being sea-side, Ilragorn doesn't specialize in trading fish or other types of seafood. Instead, you'll find beast parts in this city. Whether it be sea or land monsters, you'll likely find their pieces in any given market stall.

#### Kelna

Kelna is the furthest south city, and subsequently the hottest city. It's incredibly dangerous here for races who are sensitive to excessive heat, thus Kelna is restricted to Impetus being permitted only. No other race is allowed specifically within this city, regardless of if they're allowed within the rest of the country or not.

### **Flicker**

A region mostly dedicated to residential benefit. Magic users flourish here, though they'd be seen as weaker in more militaristic places like Inferno that value direct combat. The weaker and more passive of Impetus also flourish here, and other races tend to live in the more northern cities of this region.

#### Basht

A city that's home to the good majority of foreigners. Races from other countries will usually move here, as it's safer from being so close to the military region, as well as one of the coolest cities in temperature. It's the "melting pot" of Ashen. This city benefits from its own kind of culture, separating it's values greatly from that of the rest of Ashen.

#### Kindle

Kindle is known for its hospitable nature specifically towards the young. Children and teenagers are treated with priority here, and highly valued as members of society. This is because of a legend passed down through many generations within the families that lived here about a young boy who took out an entire group of bandits by himself and started the city in that very spot. This young boy is believed to be the young Arethnes just after he unmasked himself.

#### Ozryn

There is a multitude of magic schools here, the most famous being the Etherburn Institute. Young pyromancers come to the institute often but are turned away and sent to other schools more commonly than they arrive. The Etherburn Institute is highly selective due to the gift of pyrokinesis that every Impetus is naturally born with. Only true masters are allowed within its population of students.

#### Hollworthy

The most residential and least purposeful of the cities in Flicker, Hollworthy holds an interesting name but no interesting tenants. It's the city of average joes with average lives, but they make do. While the residents tend to be painfully average, they're quite necessary. As when a Impetus is extreme or outgoing in any way, they push those adjectives to their very limit.

### **Inferno**

#### Darkwell

Darkwell is home to the official military, and where most soldiers are sent for training. Because it's so far from most other cities -save for Basht, which it reserves a small emergency unit specifically for- it doesn't respond to emergency attacks unless they're nationally threatening or occurring in Lunari. Two of the three Ironsides live here, with the third residing in Orrinshire.

#### Orrinshire

The city of emergency forces. There's an underground tunnel system in this city that connects to every single other city in Ashen. It goes underneath shallow areas in the ocean to get to the East half of the country and allows extremely fast travel for emergency units. They're not local policemen, but rather defenders against a rogue band of Suha or a retaliation attack from the Druantia.

### **Population**

* 76% Impetus
* 14% Anthea
* 8% Varuna
* 1.8% Breksta
* 0.2% Ra'Bas

## **Culture**

### **Common Trades**

The people of Ashen are mostly Impetus, leading them to take up jobs that fit their biology. A Impetus is naturally strong and big-bodied, making them prime candidates for careers that require high amounts of strength such as guarding merchant caravans, soldiers, sailors, and construction workers.

While their strength lends them ease in jobs that require it, the Impetus people of Ashen are also very skilled in jobs that involve heat due to their natural gift of pyrokinesis. Blacksmiths can produce very quickly in Ashen, but it's common for them to prioritize quantity over quality. Additionally, some will be mages that serve in the army, or showmen dazzling tourists in the port cities of Ashen.

Though the majority of the people of Ashen are Impetus, not all of them are. Those who aren't usually won't find ease in acquiring jobs dominated by the majority. Because of this, they'll turn to more docile careers like farming or trading. This doesn't stop them from becoming soldiers or blacksmiths, however.

### **Traditions**

The people of Ashen typically build their homes in a cone shape in order to resemble pyres. Their homes are built from metal called Mimemondine and lined with a fire-proof cloth called Sarbor. The exterior of the homes can be lined with Sarbor, sometimes in unique patterns or as simple drapes, and set aflame for aesthetic purposes. This practice is banned in some cities for the health and safety of non-Impetus.

