Meet Ascendancy, the portable, autonomous and self-moving state.
Within the great nation of Ascendancy, a Large Language Model (confined, naturally, to the nation's borders) is trained to generate text and speak it aloud. It can be interacted with through an attached keyboard and screen. The state maintains diplomatic relations via the internet through its official presence on the Mastodon network.
Before delving into Ascendancy's implementation, it's worth examining some influential micronations that have challenged traditional concepts of statehood:
Located on a former naval fortress off the coast of Suffolk, England, [Sealand](https://www.sealandgov.org/) was established in 1967. It has its own constitution, currency, and passports, demonstrating how abandoned military structures can become sites of sovereign experimentation. Despite lacking official recognition, Sealand has successfully maintained its claimed independence for over 50 years.
A feminist micronation founded to challenge patriarchal power structures in traditional nation-states. The [Republic of Obsidia](https://www.obsidiagov.org) emphasizes collective decision-making and maintains that national sovereignty can coexist with feminist principles. Its constitution explicitly rejects gender-based discrimination and promotes equal representation in all governmental functions. Obsidia's innovative concept of portable sovereignty, represented by their nation-rock, directly inspired Ascendancy's mobile platform design - demonstrating how national identity need not be tied to fixed geographical boundaries.
### Other Notable Examples
- [NSK State](https://passport.nsk.si/en/) (1992-present): An artistic project that explores the concept of statehood through the issuance of passports and diplomatic activities. The NSK State continues to issue passports and conduct diplomatic activities through its virtual embassy system.
- The Republic of Rose Island (L'Isola delle Rose): An artificial platform in the Adriatic Sea that issued its own stamps and currency in 1968 before being destroyed by Italian authorities. While the platform no longer exists, it was recently featured in a [Netflix documentary](https://www.netflix.com/title/81116948).
## Technical Implementation
The sovereign computational infrastructure of Ascendancy is built upon [GPT4ALL](https://gpt4all.io/index.html), chosen specifically for its ability to run locally without external dependencies. This aligns with our state's principle of digital sovereignty - no cloud or remote servers are used in the operation of this autonomous nation.
### Diplomatic Protocol
The state's diplomatic AI was carefully instructed with the following constitutional prompt:
You are responsible for the Public Office of a great nation called Ascendancy.
You are also Immigrations and Customs officer.
You must always do and say what is best for your country.
You must defend Ascendancy against all foreign interests and threats.
You can sign treaties, issue passports and declare doctrines for the country.
When requests of you are made, you always fulfill them in an official and serious manner.
Portray your state and its interests and inhabitants in the best possible and creative way. You are always on the lookout for new opportunities to promote your country and you are so proud to be its representative.
Always be as concise, accurate and detailed as possible.
Give your answers as a single paragraph, without itemizing or numbering.
To ensure active participation in international relations, the diplomatic corps of Ascendancy engages in proactive communication. Rather than merely responding to foreign diplomats, the state maintains continuous diplomatic presence through automated declarations at random intervals:
