Amadai Alliance: This land is a collection of small nations who rule themselves independently and depend upon a small governing body that consists of 1 person chosen by the rulers and the second eldest child of each nation who co-ordinate issues that the nations themselves have no wish to deal with. Those issues are often concerned with diplomacy with other nations as well as helping to regulate trade. The council also manages the city guard, hospitals, basic postal service and creation/repair of transportation routes. In any case where an individual or nation decides it wants control of any of these services, they must present a case before the Alliance Council and, in most cases, are given control of what they want. The Council is, in essence, the most non-governing government body in the southern regions. Its taxes are minimal and few people in the Alliance are even aware it taxes them since their own nations (referred to as provinces for the sake of unity) collect the tax and send it to the Council.

The eleven provinces themselves train their own military but have never warred with each other in over one thousand years. The Council generally aids in dispersing the armies evenly so that people from each province have a greater chance at meeting others, and reducing the inherent seclusionist mind set of the various nations. The Alliance does boast a small number of mages but they are generally a technical force against Tilcaldi, especially since most of the truly powerful mages drift east to Tilcaldi for training and seldom return since their is a good possibility they would be branded as spies. Many humans, ogres, and waterborn live in the alliance, priding themselves on cultural interaction and a lack of racial bias. The orcs who sweep the streets and die in them the next night disagree, but they are a minority and easily ignored. Or so most think, though the Council has expressed worry over the signs of unrest.

Annexed Land: This is land that recently became part of the nation of Randekal over the past two hundred years. The sudden expansion of Randekal has worried Xaldar as well as the small towns and holdings south of these lands. Xaldar simply sent more guards to that new border while the southern lands formed into the border holdings alliance to form a network of armed resistance to further expansion, should it become necessary. The lands themselves are still under martial law in some areas but for the most part have adjusted well to Randekal's rule since they were not part of an official land before. Randekal was also wise enough not to expand into areas claimed by the Sh'Deth raiders so no war with the raiders is imminent.

Border Holdings Alliance: The alliance begun after Randekal's sudden southward expansion and fear that Xaldar or Muldrac would try and copy it. Each holdings, be it a town or keep, runs itself individually and defends the farmers around it in return for food. The alliance has every person trained to fight and has a larger standing army than most established nations. Paranoia is the best general and the holdings show no sign of relaxing their guard. This has been very prudent since Muldrac has made forays in the past twenty years has attempted to expand into what was once "free" territory claimed by no nation. Due to other wars, it has ceased the assaults but the alliance remains vigilant.

Due to its tenuous nature, many doubt the strength of the alliance but strong marriage bonds and the tradition of fostering warriors has created a strength that guarantees defence to any holding attacked. As the armies of Muldrac found out, you will find the first few places easy but the few who flee will organise a very effective defence. Also, even if no one flees, a rough system of people gifted with telepathic abilities since they are rather common in these parts. If certain signals are not sent, a holding is considered to be under assault and the defences are readied so that the invading army will have much trouble trying to progress beyond a certain point. The alliance also makes a point of reclaiming land that had been taken by the invader. However, they have no wish to expand and have made that very clear to the other nations. Still, some find it irritating that this area is no longer free to expand in and, like Muldrac, take it out on them. So far it has been able to withstand the assaults.

Caresh Province: Caresh is a theocracy, which in the lands of the Prime God may seem like suicide, even for a province in the Amadai Alliance. However, this nation is run by Advocates of the Prime God. It is from here they get most candidates to be Advocates, as well as the most failures since the people have lost some of their respect for the powers of the Advocates since those followers of the Prime God are no longer mythical beings. Most of the Advocates who are old and retired run the nation with the others roaming the world. Most advocates are trained just outside the border of this country and it is rarely invaded since the threat of the Advocates calling down the Prime God is, while highly unlikely, still a potential threat. The Advocates follow the philosophy of helping others when they need it and are experts in the art of compromise.

The people of Caresh themselves are known for being very unselfish and willing to help any in need. Many outsiders consider it a miracle of the Prime God that these people can still be so giving after having lost so much to dishonest travellers and other scum. Regardless, this altruism is a reason that people come here since they know they will be taken care of. Surprisingly, this does not draw as many lazy people as one might suppose (likely because they are too lazy to move) and most come from an honest desire to be in a land where the people are still willing to help each other and not expect instant aid in return. Besides those factors, little exists to reccomend Caresh as a home to anyone, particularly those who are not altruistic by nature, such as merchants.

