Asteria (Old)

Asteria, officially The Most Serene Consortium of Asteria and her Dependencies or The Asterian Consortium, is a commonwealth and political protectorate consisting of numerous city-states, Republics, and constitutional Monarchies, also known as Læsteri. It is mainly situated along the Istroyan Coast, including the Isle of Asteria in the Sea of Canete. While being historically rooted in the Istroyan Kharta of 177 AD, the Consortium itself was established in 1941 as successor to the Asterian League which had been in place since 447CE. While the Consortium represents the sovereign political entity uniting all members, the legislative and executive power distributions between the central government and its members are meticulously balanced and often difficult to distinguish. Economically, Asteria follows a unique socio-economic model with strong corporatocratic and technocratic influences as corporations are closely intertwined in politics and aspects of everyday life, held in check by the social and ecological conensus that these conglomerates were founded upon. Today, the Asterian Consortium encompasses the following Læsteri:


 * The Synarchate of Delos
 * The Cities of Tasale, Dorynth, Nysa, Istroîa, and Lyreia
 * The Republics of Nolis, Themis, Armenelaos, Troas, Argos, and Agessia
 * The Themian Dominion
 * The Kingdoms of Thrakis and Aquilaea
 * The Co-Principality of Istrichôn
 * The United Territories of Aeolis
 * The Karpathoan Dependency (filed as Læsteri by Hyperion in 2029 - status pending)

Contents

 * 1 Etymology
 * 2 Geography & Climate
 * 3 Demographics
 * 3.1 Immigration
 * 3.2 Languages
 * 3.3 Religion
 * 4 History
 * 4.1 Prehistoric Records
 * 4.2 Antiquity
 * 4.3 Early Middle Ages
 * 4.4 Middle Ages
 * 4.5 Late Middle Ages
 * 4.6 Early Modern Era
 * 4.7 Recent history
 * 5 Politics
 * 5.1 Government
 * 5.2 Law
 * 5.3 Foreign Relations
 * 5.4 Security
 * 6 Economy
 * 6.1 Corporations in Asteria
 * 6.2 Trade
 * 6.3 Finance & Banking
 * 6.4 Agriculture
 * 6.5 IT & Telecommunication
 * 6.6 Energy
 * 6.7 Tourism
 * 6.8 Transportation & Infrastructure
 * 7 Culture
 * 7.1 Society
 * 7.2 Healthcare
 * 7.3 Education
 * 7.4 Science

Etymology
The Consortium derives its name from the island of Asteria which, for the better part of the past 2000 years, has been the socio-economic backbone of the region while representing an important cultural and religious centre from as early as 3500 BCE. The early foundations of Istroyan mythology can be found on Asteria and the neighboring regions of Themis and Illyria.

The mythological figure of Asteria, in ancient Istroyan, can be translated to "Mother of the Stars" and belonged to the line of Istroyan Pelaian who were believed to have shaped the earth and its firmament before the Gods were created to rule from Cyone. According to the lyric Damos, Asteria was flung herself from the Second Ring of Boreas, her place in the firmament, after her husband Isorophis, keeper of the universal balance, was killed by the human demi-god Alazon in the last Act of the Exegersí, the revolt of the Gods against the Pelaians. Asteria fell into the ocean where she rested in sorrow as a barren island.

Ge ography & Climate
Northern Istroya where Asteria is located lies on the east coast of Sarpedon. Its climate is for the most part mediterranean in the north and north-east throughout the regions of Themis, Illyria, Ellis, and Aeolis. The central inland of Agessia towards the Echoriath range features a more humid highland climate. To the west, the climate in Agessia and Aquilaea turns continental while the southern region of Thracis is mostly subtropical.

Northern Istroya consists of a number of distinct regions: Towards the southwest lie the Echoriaths, a vast mountainous range that separates them from the land further inwards. Wedged inbetween the northern Echoriaths and the coast are the regions of Aquilaeia and Agessia which transition into the coastlines of Aeolis with its green sand beaches, Illyria with its rocky plateaus, and Elis with its vast plains. Elis and Illyria combine into the region of Themis on the tip of Northern Istroya. At the southern border of the Echoriaths is where the Hochmark Regions of Thracis begin, subtropical highland plateaus roughly 1000 m above sea level mostly consisting of vast plains and stretches of dense forest in the north.

History
Main article: History of Asteria

Antiquity
Historians mark the founding of the city of Istroîon sometime around 2200 BCE as the begin of the distinct Istroyan civilization.

The Istroyans founded numerous settlements along the eastern coast of Sarpedon to provide safe harbors for their merchant fleets, satisfying their demand for trade goods while maintaining a monopoly on an area's natural resources, while being able to conduct trade free from outside interference or forceful tribute over the next centuries. Although the colonization waves can be considered intense, they lacked the population or necessity to establish large self-sustaining cities abroad which led with mixing with other peoples; a profound example were the cities at Dysona with their distinct sub-culture. It remains a matter of heated debate where the Istroyan’s understanding of sailing and navigation originated from, but within a few centuries the Istroyans settled the entire southeastern Sarpedonian coast and island chains of what is modern day Asteria, Dyamenes, Nikopharus, Valmic, Safyros and the islands in the Sea of Istroya. Excavations in Rionnio and the eastern Pelian Channel suggest that they far exceed the range assumed in the past.

Not long after settling, the Istroyans developed a sophisticated culture, including writing and a polytheistic religion. Through this they were able to administrate their vastly spread out trade outposts (so called Emporia) and create a unifying identity. The first authentic historical document that gives an insight into the political structure of the region dates back to the year 2090 BCE. Judging from it, the region seems to have been an amalgamation of city states, governed as a crude form of what would today be classified as a democracy called Demokratìa.