The Impetus commonly use the metal bones of their ancestors to craft trinkets and weapons. Family heirlooms are given special treatment as chips will purposefully be made in the item to allow the damaged areas to be repaired by the bones of more recent family, imbuing the item with the entire ancestral line.

Traditional food oft includes raw meat because of the special place it holds in the diet of the Impetus. Food is heavily sweetened to cater to the Impetus palate. Vegetables are not commonly found in a dish and are mainly eaten as a delicacy by the upper classes.

Clothing strongly resembles Victorian and other English styles. Impetus fully cover their bodies as being stripped down implies one is actively looking for conflict, especially a fight. Because of these social implications, men, who tend to be more aggressive, will wear long sleeves and even gloves to prevent confrontation. Women wear loose dresses and more revealing clothing such as shawls that are worn closer to the hips as this style is seen as more feminine.

### **Religious Beliefs**

Worship of Agnia is done in everyday life but is done subtly by performing acts such as lighting fires, cooking food, smelting metals, anything that involves the use of their fire honors her. This is because they're actively using the tools the Goddess granted them.

They also worship Arethnes, but not as fervently. They honor him through training combat skills for the defense of their people and by performing good deeds. It is believed that if you fight with honor, Arethnes will bless your battle and sway it in your favour.

### **Magical Practices**

Impetus are naturally adept with fire and practice pyrokinesis in their everyday life. The more magically gifted will generally make a career out of their abilities and tend to use it towards performances or military service. Their role in the military is controversial as it's seen as redundant, but gifted pyromancers are highly useful in combat. Other careers that sprout from this gift are more general such as blacksmithing and cooking but aren't considered as notable.

### **Values**

Due to the Muliebrous Ignition -a civil war that was spearheaded by the first queen of the Impetus, Queen Cowalis- female Impetus are more valued than their male counterparts. Because women are rarer among them, they are seen as precious flames that need to be protected and are given social advantages. They are commonly treated as first-class citizens regardless of ranking; it is next to impossible to find a homeless woman in Ashen. Due to this sentiment, Impetus will treat the women of other races in the same regard, save for the Druantia whom they despise.

Because of the abundance of single males, women from other countries will immigrate to Ashen to find husbands.

### **Fighting Styles**

The Impetus, and by extension Ashen's army, commonly fight hand to hand or with specially-made swords. Swordplay and martial arts are taught both in the military and to the public.

### **Commonly Used Weapons**

The Ashen armies are trained to fight with wooden weapons that are reinforced by steel. The weapons are wooden to allow the spread of a Impetus's fire, which burns brighter and faster than a regular fire made by flint and steel. Higher-up's weapons -typically Ironsides- will often be enchanted so that they burn, but aren't damaged.

## **History**

### **Wars**

The Muliebrous Ignition was an uprising led by Cowalis, who later became the first queen of Ashen. This uprising was started because the women of Ashen were heavily oppressed and were literally treated as property, much like how men are currently treated in Gaio Sylva. This caused a complete reverse in morals and led to unfortunate hypocrisy as men were the ones who were treated like property in the aftermath. It took 50 years of reform before men were treated as equals again.

There is an ongoing war between the Impetus and the Druantia known as the Burning War. For unknown reasons, ever since Queen Anastacia has been in power, she has been attempting to burn down the part of the Gaio Sylva forest that borders Home. Her intentions are unclear, yet there is no sign of her relenting in the pressure put on the border, and the tensions between the two races continue to rise.

### **Renaissances and Reforms**

In the year 415, there was a reform in weapon technology. Previously, before the reform, the weaponry used by the general soldiers were wooden and would break very quickly. This changed when a blacksmith by the name of Ironside invented a method of weapon forging that involved first making a weapon out of metal and then encasing it in carved wood. This allowed the weapon to be burned but not broken; wooden sheaths would be made and replacements would be held by the owner. This allowed Impetus soldiers to have quick access to replacements for their destroyed weapons. Because of this advancement, the highest generals in the army had their ranks renamed after the blacksmith who created this method, thus establishing the Ironsides.

