Ascendant Court

Ascendant Court

(City district)

Nation

Absalom

Government

Oligarchy (district council)

Leader

Sindoi of the Thousand Poems

Source: Guide to Absalom, pg(s). 13-17 (1E)
Absalom, City of Lost Omens, pg(s). 91-105 (2E)

At the center of the City at the Center of the World is the Ascendant Court—Absalom's religious hub, the site of four mortals' ascension as deities, and the resting place of the Starstone. The Ascendant Court contains the preponderance of the city's temples as well as the Starstone Cathedral, and is also a hub between other districts: all roads in the Ascendant Court lead to the Starstone. Aside from the many temples, the district's most notable locations include the Avenue of the Hopeful, the God's Market, the Chelaxian embassy housed in the former temple of Aroden, and the Black Mask, a costume shop that transforms into a temple to Norgorber at night.

Geography

A map of Absalom with labelled districts.

The Ascendant Court is located at the heart of Absalom, with the Petal District to the east, the Coins to the south, the Ivy District and Foreign Quarter to the west, and the Wise Quarter and Azlanti Keep to the north. The Starstone Cathedral sits at the Court's center atop a massive pillar of rock surrounded by a seemingly bottomless chasm, and is connected to the rest of the district via three bridges, one for each of the deities (Iomedae, Cayden Cailean, and Norgorber) who passed the Test of the Starstone and ascended to deific immortality here. A fourth bridge representing the dead god Aroden was destroyed in the massive earthquake of 4698 AR that damaged much of the rest of the city and has not been repaired since.

Government

The district council of the Ascendant Court is called the Chamber of Ecclestials and led by nomarch Sindoi of the Thousand Poems. It includes representatives of all of the district's major temples. The role of nomarch has rarely been assigned to a member of any of the district churches and is instead traditionally granted to a Vudrani sage. Since the council is often more occupied with holiday celebrations, weddings, funerals, and religious observances, much of the district's day-to-day governance is performed by the Low Council.

District guard

The Graycloaks are the Ascendant Court's district watch and consist only of declared nonbelievers who reject the status of deities as anything other than powerful entities unworthy of worship.

Religion

Iomedae greets her followers before the Starstone Cathedral.

While the Starstone Cathedral is the heart of the district, the Ascendant Court is also notable for its concentration of religious centers and the spectacle surrounding the Cathedral's great and sacred chasm. A number of major temples are located near the Cathedral, such as Sarenrae's Temple of the Shining Star, the Pleasure Salon of Calistria, Cayden's Hall, Blackfingers Temple. and the Seventh Church, the latter of which is the site of one of the 11 miraculous Acts of Iomedae. Even the Cathedral of the Fallen honors those who attempted and failed the Test of the Starstone.

Pilgrims and zealots

Religious fervor and zealotry pervades the streets and plazas of the Ascendant Court as pilgrims, fools, heroes with aspirations of divinity, and gawkers flock to this sacred site. Others come to write their wishes on pieces of paper and drop them into the chasm surrounding the Starstone Cathedral. The crowds also attract those interested in pilfering a few purses or running a racket at the expense of out-of-town rubes. Religious conflicts are rare; the last major riot happened on Devil's Night in the late 4690s AR, when displaced nobles from Cheliax fought the guard to burn down the temple of Asmodeus.