Realm of Asártalia

The **Realm of Asártalia** (Asártalian: **Réinum deAsártalia**) is a realm located in the east of the Islandorian continent, spread across most of the Avántium Bay. It is, although the smallest of the major states in Islandoria, a major economic power specially with the Great City of Luvena and the Avántium Bay serving as important trade hubs specially with its direct connection to the Arcman Republic and the Mare Magnum. The Realm of Asártalia is a very recent state having formed by Carélious I during the War of Avántium.

The Asártalian government is based on the Council of Apálania with the King having more than equal power to it, making Asártalia a semi-constitutional monarchy, the Council of Apálania is split into the Assembly of the Houses and Senate of the Plebs, the Assembly of the Houses represents the upper-class and townships, with the Senate of Plebs representing commoners and merchants, they both hold equal power with the Assembly of Houses serving primarily in the jurisdiction of other sectors of the government and the Senate of Plebs holds a more legislative role and are responsible for managing great part of the economy.

## Military

The Asártalian military do not maintain a standing army, and instead make usage of levies and garrisons (the Guardione), levies have many different Clasís, such as Plebeian Guards, Aténian Knights, Luvenan Cataproci and others, these Clasís form the Asártalian army when raised by the monarch. The Asártalians make great usage of light infantry and archers, particularly due to their climate and terrain, with vast forests and hills.

### Guardione

The Guardione are the troops garrisoned in townships, being employed by the Assembly of Houses, the Guardione primarily serve in law enforcement and the protection of mayors, their cabinet and nobles. The Guardione are more trained than levies and during wars many Guardione are hired by the Plebeian and Anátorci Guards.

The Guardione have, to be distinguishable from others and to denote their origin, ribbons for each Township, these are commonly either armbands or in their banners. The following table shows every ribbon for each major city.

### Levies

Since 82 ACA Asártalia has used a levy system for its military, primarily due to the Conotuci Revolt. The levy system of Asártalia revolves around people being paid by fiefs and nobles or by the government to serve them when necessary, although there no solid set of rules for who can be levied as soldiers (other than only men being allowed to fight), it is mainly merchants, their sons, landowners and their sons or mere plebeians, as for the case of the Plebeian Guard, who can be levied. There is a plethora of so called Clasís, those being types of levies who are raised by different individuals or organisations who serve the King, these Clasís all have different roles in the army and rankings.

#### Plebeian Guard

The Plebeian Guard is the largest of Clasís levied in the army of Asártalia, it is composed of plebeians, merchants or landowners and are paid by the Senate of the Plebs, the Plebeian Guard can simply be categorised as regulars, with little to no training in combat and with the bare minimum of equipment, but these form the backbone of the army and have many different classes and roles in itself, having cavalrymen, sappers, archers, scouts, spearmen and more. The Plebeian Guard is mostly led by the King or whoever is in charge of the army directly, and are always upfront and form the flanks of many if not all formations.

The Plebeian Guard's existence can be traced back to many of the plebeians, farmers and merchants who headed to the Catacósian Hillsides to serve under the Catacósian, later Armada, Malivátis in the 6 years leading to the War of Avántium.

#### Aténian Knights

The Aténian Knights are arguably the most prestigious and trained of the Clasís, if not of the whole military, the Aténian Knights are composed off of only Catacósian and Aténian fiefs who serve under the Pátrian of Aténia, that is, the King. The Aténian Knights are trained in horse riding and combat for almost their whole lives, they form the strongest part of the army and are always used strategically and against fierce and powerful enemies.

The Aténian Knights have existed as long as Aténia has existed under the House of Aténia, easily a few centuries before Asártalian independence.