Astograth

Astograth, officially the Grand Duchy of Astograth (Astograthian: Dukerria Astograthiko Atzira) is a unitary absolute monarchy in the northeastern Goose Coast of Rushmore, covering an area of 358,778 square kilometres (138,525 sq miles). The Grand Duchy borders Civil Citizenry to the west, Vermark to the northeast, Kernansquillec to the southeast, and the Modraine Sea to the north, and also includes the Bakartirla archipelago east of Princess Béatrice Island in the Modraine Sea. With 89.5 million inhabitants, Astograth is a major economic and political power in Rushmore.

The territory of modern Astograth has been continuously settled since prehistoric times. Early civilisations centred around Astograth's interior valleys and Lake Anzar were succeeded by a unified Kingdom of Astograth over one thousand years ago, in year 413 Before Aratzalbarra (B.A.). Four centuries later, after the Battle of Aratzalbarra, it was divided into a multitude of independent states. Astograth once again became a unified nation when these states were brought together by the Duchy of Rumiatzi between the 5th and early 7th centuries, as the modern Grand Duchy of Astograth. An absolute monarchy since its formation, its current ruler is Grand Duke Gaxan.

During the reigns of Aitor IV and Lastur, which stretched from 615 to 661, Astograth came to the fore of the Rushmori stage, becoming renowned for its civil rights, economic development, low income inequality, and high standards of living; this despite the violent independence of the Republic of Iturributa, achieved during the Succession Crisis of 646. Following the 661 assassination of Grand Duke Lastur by Iturributan agents, Minister of the Interior Gaskon Ugarte seized de facto power as head of government, Lord Protector and Regent to the underaged Grand Duke Gaxan, in order to re-annex Iturributa and establish a closed, highly nationalistic police state.

Widely condemned for human rights abuses, the Grand Duchy remained largely shut off to outside influences from 662 to 674, whereupon Grand Duke Gaxan was able to supersede an infirm Ugarte. The country has since tended to follow the route of the previous reigns of Aitor IV and Lastur, favouring a strong welfare state and global integration. A high-income nation with very high living standards, Astograth's economy is strongest in heavy industry, mineral extraction, electronic manufacturing, basket weaving, and tourism. Its currency, the Diru (Đ), is one of the strongest in Rushmore.

Etymology
The English word Astograth is the Romanisation of native pronunciation [ˈastogɾað], subsequently adopted by Astograthian itself as the Latin script came into use as the Astograthian alphabet. Astograth derives from Old Astograthian Astugrað, which comes from Ancient Gesterlaki Astukrað, attested to refer to the region between the Modraine Sea and Lake Anzar at least as far back as the 13th century B.A. This is believed to descend from hypothetical Proto-Astograthian *æsdu "large", and *kraþ "carnation". Artists and academics have given many interpretations to this etymology, with the most popular including Astograth itself conceptualised as a flower, or as a country of rolling carnation fields. Wild carnations are common in the central valleys of Astograth, and are the country's national flower.

Prehistory (before the 17th century B.A.)
The earliest traces of hominin habitation in what is now Astograth have been dated to approximately 1.2 million years. Remains of the oldest modern humans, found at the Gobea Caves near the city of Uertza, date to 85,000 years before present.

There is no academic consensus on the origin of the Astograthians. The Astograthian state and most Astograthian scholars support the view that Astograthians are integrally descended from these early human inhabitants of the territory, and are thus indigenous peoples of the Rushmori Goose Coast. Other theories sustain that Astograthians are partially descended from indigenous inhabitants of the area and partly from ancient seafaring settlers from Azerty, Audioslavia, or Tikariot. These latter views note similarities between local languages in the "settler" countries and the Astograthian language; within Astograth, the official state and scholarly position is that Astograthian is a language isolate, unrelated and mutually unintelligible with any other. Genetic studies have been inconclusive in demonstrating the "Astograthian admixture" hypothesis.

Sedentary settlements focused on agriculture and/or fishing were first established along the northern coast, the Leizaran and Araxes rivers, and Lake Anzar in the 5th millennium B.A. Early metallurgy of gold, silver, and copper appears in the archaeological record toward the end of the 4th millennium B.A.

