Darken Wood: This wood is larger than most nations and contains many ancient and dark powers from other ages. Few mortals live long in this wood and fewer still are sane. The full wood is about five times large as the modern nation of Namdara and is the oldest wood in the world. To date, only the nation of Garath has dared to expand its borders to touch the Darken Wood and many speculate that the monarchy of Garath were not in their right mind when they made this choice and were perhaps persuaded by the Darken Wood itself. (I.e. Some of the Wood's denizens wanted fresh food . . .) Since the passing of the druids, no force in the world has even attempted to affect the wood itself. The last attempt was before the Urmani Empire fell and was done by a group of Binders the likes of which never strode the world again. It is said that they were actually making some headway -- though they would never have fully succeeded -- when one of them betrayed the others since the Darken Wood had offered him something beyond value. No one was sure what he was offered but the Binder in question, Adev Sigd, was never seen again. Some claim he became immortal and guards the Wood, others that he became a Power or even a god of the Darken Wood.

Many fear the results of the Darken Wood taking an active interest in the rest of the world and many claim that if it did, the known world would quickly become inhabitable. Such fears lead many to want to let the wood sleep but their are a few who think that it should be destroyed before it's reputation is so great none will fight it when it does arrange itself into a cohesive whole. But most of them are very quiet since there are orders dedicated to seeing that the Wood is left alone and some of them kill those who try and invade the wood and their are also said to be others who serve the Wood and deal with those who would attack it in a very nasty fashion. Regardless, few of these people are ever seen again.

Eastern Barbarians: The Barbarians have always been a force in global politics, often by default. They either pick the perfect moment to invade places or are just plain lucky (such as the Time of Anarchy). If in truth they actually plan their moments of invasion -- and many historians believe this to be true given the amount of nations they have defeated and the few defeats they have suffered (and they always gained better even after the suffering) -- then they have a patience few can comprehend and a purpose that would leave the rulers of most nations sleepless for many nights, waiting for the army to march on them. The few Barbarians who have spoken of their goals claim their seers and wise women tell them when to fight and they do it for the good of the world. I.e. they get rid of cancers. for a time and, while civilisation fades, eventually it rises to become better than it was. It is their purpose to ensure that the entire world does not end in total ruin and thus they drag it back far enough so that the people can see the mistakes that were made and rectify them.

The Barbarians are often said to be more enduring than nations and refuse to say how they survived the Cold Years. They have never been part of a nation as yet and claim that they will only join one when it becomes either unavoidable (unlikely) or they see that they are no longer needed. They are said to have nearly joined the Urmani Empire but decided not to when it became apparent that the nation was trying to eradicate the past that the Barbarians wish people to learn from. Almost all of them are very capable fighters. A few of them have to see the future but otherwise these people have few magical or psychic abilities. Those that do are often sent out into the world to report on world situations and are often known as harbingers of doom since they word could conceivably spell the death of a nation. As a result, they are often ignored or killed by the ruler and have very short life spans for the most part.

Appearance: The Barbarians often wear animal skins and leather armour but forge very good weapons and are often well stocked in weapons. They are tall, physically imposing and have a humans height and weight. They have red hair and green eyes on a whole and generally have a pale skin colour that marks them as outsider more than anything. Some tattoo their skin, but this appears to give them no special protection though some say it does hold off demons and others that it aids in summoning such creatures.

Garath: The people of Garath are generally very quiet and tend to mind their own business. They also have an unfortunate tendency to obey authority explicitly. This combination has led the monarchy of this nation to become a literal dictatorship that no one questions. It is not that they dare not question it, it is simply that it never occurs to them to speak out against the tyranny of the rulers. Due to this stranglehold on the people, the rulers of Garath have traditionally done whatever they wished. A select group of four lords advise them and generally curb the worst of the excesses the rulers think up. It is an acknowledged fact that almost all of the noble family is mad due to inbreeding and at least half of them have haemophilia and the rest have other disorders.

One of the first official signs that convinced the other nations the monarchy of Garath was "stark raving mad" was when the nation expanded its border to touch the Darken Wood and began relocating people close to it. Many speculate that some forces in the Darken Wood convinced them to do this, but regardless such insanity was appalling and could well lead to the expansion of the Darken Wood to cover all of Garath in time since it is essentially being fed by these people. Many nations simply waited for the rebellion but when nothing happened, many began to fear Garath. If the rulers could effect such a command successfully, what was to stop them from expanding the nation by ordering all the people to march on a foe? The Collegiate reassured many by pointing out that the need to obey had literally seeped into the land of Garath and if the people left, they might rebel if they were away from home for long enough, or at least be stopped. This may have reassured those many, but the Collegiate still keeps a wary eye on this land.

Appearance: The people of Garath are typically human for the most part since humans are the most susceptible to a human monarchy and the other races seem to have more resistance to the orders of the rulers. However, even the few dwarves who have gone in to liberate this land have never succeeded and many claim they were fed to creatures from the Darken Wood that walk like men. The humans have light brown skin, black hair and grey eyes. They are atypical in that almost all of them have a beaten, dejected look much like a dog who has been whipped too often. They often cringe is spoken harshly to, are very soft voice and servile and never argue with anyone. Most find this attitude angering but few Garathians ever change it. The only advantage these people have is that they are almost impossible to insult or anger. As a result, many of them are sold illegally to noble homes as trusted servants though no one can be found to admit to this trade.

