# Nations in your world



## Gryphos (Jan 15, 2014)

Hey, all our worlds undoubtedly have a variety of races like humans, dwarves or elves, but how many individual nations made up of these races are there.
I've recently noticed that my world has quite a lot, twenty in all, including twelve city-states. All made up of the four races: Humans, Dwarrow, Tuatha (tall people with beards and small horns) and Paracotl (bird people)

Non city-states:

*Valkegan* - Nordic inspired nation of humans. Aggressively expansionist and has a very powerful military. Governed by a high king who appoints Jarls to govern over individual areas of the island. Worships no gods.

*Muloor* - Middle eastern and Arabian inspired nation of humans. Lives on the large desert island and mainly minds themselves, but not to be underestimated militaristically. Worships no gods but revers the mysterious 'Desert Spirit'.

*Adirieg* - Nation of Dwarrow who live on a clustered dusty archipelago wedged between Valkegan and Muloor. Hated by Muloor but held its ground against many attacks. Worships griffins.

*Elbshire* - Medieval england and celtic inspired nation of humans. Island of lush farmland. Lords have their own regions but the king holds power. Worships the Danadorian pantheon.

*Kushlukai* - A Native American inspired human people. Just north of Elbshire and victim to its partial occupation and many wars. Not a single nation but a group of many tribes. Worships no gods but has a spirituality to do with nature.

*Arynnwn* - Celtic inspired nation of Tuatha. North east of Kushlukai. A theocracy where the whole island is run by an 'Archdruid'. Worships the Tuatha pantheon of Otherworld lords.

*Pararoam* - Jungle island south east of Elbshire and home of the Paracotl. Barely explored by outsiders and never conquered. Legend tells of the Elbic king Baroten the Fool, who led an army into Pararoam, never to be seen again. The Paracotl worship their deity, 'Ralzoaca'.

*The Throgn Island* - Island of humans off the coast of Danador laid across the entrance to the Throgn bay. Only a single proper settlement on the island, the town of Throngel. Survived subjugation by Valkegan and eventually managed to gain its freedom. Worships the 'Warrior of the Wave'.

City-states of Danador:

*Taskondale* - Once a colony of Elbshire but broke away when its power grew almost equal to that of the entirety of Elbshire. Maintains a good relationship with Elbshire. Worships the Danadorian pantheon.

*Sceldicci* - Human city on the coast and a massive centre of trade. Once known as 'Aldunarian' and was the centre of the mighty Aldunarian empire, but fell into decline. The state of Sceldicci rose from the ashes of Aldunarian and gained great power. Worships the Danadorian pantheon.

*Ryondelle* - Human city on the confluence of two rivers, split into three districts. Famous for the famous 'Ryonese March' when the army of Ryondelle marched on Aldunarian lands and utterly defeated them, bringing about the fall of Aldunarian. Worships the Danadorian pantheon.

*Calizia* - Human city on the coast. Founded by Aldunarian and survived the Ryonese March. Very close allies with Lyron. Worships the Danadorian pantheon.

*Lyron* - Island citadel of humans just off the coast, directly opposite Calizia. Founded as a military fortress by Aldunarian and also survived the Ryonese March. Has a formidable navy and gains its wood from trade with Calizia. In times of war the two will often merge their militaries and fight as a single force. Often ends up in conflict with Ryondelle. Worships the Danadorian pantheon.

*Martrega* - Large human town in the snowy northern tip of Danador. Gains most of its wealth from trading fish. No one really cares about Martrega as its military isn't even particularly powerful. The only reason it hasn't already been conquered is its low value. Worships the Danadorian pantheon.

*Duskfield* - Large human city hugging a mountain and surrounded by fields of dusk flowers. Founded by the Galafell kingdom as an elaborate show-off city, but went independent after the fall of Galafell. Would have fallen to the same Valkegan forces that took over the rest of Galafell had it not been for the mysterious actions of some drakes intervening and attacking both Duskfield and the Valkegans. While the city survived, that Valkegan army were almost entirely eliminated and was forced to abandon Duskfield. Worships the Danadorian pantheon.

*Gallohelm* - Once known as 'Kingshelm' and was the capital of Galafell. Was conquered by the Valkegan Jarl Vilk and remained 'Vilkhelm'. When Vilk died without any heirs he passed on rule to his good friend (and Galafellian) Gallo. Gallo remained the city 'Gallohelm', but did not rebuild the Galafellian kingdom, though he did drive away what Valkegans remained in the city. Worships the Danadorian pantheon.

*Greyhall* - City on the coast of Throgn bay, a ways south of Duskfield and north west of Gallohelm . Founded during Vilk's invasion. Remained even after the withdrawal of the Valkegans from Danador and stayed on as a city-state, but always claimed loyalty to the Valkegan high king. Worships no gods.

*Herald Knoll* - Small fort/town on a hill, around which a river forks and rejoins, acting as a natural mote. Founded as a fort by Galafell, guarding the kingdom's south. Home of the Yaleknights. The Yaleknights managed to defend the city from the Valkegan forces and thus Herald Knoll was never taken by Vilk. Worships the Danadorian pantheon.

*Dacrborg* - Human town in southern Danador, west of Herald Knoll and east of Taskondale. Was once the city of Curganon, home of the Curg people, masters of horses. Was attacked and conquered by the Dacrain people from Dacrainia, across the sea to the south. When Dacrainia was conquered by Muloor, the Dacrains fled north across the sea to Danador and conquered the city of Curganon, renaming it 'Dacrborg'. The reason the Dacrains managed to utterly defeat the Curgs was their 'Dacrain Wolves', special wolves from Dacrainia domesticated and selectively bred to be vicious and faster than a horse. The wolves were also trained to attack horses, making them the perfect anti-cavalry weapon. Curganon, with a military very dependant on cavalry, stood no chance. However, the Curgs did manage to kill the Dacrain leader, inspiring hatred from the Dacrains. The Curgs were forced to flee and roam Danador as nomads. Neither the Curgs nor the Dacrains worshipped any gods, but held horses and wolves in high respect respectively.

*Felkrob* - The city of the Dwarrow, in the heart of the Danador mountains, situated in a valley. Founded many millennia ago by the first Dwarrow after their creation by the griffin Brakku. The Dwarrow do not lead themselves but are led by griffins. Tries to avoid conflict of any kind and stays out of wars. Guards a convenient road across the Danador mountains from the west to the east. Worships the griffins.


As I said, it's quite a lot. But how many nations and kingdoms do you guys have and what are their backstories?


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## Gurkhal (Jan 15, 2014)

In Teraya I've got 

Suyarim - think Mesopotamians, mostly Sumerians and Babylonians above Assyrians and Akkadians

Zajamites - black-skinned conquerors who have established a racial caste system in the areas where they have conquered, and are highely militarized

Nagarai - settled and urbanized desert dwellers, like the Arabs of early Islam, with a strong clan society

Manskland

Mansks - fair-skinned and blond people inhabiting most of Manskland

Teutons - fair-skilled and red-blond-auburn haired people south of Manskland

? - fair-skinned and brown-haired people inhabiting the are north of the Mansks in Manskland


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## Ireth (Jan 15, 2014)

Faerie is a kingdom all to itself, but for _Tenth Realm_, I've made up several placenames within it to account for the wide variety of Fae who live there. I might add more as the story expands or the plot demands, or even if I just come up with new ones for worldbuilding's sake.

*Caer Celynnen [Holly Castle]:* One of Faerie's two capitals, this castle is the chief stronghold of the Winter Court, ruled by Queen Brigh. It is crafted of enchanted ice, and its immediate environs are in a perpetual winter state. The border of the castle grounds is marked with a ring of holly trees. It lies toward the northwest of Faerie. Caer Celynnen is home to a variety of Fae: the majority are Daoine Sidhe, but there are also Fomorians, Pooka and Kelpies (the latter serving as mounts for the castle guards).

*Caer Derwen [Oak Castle]:* The other capital of Faerie, this castle is ruled by the Summer King, Fionnbharr (Finvarra). It is crafted of living wood, and its environs are in a perpetual summer state. The border of the castle grounds is marked by a ring of oaks. It lies in the southeast of Faerie, and is home to a variety of Fae like its winter counterpart.