Classical and Post-Classical periods (17th–6th century B.A.)
The earliest written records in Astograthian history come from the late 17th century Before Aratzalbarra (B.A.), as the Latin script was adopted from other peoples of the Goose Coast and the Modraine Sea. The early diffusion of writing was slow, as its initial application was largely limited to transactional records and Astograthian polities remained small in both territory and population. Nevertheless, writing is believed to have been crucial to the establishment of increasingly larger trade networks and the first cities over the following five centuries.

Notable early cities in ancient Astograth, founded between the 14th and 12th centuries B.A., include Gesterlake and Arexa on the Araxes river, Antiguoko in the Eguzkiaren Valley, Izuna and Langaraitz on the coast of the Modraine sea, Latzerria on the Leizaran river, and Urizaharra on the southern shore of Lake Anzar. These cities became prosperous centres of trade, manufacture, science, arts, religion, and literature, and would frequently come into conflict over the territory of modern Astograth.

In the early 9th century B.A., the Pale Plague devastated Izuna, killing an estimated fourth of the city's population and spreading from there across Astograth. The epidemic, falling amid a period of prolonged drought, would trigger widespread famine and a collapse of classical Astograthian civilisation. Few written records survive from the following centuries. Re-emergence would take place in the 6th and 5th centuries as the city-kingdom of Gesterlake, under Berlasko the Bold, embarked on an aggressive campaign of expansion that brought most of the Araxes watershed under its control, up until that point the largest polity to take shape in Astograth. Berlasko's successor Otsoko the Silent would extend Gesterlaki conquests west to the Leizaran valleys and the Mendebal, while Aitor the Magnificent expanded them south to Lake Anzar and north past the Blue Mountains and to the Modraine coast, founding the cities of Ituraitz and Iturributa by the sea. Aitor would name himself the first King of Astograth, and the symbol of the House of Gesterlake – silver castle on green, with a black chain – would come to identify the country in the coming centuries.

Astograthian Kingdom (5th–1st century B.A.)
Aitor I of Astograth, the Magnificent, formally declared the Kingdom of Astograth in the year 424 B.A., and oversaw two largely peaceful decades of growth and prosperity. Later kings of Astograth would struggle to exert control over their vast territories, facing resistance to their authority from landholding elites and urban burghers across the kingdom. Increasing centralisation of the king's power would intensify tensions over the following four centuries and spark the especially devastating, multi-generational War of the Pact of Bizkarra from 193 to 109 B.A.

The collapse of the kingdom would come under the reign of Errolan II. The costly, unpopular, and unsuccessful war against Eastern Chase (4-1 B.A.), to the south of Astograth, led to the Dukes' Rebellion in the year 1 B.A.: the most powerful of Errolan II's subjects revolted, demanding independence from the kingdom. Initial campaigning in central Astograth was in the king's favour, but he and his army would be ambushed and destroyed by a joint Ituraitzi-Iturributan army at the Battle of Aratzalbarra, while attempting to cross the Blue Mountains. The current Astograthian calendar is reckoned from the year in which the events of Aratzalbarra took place, as Before Aratzalbarra (B.A.) and After Aratzalbarra (A.A.).

The king's heir, Errolan III, was captured in the battle and held hostage as the rebel armies steadily sieged the capital Gesterlake and other loyalist strongholds. The royalist armies surrendered by 2 A.A., concluding the war. Errolan III was made to renounce his and his house's claims to the throne, as the victorious allies pacted there would be no more kings in Astograth, thus proclaiming their mutual independence.

Early modern period (1st–5th century A.A.)
The years after the abolishment of the Kingdom were characterised by economic instability and warfare, as the newly independent duchies turned on each other in order to fill the power vacuum and expand their holdings. By the end of the 1st century, the duchies of Ituraitz, Iturributa, Basabe, and Rumiatzi had consolidated themselves as the four dominant states within Astograth, each controlling key territories in the northwest, northeast, south, and centre of the country respectively. The capitals of the major duchies became Astograth's most important centres of arts, science, manufacturing, and commerce, and each witnessed the rise of a burgeoning merchant class. The port cities of Ituraitz and Iturributa, on Astograth's northern coastline, competed for influence and trade opportunities across the Modraine Sea, within the Astograthian interior, and throughout the oceans of Rushmore. In the centre of Astograth, the locus of power shifted from Gesterlake's eastern Araxes Valley to Rumiatzi's western Leizaran Valley, as Rumiatzi flourished by seeking to monopolise the mineral and agricultural riches of the region. In the south, Basabe's dominion over the Anzar Lake allowed it to build an unmatched river fleet and control trade with Kernansquillec, a key overland route.