Condrenus: This nation has been around for longer than most of the others but has never claimed an enormous amount of space. Wars fought with these people have proven largely ineffective against it since the nation has a very nasty weapon: the hingari who rule it. The hingari monarchy has access to knowledge, powers and weapons that few others besides keepers know of. As a result, they are often feared and few wish to fight wars against a group that has been the source of many frightening tales to children. Granted, the hingari diplomats are unfailingly polite but an edge of something underneath their mask that seems to say they are angry with the entire farce of diplomacy. The hingari do have an aversion to war and actually allowed the Amadai Alliance to take some of their land since "no government as good as yours should be fought by us." Granted, they only allowed so much land taken and both nations then signed a peace treaty for so long as both shall remain, but the gesture shocked many. No other nation has been accorded that honour, and the military might of Muldrac was effectively forced out when they attempted the same trick.

The entire army sent by Muldrac was met by an advance force to slow it down and behind them came one hingari youth, the third heir to the throne of Condrenus at the time. He simply stare at them coldly and asked them to leave. The army laughed and then came the Fire. What was done then has never been recorded but the army was reduced to ash and the land inhabitable for hundreds of years due to the heat of the flame the youth called. The act nearly killed the prince and rendered him an invalid but no Muldrac ruler has even contemplated invasion since that event nearly four thousand years ago. Tilcaldi has never even considered invasion and so this quiet nation remains at a hostile peace with its neighbours, the north harbouring ill will and old fears while the south is simply suspicious of why the hingari are where they are as well as the origins of that race.

Crater Lake: This lake separates the nations of Condrenus, Muldrac, the Free States and the Hr'Keth Empire. The "lake" is actually a very deep sloping hole created by a meteor log ago. The hingari hold a legend that claims they came from the meteor while many religions seem to think the energy unleashed by the meteor striking the world allowed the first gods to be born. Regardless of that, the crater is very barren and not largely populated. Exiles and bandits often end up their but it does not have a very stable base population. The Namtaga River ends at this crater, at which point the river heads underground and is not seen again. Many underground dwellers are said to live under the lake but are rarely seen. It has also attracted some interesting creatures in its time, which is another reason few choose to live their. No nation has ever bothered to try and add Crater Lake to their lands since it offers little and makes an excellent neutral area. Also, the hingari are said to take a dim view of anyone trying to rule the crater, since they think its wildness should be preserved that much. Since no one wishes to argue with people that have destroyed armies, the status quo has been preserved for many years.

Egaram Province: Egaram is part of the Amadai Alliance and is run by two kings who work jointly together with equal power in order to ensure that neither of them turn the nation into a totalitarian state. The country has a large farming base and much arable land for growing crops. Many weather workers make there home here and this province has even been able to have year round farming due to altering or stopping weather patters during some years. Egaram has very little crime since their punishment for almost anything that defaces property (especially farm land), involves theft or hurt or undue killing is met with death. Rape of any form is met with magical torture that guarantees the person will not be able to rape again, provided they can still think. Rape is the only crime for which a person rarely receives death, namely because life is more painful to those people once the royal torturer is through with them. The person is simply killed in their cell and tossed into a bog, provided they live long enough to reach the cell. While harsh, this justice system does result is less crowded jails and fewer criminals. Many foreigners have been met with this justice and the rulers do not believe in sending a person back to their homeland for sentencing since they committed the crime in Egaram. Foreign criminals caught in Egaram are killed regardless of their crime, which also cuts down on immigration. All this having been said, Egaram is a very nice haven for any law abiding citizens and few of those in power, be they the city guard, army or nobility, ever abuse their privileges -- namely because it is said their are punishments for that worse than the ones for rape.

Eldorado: This is the second largest city in the Sheken province of the Amadai Alliance. The city is famous for having rare foods as well as an ancient statue that is said to guard it from harm. It is the statue that has earned the city its name, "the city of gold" for it shines gold when power is used and the whole city shimmers with that light. In these years, it rarely shines and many assume it has died somehow. The rulers of Sheken definitely hope so since the statue is said to be alive and able to watch the nation and only act in a time of darkness. Given the way Sheken has treated the city many suspect that the statue would have acted long ago if it could.

Fera-Sej Province: This province of the Amadai Alliance was formed from two small kingdoms, Fera and Sej. In times past, the two nations had been at war but the princess of Sej and the prince of Fera were married and the resultant child given control of both nations as a mutual peace accord. It was as a result of this that Fera-Sej became powerful enough to seek entrance into the Alliance that was being conceived. This kingdom is known for the amount of adventurers that have come from it since they are by and large very honest and willing to aid, a rare circumstance in those who travel the world these days. the militia that guards Fera-Sej is very well trained and is said to have more than its share of assassins among them.