During that time some impressive cities were founded, among them Magas by Talearic the Navigator and Delos on the island of Asteria during the second voyage of Isidoros. Delos would go on to become one of the main centers of commerce and cement the power of the Istroyan Thalassokratìa over the next centuries. Other cities founded along the coast throughout this era such as Troas, Thessaly, Nysa or Pharium spurred each other on to ever greater accomplishments in the arts, philosophy, and science. This led to what historians today classify as the Istroyan Golden Age, starting after the peak of Istroyan colonization between 1500 and 500 BCE. This time saw a myriad of cultural and political advances as well as prosperity for the region through trade.

The unique geography of northern Istroya is likely to have also played a major cause in this peaceful growth of the region. To the south, the Echoriaths posed an impenetrable obstacle. They transitioned into the dense forrests of modern day Thracis with the natural border being the massive Roì delta to the southeast. To the west meanwhile, the state of Argos with its seemingly impenetrable fortress of Treomar was defending itself against the rising powers to the west.

Beginning with the year 496BCE, according to the reports of Chirios the Younger, the larger city-states began to strive for expansion and stronger influence on the regional trade. Especially in the densely settled northern region of Themis, tensions arise between the two main competitors Troas and Tasale while to the south, larger Republics and Dictatorships aggregate.


 * INSERT Alexander-lore*

Aftermath: After the death of IxAlexander, four main powers crystallized themselves out of the numerous successor states after several decades of conflict. To the north, the Republic of Themis encompassed the entire northern coast and inland. To the east, the Thracaen Dictatorship reached from the southern Echoriaths all the way to Nysa. Add Pharium & Dyamenes.

With the establishment of the Caphirian Kingdom to the west and the ensuing struggle for regional dominance to the west, a short period of migration ensued as Latinic and IxVisigoth tribes and villagers were driven out of their land. Fleeing eastwards, they settled in the mainland provines of Istroya, leading to a shift in cultural predominance. This created new conflicts, both among the Republics and amongst the populace, especially in the southern mainland regions of Argos, Agessia, and Themis. As the Caphirian Republic began campaigning eastwards by 180 BCE, these states situated on the Istroyan mainland began to buckle. The past centuries of expansion and consolidation had left them susceptible to the now rising power in the west. During the fourth Istroyan Campaign of Caphirian general Iscallio Maristo, the Exarchate of Treomar fell. The city was razed, and its holdings divided amongst loyal Caphirians. This led to a power vacuum in northern Istroya while rendering the states vulnerable to attacks from the west for the first time in their history. The fall of Treomar would mark the decline of the Istroyan civilization as a on the north Sarpedon mainland.

Early Middle Ages
In 40 BCE, the city-state of Delos broke free from the Republic of Themis and established a strong alliance with the city of Nysa that had maintained its independence from Thracis over 600 years, and the city of Troas. Delos had managed to time and time again halt Caphirian advances into the Sea of Canete with their maritime prowess over the last two centuries, founding additional outposts such as Armenelaos and Tasale in this time. As a shuffle for power was going on over the course of three centuries on the Istroyan mainland, Delos managed to fortify its position as a multicultural trade-city between Sarpedon and Levantia. Through long negotiated diplomatic treaties with its neighbors, conciliating the conflict to the south by establishing a permanent border with Dyamen while brokering a deal with the Caphirian Principate, and establishing trade posts along the Istroyan coast, the Delian Synarchy flourished as political, economic, and cultural powerhouse. Its influence spread far into mainland Istroya where the city-state manifested permanent embassies in vital ports and cities, cementing its hegemonial power.

In 177 AD, a number of cities of northern Istroya that had declared independence from the Themian Republic signed the Istroyan Kharta. It enacted a ceasefire and established the Istroîan Agora as a council of states to discuss matters of interest and pass treaties amongst members. With many of the regional states at one table, agreements of mutual protection and support, as well as trade concessions in the Sea of Canete and Istroya, were possible with others regional powers on Sarpedon and Levantia, first and foremost Caphiria and the Levantine Empire. This Kharta would develop into a groundbreaking document, setting a path of unity for the region over the next centuries. By 185 AD, the Istroîan Agora had managed to pacify northern Istroyan states both amongst themselves and with other regional powers such as Caphiria after two client states in the regions of Agessia and Argos had been carved out of the former Exarchate of Treomar. However, the issue remained that the spread out Istroyan Demokratìa were on the decline.

Over the next three centuries, the Istroyan exclaves and states on the East-Sarpedonian coast were subject to raids and conquests by rivalling traders and Kingdoms who not seldomly completely razed the cities. Especially the Bergendii raiders specifically targeted areas with a strong Istroyan influence, first in the south but gradually moving further northwards to the Attican coast. These raids led to a migration of Istroyans estimated to around 200,000 over the course of these three centuries along the coasts of northwestern Sarpedon and southern Levantia. Between 200 and 600 AD, the cities of Nysa, Istroîon, Lyreia, Tasale, and Thessaly were all raided while main cities such as Tethys in modern day Nolis or Eurybia were completely razed. Everywhere, architecture, art, lore, and other culture was systematically destroyed. Delos remained a stronghold, defending against rivaling forces in the Sea of Canete with its merchant fleets and standing navy. In 445 AD, however, the region appeared to seek a way out.

