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 Early civilisations centred around Astograth's interior valleys and Lake Anzar were superseded by a unified Kingdom of Astograth over one thousand years ago, in year 413 Before Aratzalbarra (B.A.).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 in the late 6th and early 7th centuries, as the modern Grand Duchy of Astograth. An absolute monarchy since its formation, its current ruler is Grand Duke Gaxan I.

During the reigns of Aitor IV and Lastur I, 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 Free Republic of Iturributa, achieved during the succession crisis of 646. Following the 661 assassination of Lastur I by Iturributan agents, Minister of the Interior Gaskon Ugarte seized de facto power as head of government, proclaiming himself Lord Protector and Regent to the underaged Gaxan I in order to establish a totalitarian regime. Ugarte's first measures were to order the re-annexation of Iturributa, which was concluded within a week, and a temporary suspension of civil rights, which in practice became permanent. In 662 all Astograthians abroad were ordered to return to the country, their passports becoming null for any other purpose, while at the same time all non-Astograthians in the country were expelled.

Widely condemned for ongoing human rights abuses, the Grand Duchy remained largely closed off to outside influences from 662 to 674, whereupon an adult Grand Duke Gaxan was able to supersede an infirm Ugarte's regency. The country has since tended to follow the route of the previous reigns of Aitor IV and Lastur I, favouring a strong welfare state and global integration. Heavy industry, mineral extraction, electronic manufacturing and basket weaving make up the majority of the country's economic output, which remains among the highest in Rushmore, and the Diru (Đ) continues to be one of the strongest currencies in the region.

Etymology
The English word Astograth is the Romanisation of native pronunciation [ˈastogɾað], subsequently adopted by Astograthian itself as the Latin script was officialised as the Astograthian alphabet. Astograth derives from Old Astograthian astugrað, which comes from the Gesterlaki astukrað. This in turn descends from Proto-Gesterlaki *æsdu "large", and *kraþ "carnation". Wild carnations are common in the central valleys of Astograth, and are the country's national flower.

Origins
Since the Astograthian language is seemingly unrelated to any other language family, it has long been thought that the ancestors of the Astograthian people and culture occupied the northeastern Goose Coast since before the arrival of agriculture to the area, making them one of the region's indigenous peoples. Comprehensive analysis of Astograthian genetic patterns have further supported this theory. Speakers of what is hypothesised to be Proto-Gesterlaki, the most ancient identified predecessor of the Astograthian language, were mentioned in the writings of other peoples as inhabiting all the lands from the north coast to the perimeter of Lake Anzar, roughly corresponding to modern-day Astograth. During the 12th century BA, a number of permanent settlements were established along the Araxes river, most notably the cities of Gesterlake and Arexa. In 513 BA the partly mythical warrior-king Berlasko the Bold rose to power in Gesterlake, subjugated the rival Arexa and further expanded his domain to the east, south and west. His dynasty was continued by Otsoko the Silent and then by Aitor the Magnificent, who extended Gesterlaki conquests to the entirety of Lake Anzar and beyond the Blue Mountains, founding Iturributa and Ituraitz on the coast. Aitor named himself king of what had been already known for centuries as Astograth, the land of "large carnations". The emblem of a silver castle on green, with a black chain, also dates from the time of the House of Gesterlake.

The Kingdom of Astograth
Aitor I of Astograth, the Magnificent, parcelled out the kingdom's vast lands to trusted generals and other Gesterlaki nobility, establishing them as lords under a feudal regime of vassalage and fealty. These lords, particularly those controlling the key territories along the coasts, rivers, and Lake Anzar, consolidated their power over the centuries; maintaining their loyalty presented a significant challenge for later kings. After four centuries, the most powerful of these lords had grown restless and the king in Gesterlake, complacent. Border wars with neighbouring countries, peasant revolts, and rebellious lords had become increasingly common. Under the reign of Errolan II, a costly war with the ruler of Eastern Chase led to increased tax demands upon his vassals; his two most powerful vassals, the dukes of coastal Ituraitz and Iturributa, refused to comply. With his access to the sea compromised, King Errolan II marched to war against the rebelling lords, but was ambushed and slain in the Battle of Aratzalbarra while crossing the Blue Mountains. His heir, Errolan III, surrendered and was allowed to remain lord of Gesterlake upon declaring that "until the end of time" there would be no further kings in Astograth. The Astograthian calendar is reckoned Before Aratzalbarra (B.A.) and After Aratzalbarra (A.A.), though the latter suffix is rarely used.