*Ãžorpstein [Stone Village]:* Faerie's one and only human settlement, populated by a variety of Celts and Norse-Gaels. Originally a small village, it was quickly reconstructed into a castle due to the threat of the Fae, who felt their lands were being invaded. Still, the humans have not been driven out; a magical ward surrounds the castle's outer wall, repelling most Fae. Half-Fae have been known to breach the wards on occasion, owing to their human blood winning out over the anti-Fae magic.

*Rinncloiche [Stone Point]:* A stony outcropping in the far north-northwest of Faerie, with a cave system hewn deep into the rock. This is the home of a pack of Pooka, led by Lord Conri. These Pooka most often take the form of wolves (unless other forms are needed), in a show of solidarity to their lord, who prefers a lupine form over all others.

*Trillynoedd [Three Lakes]:* A cluster of three conjoined lakes to the southwest of Faerie, home to a large population of Kelpies, and a few migrant Pooka.


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## Pythagoras (Jan 15, 2014)

I focus on realms located within separate planes of existence rather than nations. Although they are not connected in the physical world, I have them mapped as concentric circles to illustrate how they are connected. In the center is the Realm of the First Tree, the Tree of Life. Around the Tree is the Realm of the Dead. Around the Dead are the Realms of the Living: the Faerie Realm on the inside, in which resides everything thought by humans to be imaginary, and outside is the Mortal Realm, in which reside the humans. Surrounding the Living is the Great Ocean, and around that, on the edges of the World, live the dragons in their exile. The Realm of the Gods is located on a hidden mountain that straddles the border of Mortal and Faerie. The plots center around wizards called Dimension Traversers, who can travel from one realm to another as if they were not on separate planes of existence. The Dimension Traversers, having named themselves "the Council", possess an ever-expanding understanding of the Universe as a result of their travels, and are viewed as deities in the Realms of the Living. They reside on the hidden mountain, which is why it is called the Realm of the Gods. 

So, I suppose the way I do nations is not at all, at least in the technical sense. (The Mortal Realm contains nations, and it is basically our own world set in an alternate reality. As of yet, however, I have not had any need to actually name any particular nations.)


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## James G Pearson (Jan 15, 2014)

It seems at the moment my story is split between two countries. There will more than likely be a third one that will come up later. For now there's these guys.

*Country of Vikinsa* Split into Five Kingdoms

*Halerock* - Also known as the Lion Kingdom, ruled by the Beast King. This place also hold the mighty warriors known as the Leonhardt.

*Thule* - Its capital city of Asar sits with its mad King Gonos.

*Wodenland* - With its capital city ruled by King Myston Rask, The Quick.

*Dalamar* - Its capital city of the same name is ruled by King Bayden Sarmus.

*Yarmir* - Its capital city, also of the same name, is ruled by King Jendrik Sarmus.

Then there is the other country across the sea that houses three city states that have appeared in the book so far.

*Saldahar, Nivay and Junctahar*

I won't give away too much.


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## Jabrosky (Jan 15, 2014)

I have a number of worlds for my projects, but the one I want to share today is based off the ancient Mediterranean and surrounding regions. It's not the most inventive method, I know, but it lets me write historical fiction without stressing over accuracy so much. Let me list the major countries and their influences:
*
Black Countries

Hikuptah *- Based off ancient Egypt, with some Nubian and sub-Saharan African influences. (In earlier drafts I called this Kametu)

*Yam *- Based off South Sudanese peoples (e.g. the Shilluk and Dinka).

*Wagadu* - Based off medieval West Africa (e.g. Mali and Songhai).

*Sheba* - Based off Ethiopia, especially Axum.

*Atlantis* - Based off the Carthaginians, with some Afro-Caribbean and West African influences.*

Tawny Countries
*
*Elysium* - Based off the Roman Republic.

*Pelasgia* - Based off the Greek city-states.

*Phaeacia *- Based off the Phoenicians.

*Shem* - Based on the Semitic peoples such as Hebrews and Arabs.

*Babel* - Based off the Mesopotamians, especially Babylonians and Assyrians.

*White Countries
*
*Albion* - Based off the Celtic tribes.

*Midgard* - Based off the Germanic tribes.

*Aryanistan *-Based off the Achaemenid Persians, with some Scythian influences.

*Makedon *- Based off the Macedonians, with some possible Slavic influences.

*Yellow (i.e. Mongoloid) Countries*

*Xiongnu* - Based off the Huns and Mongols.

*Heth *- Based off the Hittites, with some Turkic influences.


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## Saigonnus (Jan 15, 2014)

Aryanistan? really? Aryan is what the white-supremacists call themselves. Perhaps you should consider the changing the name.

Albion reminds me of Albino, fits for a "white" race, but maybe clichÃ©.


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## Jabrosky (Jan 15, 2014)

Saigonnus said:


> Aryanistan? really? Aryan is what the white-supremacists call themselves. Perhaps you should consider the changing the name.


Maybe *E*ranistan would work better? It has a related etymology (in the sense that "Aryan" is related to the Persian word "Eran") and yet doesn't have those Nazi connotations.


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## skip.knox (Jan 15, 2014)

Altearth is in fact our Earth, so the geography is nearly identical. But I want to put in a word here about "nation". I have a blog post on the subject queued up, so I'm not going to put in a full discussion, but here's the short version.

When people say "countries" or "nations" they usually imagine something like a nation-state. Even when they have a king, there are many other modern assumptions at play. For example, borders that are as clear and distinct as they are on a map, unity of language and law and custom. Unity of taxation, centralized administration, a clear political hierarchy, and so on.

But there's another way of looking at this. The word "nation" means something more like "a people" or "tribe." For Americans, think of what a phrase like "the Sioux nation" means and you'll be closer to the sense of the word. It's bigger than a tribe, but it is more about a sense of a common heritage than it is anything political. That's why political scientists invented the unwieldy term nation-state. It's the identification of a single nation, a single people, with a single state system. And that's essentially a modern invention.

"Country" has likewise undergone much change. It used to mean something like "these here parts". We all know these. For example, I live in Idaho, USA, but southern Idaho is a quite different place than is northern Idaho, and eastern Idaho is another. Where are the boundaries between these? Not at all clear. But the cultural connotations are recognized by all locals. And by almost no outsiders. The French word is _pays_. I guess the closest we can come in English is "countryside". That can mean simply rural versus urban, but it can also have the sense of *my* countryside. My region. Where my people are.

I bring all this up in hopes that it sparks some ideas in your own world building. In Altearth, for example, there is a King of the Franks and he has authority that runs over much of modern France, but the Lord of the Breton March is essentially independent, and no one in Provence pays any attention to Paris, and the Burgundians keep insisting they're their own kingdom. In short, political jurisdictions overlap mightily. And I haven't even mentioned orders of mages, elvish tribes, or dwarven republics scattered from the Pyrenees to the Sleeve.

In short, breaking the mold of the modern nation-state messes up the socio-political landscape most wonderfully.


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## Graylorne (Jan 16, 2014)

*Welgarth, the High Kingdom* (capital: Croncliff) is an island, with a mixed population, temporarily called rabble. The other factions came to this island during the course of centuries, as fugitives from the barbarian and the violence on the continent. The High Kingdom itself consists of ten underkingdoms: Hemelien, Fairbrouck, Ewwater, Zonderland, Vayndale, Upper- & Lower Distel, Aakhall, King’s Grace, Murkdurf and Clorlune. The Lord of Vayndale is First Lord of the High Kingdom and spokesman of the Underkings (the latter title is unused).

*Kell *(capital: Kellhold) is a nation of black-skinned people, matriarchal militant clans, where the women are warrioresses and the men the weaker sex. They are ruled by clan chieftainesses, under an overchieftainess.

*The Vanhar*i are warlocks. They hail from Vanhaar on the continent. As a people, they are pale-to-gray-skinned. They are not a nation, but live in towers, around which villages and cities have formed that are independend of the local ruler. They are governed by the Council of the Tower of Wind, and its chosen chairman, the Prince-Warlock of Winspell.

Th*e Chorwaynie Archipelago* (capital: Towne) is a group of islands to the north. The people here are brown-skinned. They are rather class-conscious. The Chorwaynie of Towne Fastness (part of the city on top of a cliff) are upperclass, those of Towne Harbor (at the foot) are mostly middle- or lowerclass, the *Jenkatans*, who live in villages inland, are considered lowerclass. Chorwaynie are merchants, seafarers, pirates; Jenkatans hire themselves out is groups to crew a ship. They are then ‘shipbound’ and their honor is tied to their ship. The chosen Overcaptain is the nominal ruler of the Archipelago.

