Imperium Ascoli (As-coli-eye)

There was once a dream, a dream called Ascola...

The Imperium Ascoli is a human-centered Empire that occupies the entirety of the Northern continent of Coronas. At one time, it was the most powerful Empire on the planet, and spanned both continents. That period, known by its subjects as the Millennial Oppression, was for those of Ascola, a period of unmatched peace and prosperity. Now, following Taewyn's rebellion and the Malediction, the Imperium struggles to hold onto even its most ancient of holdings. 

History

The Imperium Ascoli, or at least what would become it, was founded in the City of Ascola several thousand years ago. Much of the details of this founding have been lost to history. Overtime, the city of Ascola began to exert control over its neighboring city states. This influence soon turned into direct control and soon, the entire Messian valley was under control of Ascola. Not content with just its neighbors, Ascoli dreamt of the world. Over the slow march of the centuries, Ascola conquered more and more land until every inch of ground on Coronas was covered with an Imperial Standard. 
Still, the temptation of greed is never satisfied. Under Emperor Carolus Magnus, the Imperial Legions crossed the Scarlet Sea and invaded Pikas. While historians now refer to this moment as "the Conquest," it would better be called "the Conquests." The subjugation of Pikas engulfed the entirety of Emperor Carolus's reign, and it was only a year before his death that he saw Pikas solidly under Imperial control, and thus ushered in the Millennial Oppression. 
The Pax Ascoli would not last forever. Pikas would be bathed in blood during Taewyn's rebellion. Following the catastrophic defeat at the Siege of Kinesbridge, the Elven Magi who followed Taewyn cast what has now come to be known as the Malediction against the Imperium. This spell, unlike any the world has seen or will see, has left many historians and theologians divided. Many believe it was only made possible due to the magnitude of lives lost at the siege. Such calamity destabilizes magic and provides an overflow of life-force, mana, and according to some sources, souls, to be used in the incantation. 
The Malediction, simply put, was a curse against the Imperial People, specifically its Upper Class, which the Pikans associated as the main instigators of their oppression. The effects of the curse were simple. 2/3rds of the Ascolian people were effected by it. Those afflicted by the curse took on animalistic features, particularly those of the Fox, which the Elves associated with a spirit of theft and selfishness. The secondary, and far more sinister aspect of the curse, was that those afflicted by the curse could be ordered to do anything, as long as the person issuing the command knew the person's name. 
It is said that one of the Elven Magi, after casting the Malediction, commented "they enslaved us for a Millennia, now they will serve for an eternity." 
Immediately following the battle and the curse, the Imperial Consul tasked with quelling the rebellion, Consul Julianus Sibellius, surrendered to Taewyn, and withdrew all Imperial Forces from Pikas. The fate of those afflicted, however, is a tragic one. The afflicted, now known as Vulpans, were unwelcome in the Imperium proper. They served as an ever-present reminder of the Imperium's greatest defeat, and many Imperial peasants feared that the curse could be spread. This is a popular belief, though it has long been dismissed. The Vulpan Curse can only be passed on to biological offspring. The Vulpan, who were once Imperial nobility, were left behind as Pikas to serve as slaves , or worse, for the people of the new Kingdoms rising out of the ashes of Pikas. 
Following the loss of Pikas, the Imperium fell into unrest and revolution. The Crisis of the Curse, as it is now called, lasted for nearly a century. The Imperium, at one point, crowned and buried 11 Emperors over the span of 5 years. 
Empress Irena the Restorer finally brought peace back to the trouble Empire in 101 AF. It was under her shrewd guidance and clever politcal appointments that Ascoli was able to regain control of Coronas and finally begin licking its wounds from over 100 years ago. 
The Imperium has only attempted to retake control of Pikas once. In 301, under the reign of Emperor Justinianus Maximus, Imperial Legions walked on Pikan soil, but it was not for long. Poor weather in the Scarlet Sea disrupted the army's supply lines. The Emperor had hoped to find a weakened and divided people on Pikas, much like Emperor Carolus did all those year ago, but that was not the case. The Kingdom of Taewyn repelled the Imperial Legions and any dream the Imperium had of holding the south died with Emperor Justinianus on the shores of Taebury. 
Now, the Imperium finds itself living in the ruins of its own making. Imperial citizens wander like ghosts in cities built for Gods not men. Somehow, Ascola has managed to hold itself together after all this time, and there are still many in the Imperial Senate that cling to the fading dream of Ascola. A dream that was never made real. 

Culture

The Imperium once boasted a vibrant culture. It's vast network of highways and shipping lanes meant that resources from over the entire world could be brought together in any of the Imperium's major cities. Now, the people of the Imperium are a stoic and dour brood. Most people spend their time working or sleeping. The wounded pride of Ascoli is as much as a curse the Malediction, and a culture of despair is all that is shared amongst its citizens.

Government: Imperial Monarchy 
Emperor: 
Religion: 
Population:

Type

Geopolitical, Empire