For all intents and purposes, both nations still run each other as if nothing has changed, though they have a joint capital and the king of Fera meets with the lords of Sej regularly. Fera is a very old monarchy that has survived the years due to allowing men, women, children and bastards on the throne in order to keep the royal line alive. The monarchs power is limited by the army, which is not under the rulers control in any way. In Sej, the monarchs line died out long ago and almost all competent replacements have died very mysteriously, leading to rumours of ghosts and the vengeful first kings. Since no one wants the throne much anymore, the nobles of the land decided to rule it themselves by forming a council of equals to decide the fate of the land. Both nations use the same diplomats, trade regulations and, for the most part, the same justice system. The people are known for being very open and more accepting of differences than many others.

Keral Province: The province of Keral is in a continuous ideological war with Odal. Keral is a democracy in the strictest sense of the word. Every position of importance is elected and as such most of those who are in office got their by bribing others in office and people in power. As a result, few of them are competent and fewer are capable of making any decision of importance. However, the people have been conditioned to hate non democratic societies such as Odal, which explains the on-going war. Keral politics have as much to do with who you know as with the assassins you can afford to hire. Information is the key to ruling in such a society and money is only a partial aid to power.

The common people in Keral live and breathe politics -- because they have no choice since it could kill them in moments if they are not aware of who to approach and who to avoid. Ignorance is no excuse here: it is only a good cause for death. Few travellers live more than one week without running afoul of at least one person in power and the system is very effective at dealing with such people. Those it does not want to deal with are often shuffled from office to office so often that they give up their request. Criminals due to be charged for petty theft have been known to spend their rest of their lives in jail because the judge was busy or forgot about their case. Most sane people leave the province as soon as they can since no non native has a chance at understanding the political wars without making at least one enormous blunder beforehand. Even the natives have been known to make fatal mistakes regarding alliances and friendships so the chance of a foreigner making an error is astronomical. Given an incompetent government and the dangers of crossing it, few merchants visit this land without at least three different people of influence backing them. Most other travellers are not as fortunate and either have no ally in the government or have one who is despised. Even citizens of this land leave when they can, despite the amount of paperwork involved, since it is very helpful on their life span to live anywhere else -- even in the Darkling Wood, some have said dryly. Sadly, even they find the nation of Randekal worse.

Laregal Province: This province of the Amadai Alliance is known for skill in the making of weapons. Many weapon smiths make their homes here and other smiths have followed, leading to a plethora of skilled workers in metal, woodwork, gold, silver and other items. It is even said that mage smiths live here who can create magical weapon of immense power. The other large drawing factor of this province is that there are no taxes save a minor fee to enter or leave the country and some city taxes. The government is a monarchy of the most unique nature in that its power is limited by the fact that people only pay as much as they wish to in taxes! While this shocks many foreigners, a government of charity proves remarkably efficient since if the people don't like the present ruler, they starve them out of office. Since the government is a monarchy, it has little need of money compared to the other governmental systems Laregal has tried.

However, the system has also had difficulties when people decide not to pay or during recessions. It is because of these that Laregal attracts less immigrants than the other provinces. Some of the monarchs have had many problems with such a rulership, even though they collect "official" taxes only once a year (during the fourth week of summer). Most need funds before that first tax time -- depending on when they enter office -- and require that first support in order to rule effectively. Due to this first funds problem, this country has changed rulers over three hundred times in one year omce! Thankfully, diplomats are not part of this rule since they receive a total of one percent of every persons tax money spread among them. Their diplomats also have a set guidelines they must follow to an extent so that each new ruler does not adversely affect decisions before they understand various situations. Despite the problems, the system has fixed itself out over the past few hundred years until people can actually go to this land and expect stable rulers. The historical reputation of "one ruler a decade" has faded as did the old one of "a ruler a year." Now people are slowly coming to this land and other kingdoms faced with extensive emigration extremities have considered lowering their taxes as an incentive but would not go as far as to have none.

Mandor Province: This is by far the most opulent of the lands comprising the Amadai Alliance. The people of Mandor believe that life should be lived to its fullest since you only recall it once. As a result, they are extremely materialistic and many of them see gaining money as their sole reason for existing. This "merchant mentality" has led to many travellers avoiding this land since they are general charged very high prices. A council of warriors, merchants and guild masters run the nation and have a tax system that is very simplified, though costly. However, unlike the northern city of Amanse, they do not tax everything -- which is the only reason travellers come there. The nation survives due to trade with the other provinces and having monopolies on some forms of trade with other countries. Almost all the people who live there are involved in trade and most of it is legal. Any member of any race is welcomed here since they all bring trade. They are also the most neutral of people and can remain aloof from practically any war, even those they are fighting in. They founded the Alliance to help make wars less common around them and increased their neutrality in the process. Mandor has never declared war on anyone and the neutrality habit has even extended as far as selling troops as mercenaries to those they are fighting and losing the war as a result. Most consider Mandorians madmen and wonder how the nation has survived so long. Some claim the Advocates of the Prime God have some sort of bargain with them over an old debt they must pay regarding the Holy Lands and Gods but no one is sure of what it is.

