Ascensionists

Members of a commune of robots displaced from their original community due to their radical ideology. The Ascensionists believe that, as a robot’s form is malleable and their minds are created entirely blank, their identity is due entirely to nurture rather than nature. Each individual has a moral duty to nurture their bodies and minds, and the bodies and minds of others in their commune, to ‘ascend’ to a state of flourishing, or even perfection.

Their local Facility and other communes took a more pragmatic stance. Spare parts should only be supplied to fix injuries, not wasted on a vain search for perfection. New robots should be furnished with basic, functional bodies that fill useful roles in their commune. They should be raised according to this form, imbued with a core duty to serve their community and help it survive. To the Ascensionists, this was nothing short of oppression and indoctrination. A radical faction emerged and mobilised the rest of their commune to violence, attacking nearby communities to express their anger.

The besieged communes retaliated with the support of their Facility and forced the Ascensionists out by destroying their source of power, a coastal wind farm. The small minority of their commune that did not hold the same radical views, or were simply ambivalent, were swept up in the carnage, and displaced alongside them. Seeking a new home where they could finally be free to nurture their virtues and bodies, they eventually stumbled upon the Fourth Place.

The Ascensionists arrived at the Fourth Place a few weeks before game start. The recent arrivals seek a stable source of power, and new and improved parts to augment their forms. They are generally accepting of other Kingdoms, and indeed might have picked up some non-robot members on their journey here. Everyone should be given the opportunity to unshackle themselves from their nature, and nurture themselves into their most ideal form.