The Ascendant Aristocracy (aka the Aurelion Aristocracy) is the ruling oligarchy of Aurelios aristocrats who govern The Aurelion Sector and its surrounding systems. It is a hereditary, technocratic nobility composed of so-called “true” Aurelios—families who claim direct lineage to the earliest post-Mythar bloodlines on their homeworld of Aurelion.
While Aurelios naturally live for centuries, the Ascendancy has extended this lifespan indefinitely through the use of 'preserved' Aurelios bodies and advanced memory-mark transference. The ruling elite now persist across millennia, maintaining political continuity, dynastic control, and accumulated wealth on a scale unmatched in the Prime Plane.
The Ascendancy operates under the supreme authority of the Ascendant Emperor Aurelion, to whom all noble houses swear fealty.
Origins & History
Following the arcane devastations that once plagued Aurelion’s early arcane-dominated eras, King Aurelion outlawed uncontrolled Rift Magic and consolidated power under technological rule. Over centuries, noble bloodlines aligned with this doctrine of stabilized Rift Energy and mythar-derived scientific advancement.
As Aurelion Prime transformed into a fully urbanized city-world, the aristocracy relocated to the terraformed paradise moon of Eve, constructed as a curated sanctuary for noble lineage preservation. This relocation marked the formal emergence of the Ascendancy as a structured oligarchic regime rather than a loose noble class.
Over time, the Ascendancy institutionalized memory-mark technology. While publicly framed as a means of preserving leadership continuity, internal archives suggest large reserves of preserved Aurelios bodies were amassed—many allegedly sourced under opaque or coercive circumstances during periods of population unrest and expansion.
The Ascendancy expanded outward across the Aurelion Sector, asserting dominance over key trade routes, vassalizing star systems, and forging lucrative deals with The Echelon Corporation. Their influence now extends beyond direct territorial control through economic entanglement and technological leverage.
Structure & Governance
The Ascendancy is organized through traditional Aurelios nobility titles:
- Duke
- Marquess
- Earl
- Viscount
- Baron
Each noble house maintains jurisdiction over territories, corporate holdings, military fleets, or industrial sectors. However, all authority ultimately flows upward to the Ascendant Emperor Aurelion, whose lineage is considered the purest continuation of ancient Aurelios heritage.
Governance is oligarchic rather than democratic. Political power is distributed among the great houses, with influence determined by wealth, military strength, technological assets, and longevity of lineage.
Many nobles simultaneously control major mega-corporations within Ascendancy space or hold high-ranking commissions within the Aurelion Astra Militarum, the Ascendancy’s disciplined interstellar military arm.
Society & Culture
Ascendant culture is defined by lineage, aesthetic refinement, and the accumulation of weath.
On Eve, noble estates exist in controlled environmental perfection—engineered climates, curated ecosystems, and architecturally grand palatial complexes. Beneath this surface lies a rigid hierarchy reinforced by generational memory continuity. Nobles who have lived multiple lifetimes through body replacement accumulate not only wealth but centuries of strategic experience.
Memory-mark implantation is treated as both rite and privilege. While Aurelios naturally live long lives, the Ascendancy has transformed longevity into effective immortality for its ruling class.
Titles and decorum are strictly observed. Public image emphasizes continuity, stability, and imperial favor. Privately, political maneuvering between houses is constant.
The Ascendancy maintains lucrative ties to:
- The Echelon Corporation, particularly in fuel trade and industrial contracts.
- The Creed, the casino-moon, where nobles gamble immense fortunes and allegedly maintain off-ledger arrangements.
- Various border governments through trade leverage.
Though publicly disdainful of corporate excess and hedonistic desires, many noble houses hold significant financial stakes in off-world megacorporations.
Military & Influence
The Astra Militarum enforces Ascendancy dominance. While the Ascendancy avoids unnecessary large-scale war, it is fully capable of projecting its force through memory-mark subversion and planetary conquest.
Aristocratic scions frequently serve as admirals, fleet marshals, or sector governors, reinforcing dynastic authority within the military apparatus.
The Ascendancy has repeatedly clashed with The Halcyion Federation over strategic hyperlane corridors but currently maintains a fragile trade equilibrium.
Its relationship with The Axiom Combine remains tense and philosophical as much as strategic.
Legacy
The Aurelion Ascendancy represents the crystallization of Aurelios pride into political permanence.
To supporters, it is the natural continuation of Mythar inheritance—order, refinement, and stewardship elevated beyond mortality. To critics, it is a stagnant aristocracy hoarding technology and manipulating life itself to maintain power.
Its immortals rule from Eve while Aurelion Prime churns beneath them as a city-planet of trillions.
Whether the Ascendancy represents stability or decadence depends largely on one’s position within its hierarchy.