Aoshanti Empire (Naissus)

Aoshanti Empire

**Council:** Imperial Senate

 Imperial Legion (5/5)
 Imperial Navy (0/0)

**Government:** *Centralized*
**Taxation:** *High*
**Spending:** *High*
**Debt:** *Maintain Good Credit*
**Military:** *Armament*
**Economy:** *Dirigisme*
**Trade:** *Try to benefit by it*
**Foreign:** *Get foreign aid*
**Alliance:** *GCTO*

> "*These are dark times, when Aoshanti war against Aoshanti and the galaxy looks on.*"
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> **- Veritas III, Emperor**
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The **New Aoshanti Empire**, also referred to as **Naissus** or the **Aoshanti Empire** in common speech, was a short-lived successor state to the Ascendancy of the Broken Ring which presided over a vast and complex Aoshanti society in the Encounter Region of the Aoshtai Galaxy.

Unlike its formidable forebears, the Aoshanti Empire and the Ascendancy, Naissus was weak, leading to the formation of three leagues – the Lessoan League, Lindinian League, and Reformed League – which gradually fragmented the empire into three factions. The Empire was dissolved when the Naissean Senate abolished the monarchy during the Veritas Crisis of 22 NAC. The dueling states of the Aoshanti Republic and Pomarian Empire took its place.

## History

### Rise and Fall of the Ascendancy

The New Aoshanti Empire was born out of the death of the Ascendancy of the Broken Ring, a superpower which attempted to rise and restore the glory of the Old Aoshanti Empire which once ruled the galaxy. The Ascendancy was a centralized, authoritarian, and highly religious state which absorbed within itself many formerly free states and cultures in the Concourse region, spreading its Reformed Church which saw the Emperor both as the secular and religious head of the Empire. This was opposed by the adherents of the Patriarchate of Lessos, the original church of the Old Aoshanti Empire, which also had many followers outside of the Concourse region. These Rhyanists considered themselves 'Traditional' or 'Classical' Rhyanists and were supported by external powers such as the independent human power Karstedt and the pluralistic nation of Naer'si.

Despite concerted efforts by foreign powers, the Ascendancy broke containment and crushed both Naer'si and Karstedt in open war. The conflict, which lasted from -44 to -40 NAC, came to be called the First Concourse War. It saw the unification of the inner concourse under the Ascendancy, and both Naer'si and Karstedt were greatly weakened by territorial concessions they were forced to make.

The Second Concourse War erupted in 1 NAC, pitting an alliance organized by Karstedt against the Ascendancy and its allies. The Second Concourse War ended in 2 NAC with the collapse, surrender, and integration of Naer'si into the Ascendancy, further reinforcing the Ascendancy's power. Karstedt left the war in exchange for the return of its territory.

The Third Concourse War erupted in 5 NAC when a Grand Alliance composed of Karstedt, the Phero Ecumene, Ferrum Federation, Neegwein, Merosai, and Aratacia initiated a combined operation which aimed to liberate Naer'si and humble the Ascendancy. In 7 NAC, the liberation of Naer'si was accomplished, though the Allies decided that the Ascendancy's total dismantlement was the only way to prevent another war. After another two bloody years, Orbitritum fell before allied armies and the whole of the Ascendancy's territories were occupied.

### Occupation

         At the conclusion of the war in 10 NAC, the Ascendancy was occupied unevenly by Karstedt and the Grand Alliance. A significant region in the east would remain unoccupied and ungoverned for six months, leading to violence and instability until Karian troops arrived to put an end to the disorder.

Fate of the territories under Allied occupation
The Grand Alliance and Karstedt decided independently how they would administer their occupation zones. The Grand Alliance decided on a plan drafted by the Kingdom of Aratacia to split the territories along ethnic lines. The Liranan areas would be returned to Naer'si, the Aoshanti areas would be organized into an independent Kingdom (the Kingdom of Bonames), and the state of Arboros would be restored. The focus in Allied zones of occupation was on rehabilitation, reconstruction, and the building of institutions so the states would be capable of fending for themselves when the allies left.

Fate of the territories under Karian occupation
The areas under direct Karian occupation, by contrast, followed a very different policy. The political settlements in these territories were characterized in the initial phase of the occupation by a systematic and concerted effort by the Karian Army and Navy, coordinated by Karian Minister of War Erich Beltz, to destroy the Ascendancy's war infrastructure, arms stockpiles, productive facilities, and system of government. The Ascendancy bureaucracy was dismantled and its top officials were forced into exile.