*The Five Tradeports *(capital: Brisa) are five cities populated by rabble, merchants, outlaws and fugitives. Each town is governed by a Table of richest citizens, whose Chairs form the Table of Five, ruled by the First Chair. The five cities are: Brisa, Renvel, Lismor, Dibloon and Veurdel.

*The Thale *(capital: Thale) live in the polar south region. They are as a people cousins of the Chorwaynie, though they tend to be slightly darker and naturally blond-haired. The Thale are engineers, inventors, tinkerers. In their icy cities they produce technical wonders like the dirigible. Their leader is the Thi-a-Yuuk, the Wise Great-grandmother.


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## Nagash (Jan 16, 2014)

Hey ! Nice post Gryphos  An occasion to expose our world-building ! I've got a few nations of my own, in my little WIP... Alright, lets see...

*Human Kingdoms (Argent Alliance)*

All six of the mighty human nations didn't appear instantly in time. Most of them were founded following the sundering of the first and fragile kingdom of men, "The Middle Kingdom".

*NaÃ¯as* (capital: NaÃ¯as) is the first of the six human kingdoms, founded very early in human's history. It has been the main power in the snowy regions of Asdur, in the south-east part of the main continent, Khadash. NaÃ¯as is a small yet extremely powerful kingdom, centralized on its capital city and main harbor, gateway to the huge white sea. De facto, NaÃ¯as is crucial in world economy and in the organization of trades across the seas. Its multicultural nature made it an important gathering of overseas people. NaÃ¯as was built on an medieval-occidental inspiration, only in a land of ice and snow. 

*Lao-Sha* (capital: Sian) is implanted in the desert of sorrow covering most of the far-western area of Kadhash. Based on the nomadic people and real-world arabic culture, Lao-Sha is the second of the human kingdoms, founded a few dozens of years after the sundering of the Middle Kingdom... It englobes a large fragment of the desert wastelands. Sian was built upon one of the largest oasis, providing water and half a shadow for those trying to escape the cruel sun. Lao-Sha rules over half a hundred cities, dispatched across the sands. Like its neighbor, the kingdom of Erol, Lao-Sha worships the Three Gods of Aldin, major deities of the desert. While deprived from an access to the sea, the realm of the sands became prominent on the world scene through the excavation and trade of gold, iron and salt. Thus, in its northernmost part of the kingdom, many mines were dug in the mountains.

*Erol* (capital city: Aijan) is the eastern neighbor of Lao-Sha, settled on the sandy shores of Khadash. It's huge harbor is key in world economy, and is a nest of thugs, pirates and criminal syndicates. Because of it's special status as a trading kingdom, Erol has known extensive periods of wealth and opulence, drawing immigrants from Lao-Sha and NaÃ¯as ever since its foundation. Its main religion is the cult of the Three Gods of Aldin. Cultural inspiration for Erol is a mix of Carthage, Morocco (architecture, mostly) and Senegal. Erol is the third of the human kingdoms, and while it is considerably smaller than Lao-Sha or even its overseas homologue, it is probably the richest of the human nations. Its natives are black-skinned.

*Toxo* (capital: Deas-Minoth) is the fourth of the human kingdoms, settled on the continent of Angeass, way beyond the white sea. Originally a colony of NaÃ¯as on the new world, it obtained independence during the Sun crisis, in early -350's, and became a kingdom of its own. Having been ruled by ambitious kings, Toxo expanded its frontier on the continent, bumping many times into its neighbor's geopolitical interest. It became very quickly a cultural elite amongst the human kingdoms, its capital being the siege of many scribal and academic organizations. Inspiration for Toxo was early renaissance in Great Britain. Well know for its splendid cities and the thriving Deas-Minoth, Toxo became important, culturally speaking, since it is the center of the Minoist religion, a well established belief across the human kingdoms. Its recent improvements in military made it a potential superpower and an aspiring empire, as its fleets set sails to the archipelago of Skala'Nuui.

*Koshan* (capital: Drakkas) is the home and kingdom of the dragon-lords. Settled in the high cliffs of Angeass, far to the east, the fight human kingdom became well known for its mastery of dragon-taiming, and its strong incorporation of the monstrous creature in their folklore and culture. While many nations came to tame dragons as formidable weapons on the battlefield, the dragons-lords of Koshan came to respect them and honor them as emissaries of the skies. Thus, the cities of Koshan are well-known for their strong defense assets and mounted dragons. Drakkas, Koshan's capital, is popularly named "the city with of the thousand", since hundreds of winged creature can be seen flying over its roofs. Cultural inspiration for Koshan were mainly western-european.

*Thor-Dun* (capital: Thor-Dun) is the sixth and last of the human kingdoms. While it was only founded three hundred years ago, its people have been living in the northern mountains of Khadash for centuries, following the sundering of the middle empire. Thor-Dun is the name given to the huge city they built within the mountains themselves, generations after generations, in an attempt to find a haven in a land of ice, cold and wild-life. It also englobes a few satellite villages dispatched in the mountains, along with Atgard "the upper one" and Ymiron, "the city at the gates", built at the entrance of the mighty Thor-Dun. The people of the sixth kingdom worship an ancient pantheon, commonly known as "the Northern Gods", and are heavily inspired by scandinavian culture and viking lore. Thor-Dun is well known for its skilled craftsman and architectural marvels, seeing how they were able to build such a wondrous city below the mountains. While there is no such things as dwarves in my world, their cultural style was a major point of inspiration for the Thor-Duni folk... This proud people has been respected ever since the founding of their mighty kingdom, and Thor-Dunis are both feared and admired for their fierce skills in battle and solid devotion to their gods.

*Lycans*

*The broken empire* (capital: Cynopolis) was once a great and fearsome superpower on the continent of Angeass. The half-wolf, half men lycans ruled, a long time ago, on almost half on the continent alone, imposing their will to their neighbors, and organizing the world alongside other ancestral empire they considered their equal. Yet, when the great emperor Yagash disappeared, the empire broke down, the two main tribes fighting over his legacy. The empire fell into oblivion as civil war exploded across the empire, each tribe tore apart for its own interest. Despite the fall from grace of their former state, the lycans stayed a proud people, holding tight to as past they cannot let go, and fighting off their opportunistic neighbors. Recently, the tribes Suidarak and Khapesh made a pact to topple the Ka'phan impostors and claim the throne for themselves, leading to a full-scale rebellion agitating the remains of the empire. Lycans are great warriors, much stronger than men, and as fierce as their beastly cousins. Their nation was built upon strength, but also great commercial skill and a solid culture and religion. They adore Cynis, the great mother who gave life to the lycan people, and the huntress guiding them through the night. The lycan territory is huge, and covers plains, deserts and great forests. Their lifestyle, culture and habits are thus extremely diverse. The main inspiration for this nation however, was the celtic people and culture.


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## Nagash (Jan 16, 2014)

*Sehras empires*

The Sehras are saurian-humanoid, immensely superior to men on a physical level. A rather clever race, they were born to fight and adore war as an absolute state of purity. Their claws, fangs, scales and other reptilian attributes, including a massive stature, made them the lords of Kadhash throughout history, and the builders of the mightiest nations ever known.

*The Northern empire* (capital: Sarothek) is the first nation ever created, more than a millennium ago. It was founded by many of the Sehras clans, including the Athek and the Saurok, in an attempt to bring peace to the Sehras people, plunged into an everlasting clan-war. The empire was built upon the Ataist religion, which unified many of the clans under one banner. Those who refused to submit were hunted down and repelled to the south in the early years of the empire. This great nation has been forged upon the religious beliefs of the four elements and multiple deities ruling the world, and the Sehras have been deeply faithful people ever since. Because of their natural strength, agility and appetite for war, the Sehras always were natural born killer, and thus wrote their history upon the clashing of swords and blood-soaked battlefields. For many years, they fought against their southern brothers who built their own empire with time, and opposed their religion, "Zaharism". While cultural differences separated the twin empires, especially religious beliefs, northern Sehras and southern Sehras, are one and the same : brutish creatures turned civilized through authoritarian yet popular regimes, built upon order, respect and devotion. Through their religions, Northern Sehras became extremely skilled sorcerers, while their Southern brothers relished in the old-ways of war, choosing a sword to honor their God rather than a staff and a spell. While some gruesome history ties the two empire together, both nations learned to stick with the other as history progressed and war came from afar. Today, both are extremely close, as a result of Sehras nationalism rising.