Merchant flag of the Asterian League After lengthy deliberations among its members, the Istroyan exclaves, as well as with the Caphirian Republic and Great Levantia, the Agora enacted the Komsopoliteia in 447CE, a package of impactful reforms that would permanently change the political landscape of the region and put the Agora as an institution to the test. While it implemented general reforms such as adopting both Caphirian and Levantian standards for commerce and opening ports for foreign powers, its main goal was to set the region free from the burden of by now being a loosely connected amalgamation of states sharing a common culture. The Agora was relocated to Delos on the island of Asteria while Caphiria and Great Levantia both were permitted to establish a maritime outpost on the island of Asteria, establishing what are today Romenna and Pelargir. Formally, the states aligned themselves with the Caphirian Republic, establishing a dependency by being given the status of an autonomous province in exchange for protection. The Kosmopoliteia furthermore established the Kharta-members as a political union, declaring sovereignty from the league of remaining Istroyan states which by now were scattered across the eastern island chains of Sarpedon and parts of southern Levantia. The union was officially given the name which the region had already started to become known as over the last centuries by its neighbors: The Asterian League (Sýndesmos Asterias, symbolized by the Istroyan letter 'S' or also the sum of all its Laesteria and Emporia), based off the main island on the trade route across the coast which, with the relocation of the Agora, had become the quasi-capital of the union.

Middle Ages
As the periods of mass migration on both Sarpedon and Levantia came to an end, permanent states began forming in the settling dust of the collapsed Great Levantia and trade through the Sea of Canete peaked. In the second half of the 5th century AD, the Asterian League began to slowly rebuild and consolidate its members. Previously raided cities were rebuilt and fortified with the new influx of fresh ducats while trade concessions in the Sea of Istroya were secured and privileges for trade in the Ecinis and Kindreds Seas granted. With the collapse of Great Levantia in 502AD, the port of Pelargir fell to the League again and with it the fortified dockyard, the Pyreion, that the Levantines had constructed. It would go on to develop into the centerpiece of Asterian maritime power.

In this fragile state, as much and possibly more as the relationship between the League's members required balancing, so did the foreign standing of the League towards the greater powers on land. Early on, Asterian foreign relations were characterized by meticulous assessments and catering towards individual partners. As had been done before to pacify the region several centuries earlier, the League established outposts which served as diplomatic missions in key cities across the coasts. Due to this, especially after the formation of the Levantine Empire in 761AD which added a major power to the region yet again, a number of political dynasties developed from the dominant merchant families and landowners who both represented foreign and domestic interests in the Agora or represented the League abroad. These dynasties would be the foundation of the future Asterian diplomatic missions. These efforts were alleviated by the many Istroyans that had fled their homeland during the raids of the previous centuries, providing established Istroyan culture in many foreign cities across the coasts of nortwest Sarpedon and southern Levantia.

The 8th century AD also saw the re-emergence of Asterian maritime power. The Agora had decided to create a standing fleet consisting of 400 ships of a modernized version of the Trireme which would be built in the Pyreion. From 745 to 755, several campaigns were launched into the eastern Sea of Canete and Sea of Istroya. Aimed at eradicating marauding pirate fleets, the campaigns also re-established contact with former Istroyan outposts and states along the Sarpedon coast.

Fortress of Troas built in 800CE to fortify the western trade routes Trade flourished in the centuries following the formation of the League, with everything from spices over silk to slaves being transported on Asterian galleys. This did not, however, prevent the setbacks due to the formation of what would become the dominant land-based powers over the next millennium on Levantia and Sarpedon. The Isle of Isteia (modern day Drusla, Burgundie) had over the last 200 years developed into an entrepôt of Asterian trade. It was the last of the Istroyan Thalassokratia’s outposts in eastern Levantia that had developed into an independent Demokratia and the League’s gateway to local markets where goods and luxuries were traded, but mainly slaves from the barbaric kingdoms established in the wake of Great Levantia. In 763 AD, Isteia was conquered in one of the first conquest of the newly formed Holy Levantian Empire, pitting the League into a state of cold war with large parts of the Levantian continent.

Politically, despite the developments of the past centuries, the fact remained that all establishments - from the Thalassokratìa over the Kharta to the League - had been set up under the premise of individual and fully sovereign states. Previous decisions had been reached in the unstructured Agora by where representatives of all members would meet. At its height in the 8th century AD, the Agora held some 500 representatives. Between 800 and around 1100 AD, the League saw a series of reforms that established a two-pronged executive council consisting of the Dodekaion and the Synod with the Grand Syndic as their appointed leader. At the same time, numerous control mechanisms such as the revitalized Agora in the form of a proto-parliament to act as an instance of control, the Siderion, a small circle of the most venerable and influential merchants and politicians, and Asterian Codex, a collection of civil, penal, and commercial laws that were enforced by the Themoi. These institutions were established in order to balance powers between the interests of the member states, the Aristokratia (administrators, nobles, and admirals), the Emporia (the great Merchant's Assembly), and the Demokratia (the general populace). These reforms led to more power in terms of external representation of the league being shifted from the states to the League while also introducing an oligarchic system of a ruling class.

Late Middle Ages
With the rapid expansion of the range at which trade was conducted in the League, the early 11th century AD saw the necessity of a new type of ship arise. Pyreion shipwrights had gradually merged and improved the concepts of galleys and barques which had remained the ship of choice for traders in the shallow coastal waters of northern Sarpedon over centuries. With the development of markets on Audonia, Punth, and Crona, the Varka was developed in the wharf of Pyreion in order to fulfill the requirements of being both agile enough able to travel in shallow waters while having the durability to traverse vast distances on ocean with minimal crew. It was the first ship development that used fully standardized parts, making the construction extremely cost-efficient and easy to build. The Pyreion gained fame by being able to build up to 25 ships a day at its peak with these standardized parts. The Varka also completely excluded a mid-deck in order to maximize cargo capacity. As most ports of the time determined tolls by overall top-deck size, the Varka was constructed with a wide hulk that narrowed considerably towards the top, making the ships both very cost-efficient in operation while also rendering them incapable of being armed.