The Kingless Years
The early Kingless Years, from where the current Astograthian calendar is counted, were chaotic, as the more powerful dukes wove a tangled web of alliances, wars, treaties and betrayals. The Duchies of Ituraitz, Iturributa, Basabe and Rumiatzi consolidated themselves during this time as the richest and strongest of Astograth, each controlling key lands and resources that made breaking the deadlock between the four very difficult. In the six subsequent centuries, cities flourished and there was a great development of the arts, sciences and trade. The rivalry between Iturributa and the new Republic of Ituraitz, which had overthrown its feudal rulers, became particularly entrenched, as they were direct competitors in profitting from the trade of the Modraine Sea. They frequently went to war over control of the lands of Olarria, more commonly in the hands of Ituraitz, and the strategic island of Bakartirla, near Mytannion, usually held by Iturributa. Modern industrialisation arrived to Astograth at the turn of the 6th century.

By 593, the Duchy of Rumiatzi had expanded its territory to cover most of central Astograth, with allies and vassal states ensuring the Rumiatzi influence stretched from east to west. In that year, Aitor of Rumiatzi began what is generally considered by historians to be the first of the definitive Astograthian Wars of Unification, wresting the southern Mendebal from Basabe. In 597, Rumiatzi subjugated the Duchy of Echegoyan, which controlled vital mineral resources and crossings over the Blue Mountains. The relations between Ituraitz and Iturributa were strained since the burning of an Iturributan ship in the harbour of Olarria in early 601; by the time they formed a coalition to keep Rumiatzi from taking Basabe and the rest of Lake Anzar in 602, their forces were blocked from advancing south over the mountains. In 606 the Rumiatzi forces completed the conquest of Ituraitz, the Republic's fleet scuttling itself to avoid capture. This effectively prolonged the campaign on Iturributa, as their powerful fleet and anti-aircraft defenses held strong for another four years. After eight months of direct siege, Rumiatzi occupied the city of Iturributa on the 14th of March, 611. With the conquests completed, the Duke of Rumiatzi proclaimed himself Aitor III, Grand Duke of Astograth, and adopted the old Kingdom's banner as the national flag.

The Grand Duchy of Astograth
On the 18th of March 611, Aitor Duke of Rumiatzi proclaimed himself Grand Duke Aitor III of Astograth, picking up the monarchical numbering of the old kingdom, and adopted its prior symbols. Power was consolidated upon the monarch, dissolving all positions of nobility and representation that could pose a significant threat. The High Lords' Council, effectively a hereditary cabinet of ministers, was established by Aitor III to serve him directly, while the country was divided into fourteen provinces and their administration entrusted to fourteen Captains General chosen by the Grand Duke. Industry was nationalised and dissidents repressed, especially in Iturributa and Ituraitz, as the Grand Duchy closed itself off to the outside world. In the year 615, Aitor III was drowned in the Disaster of Martiola; his son Aitor IV inherited and quickly sought to open up the country. Though limited by the High Lords' Council, under his reign Astograth was opened to migration, highly profitable tourism, a gradual liberalisation of the economy, diplomatic integration into the world stage, and the development of a highly efficient welfare state. During his reign, Astograth rose to have one of Rushmore's highest standards of development, happiness, safety, education, health and sustainability.

Iturributan Independence & Grand Duke Lastur
In the year 646, 31 after being crowned Grand Duke, Aitor IV died of myocardial infarction in his sleep, setting in motion a series of events that would result in the independence of the fiercely patriotic Iturributa region.