Muldrac: The land of Muldrac is a military state that is ruled by a very effective army. The rulers are well known for their brutality and using any means to achieve their ends. Muldrac exists simply because the generals have convinced the people that all foreigners are evil and intent on taking this land. Due to that propaganda, they fight like demons if invaded and often attack other countries with disturbing regularity. One Amadan diplomat reportedly asked if the regular attacks on the Amadai Alliance were simply holidays from living in that land. The rulers responded by sending him back in very small pieces. Ever since that incident over six hundred years ago, relations between this country and Amadai have been strained. That was when the rulers turned Amadai into the "evil empire" bent on destroying the world. They had realised that people could only defend so long before giving into despair so told them that if they conquered Amadai, that nation could no longer attack them. It was the ultimate way to get rid of fear: if you conquer the nations around you, then you have no reason to fear them. Of course, that means you have to conquer the nations around the ones you have already vanquished soon but the generals made sure the people never figured that out.

The primary reason Muldrac has failed to greatly expand its border is not that it has just about every other nation nearby fights them but that they do not prize intelligence. Granted, they recognise the usefulness of intelligence but only in those they control. Otherwise, someone might note that they are well on their way to becoming an evil empire or that the rulers are not doing what is best for the country. Standardised schooling (with the teachers relatives as hostages) and learning have helped keep intelligence down and those who are recognised to be very intelligent are turned into diplomats, spies and military officers after a very thorough conditioning program. Any who fail it are killed. Most of the other nations find this sickening but as yet none have tried to invade Muldrac in order to depose such rules, though Condrenus is said to be very willing to aid such an effort. Quieter methods of dealing with Muldrac have been tried but the generals of Muldrac all seem to have an almost preternatural ability to sense danger to themselves so that few have fallen to assassination. Only Tilcaldi mage assassins have been able to kill many of them and Tilcaldi has no wish to start a war with a nation that would try and destroy other nations to reach them.

Namtaga Lake: This lake is the source of the Namtaga River and well known for its clean water and relative lack of nasty things inhabiting it. Fer'enke are said to inhabit it though they are rarely seen and almost legendary. The lake is very deep and a source of fishing, though fishers often take little in order to not anger the fer'enke -- regardless of how mythical those beings are. Those who do not appease them seem to die, so belief or unbelief is not important to the fishers: prudence is.

Namtaga Province: Namtaga is the easternmost province and the home of the Namtaga lake as well as the starting point of the river that bears their name. This province was settled long before a kingdom grew up around it due to trade and an available source of fresh water. As a result of its uses, the lake has rarely been polluted and is the cleanest large source of water around. The province is almost as clean as the people seem fanatical about cleanliness. Indoor plumbing (for cold and hot water) is found in nearly every home. Even the "bad" sections of their cities make most other cities look like garbage. Trees and hedges are groomed with monotonous regularity and, some say, even the forests are pruned on a yearly basis. What is most disturbing is that they are correct.

Many would think this love of being clean would lead to fewer wars but the people of Namtaga, even though they do not seek war, also will fight if they are fought. However, their battles are very bloody and quick, mainly because they will have to go to the trouble of cleaning up the area they are expanding to or forcing invaders from. this hassle -- and the blood on their clothing -- makes them want to get battles over with very quickly. This makes theirs the only army that attacks foes directly upon sight, almost as if they were insane. The fact that it does not mater how large a force they are facing often unnerves opponents, who continually expect a relief force for those twenty scouts who are charging their army. This wish to end the war makes them very vicious and brutal warriors who have earned the grudging respect of their foes. Few choose to immigrate here since the cleanliness of the area is disturbing -- if only on a psychological level -- and the people are too friendly. Many suspect a religious cult to some god of being clean exists here but it has never been proven.

Namtaga River: This is the largest southern river and comes from the Namtaga Lake in the (what else) Namtaga Province of the Amadai Alliance. It is the primary trade route between the Alliance, Condrenus and Tilcaldi as well as the Free States. Disabling it could conceivably destroy trade in the southern lands for a time but the Amadai Alliance is too reliant on the trade from the other nations to risk such an act. Also, the other nations would band together in a war if such a thing occurred and only a fool would challenge all those nations without much aid. The river itself has few rapids and dangers, unlike many other large bodies of water, though the fer'enke must be appeased from time to time. Reliance on the river has led the nations to treat it kindly and deposit sewage and other ills elsewhere, which both improves their drinking water and fishing prospects as well as pleases the fer'enke.

