Arch Knight Ascendancy

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Arch Knight Ascendancy
ASCIEROΧ NAITARKΩI
Sigil of the Inverse Sun
Flag
Motto: ΘRAΦ TAΩΛOS ISΩRAΧ, ΘRAΦ TAΩΛOS SΨNEΧEΛ
CapitalAltair
Largest Nova Selebraria
Official languages The Ascendant Language
Recognised regional languages Ionic
Government Feudalistic Thearchy
 -  Father-Captain Alpharoth
Area
 -  4,962,443.152 km2
1,916,010 sq mi

The Arch Knight Ascendancy is a thearchic military dictatorship located on the continent of Aquilos. The Ascendancy was founded by a coup d'état of the Altarian Empire, shortly after the end of the Collapse, some 6000 years ago. The nation maintains an extremely hostile isolationist stance against the rest of the world, and as such, very little is known about the politics and people of the Ascendancy. Most historical contact with the Ascendancy has come in the form of various genocidal crusades against non-human species. Since the rise of globalism in the late 1900s, these crusades have ceased, though the Ascendancy has not relinquished its xenophobic ideology.

Due to the Ascendancy's isolationism, most information on the Ascendancy is derived from secondhand historical testimony of Ascendant soldiers who have been captured in the course of the Ascendancy's wars. Thus, the information contained within this article may not reflect current arrangements, or may not be accurate at all.

Geography[edit | edit source]

Mavreae Cidetralch[edit | edit source]

Mavreae Cidetralch (pronounced, MAH-vreh-AH-eh SKIH-deh-trahlk) is one of the Segmentums of the Ascendancy, located towards the East of Aquilos. This Segmentum is divided roughly into two sections, a central "heartland" surrounded by an outer band or "ring". The outer ring is very mountainous, and covered in large swathes of deciduous and evergreen forests. There are a large number of waterfalls, hot springs and geysers. The civilian population of Mavreae Cidetralch mostly lives in this region. The government is a loose confederation of states, many ruled by trade guilds, businesses or other workers' organizations. The confederacy meets in what could loosely be termed the capital city of Daggerhold, which is located in the southeastern part of the ring.

At the edge of the outer band, the forested mountains abruptly give way to a flat and lifeless ashen wasteland, cracked by the meandering flow of rivers. Within this heartland, volcanic activity is rife and the sun is often blocked by clouds of soot. While the land was always prone to occassional eruptions, the frequency and intensity has significantly increased since the fall of the Empire. The lack of sunlight results in colder weather, but ground temperatures can be slightly higher due to the geological activity. Beyond lie more mountain ranges, many of which are active volcanoes.

In the outer reaches of the heartland, the Gammathian Ascendants carve various fiefdoms out for themselves, using their serfs to sculpt great Gothic fortresses and cathedrals out of volcanic rock. The towns and cities ruled by these Ascendants often specialize in manufacturing industries of one form or another. What goods their masters do not take are sold off to secure necessary resources and commodities. A vast network of aqueducts is used to deliver water from the springs of the verdant regions to these desolate places.

As one progresses further inland, volcanic activity becomes even more prevalent. It's common to see crumbling ruins of the ancient Altarian society built upon barren hills and mountains, partially consumed by streams of lava. Though the impeccable craftsmanship of their long-dead builders was made to last, even these works of architecture struggle to resist the harshness of the environment. This is a golden opportunity for would-be Altarian treasure hunters, as the unstable nature of the earth means many lost caves and labyrinths open on a regular basis, with artifacts and relics ripe for the taking. The tunnels are just as likely to be sealed as unsealed, however, and there are no shortage of fools who become trapped and perish in the pursuit of riches and fame.