*The Southern Empire* (capital: Ulatek) was built by clans Sothek, Battalek and Talothep in the early years of the threatening Northern empire. Zaharism was and is the main and only religion of the empire, its people being extremely prompt to believe and respect the command of their god, Serkam. Unlike their Northern brothers, they are not that close to magic, although some few adepts seem to stand out of the crowd, and prefer the power of weapons and the clash of swords. Sehras love war, and respect it as an honorable way to die, protecting their people and the legacy of their forefathers. They have perfected blacksmithing, and the crafts of war, led by some inherent tactical genius and very advantageous body strength. In dark times, and especially against their Khalaani neighbors, the Southern Empire has waged countless wars, sending its gigantic legions of overtrained fanatics crush its enemy. In most biblical times, both empires have allied to face their foe, and shown to the world how the Sehras, when united, cannot be stopped. Both empires are well-known for their mastery of war, magic, but also architectural marvels, cultural lore and folk, etc... While not all Sehras are warriors (40% are), all received an extensive military training. They are the epitome of a martial people, adoring war as none other.

Both empires were inspired by Sparta, Rome, and Aztecs, on a cultural level.

*Khalaani*

*The Khalaani nation* (capital: Ahn-Kahal) has been the nest of atrocious wars and conflicts for the past five-hundred years, mostly because of their NubeÃ¯st religion being considered horribly profane and heretic by most, especially the Sehras who fought tooth and nail to annihilate this cult, and hate the Khalaani with a burning passion. Many full-scaled wars were fought against the Nubeist extremists and their leaders, and the Khalaani people paid the price of blood for it. Many slaughters, genocides were committed against them, while many weren't implicated in the extremist sect. Sehras's natural xenophobia made it happen to horrible extent. However, this fear is understandable. Xal-Nuui, the last lord of the Khalaani was a deep believer of the cult, and waged a monstrous war against his Sehras's neighbors, and infected the foreign human nation with the profane religion. The world almost sank into oblivion, but the Sehras's determinations eventually brought the lord and his sorcerers down. Xal-Nuui's corpse however was never found, and some believe he shall return, someday...

In the mean time, the Khalaani country is rather poor, and because of climatic irregularities, night is almost always omnipresent. People live in resent and fear of the other powers, and stew in a country plagued by cold, constant darkness and spooky stories best left untold. Recently, many Khalaani migrated out of their home-country, setting sails to more welcoming lands.

The khalaani were once men, but the supernatural magic in their dark lands, made them change with time. They are taller than men, their skin is grayer, and have an uncanny sensibility to magic. Their culture, habits and architecture, is mostly inspired by old Ireland... I imagine a land of mist and darkness, with an ever present moon, shining over these towns...

I have a bunch of other nations, but I won't post them right away. Got a little tired of writing for now...


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## crash (Jan 22, 2014)

Quick descriptions of the principle nations of my world. The world is based around the late 19th, early 20th century (I'd say about 1895-1940), which is why Gromaya has two summeries. PeriegÃ²rd, in my universe, had their monarchy abolished 30 years prior in universe.

*Gromayan Empire*: based on Tsarist Russian. It's capital is the port city of Shamkaya, located at the delta of the Kaya River. The geography varies from tundra to desert and from plains to mountains. Most of the population is located in the western, industrialized region of Gromaya During the Empire, Gromaya was ruled by emperors who ruled as absolute monarchs by divine right. Its flag was a light blue saltier on a white field. Eventually, the last ruler, Empress Sophia II (who was twelve at the time) was overthrown. The Emperors were replaced with...

*Gromayan Republic*: based on the Soviet Union. The capital was moved further inland from Shamkaya to Ashkara, located on Kaya River. Gromaya lost some land following the Civil War, but is still considered the largest nation on the planet. It's government is a Marxist-Leninist single party state and is ruled by the General Secretary; the first one being Tamara Zakharova, leader of Red Front, the party who came to dominate the Revolution and won the Civil War. The legislature is the Council of the Republic (upper house) and the Council of the Nationalities (lower house). Red Front's ambition is to spread their revolution to other countries, while also protecting their own territories. Its flag is a horizontal tricolour of black, white and blue with a red torch in the middle.

*Audra-Kurona Confederation*: based on the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Audra-Kurona borders Gromaya to the west. It's capital is Wakla (pronounced VAH-klaw). It is a federal parliamentary government ruled by a constitutional and elected monarch, called the King-Lord Protector (King of Audra, Lord Protector of Kurona); there is no law stating that the King-Lord Protector _must_ be male. The King-Lord Protector is an elected position for no more than two terms of five years each and is mostly symbolic. Real power lays with the Prime Minister, who is elected on a similar cycle and appoints government with the King-Lord Protector's approval. There is no official religion, but the majority of the population practice Orthodox Sophism (think Orthodox Christianity); religious freedom is enshrined in the constitution as an inherit right. The geography is mostly forested plains with mountains rising its southwestern border with the Veletien Empire. Due to its geographical position, Audra-Kurona is famed in diplomatic circles for its extremely effective intelligence network (think the infrastructure of the CIA with the competence of WWII MI-6 and the SOE). It is allied with Hylas and Jellawal The current monarch is King Casimir IV GÃ©za of Karapathy, the Prime Minister is Lech Pulaski. The legislature consists of the Great Sejm (the upper house) and the Senate (the lower house). The national flag is vertical tricolour of red, yellow and white.

*Veletien Empire*: based on the German Empire. Located to the west of Audra-Kurona and is one of the most industrialized nations in the world. The capital is Ragenberg, located to the southeast of the country. Veletien is made up of 20 constituents with their own royal family, with the national ruling family being from Kahlenburg, who traditionally rule in Ragenberg. Veletien is also home to the seat of Leonian Sophism, the official religion of Veletien and several other countries (think the Catholic church). The government is a federal monarchy and the current ruler is Richard III and the chancellor is Manfred von Auttenberg. The legislature is the Imperial Diet and the federal council is called the Bundesrat. The flag consists of a black imperial eagle holding the holy banner in its' talons, wearing the imperial crown on a pale blue field.

*PieregÃ²rd*: based on the current 5th French Republic. Located to the south and west of the Veletein Empire. It is an industrialized nation with a sophisticated armed forces. Up until recently, PieregÃ²rd was a monarchy (like pre-revolutionary France), but was abolished as a surrender condition to Veletein in the Piero-Veletein War. Most PieregÃ²rdese are highly sensitive about this defeat. The geography consists of plains in the north, a large massif in the south and coasts to both the north and south. Its' government is a semi-presidential, constitutional republic; its President is Philippe Henri Capet and Prime Minister is FranÃ§ois Renault. The legislature is a parliament consisting of the Senate and the National Assembly (lower house) They are traditionally friendly with Audra-Kurona, but mostly in regards to trade and has a military alliance with Veletien. Its flag is a vertical tricolour of blue, white and yellow with a golden Pegasus in the centre.

*Hylasian Republic*: geography like modern Greece and Turkey, government a la Roman Republic. It is a large republic that is surrounded by the Thalassa and the Borea Sea. Geographically, Hylasia is made up of two large peninsulas and many island groups. It is highly industrialized, rich in natural resources, a major trading and ship building centre and a powerful banking nation. Think a larger Switzerland who can destroy their enemies financially with a stroke of the pen. It is allied of Audra-Kurona and Jallawal The government is an direct democracy, with a federal administration, that is run by the Ecclesia (assembly), the chief of the Ecclesia is the Strategos. Hylasia's flag is a stylized sun and vertical bicolour of red and blue (representing the eastern and western peninsulas, respectively).