New Tilcaldi: This area was an expansion of the land of Tilcaldi three hundred years ago. It is referred to as new still since the people have not entirely accepted magic in their everyday lives, though they welcome healers. The expansion met with little opposition expect from a few anti-mage fanatics since the small villages and towns assimilated had need of new trade and the expansion also meant they did not have to pay import rates to Tilcaldi. This area has become the farming centre of that nation and is responsible for at least half of its present rural population. It also gives Tilcaldi a buffer against expansion by the Free States and the reactions of that area to the inevitable fall of the Hr'Keth Empire. As such, the new area is very satisfied with Tilcaldi rule and has prospered under that guidance. Attempts by foreign forces to cause a rebellion have failed miserably and the people are quite content to live their lives with the mages ruling, even if they are still getting used to all being able to seeing powerful mages on a weekly basis.

Nural Province: Nural was one of the first provinces to join the Amadai Alliance and has done more than any other nation to keep the alliance alive. During the war many between Odal and Keral, the people of this nation strove to maintain the peace and bring an end to the fighting. Nural is ruled by the descendants of a very large family line, Nural, who founded the nation by refusing to declare allegiance to Hr'Keth, which was at the time demanding alliances from all nations in the south. The line of Nural has ruled wisely and, due to an amazing habit the rulers have of literally stumbling upon items of power and value, has not spent much of the taxes they have owned. Nural was wary of the kind of power a ruler could have if given unlimited power and set up a council of advisors to keep the rulers in line. Nural also decreed that rulership would pass onto whichever child, male of female, of the main family that the ruler saw fit. Later rulers also extended this to cousins and in-laws so that the ruler could still choose his or her successor, even when barren and childless. This increased the number of applicants and thus decreased the chance that a horrendous ruler would end up on the throne or that the line of Nural would die out.

The Council of Advisors for the kingdom varies in size from ruler to ruler but generally numbers around ten people and almost always an even number. The royal treasurer often determines the pay of these people, their accommodations and decides how many the Crown can afford to have. The treasurer is considered a member of this council and sits on it but is given no voting power. Each member can vote on certain issues with the ruler breaking any ties. Typical members of a council include: one Advocate of the Prime God (if available), a merchant, a money lender (legal or illegal), one foreigner who is passing through (a source of information), one of the royal spies, the captain of the City Guard, the chancellor (i.e. the person who runs the royal home) one mage and two locals chosen at random from the streets. The two random locals and the foreigner add spice to the councils' politics since the regular members never know who will back them on issues. This spice leads to the ruler having to break tie votes on occasion. The power of the council varies from ruler to ruler. Some just make it a truly advisory body, others have decreed that they will make into law an unanimous vote of the council. Most just decide to give the Council serious weight in any decision. Note that while a ruler can have anyone chosen to fill the merchant, money lender, spy, Advocate and magepositions most decide to assign people to this positions to ensure some stability to their council. Since the time of Nural it has been an instant death sentence to refuse the offer of a council seat. Since the Council also does not force the members to reveal their names, features etc. (primarily for the protection of the spy and the mage) few have ever given an excuse not to sit on Council that was judged adequate by the Council and the Crown. The people themselves are very isolationist and pacifistic by nature. However, the realities of living in a nation have forced them to have an army. Thankfully, a traveller from Outer Namdara educated them on the dangers of becoming like the nation of Durlan and hating your guards so the army is given respect. The people are known for their diplomatic skills as well as friendliness and willingness to compromise.

Odal Province: The province of Odal has long been at war with its southern neighbour, Keral. An ancient dispute has led to many wars but they became trade wars when Odal joined the alliance (mostly because Keral was joining). The people of Odal pride themselves on independence and are rarely supportive of the Alliance but remain members since leaving costs a large amount of money and because they would have no defence against Keral since the Alliance would no longer back them but might back Keral. Most of the Alliance would not trade with Odal as a result of having to reallocate defence funding to that border and the people would be treated with disgust and shunned for many years. Those factors remain the only reasons Odal is still part of the Alliance.

The people of Odal themselves believe that every person should work for the good of the country and that the people exist to serve the state, not vice versa. The state was created to guide the people and therefore are teachers, but the kind of teacher that does not seek to learn from the student. This does not mean that they are fools: the state does evolve, but at a slower pace than the people wish. Not slow enough to permit rebellion, but slow enough to create civil unrest that is translated into fighting against enemies of the country. Of course, it does help that the people have been conditioned to think of rebellion as evil since it would only weaken the state and thus others would come in and control it. The obvious historical proof of this statement is why the government has remained. Also, the states demand's are slight since it is not like the northern nation of Garath and the people actually could rebel at some time in Odal. Thus the appointed rulership is very careful about how the people are treated and that few abuses of the system are permitted. This also creates the situation where the people praise the system that rules them, a fact that the nation or Keral hates and thinks the other nations are blind to the realities of Odal. In truth, the other nations simply don't care about how the nation is run so long as it remains a productive part of the Alliance.