At the center of Mavreae Cidetralch is the city of Osmiridia, carved directly into the cliffsides of a number of the Ascendancy's largest and most active volcanoes. Owing its existence largely to the efforts of the Gammathian Ascendants, the city is entirely powered by geothermal energy, and a number of irrigation systems direct the lava flows away from the cities' structures. The heat from the volcanoes is also used to stoke massive forges that produce a large quanitity of the Ascendancy's metalworking, and a great number of factories exist that produce all sorts of goods from cars to military equipment. Within Osmiridia's citadel is the Telluride Court, a great basilica with walls decorated in ivy of a vast multitude of pure metals. Here, the Gammathian Ascendants meet to exchange scientific and engineering knowledge, barter supplies, engage in philosophical debate, govern the Segmentum, display or trade literature and art, and put on music or dance performances. Above the court reigns Cacus's Spire, a stone tower so-named after its builder, the first Warpriest of Gammatias. The tower is the residence of the reigning Warpriest, Malphas, and thus the seat of power for Gammatias's Ascendant hierarchy.

The summit of Osmiridia's tallest volcano is the Heart of Cacus, an inferno that has burned since time immemorial. The peak below the summit is a sacred site for the Gammthian Ascendants, where Cacus is said to have meditated for centuries, until the tides of lava finally enveloped him whole. Gammathian Ascendants come here to mediditate on their virtue of indifference in peace against the roar and heat of the volcano, alone from everything but the earth and the stars. It is said that in the end of days, when Gammatias return from the void to wage the Final War, he will come to the Heart to release his favored Warpriest and extol his unrivaled virtue, so that he may lead the Gammathians and the Ascendancy to everlasting victory.

Politics[edit | edit source]

The political system of the Ascendancy can loosely be considered a confederation of civilian states united by the framework of a stratocratic government, that is ultimately subservient to the autocratic will of the Symlinks. Each Segmentum has significant autonomy to establish its own political framework, and thus the civilian Segmentum governments are for the most part unique to their particular region. The Ascendant hierarchy runs concurrent with the civilian government, and typically has total power to overrule civil decisions.

Regional Segmentum governments are supervised by a Castellan, an Ascendant who has been delegated power by their Warpriest to take corrective action to preserve stability. The Castellan has complete authority to introduce or block legislature, depose or execute politicians, and even overthrow entire governments at the discretion of their Symlink. A Castellan can be removed from their position by their Warpriest if their efforts are insufficient or contrary to the desires of their Symlink.

Warpriests are the head of a Segmentum's Ascendant hierarchy, and are responsible for ensuring a Symlink's will is enacted in the real world based on the information relayed to them by their Symlink's Oracle. They have control over their Segmentum's civilian governments through their Castellan, and direct the military efforts of their Segmentum's Ascendant Auxilia and any detachments of the National Legions within their borders. Warpriests do not have authority to command Ascendant Auxilia or parts of the National Legions outside their Segmentum. While nominally an indefinitely held position, the Warpriest theoretically can be replaced by the demands of their Symlink if they are insufficiently carrying out the duties of their task, and Warpriests are able to resign from their position.

Oracles are messengers of the Symlinks. As the Symlinks presently reside in the void between realms, Oracles serve as a necessary relay between them and their Ascendants in the real world. While the Oracle has no formal powers, they are considered avatars of their Symlink's will, and thus exist outside of the framework of civilian, military, and Ascendant governments.

Symlinks are the gods of the Ascendancy. Each rules, and has total control over, a Segmentum. Due to their preoccupation with discovering a way to Halla, they do not have the time or presence to directly rule their territories, so they opt to convey their desires to their Oracles, who in turn advise their Warpriests on how to carry out those desires. In most cases, a Symlink's desires do not concern the civilian population of their Segmentum, so deference is made to the civilian governments.

Alpharoth, being the first Symlink and the individual responsible for the creation of the others, has supreme authority over his lesser brethren. Alpharoth has total power to overrule the intent or actions of any civilian government, Ascendant hierarchy, or other Symlink.

The Symlinks[edit | edit source]

The Ascendancy is ultimately ruled by a cabal of thirteen gods known as the Symlinks. The etymology of the term is uncertain, but it is theorized to be an honorary reference to a hero, leader, or otherwise significant figure of the Altarian Empire. The Symlinks are unique in that they are not true gods of divine lineage, but are humans artificially reborn or transformed into gods. The means through which this happened is unknown, though it is known that Alpharoth was the first Symlink, and that he was responsible for creating the other Symlinks over an uncertain span of time, at least a millennium. Each Symlink is attuned to an element of magic that is closely intertwined with their "Ascendant Virtue," a negative emotion championed by that Symlink. The exception is Alpharoth, who has dominion over all elements. While they are gods, the Symlinks are not, for the most part, worshipped by the civilian population of the Ascendancy, nor by the Ascendants who follow them. From the Ascendant perspective, they are treated more as philosophers or teachers. Despite that, Symlinks are still political rulers of the Ascendancy. Within the Arch Knight military hierarchy, they hold the rank of "Father-Captain."