*Albany*: based on the United Kingdom. Located to the north of PieregÃ²rd is Albany, an archipelago of islands that stretches to the Svarna region. The islands very in geography from flat to mountainous. The largest island, Albany, is the furthest south and is home to the capital city of Stanshaw. Albany is a major industrial and naval power with very few rivals. It is currently in an alliance with Audra-Kurona and has business deals with Hylas. The government is a constitutional monarchy which rules a parliamentary democracy with devolved legislatures. The head of state is Queen Joan III and her current Prime Minister is William Ashley. The government has a parliament consisting of the House of Lords (upper house) and the House of Commons (lower house). The flag is a chained swan on a horizontal bicolour of red and green.

*MoroÃ«*: based on Morocco. MoroÃ« is located to the south of the Thalassa. It is mostly desertous and sparsely populated by nomads. In recent years, however, there's been a move to the coastal cities for work. Similar to PieregÃ²rd, MoroÃ« has a unitary, semi-presidential government: the President is Walid Alhabib and the Prime Minister is Ibraham ibn Zyad. The country has a parliamentary legislature consisting of the Council of the Nation (the upper house) and the People's National Assembly (the lower house). Most people practice Shan as their religion (Islam in ceremony, cosmology, monotheism and pro-activeness, Confucian in law, Buddhist in ethics). The flag is a horizontal tricolour of black, white and green.

*Jallawal*: based on Mughal India. Located to the south of Central Gromaya, Jellawal is home to the largest population on earth. Most of its people live within a few kilometres of the Great Shakti River, and this population is growing. The landscape varies from tropical rain forests and savannah to high mountains and vast continental plains. Most water for Jallawal comes from melt run off in the north and the yearly Monsoons. The government is an absolute Monarchy with a federal structure to rule the land. The current emperor is Shah Jamshid, who rules in the summer from the northern capital of Maratha and in the winter from the southern capital of Gujrat. The Shah comes from the ruling, Kathi speaking elite, and while Kathi is an official language, Pari is used by most citizens for business and day to day speech. Jallawal is an officially secular state, though the ruling class practice Shan. It is allied of Audra-Kurona and Hylasia The national flag is a golden lion on a green field with golden stars.


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## ThinkerX (Jan 22, 2014)

Char is a dry planet compared to most other worlds, a landscape of wide plains broken by sheer cliffs and stark mountains.  It's bodies of water are mostly landlocked, or nearly so, and of the lot only the round Cauldron deserves the name 'Ocean'.

The Cauldron sprawls across a quarter of the northern hemisphere, extending four thousand miles from the glacier choked fjiords of the far north to the immensity of the unbounded flatlands south of the equator like some great liquid clock.  Apart from fallen Agba and cursed Traag, the bulk of Chars civilized nations cling to its shores - and so do less civilized realms.

Envision the Cauldron as a clock:  

In the north, at the midnight hour are the islands and capes and rugged shores of the Gotlanders, a once savage people settling into civilization.  Centuries ago, dragon headed long ships carried blond and red bearded raiders to every nation along the shore; but now their descendants sail sleek schooners laden with precious goods from nation to nation.  The sea is their livelihood; most every man amongst them is a fisherman, ship-wright, or mariner.  Their loose confederation includes a mountain of dwarven smithies and an isle populated by elves with their own interests.

Certain of the old Gotlanders were not merely raiders, but conquerors as well; nigh on two centuries ago Olaf the Red took a great force of kin and allies.  He allied with the dwarves and elves of Trolheim, made pacts with the more trustworthy nomads of the east, and struck south and east into the decadent old Archon cities, which had fallen to the hobgoblins.  Twenty years of fire and blood saw the hobgoblins expelled and Olaf the Red became Olaf the Tsar, overlord of Cimmar.  Since that time, a small number of arrogant, brutal Gotlanders have lorded it over a patchwork realm of civilized Archons, abused slavi serfs, rambunctious nomads, and cunning, secretive dwarves and elves.  

South of the Archon cities, the sheer peaks of the Mountains of the Moon march away into the eastern vastness.  Here, at the three o clock position on the face of the Cauldron, lies the Hegemony of the Hobgoblins, an arid realm as vast as it is alien. Here are cities of grey stones fronted by curious sculptures, long leagues of viaducts feeding croplands, and longer leagues of superb stone paved highways.  Know this: goblins and hobgoblins are hatched, not born, and there are a hundred or more males of this species for every female.  The contest for breeding rights is fierce.  In less civilized nations of these folk, assassination and intrigue is common, as are raids for the proving of valor.  The hegemony, though, is civilized and honorable, with defined challenges and duels instead of assassination, along with contests of expertise.  Many take up celibate lives in monasteries.  

Nor is goblinkind the Hegemonies sole race; humans dwell here, many having fled south during the Gotlander conquest, and so do semi-civilized bands of the rachasa catmen, employed as ranchers, trackers, and hunters.

South and west of the Hegemony, the coast turns low and swampy, a domain of fevers, monsters, ghosts, and outcasts.  

Eventually, at the four o clock position, the land dries.  Here are the Nations of Heaven, once a single nation of oriental aspect now sundered into three: Chou, Shou-Lung, and Chen, xeneophobes all.  

Chou is the northernmost of these three, a realm of long rivers winding through fields of grain and rice, with cities comprised of brightly colored buildings, guarded by lockstep soldiers in bamboo armor, and governed by honorable, ruthless Shogun and Samurai.  Outsiders are permitted to dock at just two of its many ports.

Once, Shou-Lung was the heart of this empire, and the old imperial city still lingers somewhere in its swampy interior.  Its officials are more welcoming than their northern neighbors, but also far more corrupt, which shows in the pathetic nature of this realm.  It retains autonomy from Chou solely because of indifference, and avoids being captured by the nomads of the southern plains because of the eastward reaching sliver of water termed the dragon sea to its south.

The waves of the cauldron lap against the grasslands of the southern plains along much of its southern expanse.  These plains cover most of the bottom of the world and are roamed by the hundred nations, nomadic tribes of all races.  Sometimes these tribes band together into vast hordes.  One such horde decimated Agba long ago; another founded the Hobgoblin Hegemony.  The plains hold secrets as well as perils; tales are told around campfires of far southern seas, vast necropolises, alien relics, and a labyrinth larger than many countries.

Naas, situated at about the 7th hour, is sometimes cited as proof of some of the claims made about the plains secrets; prior to its shattering, the Glass Palace was a wonder of the world, as were its automotia.  Both are little more than fragments anymore, for Naas has been oft invaded by nomadic marauders.

Past Naas, across a southward reaching gulf, lies a land of jungles cupped by the Rain Shadow Mountains to the south and west.  These are the Black States, named after the hides of its inhabitants, a domain of primitive tribes and decadent cities perched along muddy monster filled rivers.  These people are fierce warriors, but are better protected by the fevers found in this land; and they do need such protection because they are greatly sought after as slaves by those to the north.

North of the Black States, at about the 9th hour, a large diamond shaped peninsula juts into the waters of the Cauldron, connected to the mainland by the merest sliver.  This peninsula is home to the Free Cities, once part of the Solarian Empire, but who chose rebellion rather than submission to the Cult of the True God.  Then, as now, these fractious states are home to all manner of slavers, pirates, swindlers, heretics, and free thinkers.  They also claim to be the greatest mariners on the Cauldron - though the Gotlanders dispute this.

North of the Free Cities is the reconstituted Solarian Empire.  In days gone by, the old Solarian empires held sway over a realm rivaling even that of Agba (no small thing), but internal upheaval and external invasion atomized it, until the realm was laboriously put together through tedious negotiation and binding pact with the descendants of past invaders.  

Between the 9th and 10th hours, a narrow straight strikes westward from the Cauldron, opening into a long rectangular body of water: the Imperial Sea of Solaria.  Squatting on both shores at the end of this channel is Corber Port, perhaps the largest city in the known world, famous for its markets, academies, and arena's.  The slave worked fields of Niteroi stretch to Corber Ports south, ruled by the cruel and arrogant Maximus family.  West of Niteroi sits ancient Kheff, a southward reaching ribbon of green in a brown waste.  Once, Kheff was a power, noted for its sorceries and military might, but it long ago became Solaria's first conquest.  West of Kheff is Marfak, founded by invaders from the south, taken in turn by Solaria.  It's horses are the stuff of legend.  A blighted wasteland dominates the western end of the Imperial Sea; here a narrow thread of water cuts through the desolation of Drakkar to the Sea of Shadows beyond, on which lies the crumbling cities of ancient Kitrin - once the easternmost outpost of Agba, now merely another province of the Solarian Empire.  North and east of these lands sits Avar, a rough and ready realm named after the people who conquered it.  They did more; the current imperial dynasty, the DuSwaimairs come from this land.  East of Avar, a south jutting peninsula holds scholarly Carbonne; the university of Solace is accounted the greatest in the world.  Solaria is ruled from the emperors throne shaped palace in Princeps, further to the east.  And in the imperial sea's center one finds Sancti Isle, where Solaria began and the True Church now rules from its grand cathedral.