In early 291, the Iturributan Revolution began after protesting farmers were massacred by the Duke's troops in the capital; within four months, a defeated Duke agreed to form a constitutional monarchy. Fearing a similar situation, Duke Koldo of Ituraitz imposed a series of unpopular ordinances against free assembly that ultimately sparked the Ituraitzi Revolution, initially with similar goals to that of Iturributa. The brutality of Koldo's troops, however, resulted in the newly-formed Great Council declaring Ituraitz a republic; the duke was captured, put on trial, and executed on 7th February 292. This appalled the Astograthian elites, moving Rumiatzi, Basabe, and other states to invade Ituraitz and, covertly supported by Duke Opilano, Iturributa as well. The Counter-Revolutionary Wars lasted until 299 and succeeded in restoring absolute monarchical rule in Iturributa, but failed to end the Republic of Ituraitz, which would survive until 606.

From the mid-4th century, humanist and romanto-positivist intellectual trends pushed the various Astograthian states to recognise their common heritage and to move toward closer integration, particularly to facilitate trade, guard against outside threats, and stabilise the constant disputes for territory. The 444-445 war between Rumiatzi and Ituraitz, which ended in Rumiatzi's acquisition of the Gortz coastline, was the final catalyst for the creation of the League of Astograth. This treaty, symbolically signed at Aratzalbarra in 447, formed a defensive alliance between eleven states and became the bedrock of Astograthian diplomacy for the next 150 years. Multiple treaties expanded the scope of the League, agreeing upon standard weights and measures, including a new calendar (456), regulation of tariffs (462), a united railroad system (479), and laws of war (503), among other issues. Modern industrialisation developed in Astograth over the course of the 5th century, with trends from overseas arriving first to the northern ports of Ituraitz, Iturributa, Gortz, and Olarria and moving inland from there.

Astograthian reunification (6th century–611 A.A.)
By the late 6th century, the Duchy of Rumiatzi controlled, directly and through client states, a vast swathe of land that included the cities of Gortz, Garidia, Bizkarra, Biazterri, Urana and their surounding lands; the entirety of the Leizaran Valley, the most productive and heavily populated area of Astograth; and the upland plateau of Lermendia and Mauritza. Duke Aitor of Rumiatzi had, together with his ministers, devised an ideological programme he termed Aitorism, named for himself and his namesake, King Aitor I of Astograth. This combined traditional Astograthian absolute monarchism with positivist reforms aimed at rationalising societal organisation and a populist, centralist nationalism that sought to reunite Astograth under a single state. Aitor largely stripped the Rumiatzi nobility of hereditary titles and privileges and overhauled state institutions into a system of strict meritocracy, both measures earning him popular support.

In 593, Rumiatzi broke the provisions of the League of Astograth by invading and annexing the Duchies of Sagastia and Yungoitio, both fellow members of the League. Though they imposed sanctions, the League were hesitant to directly engage Rumiatzi's powerful military until Rumiatzi invaded Basabe on 10th May 593, spurring the League into armed action. Fought across numerous fronts, the Astograthian Wars of Unification further saw Letzama and Arkamo fall to Rumiatzi in 594, Arexa, Gesterlake, and Antiguoko in 595, Echegoyan in 597, the last of Basabe's territory in 602, and Ituraitz in 606. The city of Iturributa, the last to be captured, was taken after almost two years of direct siege on 14th March 611. With the Aitorist project of unification completed, the Duke of Rumiatzi proclaimed himself Aitor III, Grand Duke of Astograth, on 18th March 611, adopting the old symbols of the Kingdom as those of his new state.