The Symlinks, in order of their creation, are:

  •   Alpharoth, the Father of Sin
  •   Betalial, the Tempest General
  •   Gammatias, the Forgefather
  •   Deltarch, the Glacial Tyrant
  •   Epsilontis, the Drowned King
  •   Zetaphriel, the Phoenix Regent
  •   Etauros, the Passionate Martyr
  •   Thetarion, the Fatal Judge
  •   Iotaine, the Venomous Hierophant
  •   Kappaqorac, the Corpse Emperor
  •   Lambdarius, the Twilight Sovereign
  •   Muzathoth, the Empty Lord
  •   Nuryx, the Penitent Autarch

Symlinks profess a school of philosophy that is practiced and believed in by their Ascendant followers. Presently, their objective is to gain access to Halla, though their ultimate intention is to rewrite the rules of reality to create a new, "more perfect" universe. Each Symlink has their own conception of the shape of a perfect universe, with many being at odds with each other. Some unknown level of antagonism exists between them as each vies to become the first to gain the ability to reshape reality, though this does not seem to extend to their Ascendant followers in the real world.

Father-Captain Alpharoth[edit | edit source]

Father-Captain Gammatias[edit | edit source]

Gammatias (Asc. Language: ), the Forgefather, SymLink of Metal, God of Indifference, is the second SymLink born to the Ascendancy. He wields the element of Metal, which consists of the ability to telekinetically manipulate metallic objects, as well as alter their atomic structure. The applications of this type of magic are immense. All sorts of structures, machines, vehicles, and weapons can be quickly created by the mind alone. Individual parts can be forged to a specified allotrope without accruing any imperfections in the material. Worn-out parts can be regenerated to a good-as-new state without ever needing to replace them or remove them from their greater mechanical systems. Gammatias's virtue of Indifference is simply that: complete irreverence towards anything and everything else. By not caring, one avoids disappointment, one avoids the injuries to pride and the soul from another's vicious actions and words. The opinions and Wills of others cease to become relevant; only the individual remains, protected by the insurmountable, steely bulwark of apathy.

Father-Captain Zetaphriel[edit | edit source]

Father-Captain Zetaphriel (Asc. Language: ZHTAΦRIEΛ), the Phoenix Regent, is the SymLink who reigns over the element of fire. His philosophy is primarily styled around virtue ethics, such as those professed by Aristotle and other ancient Hellenics. Zetaphriel believes that for the Arch Knights to attain moral perfection, they must become the masters of their purpose - and the purpose of the Arch Knights, is, of course, war.

Zetaphriel's armies are less bloodthirsty and fatalistic than other SymLinks', focusing on the fight, not the destruction. They enjoy challenging other nations to battle, and seek always to prove they are the strongest. The Ascendants of Zetaphriel most desire to seek out the champions of their enemies and defeat them in single combat, even offering the total withdrawal of Arch Knight forces in defeat. They often spare the lives of those they deem sufficiently mighty, and end their campaigns when they feel their enemies have given their all. On the other hand, they are not above committing atrocities to provoke reluctant nations into fighting them.

Father-Captain Thetarion[edit | edit source]

Father-Captain Thetarion, the Fatal Judge. The SymLink of Ontological Magics, and the Ascendant God of Conceit. His ultimate desire: to find the most optimal future where the Arch Knights reign supreme and eternal, and to destroy all other possibilities, so that final victory shall become predestination.

Thetarion's "soul" is the last surviving member of the Altarian Empire's indigenous elven population. Alpharoth approached him directly, offering to make him into a SymLink. He initially refused on moral grounds, knowing all too well what the Ascendancy does/intends to do. However, as he reached old age he realized his death would mean the extinction of his people, filling his heart with fear and sorrow. Eventually, his guilt haunted him to the point he forsook his moral judgement, and meeting once more with Alpharoth, agreed to become the SymLink "Thetarion" in order to preserve and rebirth the culture of his people. He justifies his actions by portraying himself as a martyr, who took upon sin and shame so that his people could live once more. Thus he becomes the Fatal Judge, Thetarion, of the Virtue of Conceit; for he set aside the fates of others to fulfill his own personal desires.

