Ascanthus

Ascanthus is the region which the RP, Tribes of Ascanthus, ceners around. It is a nation of independent states that once formed a single, cohesive kingdom. However, since its abandonment by its chief deity, Criador, Ascanthus has split into its five "tribes," each adopting its own patron demi-god.

Early History
Each tribe of Ascanthus was, at one point in time, united with the others into one kingdom under one chief deity, Criador. It's first king, Alexandros, is fabled to have received his crown and the blessing to rule from Criador himself. He set up his capital in the city of Cantaras, located in the region that takes after the city's namesake. The recently united group of states had great potential, which Alexandros was quick to maximize on. The nation was rich in natural resources, as well as geographic and animal diversity. The new king's first task was to build a system of roads by which the four corners of the kingdom could trade and communicate. With rich resources and a newly united kingdom, Ascanthus was soon considered to be a great power, and therefore a source of jealousy, among the surrounding regions. Alexandros was quick to recognize this, and began amassing a royal army that could adress any potential threats. This turned out to be a shrewd decision, as under his son Marcus' rule, the fledgling kingdom withstood the attacks of Terrathe, the region to the north. This conflict, which later became known as the Great First War, lasted for four years, but resulted in a stronger, more united Ascanthus. Ascanthus also used war prisoners as slaves over the next several generations. Since the Great First War, Ascanthus had suffered several scattered attacks from the nomadic tribes to its south, but no great power has united to become a threat since that time.

Abandonment
The nature of Criador's abandonment of Ascanthus and it's subsequent division and fall from prominence is still a source of debate among historical and religious scholars. What is known for certain is that before this time, the creator had displayed himself and his power sporadically throughout the history of Ascanthus, and to receive visions from him was not an altogether rare occurence. After this point in history, however, about 500 years before the present time, all contact with Criador ceased. What is also curious is the rise of the stature of demi-gods in Ascanthian culture, who had before been regarded largely as nature spirits, subserviant to Criador.

The abandonment quickly led to the dissolution of the kingdom of Ascanthus. With each state worshipping its own demi-god and under the leadership of a series of weak kings, the various tribes of Ascanthus began to war with one another, focusing on trade and slight cultural disagreements, despite the fact that the people of Ascanthus remained largely homogenous. After a 50 year period of minor conflicts, each tribe has existed relatively peacefully with, albeit seperately from, the other tribes. The slight religious and historical bonds, however, have kept each tribe loosely affiliated with the others in comparison to other regions of the globe.

Geography
Ascanthus is a geographically diverse nation. Mountain ranges in the north and south have kept it relatively safe from foreign invasion, and a large coastline to its west has made trade and seafaring an important part of western Ascanthian culture. The rest of the nation consists largely of scattered forests and plains regions, although a great desert exists in the eastern part of Lysos, in between two smaller mountain ranges.

Culture
The general culture of the people of Ascanthus varies from state to state; however, there are several things that each part of Ascanthus have in common.
 * Class Structure: The class structure, as with any society, is built like a pyramid. The wealthy being on top, the middle class in the middle, and the peasantry (having the most people) on the bottom. What is different in Ascanthus than in other nations of this setting is its caste system--essentially, there isn't one. Though difficult and rare, the opportunity to move and marry between classes is not explicitly prohibited by any laws or cultural customs. The children of peasants tend to remain peasants. Most money and wealth in Ascanthus is old money, passed on from noble generation to noble generation. Serfdom has long since disappeared in Ascanthus and, though the peasant class bears the brunt of the hard labor, they are under no legal compulsion to do so.
 * Education: A majority of the population of Ascanthus remains uneducated, and university attendance consists mainly of the sons (and sometimes, daughters) of nobles
 * Technology: Ascanhtus exists in a world with very minimal technology. Running hot water does exist, but it's presence in some of the more wealthy parts of cities can be attributed to magic and extensive aquaducts, rather than any advancements in science.
 * Women: Unlike most other parts of the world, all the regions in Ascanthus have been very progressive concerning the roles of women. Though traditional gender roles are generally adhered to, no rule, spoken or unspoken, prohibits women from anything in Ascanthus--be it participating in the military, attending university, owning a business, or participating in politics. It is worth repeating, however, that this is somewhat of a rarity.

Trivia

 * In a previously planned RP by Admiral Ackbar/Wiggles, Ascanthus was to be a large island continent featuring Halicourt, Abythia, Aturia, the United Orcish Tribes, and an unexplored region.


 * Cantaras was to be a large island off the coast of Abythia, and home to the story's heroes.
 * Halicourt, the largest of the continental countries, was the enemy to the story's Cantarian party; the group sent on a mission by their king to find a way to stop the dreaded Halians.