Contemporary period (611–present)
The Wars of Unification devastated Astograth and created deep resentment among the people of the conquered states. Aitor III embarked on an ambitious plan of rebuilding Astograthian industry and infrastructure while cracking down harshly on political and regionalist dissidents, particularly those of Ituraitz and Iturributa. On 9th September 615, Aitor III was drowned in the Disaster of Martiola; his firstborn son succeeded him as Aitor IV and quickly differentiated himself from his father. Aitor IV oversaw the establishment of a highly efficient welfare state, integrated the country into global and Rushmori diplomacy, opened up the country to foreign trade and migration, scaled back militarism, and loosened restrictions on personal freedoms. His political ideology, dubbed Fourthism or Revisionist Aitorism in contrast to his predecessors' Thirdism or Orthodox Aitorism, has been credited with preventing Astograth from being torn apart in civil war. During his reign, Astograth rose to have one of Rushmore's highest standards of development, happiness, safety, education, health, and sustainability.

Aitor IV passed away in his sleep on 10th May 646, triggering a succession crisis. According to the Astograthian Constitution laid down by Aitor III, the successor to the throne would be the two-year-old Prince Gaxan, son of Aitor IV's daughter Princess Edurne. However, because the Constitution uniquely imbued the High Lords' Council with the power to name the successor to the Astograthian throne, Aitor IV had reached an agreement for them to instead proclaim his second child, Prince Lastur. Upon Aitor IV's death, however, the High Lords' Council insisted there was no such deal, and proclaimed Gaxan the new Grand Duke. Prince Lastur and his supporters denounced a palace coup; the Prince was initially arrested, later freed and smuggled out of Rumiatzi by members of the Palace Guard. Hidden in the area of Sagastia, Lastur encouraged a campaign of guerrilla actions and civil resistance to return him to the throne, threatening the High Lords with protracted civil war. At the same time, taking advantage of the situation, regional independence movements rose up in Ituraitz and Iturributa provinces, with armed militants moving to seize the capitals of each. Elements of the Army's 12th Brigade succeeded in holding Ituraitz and suppressing the revolt, but Iturributa fell to the revolutionaries by late May. Attempts to recapture the city were unsuccessful, with an offensive by the 3rd Armoured Brigade proving so costly in manpower and equipment that it forced Astograthian forces to fall back to the provincial borders over the course of June 646-47. With Lastur gaining supporters, including significant fractions of the Armed Forces, and the revolution in Iturributa likewise gaining popular support in the province and in international opinion, the High Lords' Council were forced to sign a ceasefire with the Iturributan Republican National Front on 17th July 647, and recognised Lastur as Grand Duke four days later. Lastur would ratify the ceasefire with Iturributa.

The ceasefire allowed Iturributa to establish itself as an independent state, proclaiming the Free Republic of Iturributa. The state was never recognised by the Astograthian government, who referred to the region as being under illegal or terrorist occupation, and continued to identify Iturributa as Astograthian territory subject to Astograthian laws. The border between the two states was heavily militarised, with tightly controlled checkpoints, but the free movement of people and goods was for the most part permitted.

On 27th October, 661, Grand Duke Lastur was assassinated while taking part in a motorcade in the city of Letzama. His nephew Gaxan, aged 14, was again proclaimed Grand Duke by the High Lords' Council and placed under the regency of Chief Advisor and Minister of the Interior Gaskon Ugarte, who further adopted the titles of Regent and Lord Protector. The assassins of Grand Duke Lastur were identified as Iturributan agents on the same day, immediately prompting a strike from air, land, and sea by the Astograthian Armed Forces. The Iturributan capital was declared seized, and the 'assertion of sovereignty' over Iturributa completed, by Ugarte on 2nd November. The state of emergency instituted on 27th October, which heavily restricted personal freedoms and closed off Astograth to the outside world, was never repealed by Ugarte. Over the following years Ugarte's government came under increasing international scrutiny for human rights abuses, isolating Astograth on the Rushmori stage and motivating Ugarte's policy of economic indpendence, reducing international trade to the bare minimum.