In 1070, the turmoil of the Caphirian civil war saw the League integrating many coastal trade ports in Northern Sarpedon back into its fold as the only members in North Istroya still left in the League were Delos, Thessaly, Tasale, and Nysa. The League also increased in its influence over the many cities where it had established trade outposts and diplomatic missions in, so-called ‘’Emporia’’ after the old Istroyan foreign marketplaces and trade-centers. While these remained formally part of their respective states, they were admitted to the Agorean deliberations and developed into their own political power within the League as Free Trade Cities. With the emerging imperial ambitions of many land-based neighbors however, the League set its focus to the seas where it still dominated, spreading its influential trade network from Sarpedon to Punth and Audonia, not seldomly clashing with Levantine trade interests. The Istroyan mainland meanwhile lost its strategic interest for the League and, over the centuries, the bulk of the north Istroyan mainland turned into a playball for many of the land-based kingdoms and empires, being submitted to changing lordships, and political and diplomatic alignments every few decades.

With the end of the Caphirian Civil War, the League and most of all the influential families of the Emporia and Aristokratia had maneuvered themselves into an uncomfortable situation where their influence and trade network depended on the web of cities across what was now dominantly Caphirian crown territory again. By 1125, the League had established a status quo with the Caphirian Imperium where it received the status of a dependency and was therefore formally a part of the Empire, giving Caphiria access to its trade network, in exchange for major trade concessions throughout Sarpedon and a system of Free Imperial Cities that enjoyed a status of imperial immediacy, only being subject to the Imperator. This was formalized in the 1127 Act of Imperial Acquiescence. This relief of pressure from its neighbors opened opportunities for expansion and prosperity. The following centuries saw the region in a state of political stability and cooperation. In 1201 the League Congress was established between the trade Leagues of Sarpedon and Levantia. This bi-yearly gathering allowed for a peaceful resolution of trade conflicts. Between 1201 and the dissolution of the Asterian League in 1654, the foundations of modern-day commerce and trade were laid out by the leagues.

In the mid- to late-15th century, the renaissance that had swept across Caphiria and had already enveloped several of the League’s members to the west, reached the Istroyan coast where it led to a unique faceting of the region’s society. To put this development into context, the social structure of the League and the Istroyan region particularly during the waning Middle Ages must be observed. While the region had never abandoned its historical identity, Istroyans – after centuries of trade, migration, and forceful exodus – did not represent an overwhelming ethnic majority, believed to only have made up no more than 40% of the population of Delos in 1400. Ever since the periods of migration in northern Sarpedon and the establishment of the Kosmopoliteía, the vast number of craftsmen, merchants, and sailors from all across the known world had instead brought their culture, religions, and traditions to northern Istroya. The renaissance instead brought forth amalgamations such as the lyricist Kurama, who merged Istroyan mythical themes with poetic elements from his Audonian homeland; the artists Lazidis and Pequot, who merged Caphirian and Levantine styles of painting and created the Themian School which would educate and bring forth many old masters; while in Nysa and Cyone, intellectuals from around the globe came together, reviving the old school of Istroyan philosophy and scientific method.

Early Modern Era
By the late 15th century, power within the League had begun to shift more and more away from the member cities and more towards the Emporiae and merchants. With the ammassment of wealth within the Siderion Council, gained more and more influence in the everyday politics of the League. While the Siderion Council was mainly interested in expanding the League's mercantile network, it also realized the importance of a core regional identity which the multicultural region was sorely lacking - with their eyes set on re-aligning the regions of Agessia and Aquilaea with the League. When in 1514 a number of Laesteri on western Sarpedon broke away from the League, severely inhibiting its ability to trade westwards, Grand Syndic Alexios Kumana enacted what would become known as the Kumana Accords, heaving the Siderion Councils status up to that of a member of the executive - equials to the Dodekaion and Synod. This shift in power and interests towards those of the Emporiae and merchants led to a much more aggressive policy of mercantile expansion, both by expanding Emporiae to small colonies, including fortifications, port facilities, and sometimes even manufactories operated by the League's merchants. The Siderion Council however also took a much keener interest in the factors different societal changes had come to play. The creeping displacement of the Istroyan majority had led to a number of especially Levantine and Audonian cultural exclaves having formed in the coastal cities while the mainland states was by now dominantly Caphirian. In a first step, the right to vote throughout the League was extended from Istroyans and merchants to include men of any heritage or social standing while languages such as Caphirian, Latin, Burgoinesc or Fhasen became officially accepted. These steps of cultural assimilation would also prove to be the necessary preparation for the mercantile expansion of the centuries to come, as the League's means in terms of domestic manpower would never have enabled them to sustain the expansion that was to come.

The Pyreion’s maritime doctrine was also adapted. The Varka had seen incremental changes over the past 200 years, yet it remained a ship that was solely focused on transporting goods without considering threats. Additional competition, pirate threats, and marauding states across the trade lanes in the early 16th century made this a necessary development. Using the basic concept of the Varka, the Asterian Nautilus was developed in the Pyreion wharfs. In size, it lay somewhere between a contemporary frigate and ship-of-the-line, featuring the considerable cargo capacity of the Fluyt while adding one to two decks for a capacity of up to 42 nine-pound and later even 18-pound cannons. The Nautilus class of ships formed the foundation of what would over the course of the late 18th century develop into the League's over 400 ship strong merchant navy.