Ice Lake: This lake is said to be larger than the Darken Wood and some say it cover the whole top of the world in ice further than any eye can see. No nation has ever claimed the lake and some claim it continues north forever and leads to another world. Solitary Powers and many things left over from previous ages are entombed in the ice, waiting for the few who dare to brave the cold and discover them. Even the dwarves, who view the north as their natural habitat, have rarely ventured further north than the city of Beten and they are limited even to how far they advance in the Xarien Hills before the cold from the Ice Lake becomes to severe to ignore. As a result, save for a few scatted dwarven settlements and the occasional polar bear village, the Ice Lake is inhabited only by the creatures swimming beneath it and the bodies of the dead who have attempted to cross it and reach the lands it is said to connect to, such as the mythical kingdoms beyond the Western Ruins.

Kensel: This small nation is slowly being devoured by Zandaran. The fact that this nation has avoided assimilation is due to the amazing diplomats it has and a very shrew monarchy ruling the nation as well as an effective propaganda machine that says "Do not join Zandaran." The people of Kensel are very conspiracy prone and examine every minute event in their lives to see if it is proof that Zandaran is finally trying to conquer their kingdom once and for all. The people have much pride and have not even considered asking another nation for aid against Zandaran, a fact that the rulers of Namdara pity since they would love any reason to defeat Zandaran. Kensel is fairly self sufficient and require little trade with Zandaran save in exotic goods from other lands. As a result of their limited land, the people of Kensel controlling breeding with a ruthlessness that appalls other nations. Abortion is a common practise their and the number of abortions to live births is a ratio of at least twelve to one. The people are well trained and eminently capable of dealing grievous losses to Zandaran if a pitched battle ensues. Their diplomats often hint broadly at this fact and the undeniable truth that they would all give their lives to stop the invaders.

Zandaran has not been able to justify such wanton extermination simply because Kensel is an aberration on their maps and a source of needling by other nations. Also, Kensel has made sure that they have nothing that Zandaran needs since the land produces no excess and is just enough for them to live off of. This also helps Zandaran follow its conscience in not invading these lands. Kensel effectively exists on a tight rope of diplomatic negotiation, assassination and the moods of the Zandaran and Kensel ruling families at any given moment. In other words, both nations do their utmost to keep each other content and the bribes help many families out. It seems to suit both sides rather well.

Appearance: The people of Kensel are primarily human with a small smattering of elves and dwarves. The humans have lighter skin that some due to the northern latitude and are considered rather humourless and a trifle stuffy by most standards. Granted, the presence of a few young Gerisau lessens this to some extent (it almost has to) but they are still a trifle too calculating for the most part. A life time spent getting volumes of meaning from a raised eyebrow does this to people. The fashions of Kensel consist of boring, drab everyday clothing that is very understated and blends well into backgrounds. Since this is very deliberate, their is actually an on going debate over whether these people actually have a fashion sense and have warped it to suit their needs.

Namdara: This nation is very old and has a long and distinguished history. It is the largest single nation the world has ever produced and is very proud of the fact that it is not an empire, though it is the size of one. Namdara decided on the rather unique expansion plan of only expanding when asked to. Most considered such an idea lunacy but it has been successful for the nation, even though this led to very slow expansion. Namdara only expands when it feels stable and whole so there have been times the nation has refused expansion offers, much to the shock of other nations. However, their army is very well trained since the city that asks for admittance may well anger the nation it is leaving. Namdaran diplomats are second only to Kensel, Mandoran and Zandaran ones in terms of skill. The nation is technically ruled by the monarchy but a ruling council consisting of representatives from each states (or a group of them) has been the real power for many generations. The monarchy is little more than a figurehead in nice clothing and the few monarchs who have tried to change that are dead, often prematurely so.

Namdara's current problem is that it has no where to expand. It generally expanded by absorbing small cities and pieces of land at their request and sometimes when generations without budging. However, after the latest growths and the unprecedented separation of Tarain, Namdara is beginning to have internal troubles for the first time in many, many years. The southern lands of Xaldar and Randekal are very stable and have refused Namdaran expansion for over eight hundred years. The Great Desert is impassable and the Eastern Ruins even more so. Terra Australis Ignota is too unknown to even attempt an assault on. The north is also difficult since they can only expand so far into the territory of the Eastern Barbarians until the Barbarians react and the rulers of Namdara are not sure when this point will occur since the Barbarians are entirely capable of marching in, destroying the capital of Namdara and leaving. Zandaran is whole and it stops any assault on the Holy Lands as well as makes expansion into the area of Outer Namdara still a touchy diplomatic issue, further compounded by Tarain interests in that area.

Simply put, Zandaran and Tarain want to be able to band together if need be and have no wish for Namdara to be between them. The Colnorath has never even been considered and Garath was never considered worth the effort of expansion when Namdara was whole. Welde, The Collective and the Minor Kingdoms are the only route of expansion and know it. The three groups are banded together against Namdara and have the support of the other nations behind them that they protect from Namdara by existing. The empty land between Welde, The Collective and Namdara has been a sight of constant battle between the three forces and now the land is ruined and worth nothing in terms of growing crops or anything. Since the land this empty space connects to is also a very powerful kingdom, its strategic value is debatable. This would not be a problem as a whole but then rulers of Namdara have become accustomed to rapid expansion in recent generations and the threat of returning to what allowed them to become a great nation, namely slow steady growth, may well destroy the nation as it is. This irony is lost on few.

