Kingdom of Ascálon

The forests, wetlands, and famous green hills without end of the Kingdom of Ascálon are home to endless passion, wealth, bravery and decadence. Famous for its wineries and gold mines, but known above all for the massive expanse of ancient Dwarven 'underway' ruins - the remnants of the Dwarven empire of old, itself built upon ruins of even more ancient Elven glory. Providing vast quantities of raw materials, wealth, and manpower for the Empire, though theoretically completely beholden to the whims of their Rivairran overlords, Ascálon has always been a powder keg ready to explode at any moment - and it has, several times. House Léon is widely known as a thoroughly confused bloodline, with coups, rebellions, and succession crises being the norm rather than the exception. Most of the time, these issues are solved with duels in ballrooms, a prestigious hunt, or traded insults and daggers in the dark - But when it does come to war, the people of Ascálon are the bravest among the Imperials, if also the most over-eager at times.

Structure

The King's Power stems from Comtes and Comtesses ruling Counties, and theirs in turn from Vicomtes & Vicomtesses ruling Vicounties, manors, cities, keeps and so forth. The Knights of Ascálon, the Chevaliers, are much more like elite warriors than holders of keeps. Still heavily entrenched in their ancient ideals, Ascalonian families, while theoretically ruled by the firstborn after the death of a lord, are more often than not under the control of whomever turned out the most powerful mage. The nobility, obsessed with power and bloodline as most of them are, accept this as a fact of life - though there is tension with the more religious inclinations of some of the Lords of Mydderlandt, the southern province of Ascálon, founded by remainders of the refugees from the Great Crusade.

Public Agenda

For the past several hundred years, Ascálon has desired a seat in the Electorate. They might argue they contribute as much to the economy and people of the Empire as any other Electorate - and they wouldn't entirely be wrong. Many a young Comte gets it in their head that they could rebel against their Rivairran overlords, but Imperial Authority has kept this issue in check for a long enough time, that boasting about "going north and freeing the kingdom" is seen as more of a joke than anything else. Their methods of exerting their power generally rest on the city of Salles, the single most important trading port in the Empire, which controls all the southwestern trade routes thanks to the Victorius Canal - but when push comes to shove, Ascálon is not afraid to throw around its economic or military might.

Assets

Ascálon's greatest assest is the bones of ancient empires upon which it was built, and the near-endless amounts of gold threaded through the mountains. Conflict though this may cause with the Dwarves that yet remain, it is the backbone of Ascalon's economy to such an extent that the two are near indistinguishable. Many an interested historian makes the journey to the Underways, but very few of them are ever seen again. What keeps them coming are the inevitable hoards of treasure and ancient legend the survivors returns with. Manpower-wise it is the single most powerful nation in the Empire, supplying troops and mages to armies all over the known world. Centuries of careful management of bloodlines means that magic is quite a bit more common among the nobility, affording the Ascálonians a significant edge.

Mages in the Ascálon

The Mages of Ascálon have always been harsly divided between elemental barriers. With magic having a signifiant part to play in the Great Game in Ascálon, each Tower of Magic is an incredibly valuable strategic and political resource, with the Houses that own their territory enjoying great benefits. Controlling the elements through ritual, mysticism and trained movements, they do not use spells so much as wield their element like an extension of their body.
Of course, the nobility's obsession with creating the perfect mage creates a great many rejects. These generally become Chevaliers, part of the military, or get set to work in service of their House - but most of them are in great debt from their training, and have very little effective freedom in what they choose to actually do. Ascálonian magic training is some of the best, but it comes at the cost of an enormous heap of expectations. Pretty much unique to the Towers are elemental duels, going all the way from sparring over a slight, to duels to the death, to grand tournaments of magic.

School of the Moutain (Geomancers)

Builders, artisans, and terrifying opponents in battle, Geomancers are versatile, but good ones are few and far between. Geomancy is usually regarded as the most 'technical' of the magical schools, in that it is difficult to understand, and even harder to master. Forever famous for their grand works. Building castles in weeks in the Colonies and the Frontier, carving canals out of the land, changing the world around them in perpetuity, the mages of the School of the Mountain are as renowned for their contrubtions, as they are feared for their prowess in battle.

School of the River (Aquamancers)

Known for their powers of healing, the mysterious Aquamancers are always a source of rumour and hearsay. Taking a vow of secrecy when they join, none of them are allowed to share the secrets of where the teachings and strange mental abilities of the Aquamancers come from. The Azure Tower is always completely shut to outsiders and visitors, and Aquamancy remains one of the few accepted schools of magic in the empire that lives on without the express oversight of the Heartlander Colleges. Some of them heal soldiers of the frontlines, some of them soothe the ills of the commonfolk, some of them will drown you from the inside out, and yet others live simple, 'traditional' lives of irrigating fields or running a small clinic.

School of the Flame (Pyromancers)

The infamous Pyromancers do one thing, but they do it well: burning. Known for serving as all manner of magical artillery, and for their spectacular duels which have burned many towns in Ascálon's history, the mages of the School of the Flame are some of the most numerous. Being that it attracts literal hotheads, it also tends to be the school with the most dropouts, and huge amounts of passionate internal debate. Wanted for their ability to serve as what is essentialy a cannon with the maneuvrability of a cavalryman, the Lords of Ascalon grealy incentivize Pyromancers to stay home and serve the Crown.

School of the Skies (Aeromancers)

Masters of the scrying magic, the Aeromancers manipulate the sky and the wind, allowing them to learn a great deal. While some lean more towards control over pressure, the Mages of the School of the Skies are generally known to be the least involved in warfare and politics, preferring to watch from afar and advise. Incredibly useful on the strategic level, Aeromancers find their home beside generals and admirals, Lords and Kings, but ever in the background.

The Heraldry of House Léon, of Port de Léon, Ascálon

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Demonym

Ascálonian

Parent Organization

Rivairran Union