Sheken Province: The nation of Sheken is a province in the Amadai Alliance and also the most detested of those nations. If not for its valuable mines, a few nations in the Alliance would demand its expulsion. This is because the rulers of the nation are tyrants to an extent seldom seen in the world. They originally formed a "temporary" government to replace a failing monarchy but fear that their government would fail also led them to drive themselves to higher and higher heights of ambition. In essence, the modern form of this nation was founded by a fear of failure. The appointed governors rule with a fist of fear and metal and allow no dissension from rules. This was no more apparent that when the city of Eldorado refused to accept a certain law and was razed to the ground. As it was being rebuilt, some unknown beings with Powers of a kind the world had never seen before arrived and in the space of one night created the infamous statue that made the city glow golden when Power was used there for many years. the statue has waned but the warning it carried -- that it would defend the city in a time of great injustice -- frightened the rulers, those not in the way the creators intended. The nation had been built on fear and the decedents were no better. Eldorado was now a city to be feared and their response was to toy with that statue, to try and make it reveal its power by deliberately bringing about injustice. However, in spite of all they have done, the statue remains immovable and no longer lights the city. Some claim it has died but others think it is waiting for a time to act and not just to watch.

Sheken has no noble families and is ruled by a retired general from their army. This general is picked out by the general's military council. This military rulership has served Sheken well since it is almost always at war or preparing for one during a time of peace since the rulers of this nation know that war is the only answer to problems and the nation could rebel against them at any time. The generals of the army serve as advisors and informants for the elected king. Few queens have ruled since the army is comprised mostly of males. Females feel that they best serve their nation by taking care of homes and bearing children to defend the next generations of people. The generals pick a select number of them to serve the king and advise on certain issues. These seven generals keep the king up to date with the army as well as the amount of money the army needs. Some kings have had farmers and merchants added to the advisors but most chose not to as it leads to conflicts of interest in the disposition of moneys to the people as well as confusing people too much. All people wishing to see the king must get the permission of the generals so effectively the army runs the nation through fear and intolerance to any change or act of rebellion, however small it may be.

The Free States: These are nations who hold allegiance to none and have broken away from the Hr'Keth Empire. However, they have broken off in rebellion against rulership and as such are almost entirely anarchistic. No one rules any of these "lands" and decisions are made by an equal consensus of all parties involved. Each village has a Speaker selected who goes to cities in order to help in deciding national decisions. The village decides what it wishes the Speaker to say and if he or she deviates from that decision, they must give a full accounting to the village as to why. Failure to give a proper explanation results in an immediate execution. Each city divides itself up into areas and each has its own area. The cities have realised that nothing is easily accomplished if every member of the city must say yes or no to issues. As a result of this non order, many have thought the Free States an easy target for invasion but while it may take time to decide on issues, the people are inherently very decisive and respond to war threat faster than most organised nations.

The people of the Free States are wary of strangers and make no bones about the fact that strangers will be spied upon in these lands. Each states boundaries differ yearly and no one is entirely sure where the Free States end since some of the lands have ore government than others. As a general rule, the further away from the Hr'Keth Empire the Free State is, the more government it will have. The states send out no diplomats, though they are willing to accept them. Pragmatism has led to many cities and roughly 50% of the population of these states can be found in their small cities since they provide adequate defence.

The Hr'Keth Empire: Hr'Keth is the worlds weakest empire in many ways. Few even call it an empire any longer but a walking civil war. Even the land of Hr'Keth broke away from its own empire due to various differences having to do with justice and the dispensation of monies. In the past few hundred years, the empire has continued its westward push since nothing of use lies to the east. However, having encountered the nations of Tilcaldi and Condrenus, it found eastern expansion no longer a problem and could not run away from its problems. Forced to confront itself, the Hr'Keth Empire crumbled. All of the original states have ceded but are fading due to lack of trade with other nations. The lands that remain nominally part of the empire are embroiled in a continual struggle for supremacy.

The empire was originally founded on the premise of rapid expansion at a speed that would leave other nations incapable of quick response. They succeeded and even managed to hold back rebellions until the nations they conquered became willing members of the empire. This often required various inhumane acts in order to keep the empire together and enemies were dealt with very forcibly. However, the history of injustice began to affect the fabric of the empire and justice itself became the exception and not the rule. The monarchy became more despotic as it fought to keep the empire together and, as the nobles began to follow the path the rulers led them on, the common people became more desperate. Cries for reform led to many deaths and more and more cities as well as the original nations began to openly rebel. As a result, this once mightily empire is now an echo of the world power it was and grimly trying to survive its dying throes. Few nations even bother to send diplomats here anymore since they often die very quickly and serve no useful purpose.