Appearance: The people of Namdara have dark brown skin and a habitual squint, likely from reading too many government proclamations. They are a humorous, fun loving people that are rarely condescending, which most consider a miracle in itself. What surprises most foreigners is that all the people feel an equal binding to the entire nation and their kin. Some have bitterly said that they have been assimilated very effectively, but in truth Namdara simply becomes a part of them, instead of the other way around, and eventually finds a balance between the two.

Outer Namdara: Outer Namdara is actually four small nations occupying an area smaller than Kensel does. On maps, it is said to cover most of the northern lands between Namdara, Tarain and Zandaran. This is simply a way for the nations to convince themselves that the amount of attention lavished in the past five hundred years on this area is worth their time. Zandaran and Tarain do not like the idea of Namdara being right in the middle of them and the people themselves have no great desire to join Namdara. As a result, they have become almost a protectorate of Namdara and are waging a private and silent battle against their oppressors. Granted, Namdara has little practise in direct oppression and rebellion of lands it does not own yet, so they have made some mistakes, such as slaughtering over seven thousand people at a guard post (The Old Keep) but on the whole it has done an adequate job of blending into the lands of Burgen, Murstai, Samdar and Falket. The only problem is that those lands simply have no wish to join Namdara. The nation is not prepared for this and the reaction is one of anger and "Why don't you want to join then?!" that is slowly becoming: "You must join." Plus, oppression is a remarkably easy skill for a nation to develop.

Many of the other nations are watching this incident with more than idle curiosity. If Namdara fails, its entire ideology might collapse and the Tarain factor -- separating from the country -- might become very common. Most of the people in Outer Namdara are unaware of this difficulty and the attention being placed upon their insignificant portion of the world. As far as most of them are concerned, this is a private battle and a small part of the war between Namdara and Tarain. They have generally had a very small world view and the idea that their small kingdoms could become the entire focus of the war is too immense for them. Some claim it places too much importance on this land, but the Eastern Barbarians, who have been watching this area with increasing concern, seem to think otherwise and many others fear the conclusions the Eastern Barbarians might drawn and the lands they might lay to waste. So far, none of the nations involved in this fracas has become frightened enough to suggest a massing of the armies of the world's nation to end the threat of the Barbarians once and for all. Mainly because the armies would not work well together, a factor that has helped the Eastern Barbarians for a very long time.

Appearance: The humans of Outer Namdara have lighter brown skin and are generally rather quiet. Many dwarves and gerisau are seen in these lands and dwarves are more common here than in any other land save the Colnorath. The people of Outer Namdara have among the most varied fashions in the known world. Fashions from Tarain, Namdara and sometimes even Zandaran filter through this land on a semi-regular basis. Even fashions from the dwarves lands and The Colnorath have found their way to some cities as well as those from even the Eastern Barbarians. A few fashions are even said to have originated as far away as the Holy Lands and Garath. These differences are startling in their very normalcy among these lands but what puzzles most is the continued lack of interest in outside affairs these people have. Judging by these fashions, these lands could become a haven for information and trade but choose not to due to some historical belief that they are better off alone. And the invasion of Namdara only served to prove this fact to them rather effectively and brutally.

Randekal: This empire stretches far to the south and extends as far into the Great Desert as is possible and practical. This Empire has even less to do with magical and psychic talents than Namdara but takes it a step further. Any found with those abilities are sent out into the desert to die, unless the current ruler asks for their aid in protecting him or her from assassins (in which case, they die in the service of said ruler quickly and often very painfully). A few of these are lucky enough to find the Sparise, a race that lives in the desert, but most die from starvation and dehydration. Randekal is run by a series of dictators, each more ruthless and effective than the last for the only rule they cannot break was set by the first and second dictators: praise skills and abilities and never kill these people off for they will be the future. Or, more accurately, don't kill the smart ones since they will likely be the one's to kill you and it would be best if someone competent came after you than an idiot coming to power after you die from old age. (This is an odd form of patriotism.) Randekal considers it a matter of pride that none of their rulers have ever died from natural causes.

Outsiders are watched carefully in this land and Advocates of the Prime God tolerated because they must be. However, any Advocate speaking too much against the current ruler will find themselves escorted to the border very quickly. The dictators have been very successful at living lives of paranoia and finding secret routes into and out of cities is practically impossible the reasoning being that if the ruler can use it, so can the assassin. The people of Randekal generally accept the dictatorships since each dictator is well aware that a rebellion can occur at any moment. Thus the dictator must walk a thin tightrope between ruling the people and doing what was best for them and his influences. A ruler who indulges too often dies rather quickly as most of the worlds best assassins can be found in Randekal to one time or another. The only people a dictator dares not kill are the diplomats since if the empire continually sent out new diplomats or altered their orders too greatly, no one would even consider foreign policy with Randekal. One of the first dictators made a law that any agreement made with another nation will remain until it expires, regardless of who is in power and this has generally been followed through the years.

Many of the principalities absorbed into Randekal have found this system of governing very advantageous. Given a few hundred years, they stand a very good chance of getting into power at least once and helping their former land out a little bit. (The rulers generally last between two and five years on average and none has ruled more than eleven years.) In any other empire, they wouldn't have a hope of attaining power but that very real hope that even cooks, street sweepers and accountants can bcome the ruler or have say in what the current dictator does have has been proven time ands time again. Anyone can become the ruler of Randekal. They just have to be ruthless enough or be willing to be led by the ruthless. Kind rulers generally don't last long since they are laughed out of office, often with one hand clapping them and the other hand stabbing a dagger in their back. The only rule that is generally consistent is that few with magic or psychic powers get into office since they may have an unfair advantage over the assassins, though they can hire people with thoe powers to protect themselves. (This works because hired people can be bribed.) Some speculate that an assassin would make the best ruler since they'd have a good chance of sensing other assassins but the Assassins Guild has some honour and pride. "You never become what you might one day be hired to kill," they often say and the only assassin who tried to become the ruler lasted precisely three seconds upon the throne, the shortest ruling period in the history of Randekal.