But to the Cauldron, well Solaria, despite not being a nautical power of note, rules most of the shore right up to about the 11th hour, where the strange forested elven realm of Sinaliel touches the briny deep.

And those are the lands of the Cauldron.


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## Mr. Steve (Jan 24, 2014)

*BAKROVIA (Germanic/Slavic)*
Geography: Bakrovia is a land of varied topography and climate.  It is bordered to the west by Alzaria, separated from Alzaria by a mountain range through which there is only one pass of any usability by an army, with only one highway to the west.  To the east, there are the steppes, where the border is somewhat less well-defined, and the borders can vary depending on the ability of the lords of the border lands to hold territory.  To the south, a combination of rivers and mountain ranges separate Bakrovia from Acclesia and Talmonia.  To the north lies the sea.
	Bakrovia is easily defensible from nearly all directions, save for the east; however, there are few, if any, legitimate threats from the east.  The mountain ranges west and south have relatively narrow passes that are secured.  The coast on the north is rocky and craggy, with a few small fishing villages and trade towns in the few areas with a decent natural harbor.  The best natural harbor is home to Raska, a massive port city and the only such port city in all of Bakrovia.  Because of the rocky coast, places where an invading force can land are limited.

	History and Ethnic Makeup: Before the Talman Empire came, the Vinsarri tribes occupied the Bakrovia woodlands.  The Vinsarri tribes were independent from each other, but were organized in a loose coalition that would band together under a common leader in times of strife.  The Vinsarri tribes had coinage, trade, a common language, and writing.
	Bakrovia was the northeastern frontier of the Talman Empire.  It was the last bit of Talman civilization before the steppes, which the Talmans decided was not worth attempting to develop.  The position of Bakrovia made it the choice place of passage for trade to the Far East.  Bakrovia lost some of its status when the Talmans turned their attention to the southeast, the warmer regions to the southeast being seen as preferable for trade, as the route was shorter.  It maintained its importance as a resource center, being rich in mineral and metal resources.
	When the Relus came from the steppes, Bakrovia was abandoned by the eastern half of the empire to protect its inner holdings.  Bakrovia became a holding area for refugees of tribes from the steppes displaced by the aggressive Relus, and fought the Relus to a standstill, ultimately absorbing the Relus and other steppes tribes into their culture.
	Culture:
	Religion: Bakrovians are pantheistic/pagan people, with a multitude of deities.  Their temples, built in the Talman style, are generally ornately appointed with gold, silver, gems, and marble.  Statues depicting the gods are usually made (at least partly) of gold.
                Both men and women are capable of being religious leaders.  The specific exception is the Daughters of Latye, a martial order of battlefield healers; all of them are women, and men are actually forbidden from joining the order except as lay-brothers.
                There are other religions practiced.  Naztianism is by far the most common aside from the Bakrovian pantheon, which itself is split into sects: Talmani Naztianism, which is practiced throughout most of the continent, and Orthodox Naztianism, practiced in Talmonia and in the lands where Naztianism originated.  Orthodox followers are referred to as “The Wayward” by Talmani practitioners, and are deemed heretics.  Most Bakrovian Naztians are of the Orthodox variety, as Bakrovia has become something of a refuge for those fleeing persecution further west.

Gender: Men and women in Bakrovia are generally treated equally.  The law recognizes no inherent distinctions, and men and women are equally capable of holding professions, owning and inheriting property, and even taking up arms.  To the extent there is unequal treatment, it is generally reserved to insular communities dominated by followers of Talmani Naztianism.

Advancement: Although the Talmans bragged that, in conquering the Vinsarri who occupied the Bakrovi woodlands, they brought civilization to another savage, unrefined people, in reality the Vinsarri were quite advanced.  The Vinsarri had written language, standardized coinage, basic sanitation systems, and walled, permanent settlements.  The Vinsarri had fairly advanced building techniques and metalworking, particularly steel, and certainly knew the value of the metal and mineral deposits their lands were blessed with.  All the Talmans really did was introduce new building techniques, new materials like marble and concrete, and new aesthetic tastes.
Hygiene: The Vinsarri, from the beginning, were fastidious groomers and bathers.  Old Vinsarri texts included recipes for soaps, hair styling pomades, oils, and waxes, and depilatories and cosmetics.  Talman influence only expanded the array of cosmetics and personal care items available.
	Vinsarri bathhouses were buildings of stone and wood.  While there were cold and warm pools, everybody was expected to start in the steam baths.  The steam baths consisted of a large iron plate over a bed of coals or a fire, onto which water was poured.  Breathing the steam was said to clean the inside of the body and improve health, and the steam certainly wet the occupants of the steam bath, who would soap themselves in the steam bath and rinse before going in to the pools.  Baths were not segregated, and men and women bathed together freely.  The Talmans only introduced larger and more ornate bathhouses, as well as a wider array of soaps and scented oils.

	Government: Bakrovia can best be described as a republican government with a constitutional monarchy (although there is no formal constitution).  There is a reigning sovereign who, in theory, has immense power; in practice, the use of that power is constrained by historical custom and the law.  The throne is passed to the firstborn, male or female, of the current ruler.
	All adult citizens in good standing (as in, not outlaws or convicted criminals) have the right to vote in elections.  In practicality, however, only those in major urban centers can really fully vote, if only because gathering and counting votes from remote, small communities is sometimes not always feasible.  In practicality, those communities are generally led by their local noble lord, although the people have the right to form an advisory council, and a noble lord who acts too freely against the council can face trouble.
	The bulk of the lawmaking is done by the elected Assembly, a legislative council.  The Assembly is led by the Speaker, who is chosen by the Assembly.  The Speaker has no vote on the floor, but does have the authority to either pass or veto the laws proposed by the Assembly.
	Law in Bakrovia is a mix of statute and case decisions, with emphasis on the concept of stability and using past decisions to guide future decisions.  There is a system of judges who interpret the law and adjudicate cases between the people of Bakrovia, and hold criminal trials.  There is also the Court of the Sovereign, which is the court of equity presided over by the reigning King or Queen, and their appointed Ministers of Justice.  Having no power over matters of law in general, the Court of the Sovereign hears matters of equity, resolving disputes for which there is no remedy in statute, or, in rare situations, where strict adherence to statute would lead to an absurd or unjust result.  It is generally regarded as a court of conscience, where amicable resolution of disputes and ultimately maintaining fairness is the goal.
Economy: The Bakrovian monetary system uses coinage quite similar to that used by the Talman Empire at its height of power.  Talman coinage was, at that time, strictly regulated and denominations of value were on a base-10 number system.  The names of Bakrovian coins are very similar to the names used by the Talmans themselves, and indeed one would not be incorrect to use the Talman terms if they desired.
Bit: Small copper coin, the smallest denomination.
10 Bits					=			1 Assarius/Assar, a larger copper coin
10 Assarius or 100 Bits			=			1 Silver Denarius/Denar
10 Denarius				        =			1 Gold Sovereign
100 Sovereigns				=			1 Gold solidus
The metals in the other Bakrovian coinage is debased with other metals to keep the values under control.  The gold solidus, in contrast, is a coin of pure gold.  The gold solidus is seldom used in general commerce, except to conduct particularly large transactions or for government expenditures.  However, because Bakrovia has the beginnings of a banking system, instead of carrying around huge amounts of coin one can write a draft against funds they have on deposit in a lending house and pay with that.  As such, the solidus is most commonly used as a store of particularly large value in the state treasury or in the vaults of the lending houses.
The silver denar is the most commonly encountered coin in the Bakrovian economy.  The silver denar is the generally-accepted going daily wage for a common, unskilled laborer.  Those with valuable skills, or educated professionals, would, of course, command more compensation.