Over the next centuries, Leagues new policies led to the development of a trade network that had shifted away from individual Laesteri and towards the central government - but in particular to the Emporia and merchants with their representatives in the Siderion Council. By the late 17th century, the League represented an amalgamation of the classical Laesteri structure, countless domestic and foreign investors, and a mostly independent mercantile operation operated from the Siderion Council which was spread across four continents. These feats were aided by developments such as the expedition of Ilyas Trichomnenes in 1633 who for the first time mapped the entire sea route all the way to eastern Punth in the Mercator projection, developed only a few decades before his expedition by a Burgundian mathematician. This allowed better navigation for the League's ships especially on the mostly equatorial Asterian trade routes. At its peak in the mid 18th century, the members of the Siderion Council employed over 25,000 people across four continents and had a merchant navy and standing army that could rival most indigenous forces. The Emporiae were however also sponsors of the arts and scientific advancement. Following the policy of cultural assimilation, especially previously neglected cities such as Armenelaos, Lycia, and Tasale saw developments into coastal urban centers.

By the late 18th century, the League's domestic ambitions were additionally backed by the desire to diversify its business and to control even more production chains from resource to product as well as in order to establish a secure sales market. These desires peaked in the 1820s as the industrialization swept across Sarpedon. The Siderion Council realized early on that the otherwise region could benefit greatly from increasing the efficiency of what little producing businesses it had and pushed for reforms. In 1825, the first national train connection was established between Istroîa and Nysa. In a massive effort, Gondolin to the south - at the time still an independent state - was connected by 1830 in order to gain easier access to the coal seams in the southern Echoriath Range. In general, most producing industry became concentrated in the non-League areas around Gondolin and Treomar, not only due to their relatively easy access to resources, but mainly because of geographical constraints as they provided larger open spaces than the northern coasts. The local heavy industry, especially steel production, obtained a strong foothold in Treomar and the surrounding region of Argos, especially due it being the only region with a river network that would slowly be expanded and canalized over the following decades.

However, main independent development remained outstanding until the 1860s when a Troan chemist by the name Peter Monas developed the first industrial-scale chemical process for the production of soda ash which was essential for many industries. Monas went on to found the Troan Indigo and Soda Industries (TISI). This development led to a number of advances in the chemical industry, among them the first air separation by chemist Carl Limos (founding Limos, today United Gases and Chemicals), a number of processes for the purification of ores by Jules deGroit, and later on the invention of the ammonia process by Julianne Orley in 1902 while working at TISI. Although electricity had been invented a few decades earlier in XX, the about 40 kilometers between Delos and Romenna were part of the first industrial-scale electric grid, introduced in 1882 as a 1kW line powering a small artificial waterfall.

Politically, with the advent of the Caphirian domestic hegemony and their rise to a world power, circumstances also changed for the League. In 1880, the Act of Imperial Acquiescence was rescinded, thus removing the status of cooperative business partner from the League and declaring them an economic threat. While the Siderion's trade network had already been on the decline for the past three decades due to increased competition and nationalist tendencies abroad, the complete dissolution of sales markets on western Sarpedon was the last straw the would break the League's mercantile operations. In a reaction that can only be described as disorganized and panic-stricken, the Siderion Council pushed for several reforms that instituted a hyper-industrialization in order to maintain revenue streams for its members' stakeholders. This led to disastrous working conditions, especially in the factories and mines of Treomar and Gondolin while the temporary neglect of agricultural production led to four years of nation-wide famine between 1880 and 1890. In addition, the an attempt to orchestrate a coup against the League by forcing the Grand Syndic to sign the Delian Accord - effectively removing the Dodekaion and Synod from pwoer - after a three-month blockade of Delos by members of the Siderion Council led to its political bankruptcy after the Caphirian Navy used the opportunity to wipe out the conveniently assembled merchant fleet.

These developments and conditions would lead to the Asterian economic revolution instigated by a certain Georgios Kattapoulos, a mid-18th century philosopher and tuna-canning tycoon whose Katta Fishing Corp. had gained immense value after nearly establishing a monopoly on the global tuna market by exploiting fishing zones in the Omnian Sea during the 1850s. He would lay the foundations of the Asterian Socio-Ecological-Market Economy. The horrific labour conditions, lack of any social security, and ongoing revolts led him to postulating a number of theories in his international bestseller “Society at the Dawn of the 20th Century” which imagined the utopia of a corporate social state. As a medium-sized company at the time, he also began to restructure his company, Katta Fishing Corp., according to his ideals, rebranding it to Aspis in 1869 – the shield of Istroya and her people. The success of his business not only led to Katta’s acquisition of their competitors left and right but also Aspis’ expansion throughout other sectors. He also gained support of fellow industrialists like Peter Monas or Carl Limean who would go on to establish philanthropist foundations after Aspis acquired their companies. Kattapoulos’ model would assert itself as Aspis remained the new major force in the political and economic void created by the dissolution of the Siderion Council after several last attempts to compete with Aspis by following their acquisition strategy.

Recent history
While not officially a belligerent on either side, the Great War hit the League’s export- and trade-based economy extremely hard. Locked in between major powers with significant interests in the country, a historically fractured producing economy as well as an artificially united nation, and pressure from an ever-increasing Burgundian dominance on the international trade-lanes, the League's model had come to its end. The years following 1929 saw a heavy recession hit the Asterian economy which led to the government under the last Grand Syndic Jonas Kristofiori to declare a state of emergency, giving the central government additional powers, amongst others the nationalization of industries.