Appearance: The people of Randekal generally favour dark colours suitable for hiding and blending into backgrounds very well. They have a strong fear that others are out to kill them and, in their case, this is not paranoia. In Randekal, it is a general bet that at least one person is trying to kill you. Fashions in Randekal change with each different dictator but generally favour the darker colours for obvious reasons. One dictator, Varsai the third, instituted a system of wearing bright neon clothing in an effort to make assassination more difficult. It was highly entertaining and worked for a time until an assassin wore such bright clothing that he blinded Varsai and was able to kill him, thus ending that regime and saving many people's eyesight.

Tarain: The land of Tarain is ruled by a council of 13, drawn from the nations that made up its boundary before it became a part of Namdara. The people of these lands joined Namdara voluntarily and wholeheartedly but found its dislike of magic puzzling. When Namdara began its period of rapid expansion, these people watched it with foreboding but said nothing. When Galrin fell and Namdara began to move on the lands of southern Namdara with unseemly haste and these people saw the philosophy that had driven the nation beginning to fail, they knew that battling on the council of lords would fail and simply did not show up on the council that year and sent a message declaring themselves a new nation, Tarain.

Tarain was an old word meaning "Those who keep the faith" and the people did this, even going as far to include other cities and nations that wished admission into their land. Namdara was furious but realised if they attacked Tarain for following their same practises, the whole nation might collapse. They sent enough of a token army to show that such a separation is frowned upon but Tarain had little Namdara truly needed and ceased expanding into Namdara shortly after the fourth army was sent, even though they fought it to a standstill. They expanded east and north and chose to embrace use of magic, not just because the people they brought into Tarain did but because they felt that they should hold onto to what Namdara had been but also that things must change. It was also a propaganda piece to separate themselves from Namdara, but that is inconsequential according to the ruling council. Tarain expanded slowly but surely until it came to Outer Namdara, where the nations fought Tarain expansion grimly until both sides decided the best policy was one of avoidance. Tarain would not expand north since the ruins of Alden were sacred to the people of Outer Namdara and they, in turn, would cease to fight Tarain.

This turned out to be rather good since the council had to deal with outlanders (mostly elves) who started coming form the Western Ruins into their lands. Namdara quickly assumed that Tarain had discovered a path into the west and finally had a good excuse for war. Their southern border war was going on grimly for years until four hundred years ago when Namdara expanded forcefully into Outer Namdara and attacked the northernmost point of Tarain at the same time. The losses were staggering but one of the lands of Outer Namdara, Burgen, gave back the loss and more in an effort to repay their shame. Tarain forgave them quickly but knew it was not quite time to offer Burgen membership in Tarain. The Namdaran armies were soon too busy dealing with Outer Namdara, the distrust of parts of the nation at this change from the old methods of expansion and its ongoing eastern war with Welde and The Collective to continue a full scale assault on Tarain. As a result, they generally have a yearly war that results in little save deaths. Some diplomats on both sides have called it a token war but Namdara is not willing to back down since this is now a matter of honour and Tarain is not willing to cede it's southern lands to Namdara for any reason. Thus they are at an continual stalemate simply waiting for the Outer Namdara situation to crystallise and both sides will then decide what to do about it. Namdara is well aware they need these lands since, while expansion was slow, it provided needed revenue and growth for their nation. Tarain does not require this and expansion for them is only a bonus. However, they have no wish to separate Themselves form trade with the Holy Lands and Zandaran as well as the possibility of alliances with those lands against Namdara, as their diplomats have pointed out before (Tarain diplomats tend to be a little to blunt). Some claim that the only thing that can break that stalemate is the actions of the Eastern Barbarians.

Appearance: The people of Tarain are generally human with a number of elfs and other eastern peoples coming to live in their lands. Some dwarves have settled there as well as the usual small smattering of weres and vampires. This land follows almost no specific fashions and most people wear whatever suits them at the moment. The ruling council (now up to 31 members) simply laughs off the idea of specific fashions and has refused the repeat pleas of tailors to set up some national colour or something. The closest they ever come is blood red mourning sashes after the yearly war with Namdara.

Terra Australis Ignota: This is known as the "Unknown South Land" or, more commonly, The Odd Place. The land is surrounded by a river that does not flow and a forest that blocks any view beyond the inner bank. Few people have been seen at this bank but they either have the unnaturally pale skin of dorathans or coal black skin often associated with Powers. No one who has tried to cross the river has ever returned, not even armies. whatever is over there simply swallows up foes, no matter how powerful. Some suspect it holds a natural power source five times as strong as the bright Ward, which would make is roughly half as strong as The Square far to the south.