Taxes: Taxes are levied on property owned and incomes.  There is, additionally, a capitis tax that is levied on the population; the amount of this tax depends on the payor's social status.  There are also taxes on trade, both imports, exports, and internal trade.  Finally, there are modest per-use fees of various public services and functions, though others are free to use.


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## Gryphos (Feb 26, 2014)

I've started to world build a bit more for the gaslight/steampunk-esque world I've got going and so far I've come up with three distinct nations.

*Kingdom of Pelepan*

The only pure monarchy in the world, mediterranean inspired (Italian, Spanish etc.). The entire kingdom lies along a stretch of sunbathed coast, guarded to the other side by an enveloping mountain range. The capital city of Crownport is on a small bay, as well as completely isolated by a wall of mountains, making it very difficult to access by foot. But in a world filled with airships it's no more difficult than getting there by sea. The King's Fleet, both marine and aerial, is one of the most powerful military forces.

*Voltun Commonwealth*

The loose collection of city states that dot the Voltun Plains. German inspired in terms of names and the cities have that classic 19th century industrial city aesthetic. The unofficial capital of the Commonwealth is Vort Svatten, also known as the "plateau city", due to the giant plateau it sits upon, as well as its distinctive flat cityscape silhouette. It's a rather bland city filled with uniform buildings. Each city is governed independently by a small council and there is also a Voltun Parliament in Vort Svatten where representatives from every Voltun city meet and discuss actions. The main backbone of Voltun's economy is in gas mining.

*Socialist Republic of Anvark (SRA)*

A huge scandinavian inspired nation, situated in the cold south. The nation is a democracy and the parliament is known as the 'Althing'. Anvark is pretty much a utopia, devoid of corruption and class exploitation. All people receive a citizen's wage by the Althing, enough to live off, even if that person has a job. All earnings above this are taxed heavily, but the increase added earning over the citizen's wage is enough that people of Anvark ('Varks') work hard and endeavour for comfortable living, but are never at risk of starving to death upon unemployment. All essential institutions like healthcare and education are nationalised and completely free. People are free to set up private businesses in areas such as the manufacturing industry, but it is regulated and taxed heavily by the Althing. Anvark is a veritable powerhouse of industry, especially the areas of airship manufacture. It also has one of the strongest militaries.


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## Wanara009 (Feb 28, 2014)

Here's a few nations from my full-fledged world-building project that in-universe is considered 'super-powers':

*Matramani* (Capital: Surakarta) (Symbol: A monstrous tusked crocodile locked in a struggle against a serpentine shark)
_Inspiration: Majapahit Empire, mixed in with the latter Demak and Mataram Kingdom._
Matramani is a country occupying the fertile Emerald Isles, an archipelago of over 16,000 small islands with five major ones. Each one of these five have a different tribe, each with their own cultural identity that they fight tooth and nail to preserve. However, they all answer to the same banner and that is the banner of Matramani.

The kingdom have a reputation of being warlike and aggressive, which is half-true. They are aggressive expansionist, but they prefer to subjugate other nations through all means but warfare if they can help it.

*Harad Zul'fiqar* (Capital: Baghlad) (Symbol: A green crescent moon rising over a sand dune)
_Inspiration: Caliphate Middle-East_
Possibly the oldest and certainly the largest nation in the continent. However, its size can be misleading for its people were the only ones willing occupy the Great Desert that took up most of the continent. The people used to be divided and savage but they all rallied under a prophet, who in addition to spreading his religion rebuilt the culture of its people. The result was a nation dedicated to the pursuit of peace and knowledge.

Harad subsist mostly on trades and fees paid by scholars who wished to study in its great academy. Most of the world's arcane devices is invented here.

*Sang-Tzu* (Capital: Dai-Jing) (Symbol: A man and woman encircled by a serpentine dragon)
_Inspiration: Mix between modern and ancient China_
Sang-Tzu used to be known as Qin, an aggressive, militaristic empire. However, the empire overstretched itself and collapsed. A few decades later, it was reborn as Sang-Tzu. Unlike its predecessor, Sang-Tzu are more peaceful but infinitely more cunning.Sang-Tzu has styled itself to become a nation of trader, scholar, and craftsmen, led by a council composed of people from said profession. Half of the mundane technologies on the continent, such as gunpowder and printing press, came from this nation. 

While not as aggressive as Matramani, Sang-Tzu is still a conquering nation. Their favourite tactic is to corner a nation's economy until they have no choice but to bow down to Sang-Tzu's sovereignty.

*Volgograd* (Capital: Isengrad) (Symbol: a white saber-toothed wyvern perched on a cliff with full moon as backdrop)
_Inspiration: Tsarist Russia mixed with Viking_
Volgograd is the second biggest nation in the continent, occupying the cold northern region. The harsh lifestyle required to survive in the region had forged its people into stout, heavily muscled men and women of great strength and endurance.

Volgograd is a militaristic mercenary nations, lending its powerful army to countries that could pay its fee.

*West Frontier* (Capital: Ulysses Capitol City) (Symbol: A sabre and a musket crossed over a blue-white-red shield)
_Inspiration: Old West America, just around the time of the railroad boom_
Originally a colony of the now destroyed Anglish Empire, the West Frontier had become entirely dependent on technology for they occupy a region where no arcane phenomenon or device could operate. Half of the mundane technology, such as diesel engine and legged war-machine, originates from this proud country.

While peaceful and mostly isolationist, the West Frontier have no qualm about striking against someone that had harm it.

*War-Forged Empire* (Capital: Sun-Forge City) (Symbol: A winged dragon with a floating crown on its head)
_Inspiration: Roman Empire mixed with steampunk... if its built by lizard people_
Occupying the entire continent of Ca-To-Las, the War-Forged Empire is the largest nation in the world. It is populated by lizard-like and short-lived Drakoses and the longer-living amphibous Ambianis, the latter serving the former as second-class citizen. Its society are based around honour in combat and rapid advancemen

Since Drakos does not believe in the arcane, they built their society around fire and iron. The nations are in constant state of change due to the short-lives of the drakos, yet it remained strong and solid due to the unwavering code and conviction that transcend generations.


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## Stephyn Blackwood (Apr 5, 2014)

In Ballach I have:

*Highfield*
A medieval England style nation, ruled by a single King who appoints his castles to Lords and Barons. Its a very agricultural area, living off wheat and potato farming. Small yet strong military force, named Stagblades 

*Eastborne*
Very similar to Highfield, but is far more military based, its army focusing more on numbers that military training. 

*Fysher*
A marshland kingdom, ruled by one King who oversees every little town and village. Relies heavily on the fishing trade, selling everything form salmon to frogs.

*Thurulim*
A very mountainous region, ruled by the 5 Mountain Lords. Each year they elect one High King who then is given slightly more power than the other Lords. They make most of their money from the selling of _Manullian_, a precious metal which can cut through steel. It is extremely expensive and very few men own blades made from it.

*Danerak*
A country deep in civil war, split into three different factions: 
_Orachi_ Ruled by Tommet Ironwolf, they fight to put Tommet. 
_Jerruls_ Ruled by Filge Ongaar, they plan to put a democracy in place in Danerak, wanting freedom for all and a fair way of life. 
_Hiemveni_ Ruled by Shadbak Brodkrien, they were the slaves of the _Orachi_ for generations and now wish to be free of their chains, Shadbak rallied a force of soldiers to his side and now fights for his peoples freedom.

*Aramoor* 
A nation ruled by the church, the high priest is in power at all times. It's people are bent on conserving the religion as it is slowly fading from other parts of Ballach. They themselves worship the death godess Ekphion and her 3 sons Aedis,Vonhas and Eohr.

_Lumanaris_
Another nation ruled by the church, but each city has its own high priest who each rule as they see fit. They all pray to The Godess, represented by The Moon.


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## Duncan M (Apr 6, 2014)

*My apologies if my spelling brings tears to your eyes, as I'm not able to install ieSpell on this computer.*

Surprisingly, the Earthly component of my own world has only one "race" in the sense of species. There are however several ethnic/racial varieties of Humans, each of which take on distinct cultural identities.

I've only extensively mapped out one continent and have glimpses of another, but several nations/city-states have sprung up in my world. The first continent, called _Rahkelar_ or "the blessed land," has two language groups. That's the best way to divvy them up in my opinion, so let's start from there. As of now, this land is transitionin between a pseudo-medieval phase of technology into a kind of rennaisance.