In the years leading to the recession, one Asterian company had stood out as a healthy model. Within the 50 years of its existance, ASPIS had developed into a successful internationally operating conglomerate by creating a unique consortium structure and massively diversifying its portfolio.

The last escalation of the 1930s economic crisis happened in the summer of 1935. Following alleged consultations by ASPIS executives, the League effectively nationalized the entire Asterian economy, creating three conglomerates ATeC (Asterian Technology Cluster), Asteria Chartered Lines (consisting of the remnants of the Siderion Council's posessions), and Troan Heavy Industries in addition to the already existing ASPIS which also financed a considerable part of the operation and provided its expertise and model-blueprint. Dozens of formerly Asterian companies were also bought back from international investors, often under threat of confiscation. The listing of Asterian companies on national or international stock-markets was unexceptionally banned, leading to the establishment of the ‘’Koinos Asterias’’ (K/A) as unique legal structure of Asterian companies.

Overnight, this led to a considerable shift of influences in the League. Suddenly, four companies held the entire producing and exporting power of the members. And while the corporations were in the public hand, this now meant that, whether through direct or indirect channels, they held considerable political power within the League. Nonetheless, the intended effect was achieved as the Asterian market steadily and under heavy investments by ASPIS began to recover. By 1939, the League’s economy saw yearly growth rates of up to 15%. The issue remained however, that much of the members’ sovereignty had been sacrificed as none of them could individually remain economically independent. In retrospect and following the release of private correspondence between Grand Syndic Kristofiori and ASPIS CEO Alexander Orley, many contemporary historians argue this could have been one of the long-term goals of the nationalization.

On February 2nd 1941, the Delian Agora passed its final legislation, irrevocably including the major economic powers into the democratic process by establishing the Consortium Directorate. This would expand the former Dodekaion by representatives of the four largest corporations legally operating as K/A while the terminology was modernized to “Council”. Meanwhile, the controlling Synod was restructured into the Supervisory Board with nominated and elected experts and representatives of various backgrounds. While maintaining the former duties of the Synod, it was equipped with the power to restructure any K/S or otherwise curtail possible corporate excesses. In terms of national sovereignty, the Consortium featured a devolvement back to national parliaments. As the economic dependencies were undeniable and national independence out of question, a three-tier system of participation in regards to domestic and foreign policy issues was introduced with the Laesteri system.

Ever since its formation in 1941, the Consortium has enjoyed a period of prosperity and growth – not only due to its reformed and competitive economy, but also due to the closer union between its members, promoting a unitary appearance on the international stage.

Politics
The Consortium is a political union of multiple small Republics, city states, and other political entities all officially referred to under the historical term of Læsteri that has to a large extent evolved from the Istroîan Agora, founded in 177 AD, and was specifically founded as a successor of the Asterian Commonwealth in 1941. The members are predominantly based in the North-Istroyan region but there is no geographical limitation to membership in the Consortium. The political system allows a high level of national sovereignty for members – a result of the historical and cultural differences that existed upon the Consortium’s establishment in 1941. As such, the Læsteri are organized into three tiers of primary, secondary, and tertiary Læsteri - depending mainly on their level of devolvement from the central Consortium Government.

Officially termed a Democratic Federation, the Consortium integrates and adapts many of the oligarchic government aspects characteristic to its predecessors while itself having embraced a state in limbo between government-mandated socialism and hyper-capitalism.

Government
The Political Structure of the Consortium The Laesteri of the Asterian Consortium individually are all autonomous and govern themselves in many internal regards. As such, any region, city or otherwise self-governing entity can request to be accepted as a Laesteri, another member of the Consortium.

The foundation of the modern Consortium was created in the Istroyan Kharta of 177 which also serves as the Consortium's constitution to this day - although the Union has seen many iterations of itself in the meantime. From a means to debate and decide upon matters in its founding days, the Kharta has developed into a strong, overarching governing structure for the region.

The regional legislatives of all members are united in the Agora. While the Agora would technically have been a physical representation of the Consortium's Lower House a century ago, it is mostly a theoretical construct nowadays, referring to the sum of all members' regional parliaments. The Agora is the main legislative body which passes or rejects bills.

The Grand Syndic is a relic of the Asterian League and serves a mostly representative role as Head of State while holding a set of powers in case of a government crisis. The office is unique within the Consortium as the President serves as Head of State of all members. He or she is elected for a term of eight years by all members' regional legislatives.

The Directorate is the de facto Upper House. It consists of the Directorate Council which is made up of the Heads of Government of all members and nominated representatives of the four major corporations legally operating as K/A. The Supervisory Board holds nominated and elected representatives from unions, universities, NGOs, and a panel of experts in the fields of economy, arts, ethics, science, and technology. These Representatives are nominated by the Consortium's Head of State, the Grand Syndic, and must be confirmed through each members' legislative process. While its members mainly advise the Directorate Council, dedicated chambers of the Supervisory Board have the power to both overrules decisions of the Council, as well as restructure member K/S-conglomerates - for example in case one conglomerate eclipses the others in influence.

The Consortium's Executive consists of the Office of the General Secretary (OGS). The OGS is elected by popular vote by all legal residents from amongst the ranks of the Directorate Council for a term of eight years, giving the Office a strong governing mandate. With the OGS and the subordinate offices being pooled from the Directorate Council, the OGS can formally be seen as head of the Directorate.

The OGS may appoint any fellow Directorate members with approval of the Grand Syndic to the Offices of:


 * Office of Consortium Security (OCS);
 * Office of Consortium Affairs (OCA);
 * Consortium Foreign Office (CFO);

Within these Offices are Departments maintained by Permanent Secretaries and specialists, typically regardless of the current Executive.