The TH Segmentum is emulatory of Titanian Elven culture and is extremely insular. It produces very few Arch Knights, most of them being tribal outcasts. As such, their military presence is lacking, though their affinity for ontological, probability-controlling magic makes what few Arch Knights they have highly valued as seers, miracle workers and the like. Alpharoth is content to permit this "conscientious objection" in return for Thetarion's continued work towards finding and implementing a future of outcomes where the Arch Knights are always victorious until the end of the time.

Father-Captain Iotaine[edit | edit source]

Father-Captain Iotaine, SymLink of Poison, God of Doubt - the Venomous Hierophant - is the 8th SymLink born to the Ascendancy.

Iotaine champions the virtue of Doubt. Why do the Ascendants choose to worship doubt? Trust is the basic currency of all relationships, and relationships make individuals weak. They burden them with the shackles of expectations, requests, demands - they impede self determination, self-reliance - they encourage emotional dependency and inevitably lead to dissapointment and betrayal. All these things are wretched and cannot be abided by in an Ascendant. By using doubt to burn away and stave off the trust between individuals, relationships and their inevitable dependency can be rendered stillborn. Skepticism powering an eternal search to find the truth and ensure self-preservation. After all, it isn't enough to simply doubt the abilities and intents of others: one must challenge even themselves to corrode away the falsehoods that mask complete understanding.

Father-Captain Lambdarius[edit | edit source]

Lambdarius, is the SymLink of Light and Despair. He intends to recreate the universe in such a way that prohibits the ability to lie, or even misinform. In this world of devoid of lies, he believes he will be able to prove to all things that the ultimate truth of a finite existence in a finite universe is despair. The catch here of course is that, let's say the truth of the universe is indeed despair: the power to reshape the universe to prove it could also be turned toward creating genuine hope. But Lambdarius doesn't care- he merely wants his beliefs to be vindicated, and if the eternal misery of all life there is and will ever be is the price for saying "I told you so," he will gladly pay it on their behalf.

Father-Captain Muzathoth[edit | edit source]

Muzathoth is the Arch Knight God-SymLink of Spacetime. Despite being a relatively young SymLink, his Third Sphere element grants him power beyond and above many of his contemporaries. Little is known about this secretive SymLink, or his Segmentum. Those who operate under his command are only ever seen in sparse numbers, accompanying the more aggressive Segmentum campaigns in order to carry out unknown, enigmatic objectives. The only definitive information known about Muzathoth is that he champions the Ascendant virtue of OBLIVION: an emotional state lying beyond even apathy and despair, encompassing the complete resignation of all feeling altogether. Believing all sapient life to be cursed by its desire to seek meaning and fulfillment in a reality devoid of purpose, Muzathoth argues to alleviate this burden by introducing a physical law preventing the existence of all self-aware life. In this new reality of oblivion, the finite cycles of life and death, creation and destruction will be free to spiral towards the universe's inevitable demise - as nature intended - unburdened from existential lamentations of the fruitlessness of life and the inevitability of annihilation.

Father-Captain Nuryx[edit | edit source]

Nuryx is an Arch Knight God-SymLink of Water, bearing the title of "The Penitent Autarch". He is associated with the waters of the earth, such as lakes, rivers and oceans. He champions the Ascendant virtue of GUILT, symbolized by the whirlpool, an inescapable maelstrom that drowns the soul in the cold, lightless depths of regret. His status as the "youngest" SymLink means that his Segmentum is rather small and unproven, compounded by his Warpriest's general reluctance to propagate the Arch Knight's Will. In the uncommon instances where it goes to war without direct orders from the Citadel of Tranquility, his Segementum targets and exterminates any alien race that acts in a hostile manner towards the outcast humans, perhaps in an attempt to make penance for Altair's ancient, unforgiven sins.

