Power that reaches the world, and stops there
One seasonal victor who owns everything ruins the world for everyone else. So the throne is real, it is worth a war, and it is fenced.
Six political scales
Authority is held at a level and answers to the level above it. Nothing here is cosmetic.
- Player
One person, one record, one reputation.
- Guild
Charter, treasury, members, obligations.
- City
Government, law, taxation, defence.
- Region
Several settlements under one policy.
- Nation
Borders, armies, diplomacy, currency policy.
- World throne
Above ordinary politics, and contested only in an Ascension Era.
Every six to twelve months, the world reorganizes
Not a leaderboard reset. A geopolitical event that hundreds of thousands of people participate in, most of them without ever drawing a weapon.
- Ascension Era opens
Every six to twelve months. Relics surface, ancient gates unseal, and the political map begins to move.
- Realignment
Nations negotiate, alliances reform, and everyone discovers who their friends actually are.
- The Crown War
Hundreds of thousands of players participate — directly on the front, or through supply, finance, intelligence and diplomacy.
- Ascension
One civilization takes the throne. Its ruler becomes The Ascendant for the era that follows.
- The record
The era closes into the Hall of Ages, with the names of everyone whose work decided it.
An era of authority, enumerated in advance
The same doctrine that governs the founder of Rebirth governs the ruler of its world: the powers are listed, and so are the things power cannot touch.
- Set limited trade incentives
- Fund Labyrinth expedition bonuses
- Commission one monumental construction
- Open a single ancient gate
- Adjust certain taxes within published bounds
- Propose a world project for the era
- Delete, exile or silence a citizen
- Touch anyone's standing, record or history
- Take property that was legitimately held
- Change the rules that decide the next Crown War
- Extend their own era
- Act without the decision appearing in the public record