On 23rd September 673, an ailing Gaskon Ugarte fell into coma, creating a power vacuum between Grand Duke Gaxan, now an adult, and Ugarte's deputy minister Gorosti Zarandona. With support from the heads of the Armed Forces, Gaxan proved victorious in the palace intrigue, asserting himself as sovereign. In this new period of his reign, he lifted the restrictions imposed by Ugarte, opening up the country and following the Fourthist route of his predecessors Aitor IV and Lastur, favouring a strong welfare state and global integration. An attempt to join the Common Rushmori Community was frustrated when it was pointed out that Astograth is not a democracy nor has a parliament, but the intent highlighted the country's shift in regard to international relations.

Geography
Astograth is located on the Goose Coast of Rushmore, and borders the countries of Civil Citizenry to the west, Vermark to the northeast, Kernansquillec to the southeast, and the Modraine Sea to the north. Its sovereign territory also includes the Bakartirla archipelago in the Modraine Sea, east of Princess Béatrice Island and Mytanija. Astograth's total territory covers 358,778 km2 (138,525 sq mi).

The Blue Mountains run across the north of Astograth from east to west, and include the highest elevations in the country. The nation's two most important rivers, the western Leizaran and the eastern Araxes, originate on the south side of the Blue Mountains and wind southeast, joining into the Anzar river and draining into the large Lake Anzar. Uplands and valleys dominate the north, centre and west of Astograth, while the eastern and southeastern regions comprise mostly flat lowlands. The Blue Mountains and surrounding ranges are rich in economically valuable ores and minerals, including iron, nickel, gold, coal, platinum, potassium salts and a large variety of gemstones. Oil and natural gas from the Modraine Sea, as well as timber from the areas surrounding Lake Anzar, are also significant natural resources.

Climate
Most of Astograth has a Mediterranean climate, characterised by hot or warm summers and mild, wet winters. Temperatures and humidity gradually increase to the south of the Blue Mountains, with the provinces surrounding Lake Anzar having a humid subtropical climate of hot, humid summers and mild winters. The upper reaches of the Blue Mountains are classified as a tundra climate, with no average monthly temperature above 10°C; surrounding areas, including most of Echegoyan province, are classified as a humid, warm-summer continental climate. The Bakartirla archipelago has a cool oceanic climate, and is known for its strong seasonal winds of up to 130 km/h.

Government and Politics
Astograth is an absolute monarchy, with the executive, legislative and judiciary powers ultimately residing in the sovereign Grand Duke. The Constitution of Astograth, instituted in 611, lays out the country's political framework, whereby the Grand Duke acts as head of state with executive authority and delegates legislative responsibilities to his Cabinet and their respective ministries. Judicial powers are likewise delegated to the Supreme Court and its derivatives, which operate under a civil law system. The High Lords' Council, which assists the Grand Duke in his executive and ceremonial duties, is headed by the Chief Advisor and comprises members of the royal family, high-ranking members of the peerage, and senior members of the government and military. Per the Constitution, it is the High Lords' Council which officially proclaims a succession or regency. Despite the monarchs of Astograth not holding the title of King or Queen Regnant, by tradition they bestow the title of "royal" (errege) upon certain institutions, such as the Royal Armed Forces. The Grand Dukes and their families are also commonly referred to as royals (erregeak) in the media.

The official state ideology of Astograth is termed Aitorism. Proponents and neutral observers identify two competing currents within Aitorism: the more authoritarian Thirdism or Orthodox Aitorism, associated with the ideas of Grand Duke Aitor III, and the more liberal Fourthism or Revisionist Aitorism, associated with Grand Duke Aitor IV.

Foreign relations
Astograth has an active involvement in foreign affairs, maintaining a network of diplomatic missions within most countries in Rushmore and many others beyond the region. Astograth is a member of the World Assembly and all its dependent institutions. Historically, the country has maintained strategic relationships with Civil Citizenry, Polar Islandstates, and Eura. It has also promoted the political and economic integration of Rushmore, but was denied entry to the Common Rushmori Community due to not being a democracy. Since 682, the headquarters of the Rushmore Institute of Cartography have been located in Urbizania.