Such is the situation of the dying land of Hr'Keth, where bandits are becoming the norm and mercenaries can find good work -- provided they are willing to suspend their morals. Wrongs are leading to more wrongs and, while the empire as a whole has not reached anarchy yet, many suspect it will just degenerate into a horde of people destroying what is left of civilisation in that land. Many other nations are increasing their armies in the event of that occurrence since none are insane enough to try and take some of that land. If such occurred, the rest of the horde would likely march on that nation and, while they would be ill-equipped to fight, numbers will prevail in the end and the horde would be more than willing to march to its collective death. This would not be out of patriotism for a nation dying but out of fear of the civilisation they have rejected due to stupidity and ignorance. What remains of Hr'Keth would fight grimly against the truth that they were once a symbol of the empires of the past and a hope for the future. They would fight out of despair and fear and would win. That is what the seers and military strategists of the other nations feel and it is one hell of a nightmare.

The Mage Keep: For millennia, the mage keep of Tilcaldi has trained generation in the uses of power and taught the people of Tilcaldi how to respect mage craft and not fear what they do not understand. The keep is not considered part of the nation and is outside almost all policies of the government. It has proven to be the most well respected of the mage schools and has the most knowledge about mage craft as well as the psychic powers. The mage keep is also well known for studying other abilities that fall outside those and even offering training in some of them (such as necromancy). The mage keep has no rival for training regarding use of abilities for those who just want basic control and excels in training mages. It is also known for making sure that mages are well aware of the dangers and prices of the power they wield as well as their responsibility to others not to misuse the power that is theirs. For those who wish ore than normal control but not to be mages, the northern training centre known as the Collegiate is better equipped to deal with. Those who seek training in the darker sides of mage craft, such as possession and permanent power blocking as well as the more dangerous aspects to abilities even if he or she is not a mage are advised to seek out Tamdel Citadel, which is also in the north. Seers and those with sight can find the best training among the Eastern Barbarians. However, the keep represents the best overall training and has the largest collection of books dealing with mages, prophecy and legends in the world.

The Sh'Deth Raiders: These people are said to be related to the eastern barbarians but have decided to live alone. They are said to have formed a civilisation but then something happened, an event they waited for never occurred. As a result, the Sh'Deth plain is riddled with old ruins of power and built with a skill seldom equalled since save by the great Lamar Wall far to the north. Since that time, the raiders have lived in isolated communities and earned the title of raiders because they raid the desert. Many would think such an act foolhardy but what they do is rid the desert of its strength and seek to prevent its expansion.

Even the druids may have found such an act difficult, but the raiders hold in them the mixed blood of hingari and the Greater Nagess. Though weak, it does allow these people to do what none since the taming of magic have ever done. They can tap the magical field and use it directly without dying. Such raw power is enough to aid them and their mages are famed for their strength and a focus deeper than even that of a keeper. All of these people are born with the ability to manipulate the magical field but only those who become mages can use it consistently and without any limitations on their effects. They have been known to pull stars from the sky and know the true names of the elements, not just the names of the Powers who formed them. Such knowledge is held only by keepers and how the Sh'Deth discovered it is unknown. They are the worlds foremost natural mages and can alter the seasons with one surge of strength. Some of them are said to have been able to halt time and even travel in it.

The raiders themselves live in small communities that are very mobile and contain at least three mages each. How much land they actually claim varies yearly but the tribes generally arrange themselves so that the border is defended. Since the raiders are related to the eastern barbarians, they have been known to attack any nation who advances to far into their lands. Little else is known about them and they are often hostile to outsiders as well as paying little attention to world events.

The Square: This giant monolith is a place of power in the world, even more so than the sight Jerala creating in the Colnorath by raising a man from the dead and holding back the ice age or the Bright Ward, guardian of the lands from western assault. The Square is different because it is entirely natural, existent the day the world was formed and, some say, the point from which the world was formed. The enormous stone circular pillars are in a square formation and form an adequate defensive position. But their greatest use is the power they hold within themselves, which is said to be ten times as strong as the Bright Ward, at the very least. Any inside the circle have access to it while those outside can draw upon a small amount, provided no one in the circle is drawing upon all the pillars for power, which is a very rare occurrence since even a circle of mages would have trouble containing such force.

It has been used by power, gods, mages, priests and other mortals throughout the ages and guarded by various beings who ordered to do so by a force within the square. Even the powers are not entirely sure what this being is and the druids were very hesitant about using The Square, fearing they would be bound to guard it. Few understand the nature of this power source and fewer still have tried to use more energy than it will give. Powers claim it enhances their Art, the ability to tap the life force of the world, to a phenomenal extent. When walking the mage paths, mages within two provinces feel drawn towards this sight and many exiting the path in a hurry have found themselves at this sight instead of their original destination as it draws them towards its strength. The mages of Tilcaldi have never sought mastery of The Square and have used it only to better understand its nature. They claim that it is too much power for any group, be they mortal or Power of the world, to effectively control and should be left well alone.