A group of binders the equal to those that tried to tame the Dark Wood once tried to bind the land along with Callers who were going to call beings from it. They recalled hitting some barrier the likes of which they had never heard of. It simply absorbed their attack and became stronger for it. Any force used against this land makes it greater, they all seem to recall hearing, as well as a warning to cease their assault. They have no idea what spoke but continued. Then white fire seemed to burn their vision and time paused. They thrust out again and touched each other. The binders bound the callers who found themselves calling the binders to bind them. The resulting bond was so great the binders died soon of excruciating head aches and the callers, bound deeply to them, died also. Since then, no assault has been launched. The few walkers who serve that land refuse to speak of it but they have uncommon power even for walkers and are very dangerous to cross with. Some of the are said to have raised the dead and other feats attributed only to legend. They are well received in The Colnorath since there seems to be a very good chance that they are both kin in a sense. The gerisau Jerala, who founded the Colnorath, is said to have sent the person she raised from the dead south to found a new land. Most assume it was Terra Australis Ignota but not even the Shadow Mages who rule the Colnorath have been allowed in -- or so they claim.

The Collective: This is a small group of cities that banded together for mutual defence. Over time, many others ended up joining this land and it has prospered slowly but surely. The Collective has a large number of ors, ogres and other assorted species in its lands, such that the more common species are minorities here. When the wars with Welde and Namdara began, The Collective realised that it was short of soldiers and hired mercenaries. They have become a stable of the army and very effective warriors, allowing the Collective to hold its own against an entire Namdaran legion with scarcely half of that ten thousand. Namdara has treated this nation warily and is well aware that every member is trained and armed to fight against Namdara.

The Collective is a society based on the principle that everyone is provided for. Each person works together to form the whole but, for the most part, are also individuals and make choices as to how they work. When someone has no idea of their goal in life, the rulers of the cities take stock with the bureaucracy and have a list of possible jobs that person could do until they find one they like. Thus every need of the society is filled. (With the jobs no one wants to do, the criminals are sent to it and the money they would receive goes to pay for their stay in prison and the entire legal system.) Some of the cities are monarchies and other are democracies and one of the eighteen cities is even an anarchistic society. This means that they are very careful about how they treat each other and go to great lengths to avoid civil wars.

Appearance: The people of The Collective are of such a wide range that most visitors spend much of their time trying to figure out what is evil and what isn't. The orcs make an adequate fighting force and often assist the city guard with getting information out of prisoners. Ogres have proven effective at riot control and the many other species have all found uses in this society and become an integral part of it. This leads many outsiders to wrongly assume that this nation is a home to misfits. The Collective is actually a home to any who are willing to fight for them, regardless of anything else about their person. This means that the people of the Collective has even less of a fashion style than those of Tarain, a fact that makes the barbaric in the eyes of Namdara.

The Colnorath: This is the worlds northernmost nation and none is sure just how far it extends into the northern hills and mountains. The boundaries between the Colnorath and the Xarien Empire are often ignored and the dwarves are perfectly content to be a subject land of a sort. The Colnorath has the distinction of being the oldest nation in the world and has many special defences and weapons that have been lost to the other nations. These weapons have allowed it to survive countless assaults and also permit each city in the Colnorath to rule itself as an independent agent. The higher government has very little control over the peoples lives and only affects trade between the cities and importing and exporting fees. It does very little else and this system of absolute non-involvement has been surprisingly successful throughout the years.

The Colnorath also has the advantage that is very isolationist and this not only adds to its mystique but also prevents other nations from adequately guessing its defences as well as mapping out its lands. Almost every large Empire, specifically Galrin and Namdara) has tied to attack it and none have even come remotely close to success. The Eastern Barbarians, when asked why they allow it to stand, simply say that it is not a government and not worthy of their assault. Few others can even comprehend this idea of non-government and this ignore it. The Shadow Mages who rule the main government rarely give invitations to this land but the Eastern Barbarians have always been free to come and go as they pleased, though knowing that even they would not be permitted to see the entire nation. At least, the Shadow Mages are said to have wryly noted, until you conquer us. The Eastern Barbarians just laughed but some say even they are not entirely sure they could defeat the Colnorath without aid and are simply waiting for it to collapse upon itself as all the other great empires of the past have done. A few of them are said to hold to the notion that The Colnorath might become the world government they would be willing to join. Some of them even assume that will not happen unless they join first -- before the other nations do -- but most Eastern Barbarians ignore this idea as blasphemy.

Appearance: The people of the Colnorath generally were whatever they please, if they were anything at all (i.e. the gerisau and some dwarves). There is a propensity to wear comfortable and warm clothing and just about everyone wears a special bright purple seen nowhere else that proclaims them a member of the Colnorath. Many of these people are also rather introspective in nature and tend to be thorough thinkers. Little else marks them as an actual nation save the fact that if you attack once city, you can most definitely expect a response from the other cities very quickly.

The Great Desert: This desert is reputed to be as large as the Darkling Wood and some say it was created when an old wood was burned as punishment for such a crime. No one has ever successfully crossed the Great Desert and even its inhabitants are wary of it. The Sparise, a race of half giants, make there home here but even they are routinely lost in the burning heat never to be seen again. Some even claim that demons still roam the desert and that if you travel inwards enough you can find the bones of dead dragons. The Sparise seem to think that a group of people with magic who know illusions exist here for every so often in the burning heat, even they are tempted to follow illusions of water holes and safety they call mirages and often die that way.