*Andromedic Language Group*

*States of Asyon* - 'The Scorched Plateau' Asyon is an arid place, located in the Northern center of Rahkelar with the Sea to the North. Most of its significant populations live in city-states, many of which are subject to other, larger ones. One of these cities was formerly known as _ThÃ«odas_ ('the lake town') and was the capital of a short-lived but important nation, known as the _Andromedic_ empire for one of their ruling dynasties. This empire swept out into the surrounding lands, building roads and spreading its language through the subdued peoples. However, it collapsed due to internal strife before it could culturally assimilate  the other populations. All of the nations in its namesake language group speak a derivative of Andric. Since the empire's fall in the year [SUP]RE[/SUP]0, the (mostly monarchal) states have been struggling to reassert any kind of unity or dominance over the land.

Some of these states include:
*Taphyra* - an agricultural capital on the delta of the river Tif, the oldest living city on the continent.
*Vran-Ela* - a smaller, militaristic state near the center of the arid plateau.
*ThÃ«odas* - former capital of the Andromedic empire, a shadow of its former self.
*Samorya-Dula* - another militaristic state in the hills, survives via hegemony of its smaller neighbors.

I won't torture you with more of these. They're not as interesting as the others anyway. ​
*Pyondea* - 'Land of the Sun People' A loose confederation of clan-states and cities inhabiting a peninsula which juts from the Eastern flank of its continent. Their politics boil down to the squabbles of powerful clan patriarchs and the landed nobility subject to them. The central authority changed sporatically as one _gins_(clan) became more powerful than the last and politically usurped them. This cycle ended in the year [SUP]RE[/SUP]1445 when the country was finally united under an imperial dynasty of the Gins _Ab Ors_.

As time went on, the Pyondei (plural) became increasingly militaristic and developed a sense of nationalism. This boded poorly for their neighboring states, who were repeatedly invaded and/or occupied by the Pyondei armies. The Pyondei, however, are rarely interested in assimilating other peoples into their culture; their leaders have mostly been focused on solidifying the shaky pedastal of power at home and reinforcing/changing the cultural status quo. Their favored symbol is a depiction of the rising Sun, and their preferred language is an Andric derivative called Pyondei (I've almost fully constructed this one!).

*Kingdom of Arolem* - 'River Valley' Arolem is just that: a wet, fertile lowland wedged in-between Pyondea and the rest of the mainland. This place's strategic vulnerability combined with the rudeness of its neighbors prompted the people to set up a constitutional monarchy which prompts the landed nobility to elect a king upon the death of the old one (think early Rome). The king's main duty is to raise an army and provide for national defense, but the nobles' faith in this autocrat inevitably leads to problems... That's for another thread, though. Their language is very similar to Pyondei (it's more like another dialect).

*Okkadea* - 'Setting Land' This is a dimunitive name given to the continent's Western slice by the Pyondei. This highly-forested, somewhat wild land is home to a formerly-invasive ethnic group called the Okkad--known for their large stature, fair features, and ferocity in battle. The Okkads make up the majority of the nobility, most of whom answer to a hegemon in the city of Bevalle, which straddles the border with Asyon. They've often been in conflict with the denizens of Asyon over their fertile land and resources, and this near-perpetual series of border wars has propped the military aristocracy to an apex of influence.

*Es Narya* - 'High-Mountain Land' Es Narya is the least populous and arguably least attractive place in the area. It lies north of Arolem, north-east of Asyon, and is severed from Pyondea by the _Pylar Sea_. The Andromedei invaded it in aeons past for its ample mineral resources, but they found the rest of it rather unattractive and didn't push very far North. Subsequently, the pre-urban lifestyle of its inhabitants remains largely intact, and only two major cities sit at the feet of its craggy mountain ranges. Most other people here live in villages and herd goats or sheep for a living. The closest thing to a government here is located in _Suūmdas_, and most landowners/villages pay it an ample tax. This land is fortunate to rarely suffer from invasions by the Asyonei or Pyondei, but the terrain makes life difficult for its commoners.

*The Gnossic Language Group*

*NÃ«sos* - 'Frigid Land' Nesos is almost directly south of Asyon, and the border is formed by a fierce mountain range which breaks the two apart (kind of like the Himalayas, now that I think of it). Thanks to that obstacle, the Andromedei never dared set foot in NÃ«sos, and it's hard to find an Andric-speaker among the _Gnossi _(local ethnic group). This place is thickly-forested with an endless expanse of conifers, and it has an unnaturally-short growing season (perhaps for supernatural reasons). Most of the population work the fields during the summer and huddle into its few cities to weather the winter.

NÃ«sos hasn't been politically-united since the dawn of history; and its only known ruler partitioned the land among his progeny, who proceeded to fight over it and annihilate any sense of unity the place ever had. War is impractical in the winter here, so most conflicts are short and accomplish very little.

*Gnossos* - 'Land of the Fair-Skinned' The alleged homeland of the Gnossi. It's a much more hospitable province located in-between icy NÃ«sos and Okkadea. The societies here live in tribes, who battle constantly over land and villages. They are only known to have banded together once in history: to repel the Andromedei, which they did effectively. They then went back to fighting one another (predictably).

---

Thus are the nations of Rahkelar. I've spent most of my time on the Pyondei, as they fascinate me the most and have a great role to play. I am however, hugely-interested in developing these others and providing input for anyone else who wants it.


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## Jabrosky (Apr 6, 2014)

Tentative "nations" (really regions with many tribes) for my WIP _Coming of the Gods_...

*The Northlands:* This region has a temperate to subarctic climate, ending in a vast glacier that covers the northernmost coast. Ice Age mammals like woolly mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and ground sloths dominate the ecology's megafauna. The local hunter-gatherers all have white skin, blond or red hair, and Celtic or Norse-sounding names.

*The Olive Coast:* Mediterranean climate with scrubby chaparral and groves of olive, cedar, and date palm trees. The terrain is rugged with many volcanoes, which the local inhabitants regard as almost god-like. These people have moderately brown skin, wavy black hair, and names that may sound Greek, Latin, or Spanish. Fishing and commerce with both Northlanders and more southerly nations are the mainstays of their economy.

*The Red Sands:* Scorching hot desert like the Sahara or Arabia. The dark-skinned peoples who forage in this country physically and culturally resemble Australian Aborigines in many ways, although some have settled down in reed-hut villages alongside oases like early Mesopotamians.

*The Sunbaked Savanna:* Tropical grassland with scattered acacia, baobab, and palm trees that supports both mammalian and dinosaurian megafauna. The savanna tribes who hunt and farm this land have very black skin, tall and lean physiques, and Egyptian-style names. Unlike some of the foraging peoples to their north, the savanna tribes have the vestiges of monarchic government in their leaderships.

*The Ebon Jungle:* Humid tropical rainforest where dinosaurs and other reptiles reign supreme. The people living here have pseudo-Nigerian or Congolese names, cocoa skin not quite as dark as the savanna-dwellers, and shorter statures. They may live either as foragers or as sedentary agriculturalists who farm river floodplains.


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## James Chandler (Apr 11, 2014)

Wow. I feel like such a slacker. My efforts have been devoted to story and plot. My world building has been focused on the magic system(s) and things like how stuff works. My nation building has been focused entirely on one country where most of the action takes place. As I have been writing, I have hinted at a couple of others, but the rest of my world is kind of empty. But, then, most of the other countries follow some form of feudalism.


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## ThinkerX (Apr 12, 2014)

> Wow, how do you manage to keep the story straight on 20 different nation states? Do they all play into a single story or is it a series of stories in a larger world you're developing? I can't manage much more than 4-6 "nations" in fear that I'll start mixing them up and be inconsistent.



In my case, its not a single story, but a growing collection of short stories, novella's and a not overly long novels.  Characters from one story sometimes appear or get mentioned in another.  Toki the mage and Hock-Nar his hobgoblin companion roam Cimmar and the southern plains.  On the other side of the Cauldron, the Solarian mage Lysander struggles to unlock the mysteries of Traags demon based magic.  In Solaria's heartland, the budding merchants assistant Tia stumbles into one dark situation after another.  The arrogant nobleman Titus Maximus embarks on a quest taking him from southern Solaria to the far side of the world.  Plus other tales.


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