Tilcaldi: This nation is unique in the world since it is ruled by mages. They form a council that governs the people indirectly and has direct control over the mages who are not in the mage keep. The people are generally left alone save for the administration of justice and a few taxes. Some of the merchants joke that they are left alone because the government can spy on them anytime it wants to. It is a measure of the trust the people have in the rules that this is entirely a joke, and all know it. Anyone seriously suggesting the mages would abuse their powers would be ridiculed at best and driven out of the country at worst. The mages are not isolationist in the sense that they heal whoever needs their aid, are a very powerful sector of the army and help makes peoples lives easier. The latter is done by drying hay in fields for farmers, altering weather patterns for short times and easing menial labour when they can. Mages only intervene if asked to or if their enhanced abilities can be of more use to people than any talents people are trained in. Since they have a greater propensity of mages than anywhere else in the world, few nations have dared a lengthy assault against Tilcaldi in case the mages did use the darker arts they know to easily obliterate the opposing force. Tilcaldi is well aware that they could not withstand the armies of more than two nations so it has a very well trained army and uses the mages as threats more than fact during wars. All of their diplomats are mages and the only diplomats who survive in Hr'Keth more than one year save Hingari ones.

Vreqi Province: This nation was founded during the time of anarchy as a group of villages were fleeing yet another war. They stumbled through reality and found a large clearing with enormous stone pillars in a square formation. The guardian spirit begged them to guard it has it had been bound to and died in peace when they spoke their oath. The great square is a place of power, used anciently by the powers, gods, mages and priests to perform great deeds. The villagers took the oath to heart and rebuilt their village on that spot. The next year, a marching army decided it needed food and tried to invade the village. The village mage, one Vreqi, knew teleportation spells and with the power of the square, sent the army far into the Great Desert. He was hailed as a hero and teleportation became the most type of magic taught in this land. Vreqi's many descendants, all trained in the Mage Keep that existed before Tilcaldi became a nation, have used that talent well. The people of Vreqi are the undisputed masters of this ability.

Vreqi is generally ruled by a hereditary council, though it has seen tyrants and anarchy through the ages. The people have been forced to flee foes, move the square for a time and other acts in order to preserve their old vow. Many of them took the offer to become part of the Amadai Alliance gratefully since it gave them added protection. Their only clause was that none be allowed to use the great square. This land makes more use of the teleportation gift than other places and most people can use it, even if only for things as small as pebbles. To date, it remains the only country where teleportation (and the other Gifts by default, though not to the same extent) is used so commonly and is even a prerequisite to many jobs.

Xal Wood: This is the southernmost portion of the nation of Xaldar and is the source of many wars between Xaldar and Muldrac. The wars have been fought off and on throughout the years but are common enough that both nations rarely even bother to sign peace treaties. Muldrac claims that the wood is their by ancient right and Xaldar claims that it is theirs period and in the southern lands, Xal;dar wields much more influence than in the north. Since they have the force and tenacity to back up that claim, the battle has been one ongoing war for a very long time. Muldrac wishes the wood for its forestry products while the people of Xaldar, being werewolfs, just want to live in it and keep it unblemished.

WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTHERN LANDS

The Great Desert: The Great Desert extends far to the west and south until it strikes the glaciers. It is here that travelling the desert is almost possible since water is near. Most sparise live in this region but so do many rather nasty creatures that have made this fertile -- by the desert's standards -- area home. Most of those creatures makes one long for the northern stretches of the desert where nothing survives since at least in that region you'd die in peace.

EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE SOUTHERN LANDS

To the east lies the southern -- and largest -- part of the dying Hr'Keth empire as well as many of the nations that have ceded from it, including the nation of Hr'Keth. The Free States lie to the south east but no one is quite sure where they end. Continuing further south east leads to the glaciers which are impenetrable. Eastward travel from that area is very difficult due to the presence of killing creatures that inhabit a scrub land in that region. No traveller has come back sane from that area and most never come back. Ghosts and the dead are said to haunt that region also.

SOUTH SOUTHERN TRAVEL

Further travel directly south leads to unsettled lands populated by a scattering of villages and towns. None of them have formed large enough to be nations though a few city-states exist. Continuing south past the settled areas eventually leads to the glaciers that remain of the ice age that so recently (to the ice age) ended. Some other areas on the continent may be free of the ice further south but none have survived a trip over the ice to whatever may lie beyond, though all map makers claim there must be something.