Prince Lastur the heir apparent, heralded as Aitor IV's successor since his birth, was set to take over after his father's death when the High Lords' Council informed him that, in accordance with the succession law set down by Aitor III, it was not him but the infant son of his elder sister who was the legitimate Grand Duke. Considering the oversight an injustice, Lastur fled and rallied a loyalist movement in the Mendebal region, disrupting valuable routes to and from Civil Citizenry. At the same time, underground independence movements arose throughout the regions conquered by Aitor III, most fiercely in Ituraitz and Iturributa.

The High Lords, as regents of the infant Grand Duke Gaxan I, struggled to pacify these; Iturributa in particular displayed a great level of organisation and was able to hold out even when the city proper was occupied by armoured brigades of the Astograthian Army. The High Lords feared that unless negotiations were successful, international condemnation would mount and the country as a whole would be vulnerable to outside intervention. This forced them to cede on boths fronts, agreeing to a ceasefire with the Iturributan Republican forces and relenting to Lastur's demands, on the condition that his successor would be his nephew Gaxan.

In practice, these events granted Iturributa free rein to establish itself as an independent state, the Free Republic of Iturributa. This state was never recognised by the Astograthian government, considering the territory a part of its own and all Iturributans as Astograthian citizens. Borders were militarised and subject to heavy inspection, but free movement of people and goods was generally allowed.

Reign of Gaxan I
In 661, Grand Duke Gaxan I was assassinated while taking part in a motorcade in the city of Lermendia. The heir to the throne was his nephew Gaxan, underaged at the time, therefore Gaskon Ugarte, Chief Advisor to the Grand Duke, immediately assumed the role of head of government, adopting the titles of Regent and Lord Protector. The assassins of Grand Duke Lastur were quickly identified as Iturributan agents, prompting Ugarte to order the Astograthian Armed Forces to cross the border and annex Iturributa, which the state had held as being in rebellion since their independence. The 2nd, 5th, 6th and 9th Brigades of the Astograthian Army took part in the initial operation, with Air Force and Navy support. The city of Iturributa was occupied on the sixth day of the war, the government of the Free Republic fleeing into exile, and Ugarte announced the "assertion of sovereignty" over Iturributa complete on the following day. Ugarte would never lift the state of emergency that had been instituted during the war, which heavily restricted personal freedoms, and closed off Astograth to the outside world. Foreign nationals were ordered to abandon the country and Astograthians abroad were instructed to return or be stripped of their citizenship; after a one-month grace period, the borders were sealed shut. As claims of widespread human rights abuses mounted, Astograth became a pariah in the Rushmori and worldwide communities, to which Ugarte's answer was a policy of economic independence, reducing international trade to the bare minimum.

In mid-673, an ailing Ugarte fell into coma, creating a power vacuum. Grand Duke Gaxan I, by now an adult, came out victorious in the internal power struggle with Ugarte's ministers, asserting his will as sovereign. In this new period of his reign, he would lift the restrictions imposed by Ugarte, opening up the country and following the route of his predecessors Aitor IV and Lastur I, 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.

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's unusual syntax makes it particularly difficult to master for foreigners, and it can be hard to pronounce for English speakers. The Latin alphabet and Arabic numerals have been adopted by Astograthian, putting it in line with most other nations.

English, although an official language and widely known thanks to bilingual education, is used mainly as a lingua franca when dealing with foreigners.

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 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 & Pazhujebu and United Gordonopia, respectively), and Copa Rushmori VII. International club competition finals to take place in Astograth include the UICA Champions' Cup, the UICA Series B Champions' Cup and the Rushmori Copa de Campeones.

Astograth has sent large delegations to the Sixth and Seventh Summer Olympics, winning a combined total of 9 gold medals, 15 silver medals and 18 bronze medals. Petri Narbarte won gold medals at both of these Olympics, 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.