Administrative divisions
Astograth comprises 15 provinces (probintziak), each governed by a Captain General appointed by the Grand Duke; their role is similar to that of a regional governor in other countries. The provinces are subdivided into a total of 95 districts (distrituak), each governed by a Lieutenant Warden appointed by the respective Captain General. Districts are subdivided into more than 10,000 municipalities (udalak), in some urban areas called boroughs (barrutik), with each local government headed by a Knight Guardian that is either appointed by the Lieutenant Warden or elected by popular vote, depending on the district. The latter are the only open elections in Astograth.

Military
The Astograthian military is organised into three branches under the Ministry of Defence: the Royal Astograthian Army, the Royal Astograthian Navy, and the Royal Astograthian Air Force, collectively the Royal Armed Forces of Astograth. The Astograthian monarch is the Commander-in-Chief, and to whom all members of the forces swear allegiance. The military are overseen by the Ministry of Defence. Military service has been voluntary since 674, though provisions for conscription during wartime remain in place. Persons of all genders may serve in all functions of service.

As of 688, the Astograthian Army has approximately 75,000 soldiers in active duty, with headquarters in Rumiatzi and divisions based across Astograthian territory. The Navy is approximately 28,000 strong and headquartered in Ituraitz, with another major base on Bakartirla. The Navy flagship, Aitor III, is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in STOVL configuration that grants Astograth significant regional capabilities in power-projection. The Air Force, 30,000 strong, is headquartered in Rumiatzi and has its main installations in Antiguoko.

The country's chemical and biological weapons programmes were publicly cancelled and reserves destroyed in 621, under the reign of Aitor IV. Some observers believe the programmes may have been restarted in secret during the regency of Lord Protector Ugarte, which his and subsequent governments have denied. Astograth utilises nuclear power in civilian and military applications and is thought to have the capacity to develop nuclear weapons, though no government has expressed a desire to and no dedicated programme is believed to exist.

Astograth purchases subtantial portions of its military materiel from abroad, contracting with companies from Eura, Etoile Arcture, Haruspex, and Anemonia. The local defence industry is dominated by the state-owned Royal Munitions and Armaments (EMEA), which manufactures many foreign designs under license and frequently develops equipment in consortium with private Astograthian companies. The country's defence budget equalled 1.1% of GDP in 684, or approximately $43.8 billion NSD.

Language
Astograthian is a language isolate and spoken across the country in a variety of dialects; standard Astograthian, as espoused by the Royal Academy of Language, is based on the dialect of Rumiatzi. Astograthian grammar includes an unusual Subject-Object-Verb syntax and an extensive declension system. Astograthian is written with a 21-letter Latin alphabet, and uses Arabic numerals.

English is an official language and widely spoken thanks to bilingual education. Other languages spoken include Azertienne, especially along the southern border with Kernansquillec, the Varish languages along the northeastern border, and Spanish.

Sport
Association football is by far the most popular sport in Astograth, enjoyed by all sectors of society and regulated by the Futbol Astograthiko Federazioa (FAF). The best teams in the country play in the Astograthian First Division, while the national team represents Astograth in international football competitions. Major football tournaments have also been held in Astograth, including World Cup 62 (with Carpathia and Ruthenia), the 48th Cup of Harmony (with neighbours Civil Citizenry), the 45th and 53rd Baptisms of Fire (with Kagdazka and Pazhujebu and United Gordonopia, respectively), Copa Rushmori VII and Copa Rushmori XXXV (with Savojarna). International club competition finals to take place in Astograth include the UICA Champions' Cup, UICA Series B Champions' Cup and the Rushmore Copa de Campeones.

Astograth has sent large delegations to the Sixth, Seventh and Fourteenth Summer Olympics, winning a combined total of 12 gold medals, 20 silver medals and 24 bronze medals. Petri Narbarte won gold medals at both the Sixth and Seventh Games, in men's mountain biking; he and Itziar Treto, winner of the 200m sprint at the Sixth Olympiad, are the most renowned Astograthian Olympians. The Yogutz Lantzia racing team represented Astograth in the 11th and 12th seasons of the World Grand Prix Championship (WGPC), while Astograthian driver Sotil Morua finished second in WGPC 12, racing for Liventia's Carvenlo team.