The Great Desert is marginally more habitable than the Ice Lake, namely because it has food. Of course, the question still remains as to whether "The food eats you or you eat the food," as the Sparise say. Many of the inhabitants of the Great Desert can easily get by with very little food and water, especially since very little of that is available. From what the elfs have said, even in the west the desert is regarded as impassable. Those with magic have tried crossing it but they often encounter places where their abilities don't work at all or are blocked by some unknown force. Also, scrying spells only reveal sand, even in locations where the scrier is well aware there is more than just sand (Such as their present location).Teleporters claim that the desert actually warps their location so that they make little headway when attempting to cross it that way. Some suspect that a group of mages , using ancient magics called Gates, are able to cross the desert. Others claim that the desert is a living being and resents the intrusion of others, much as most hate having bugs on their skin. It is said that even the druids walked this desert with care and that alone deters many from considering crossing it and thus its ancient memories are preserved far away from prying eyes.

The Holy Lands: These lands are the last places where worship of Gods other than the prime God is still practised. Advocates of the Prime God are killed on sight here but any priest leaving these lands can generally expect the same treatment elsewhere. The Holy Lands are a collection of nations held together in a technical trade alliance due to the similarity of refusing to worship the Prime God. The Gods of these people are not extremely powerful but, unlike the old Gods, are very willing to aid them in defending their lands with all the power at their command. These are beings who face extinction in what (to them) is the very near future and they want to deny it. What that means is that no army is going to attack these lands and have to deal with desperate Gods using their full might -- something the Gods never did before -- and people not willing to give them up. These Gods know they are belief and so do not have the ability to bind and force their people to continue worship. In effect, they are the first Gods faced with the prospect of mortality -- in terms of dying -- and will go to any length to preserve their people.

As a result, those from the Holy Lands rarely get sick and live very long life spans and have many children. Inability to have children is cured as best it can be and refusal to have children is met with death, which is why those people often flee their lands chased by God-sent demons. They are the only source of knowledge people have about the Holy Lands and claim that it is run by the rulers of each monarchy who long ago elected one of their number to be the head ruler, the first among equals. In case of dispute, this ruler judges cases and in cases where the ruler's judgement may be at fault, another leader is selected randomly for this position. The exiles also note wryly that in a land where the Gods are very visible, random is basically whomever the Gods choose. The people are used to it in the way others get used to the coming of insects every year or a cough. "It's there, you live with it and don't tick it off," is the philosophy of these people.

Appearance: The people of the Holy Lands often wear sombre black and brown robes since they all follow the Gods and the colour of the robe's sash tells what god they follow. These people have very few fashions save the habit of wearing ribbons in the hair, which is used to ward off the dead gods who have chosen this land as their home as well as ghosts since an abundance of holy energy seems to cause more people to become ghosts.

The Minor Kingdoms: These nations have been slowly absorbed by Namdara throughout the years and have banded together very loosely for defence against that. About there only real rule seems to be "Refuse any alliance with Namdara" and they have repeatedly refused to join that nation. However, in the wake of the Outer Namdara issue, they seemed to think that Namdara might change its policy and actually invade their lands. Fifty years ago, there constant fears led to the decision to strike the first blow and they began a series of border raids remarkably similar to those Namdara uses on Tarain, save with more frequency. However, Namdara is too busy to direct a large force to stopping these raids and thus they have been permitted to continue. Many analysts are simply waiting for Namdara to fortify its border and teach the Minor Kingdoms a few lessons, much like it did in burning a good portion of northern Tarain during its acquisition of Outer Namdara.

The Minor Kingdoms rule each other as entirely separate monarchies. This means that they generally have problems reaching decisions but can act quickly enough when they feel Namdara is threatening them. Most of their disagreements spring from if each monarchy in their alliance is equal in terms of voting on issues or not. The ones closest to Namdara claim that they should have more votes sine they are affected directly and the larger kingdoms claim that they should have more votes to reflect their size. There is almost no cohesiveness in this alliance and few expect it to last more than one hundred years, by which time it will have fallen apart or some of its nations joined Welde or Namdara.

Appearance: The Minor Kingdoms contain mostly humans whose only statement is to wear clothing that is not popular in Namdara. Quite a few mercenaries from The Collective find gainful employment here and many others find it an interesting place to live, if only for the constant political bickering. Some assassins claim to make a better living here than they could in Randekal.

Welde: This nation has many vampires in it. There was actually a point when they ran out of roads since more than half the population flies or floats to wherever they go. This nation has become a haven for people with magics leaning towards flight as a result of this and they are used more effectively here than elsewhere. No one native to Welde is foolish enough to underestimate them and is well aware of just how powerful such talents can be.

Welde has been at war with Namdara for about six hundred years over a stupid plot of land to the south mainly because they have an alliance with The Collective and because the rulers of Welde fear that Namdara will use that area to continue expanding east and eventually surround their land and thus Welde will become like Kensel and eventually be forced by circumstance into joining Namdara. Namdara has learned not to attack the borders of Welde directly since many people tend to go insane when a teleketic storm is unleashed at them. Welde has no wish to expand (otherwise it would rule some of the Minor Kingdoms by now) and is very difficult to send an army through since armies generally require roads to travel on and Welde has few of those.