The OGS’s budget encompasses an average of 9.23% of each members’ government budget, leading to an average budget of around 70-120 billion AEC per fiscal cycle. Main fiscal responsibilities are reserved for supporting the construction and maintenance of a worldwide leading level of infrastructure throughout all Læsteri, supporting members' resolvement of financial bottlenecks, security, and furthering core international objectives.

The Consortium’s legislative process is dictated by the General Secretary and the Consortium Offices which hold the power to draft bills, although initiatives may also originate from the Directorate and Agora. Once a bill is proposed, it is debated by specialized parliamentary groups before being voted upon in the first round. If it is by simple majority, the Directorate may chose to veto it by a simple majority. The bill returns to the Agora and repeats the process there. If it passes in its revised form by an absolute majority, the Directorate may now only veto it by an 80% majority. Voting is typically conducted in regional parliaments simultaneously.

Depending on the outcome of the vote in the Agora and Directorate, the passed bill will apply to differing tiers of Læsteri. For primary Læsteri, a bill is passed even if it did not pass in the Læsteri's regional assembly as long as it was passed in a majority of primary Læsteri in total. For secondary Læsteri, the same rule applies but the bill needs to find 5/7ths approval. A tertiary Læsteri can chose to opt in and out of a bill at any time but can be sanctioned for doing so.

Any formal decisions, so-called Executive Directives, made by the Office of the General Secretary in accordance with the Directorate are binding to all members, regardless which status, as long as the decision was reached unanimously by the Agora. Any other decisions may still pass into effect, yet are not binding to all members and may be repealed in individual regions by regional legislative.

All this has two consequences in everyday politics of Asteria: “consensus” is the most important term in the entire Consortium. Debates sometimes go on for years, yet afterwards, a solution is found that suits all participants. And secondly, only matters of importance, concerning each member are usually discussed. The Directorate tries not to meddle with its members' internal affairs unless it blatantly disregards the Consortium’s Codex and/or the Consortium Laws. In addition, referenda are common and can be called easily by merely two Directorate votes or 1% of legal residents authorizing a petition. Results of a referendum are legally binding throughout the Consortium if the same 5/7ths majority is reached, or only in a single region if that majority is reached there. If only a simple majority is reached, the regional parliaments may or may not pass it.

While on one hand the Consortium's political process is comparably transparent and in theory features many checks and balances, there are also little to no regulations or restrictions set in stone to curtail the Directorate's influence once it has made a decision in near unison.

Law
The judiciary system puts a strong emphasis on maintaining a common law within the devolved Consortium. On a federal level, the CHARTA (Courthouse of Asterian Regulations, Trade, and Administration), the Court of Commerce, and the Supreme Court handle all matters among themselves.

Foreign Relations
The Consortium upholds more or less extensive diplomatic relations with almost every nation. It holds memberships among others in the Tulcea Pact, the Sarpedonian Economic Community, the Istroyan Internal Market, and the Istroyan Cooperative Association

Security
Main article: Office of Consortium Security

With the mandate to secure and defend the Consortium and all its members is vested within the Consortium according to Kharta Article 4, the Office of Consortium Security is tasked with both coordinating the internal security forces under the official jurisdiction of the Læsteri while also maintaining a force to protect the Consortium against potential external and internal threats.

Economy
The Asterian Consortium follows an economic model which is for the most part a free-market liberal economy. With slightly over 83% share, Asteria's private economy is dominated by the tertiary sector which ranges from the dominant chemical industry over an innovative high-tech and robotics industry all the way to a rather young yet swiftly growing IT sector. The industrial sector makes up roughly 16% as actual production in the Consortium has been decreased consistently over the past three decades. The agricultural sector employs roughly .5%, with most processes being fully automated. Unemployment rates have been between around 4.2 to 4.9% for the past two decades.

In terms of business regulations, the Asterian economy distinguishes between the distribution of basic human rights, basic human needs, and commercial products. As a result, basic human rights such as access to clean water, the energy grid, and telecommunication networks are 100% publicly owned on a Consortium level. Basic human needs such as public transportation, general services, and healthcare are so severely regulated to extent that they must run on zero profit that, apart from two exceptions, they are effectively in the public hand as well. Commercial products or services see little regulation other than having to fulfill the regularly updated of standards of the Asterian Conformity Index (ACI).

The Asterian economy is focused on the (petro-) chemical and high-tech industry as well as general engineering services, pharmaceuticals, and robotics. The transportation sector in terms of transshipment has historically been a strong economic factor but has been dwindling for the past few decades. Romenna, currently the nation's only natural deep-water port, has crystallized itself as the main transshipment hub in the Consortium, acting not only as the Asterian economy's gateway into the world, but also as a link between Sarpedon, Levantia, and Punth. Following an agreement between the Consortium and the Republic of Nolis, the port is currently being leased to the administration of the Port of Queenstown.

The national agricultural sector is limited due to geographical constraints with the only exports of note being citrus fruits and wine.

In the cities of Lyreia and Istroîa, hotspots for creative arts in Attica, creative startups have begun to flourish in recent years, especially in the design and IT industry.