During the second phase of the Karian occupation, many localities close to the Karian border were reconstructed to favor elements, such as Lessoan Rhyanist princes, who supported the Karian occupation. Further from the Karian border, municipalities cooperated with the occupation but their leadership and Ascendancy-era internal structures were largely left intact. Many municipalities were split off and awarded to minor Aoshanti claimants, giving rise to a greater number of principalities within the Empire than had been seen in generations.

After much deliberation within the Karian government, it was decided that the Aoshanti Empire, and its emperor, would be allowed to continue to exist. The Ascendancy's ringworld capital of Orbitritum, however, was evacuated crashed into the planet it orbited around. It was agreed that the New Empire's capital would be Naissus and that it would follow a system of government which respected the political rights of local lords.

Fate of the Eastern Territories
Initially, the east was left unoccupied by the belligerent powers. Karstedt's resources were tied down in its occupation of the Ascendancy core regions, while the allies had no desire to expand their zone of occupation into an area with many conflicting ethnicities, species, and identities. With the hegemonic influence of the Ascendancy gone, the region descended into anarchy and instability. A neighboring power which had been heretofore uninvolved, the Aoshanti nation of Mazsandyr, invaded from the north to organize a number of tributaries on its border. An independent power emerged, forming the Orientum Compact.

Halfway through year 10, Karian troops reached the east and began establishing political order and setting boundaries. The Karian government recognized the Kingdom of Ur-Tesar, which was only very briefly occupied by Karstedt, and helped draw the boundary between it and neighboring powers. Despite Karstedt's intervention, there remained contested areas controlled by the Aoshanti princes which Ur-Tesar claimed belonged to it.

In the far east, in the most ethnically and racially diverse region of the Concourse, Karstedt created by fiat a single state which they hoped would be strong enough to defend itself against foreign aggression.

## Territorial Subdivisions

Map of the principalities of the NAE, colored by the rank of their princes within the peerage of the Aoshanti Empire

### The Core

City of Lindinis

Duchy of Ost Abila

County of Astenum

County of Xaestes

### The South

City of Apulum

Kingdom of Ur'uume

Kingdom of Bonames

County of Xestaes

County of Migatum

County of Yulae

County of Al Teror

County of Quorentum

County of Idalae

### The East

Kingdom of Vigila

Kingdom of Matilo

Kingdom of Pomaria

Kingdom of Abila

Duchy of Sed Vinovia

County of Lesser Pomaria

## Quotes

> "*What a mess you made, Karstedt.*"
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> **- Unknown**
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> "*Less of an empire, than it is an insult to my kind made physical.*"
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> **- Infinite War**
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> "*A travesty. The power that was to return the galaxy to its former glory, now reduced to petty squabbles and division. Naissus is doomed to irrelevancy.*"
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> **- 094 Disordered Acceptance**
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> "*As we now emerge in our own right, it brings us much sadness to see what once were to be our gilded masters in eons past fallen into such despair. The Aoshanti are weak once more.*"
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> **- Advenae Enclave**
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> "*A fate worse than death for my people. We have been told we are no longer Rhya's chosen leaders, and have cast aside in utter chaos. In some ways, I wish the Karians were not so forgiving and would finish the job in annihilating us.*"
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> **- Tomat Beral**
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> "*THE CRUX OF EONS HAS CONVULSED. 《》《》 ONCE MORE HAVE PATHOGENS OF THE ALL PLANTED LESIONS UPON DIMINISHING GARDENS. 《》 《》 THE ELDER LIGHT NO LONGER RESTS IN THE PALMS OF THE RHYAN LORDS.《》《》 FOR IT IS NOW BORNE BY THE THRONE'S INHERITORS.*"
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> **- The Caerberon**
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> "*Every aeon, there is a new power that takes hold. Every so often, there is a new chosen. Every so often, one that devours all around it. Every so often, one that holds the entire galaxy. As Rhya's Chosen rose and fell, new chosen are to be delegated for the new petty demesnes. Just as Rhya's Chosen rose and fell, so will those claiming to be its holiest shard, and just as pretenders rise and fall, so too will there be new chosen from its fractures. For once, and for all, for all of its parallels, the outcome will likely be different each time. Just as those petty demesnes from old remain fractured until one is chosen to reunite the galaxy, so too will the fractured princes of this new order remain decentralised. And just as each instance is different, this one, unlike Rhya's Chosen of old, is guarded with their 'consent' by outside powers to prevent radicals from centralising.*"
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> **- Neegweinian General**
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