Welde is run by a secretive council that elects itself and has ruled very well through the years. No one is entirely sure how large this council is or who sits on it and it has done a very good job ruling the kingdom since it is not justifiable to the people directly. The rulers of Welde are very accustomed to doing what is in the people's best interests and over the years the people have learned to wait for a time before complaining about new rules since the foresight of the rulers has proven right more often than naught. Welde has few cities and they are spread out rather well so that no single attack can cripple the nation. The council is said to meet in an old farm house in the middle of nowhere and thus would not be adversely affected by the destruction of the cities and the villages can just trade with each other until the cities are rebuilt. This philosophy frustrates attackers to no end since there is absolutely no way to cripple the nation save burning the entire place to the ground and the field of Welde seem to have been treated with a special substance that is highly resistant to burning. Effectively, only a total genocidal war against Welde could destroy it and the people, for all that they appear to be apart from each other, hear news very quickly and mobilise against wars with impressive speed. Foes attacking Welde are well aware that they first few miles may be easy going, but they will pay for anything else and pay dearly. Most people just leave the nation alone.

Appearance: Welden people generally have very cheerful dispositions and are known for having a good sense of humour. However, their is a hardness beneath this deceptive surface that is capable of choosing expediency over honour and fighting wars with a grimness and anger at the fact of war itself that leads it to end rather quickly. These people see war as an abhorrence and only fight because they have to. Most of them wear red clothing in times of peace a s a personal message that war is a blight that will never end and the red often clashes with whatever they wear. Other than that, most of them prefer bright and lively clothing with a penchant for robes and capes. They are very fashion oriented and often willing to pay exorbitant amounts for the oddest items of apparel that make others just shake their heads in wonderment.

Western Ruins: No one is entirely sure how the ruins were formed or why since they apparently existed to some extent as a wall of protection during the time of the Urmani empire but were not as extensive as they are now. Some claim they simply expanded one day to the phenomenal size known today but most discount that as idiocy. The ruins separate the eastern lands from the west very effectively and few have successfully travelled between them. Those from the west who succeed in coming over are elves and sargathi and they claim it is entirely luck that they succeed. The ruins are dark, vast and contain mysteries of science and Power the world has lost. There are places where all magics turn on their user with sudden ferocity and others where the very and swallows up and life energy that enters it. Even the Powers of the world are careful in this area since remnants of their wars are said to lie here also. The few denizens of this land are foul and very hungry.

The only law of travelling the ruins is simply: trust no one. Trust nothing you meet there, those that come with you or even yourself for the dark forces there can turn anything against anything, often with horrific and fatal consequences. Even vampires and dorathan have been unable to cross the ruins and they have claimed many an Advocate of the Prime God in their time. As with all places of unknown and often evil intent, rumours have sprung up about it. Some claim the ruins are ruled by an undead horde that seeks to link the Dark Wood and Great Desert together to form a barrier that will slay anything and extinguish all life. This theory is generally discounted since not even the Western Ruins have been able to expand into the Great Desert, though they have tried and do actually seem to grow on occasion. Other theories about malignant forces and it being a creation of the western lands abound but none have been proven.

Xaldar: This nation is between a dictatorship, assimilation and an unknown land no one has been able to enter in centuries. Most folks would being feeling penned in soon even if they were not werewolves, which compromise at least half the population. When this land became a haven for werewolves is unknown but it has proven remarkably effective. Silver is banned and any found in possession of it are killed instantly. Many vampires find safe haven here and Xaldar is the only land that has vampires as the city guard in some cities, though they do prove remarkably effective in curtailing the crime rate. The werewolves are also fiercely territorial yet few of them wish the nation to expand (An old Randekal joke claims that it takes so long for them to mark there lands as it is, that any additions will involve breeding people for the express purpose of marking a land as Xaldar's territory).

The nation is ruled by a matriarchy consisting of forced rulership. Since females have less desire to kill things, they are the chosen rulers and since females with children often look ahead to the world their children will live in, the chosen ruler of Xaldar is a female drawn from one of the werefolk or vampire "families." Rulership exists for every five years and the ruler is chosen by a random draw, and a person can only rule once. The ruler then has no direct family and rules for the best of the nation, using the advice of various guilds and families to aid her decisions. These forced rulers have done a very good job of keeping the nation running and gain their property back with a bonus if the nation improves since they began rulership. During times of war, improvement is keeping the nation the same and rulers period may be extended during a war. Rulers have been known to rule in name only deliberately if they know nothing about war and use the advice of their generals as they own words. All females who are candidates for rulership are trained in the basics of ruling in case they are called to rule. The ruler is advised by a council composed of males and females of each race and species in Xaldar who help the ruler determine the direction the nation heads in.

Appearance: The inhabitants of Xaldar are rather infamous for wearing what ever they please -- when they wear anything at all. Since many werewolfs find clothing inhibiting, it is not uncommon to seek naked men, women and children roaming the streets. While many other lands find the idea of a clothing-optional lifestyle barbaric, it is generally warm enough in Xaldar to justify this. Most of the people prefer to wear brown and green clothing that blends well into the many trees and fields of this land. It has no one large forest but many small ones and the people often take a dim view to wanton destruction of said woods. Despite this, they are often courteous and quiet, preferring solitude to trade and war, but willing to engage in either practise if forced to or bored and are very capable fighters in defending their families and friends. No army has yet succeeded in defeat Xaldar, even though it has no standing army or militia.

Zandaran: Zandaran is a medium sized nation that develops some of the most ingenious weapons and fortresses the world has known. The ruling council of the King, Queen and Prince forms a triumvirate that is well known for business sense and knowledge of the military. Zandaran has earned the ire of Namdara for not only offering aid to any nation feeling "oppressed" by Namdara and often making deliberate use of its diplomats to offer subtle insult to this nation. What Namdara did to anger Zandaran in the past is unknown but it was enough to ensure that both nations remain at a state of hostile truce with each other. Zandaran shows little inclination to expand and Namdara is not willing to expand to the north east any further until it knows how the Eastern Barbarians will react to said expansion plans. They have refused to say -- and sharpened their swords.