This advancement in weapons was furthered by a skilled magician named Steelmind. Unlike the blacksmith prior to him, he was not a Impetus and was in fact a Breksta. He was incredibly skilled in the art of enchantment and introduced an enchantment that would make the weapons burn slower. While he could not prevent the weapons from suffering burn damage, this allowed the weapons to last for much longer. He taught this spell to the army's magicians, who practiced and perfected it over time. Due to the amount of work it takes to imbue the weapons, it is reserved for the highest ranking soldiers such as the Ironsides and those directly below them. Because of his immense contribution to the Ashen army, the Queen's advisors had their ranking named after him, establishing the Five Steelminds.

## **Leaders**

### **First Leader**

King Ignazio. He was highly skilled in pyrokinesis, possessing a flame that burned four times the heat of a normal Impetus flame. He was often referred to as "King Hellfire'". He was not responsible for the mistreatment of Impetus women. He treated women quite well since he knew he was created by one; the problems only arose after his rule. After 238 years of his rule, he was overthrown by his jealous younger brother, who was also created by Agnia to aid him and yet not take the throne himself.

### **Past Leaders**

The second king of the Impetus was Ignazio's younger brother Aedus. He despised his older brother and the Goddess who created him, refusing to live out the fate of being overshadowed. Aedus had gained a great deal of support through the kingdom and threatened his brother with a civil war that could have torn the country apart. This forced Ignazio to surrender the throne to Aedus. Upon taking the throne, he immediately assumed direct control of the military and dictated that the country's values change shape to devalue women to spite Agnia. With so much support already in place, his new laws were swiftly enforced and the role of women was drastically changed from normal citizens, praised for their connection to the Goddess, to mere property. Aedus ruled Ashen for 182 years before his death at the hands of another.

The third leader of Ashen was the first queen, Queen Cowalis. Originally an average citizen, a simple blacksmith's daughter, she gathered the women who were unhappy with their oppressive treatment and met with Ignazio. Ignazio had been banished to a nearby island by his brother. Cowalis and her followers begged for his return, a proposition he accepted. Together they stormed the castle, overpowering the guards, and killed Aedus. Upon their victory, Ignazio proposed to Cowalis, hopeful to rule by her side and undo the damage caused by his brother. Cowalis responded by murdering him at that very moment. She took the heads of both brothers into the streets and established herself as the new queen of Ashen. Her crowning led to the beginning of the Muliebrous Ignition. Women, inspired by her success and angry at their oppressive husbands, murdered them in droves, killing them in their sleep and slaughtering them in the streets. Eventually, she saw the error of this conflict and could only calm the rage of the women of Ashen by reversing Aedus' law, making women the dominant social group and men their property. Cowalis ruled for 242 before being murdered by an assassin who sympathized with the men she oppressed.

After Cowalis came her daughter Calida. She was not as vengeful or extreme as her mother as she had not experienced the past injustices her mother had. She rose to power after her mother's death and slowly began reforming the laws so that male and female Impetus would finally be treated equally. She ruled for a full 232 years before peacefully passing in her sleep from disease.

**Current Leader**

The current Queen and King of Ashen are Queen Anastacia and King Ignatius. Their current heir is their first daughter, Princess Pele.

Queen Anastacia is known for her short temper and how easy it is to annoy her. She values manners, respect, and intelligence. The Queen is very protective of her family and has an unbridled hatred for the princesses of Rosale. Strangely enough, however, she's incredibly approving of the Empress. Her reasons are known only by herself, her husband, and the gods. She has been in power for 158 years to this day.

King Ignatius, on the contrary, is more known for his patience. He deems honour, justice, and courage to be the highest of virtues. He manages to keep the Queen in check when things begin to get out of hand. He worries for his family and tries to handle foreign affairs as diplomatically as possible. However, the King does personally train the royal guard, in case of diplomacy ever failing him.