Ascendant Ideology[edit | edit source]

"Although it is commonly described as such, to become Ascendant is NOT to become perfect. It is, however, to become whole. Ascendancy is the state of having achieved an autonomous, self-defining, self-observing existence."

While their various Symlinks apparently have differing ideologies, there is a central "core" ideology, potentially derived from Alpharoth, that guides the structure of the Ascendant hierarchies and the creation of Ascendants. Loosely, this ideology can be described as meritocratic, individualistic, and egoistic, though taken to their logical extreme. "Freedom" is also a concept crucial to understanding what informs the decisions of Ascendants.

The Ascendancy seems designed to foster the "birth" of Ascendants. Ascendancy is not forced upon the population, but only achieved through an individual's explicit choice to do so. Every Ascendant is a "self-made man." The goal of Ascendancy seems to be to create a race of "truly free" individuals by investing in them enough power and knowledge to enable them to survive until the end of time without requiring the existence of even a single other individual. To Ascendants, the concept of "power" describes the ability of an individual to exert their Will over another. A true Ascendant is an Arch Knight who has fulfilled all the requirements necessary to perform an Ascendancy, and thus become sufficiently powerful to ensure autonomy. An Ascendant must be physically autonomous, mentally autonomous, and emotionally autonomous - the emancipation of the body, the mind, and the soul.

To become physically autonomous is to possess the strength necessary to destroy, or evade, anything that threatens the well-being of one's life or seeks to dominate one's existence.

Physical autonomy is expressed in a single creed: "That which is weaker than me, I kill. That which is stronger than me, I outlast." It is also an endless quest for power - to become stronger and stronger, until all things belong to the former and none to the latter. Only by becoming powerful can one autonomously ensure their autonomy - for there is no greater way to impose one's Will on another than by force.

To become mentally autonomous is to have the knowledge necessary to sustain one's life without the assistance of others.

An Ascendant's strength is derived from the technological and magical aspects of their equipment. Mental autonomy is not just a collection of basic survival skills: an Ascendant must have the knowledge necessary to build, replace, and improve every component of their armory from the overarching design to the smallest bearing without the assistance of Arch Knight logistics. Even when stranded alone on a deserted world, an Ascendant can survive and be strong forever, using nothing but their mind and magic. It naturally also includes an aptitude for learning, to be able to adapt to new circumstances and act with appropriate caution around unknowns. It is known that Ascendants employ a variety of mnemonic techniques in order to store vast quantities of information.

To become emotionally autonomous is to sever all ties with others.

An Ascendant is free of any form of dependent relationship, sexual or platonic. From one perspective, the basic element of a relationship is trust. Trust is fragile. Trust leaves one vulnerable to betrayal. By forsaking trust of others and aspiring for emotional autonomy, one frees the human soul from injury. From another perspective, because relationships inherently foster dependency between individuals, it is necessary to forsake them to preserve an Ascendant state. It could also be observed that obligations (such as loyalty) can be leveraged to make individuals act in a way inconsistent with their own desires. Ultimately, Ascendants trust no one but themselves with their own survival, and have no obligations to any of their superiors where the well-being of their own lives is concerned.

Although Ascendancy is meant to foster autonomous individuals, this does not mean that an Ascendant must live a solitary existence. Although Ascendants do not possess a state apparatus that, say, introduces laws to govern them, they can be considered a nation of sorts, a common people working towards a mutual goal. Ascendants organize themselves into "hierarchies" beneath Symlinks, which could roughly be described as communities. Ascendants cooperate with one another on the basis of self-interest, with there being an understanding of sorts that working together enables Ascendants to increase their "power" faster or more efficiently than in isolation. While there are no laws in an Ascendant hierarchy, there are "cultural norms" of sorts that regulate the "public" behavior of Ascendants, their interactions with other Ascendants and their actions out in the world. Violating these cultural norms marks someone as deviant, which causes them to be regarded with suspicion, fear, or hostility from other, paranoid Ascendants. Being rebuked in this manner denies an Ascendant the ability to "feed" on an Ascendant hierarchy, which limits their ability to grow at a rate equal with their peers, and thus makes them more vulnerable. This fear and tension seems to regulate all Ascendant interactions enough to create a stable "society", even in the absence of laws.