Zandaran has been able to survive the battles very well since it has made it policy to understand the thoughts and motivations of other nations and information is key to these people when fighting. Their innovative (Namdara calls them cowardly) methods of battle, such as attacking only at night or without clothing, have given them the grudging respect of the other nations in combat and warfare advancement. In truth, the actual goal of Zandaran is to make the technological advances so great that having war is no longer profitable and thus stop it. The elfs, who lived in a land of science, are well aware of what this will lead to -- namely being finally able to kill your foes off completely instead of just continually hurting them -- and are trying quietly to stop it. As a result, no elf or sargathi (or anything else from the west) is allowed in Zandaran on pain of death though little else would explain how the Zandarans have advanced their technology save the aid of someone from the west, specifically a technomage.

Appearance: The people of Zandaran generally wear military-style clothing with an emphasises on having little to no extraneous additions to their simple, sparse travellers clothing. Almost all the people wear the royal symbol of Zandaran -- a hand grasping a sword with a crown made out of the blood coming from the hand blood beneath it -- on their supplies and clothes as a matter of national pride. The hand shows how wars will be stopped, i.e. with blood, and the crown itself shows what the cost of ruling is. The family of the designer, Nadorj Hesti, a half human/half werewolf, was honoured with its own mansion and has been given special status ever since the founding of Zandaran.

Lands Outside These Borders

These are all in reaction to Namdara since it is roughly at the centre of the map and also the most well known and largest of the lands on the map.

Lands to the East

DUE EAST

Directly to the east are various small nations roughly the size of Kensel. They are in a nominal alliance with Welde, the Minor Kingdoms and The Collective in order to ensure that they are not invaded by Namdara. Most of these lands are grouped together with the Minor Kingdoms on most maps Those lands eventually degenerate into city-states and holdings that pride themselves on their independence. Further out, the land becomes too rocky save for occasional grazing of sheep and then becomes a mixture of rocky hills and swamp that very little trade comes through. Past the swampy area, a few small kingdoms can be found but the area is too rocky for much civilisation and travel further east is said to be curtailed by a place of Power no mortal dares approach.

Arcanar: This is the centre of eastern magics and is said to lie at the eastern borders of this swamp so that travellers from the west must pass through it to reach them, a feat thats some mages have had trouble doing. However, Arcanar has been known to dabble in blood magic and demon summoning more than the other schools and mages willing to do anything for its sake, those with no conscience and boundless curiosity, have often came here and done dark deeds. Four hundred and seventy two years ago someone did something too wrong. At least three nearby kingdoms were reduced to ash and the swamp became very dark and deadly. Tilcaldi mages think that some force from the Darken Wood was drawn into the eastern swamp and as a result Arcanar fled its power. They created a barrier around small city that serves as their school and nothing has been able to penetrate it since.

NORTHEAST

In the north-east, the Holy Lands dominate in scattered settlements held together by nominal kings for trade and defence purposes but little else. Many scattered cults and villages can be found further in the north east until one reaches large ice fields and a relatively barren landscape that is said to have few people save possibly some small groups of isolated mages, witches and wizards.

SOUTHEAST

To the south east lies the rest of Terra Australis Ignota and the northernmost remains of the Hr'Keth Empire, a land slowly fragmenting into warring states. Further east of that empire lie the nations it once ruled, which are now fading due to lack of trade and wars with what remains of Hr'Keth. Little else is found since further travel is limited by a place of old power and the sight of a war among mages long ago. Some claim this place of magical ruin is as large as the Great Desert but no one is entirely sure.


Lands to the West

DUE WEST

Due west lie the mighty western ruins throughout which few have come from the great west and none from the world have gone to. The elfs come from there and refuse to speak of it or the "great evils" found in that land. What is known is that the lun lion, once rulers of the elfs, were in those lands when the elfs came and their natural dominance asserted itself, making the elfs slaves. No magic is said to exist in that land, the earth their having been literally (or do it seems) poisoned against such efforts. Little is known about those dark lands and the elfs say nothing, even under the most powerful mind probe, binding or torture.        

NORTHWEST

To the north west lie the Xarien Empire and the Ice Lake. The Ice Lake is impassable and the Xarien Hills that form this dwarven empire extend far into the colder mountains that even the dwarves can not cross. Save for a few powerful forces and Powers of the world, nothing of note lives up there and few pay attention to said part of the world.

SOUTHWEST

South or west of the civilised lands -- depending on where you are -- lies the Great Desert lies to the south west, a vast uncharted wasteland of scrub and death. Few water sources are to be found in the desert and even the Sparise, half giants who make the desert their home, have been known to die of thirst. Dying of hunger is rare since their are being in the great Desert who do not drink and always look for new food. The problem with encountering them is deciding if you will eat it or it will eat you."

That is the wording on a pamphlet describing the Great Desert to potential tourists. Needless to say, the business failed and those who have been to the Great Desert remarked that the pamphlet was about as optimistic about the desert as a person could be. No one has travelled the whole desert and even a druid who attempted such a trek was said to have died on that trip. And she did not make is half way. Given that knowledge, and the fact that many of the Powers of the desert are little more than elemental forces that are mentally unstable, few ever choose to travel the desert unless they have no other choice.

Directly south is described on the Southern Map.