In terms of actual manufacturing, Asteria houses one of the worlds largest wharfs - albeit not a ship wharf. ASPIS operates the Avalon Wharfs Inc. in Romenna which manufactures and pre-assembles immense units for chemical plants, including reactors, heat exchangers, and furnaces all the way up to entire plant units which are then shipped to their destination. Pelargir is home to Hyperion's largest wharf operated by Pyreion. ASPIS operates several small offshore oil and natural rigs in the Sea of Canete, the Founder's Sea, the Sea of Istroya, and the Omnium Ocean, but is otherwise more involved on an international level. It also operates a large oil refinery just outside of Lycia. With the capacity to refine just slightly over 2 million barrels of oil per day, it supplies large parts of the region with oil and gas products while fueling the one of the world's largest chemical parks that produce everything from fertilizer over bulk base chemicals to high grade polymers in Asteria. Another, slightly smaller complex is to the north of Armenelaos and one on the coast north of Treomar.

The Consortium is co-founder and permanent member of the Asterian Internal-Market (AIM). Its predecessor was originally established in 1912 as means to more easily facilitate commerce between the then still mostly independent states that form the consortium today. It has since, up until 2030, been developed into a free-trade zone between primary and secondary Consortium members as well as third parties in part due to the Consortium's national economies' growing requirement to globalize production chains due to a lack of production capacities in Asteria. As of the recent announcement that a nationwide shift to Industry 4.0 will be completed in the foreseeable future, the Consortium has picked up on developing AIM into an international economic zone of the future.

Corporations in Asteria
Main article: List of Notable Asterian Companies

The Asterian market is dominated by the two multinational conglomerates ASPIS and Hyperion. Both have gathered massive political and economic influence over the past two centuries while incorporating dozens of companies into their structure. Ever since the early 20th century, companies in Asteria have followed an economically and socially sustainable business model unique to the federation. They also feature an internal structure that is oddly similar to the historically grown Consortium, with a very high level of operative independence for the subsidiaries and a representative executive board. Nereus and ASPIS have managed to turn the usually frowned upon concept of trusts and cartels into an innovative concept by taking up social, ecological, and political responsibilities and applying sustainable business models. Part of their success was to not operate by looking for maximum profit margins while drowning out competition, but instead to establish a secure and sustainable base of operations with steady yet only marginal growth. while creating internal competition by keeping subsidiary companies formally independent, pitting them against each other, while at the same time fostering start-ups and smaller companies and providing a suppotive business environment while pumping above-average sums into R&D. Foreign competitors are actively encouraged to establish themselves in Asteria.

It is common in Asteria to live where you work. Corporate complexes have developed to generally be arranged in a campus-like structure, with all social life, from accomodation over basic amenities and groceries all the way to healthcare and schools bing provided for at no expense and according to everyone's need. As such, both median incomes but also corporate taxes are considerably lower than in comparable other countries.

 Finance & Banking
Apart from several small, private institutions and derelicts of the old commerce-families, the banking sector has largely been outsourced within AIM, but also to other business partners across the globe. Within Asteria, transactions on currency dealings and stock brokerage is highly taxed.

Agriculture
Industrial-scale agriculture is only possible in central Aquilaea, Aeolis, and parts of northern Thracis due to geographical constraints of the otherwise often very mountainous or rocky terrain and regulations regarding environmental protection. In these areas, mostly meditteranean vegetables and fruits are cultivated. In Agessia, animal husbandry is centred around cattle and goats, covering most of Asteria's dairy and meat consumption. The only agricultural exports of Asteria worth mentioning are citrus fruits, grapes, and wine.

It is also the only private sector that sees some form of government subsidies.

Energy
Asteria's energy market mainly consists of geothermal power from the Echoriaths (15%), wind energy from parks off the coast in the Istroyan Sea (45%), biomass combustion (25%), and coal and natural gas (15%). With the recently passed agenda 2040, the Consortium plans to not only completely refrain from using their fossil fuel reserves for energy production, but also to curb any exports of unprocessed natural oil and gas.

 Transportation & Infrastructure
Automotive transport in Asteria has been decreasing steadily for the past decade, ever since the government introduced a tax rate of 100% on all automotive fuels. Owning a car is considered a luxury in Asteria.

Society
Politics in the Consortium and its members generally occupy a high status in the lives of its citizens, and both are closely intertwined. Political participation is expected by all members of society and only starts with one voting while being defined much more by a sense of active political and social self-determination. It is expected to a degree of being mandatory, not so much by law rather than social norm, for every citizen to hold at least one political office between the age of 20 to 40 and to actively debate laws regarding their Laestari.

It is also quite common to see organizations (both profit- and non-profit) as well as corporations actively partake in the political discourse. Many international observers of the Consortium have stated that its politics but also society are very affine towards corporate interests, often classifying it as a de-facto corporate state. Effectively, this is probably not far from the truth, yet many other unique factors influence the complicated relationship between government, society, and economy in the nation. It is historically, down to its ancient foundations, based upon a democratic mindset in which all Istroyans highly value their political and personal freedom.

Society is also strongly influenced by the credo of Istroyan philosopher Derokles: “A talent for following the ways of yesterday is not sufficient to improve the world of today.” And this holds until today in Asteria. Society is in constant change and open for anything new. Citizenship exists but does not come with more benefits than legal residency other than having an Asterian passport. Society varies yet is strongly influenced by customs and traditions from nearly all nations along the coasts of Sarpedon and its bordering continents.

Science
Asteria is a strong player in the area of science and technology. It boasts a high number of annually filed patents and a competitive ratio of MINT-graduates (39%). All Asterian universities are part of NEXUS (Network of Excellence - Universities of Sarpedon), a scientific cooperation of major universities in any field of research, not only MINT fields, throughout Sarpedon.

The Asterian Consortium also co-finances a very successful private space program, the Asterian Space & Aeronautics Institute (ASAI) in cooperation with regional partners.