There are many factions that exist in the great continent, though the Revaaran Empire and Gulldahn Kingdoms were at the forefront of the recovery of Centran Technology, many other factions are still to this day vying for lost tech, Etherium deposits and territory. Each faction has various attributes that set it apart and make them easy to identify. As with the Revaarans and Gulldahn, most factions stemmed from a Colony, Work camp or Ancients outpost that was left to its own devices after the great Exodus. When the Ancients first settled the colony, they organised humans by what climate and workload they favoured, as opposed to race or gender. This means that though the factions show favouritism to a certain look or style, this is more to do with the climate and work requirements than their heritage pre-colony.

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Here are the basics of the other nations you'll encounter. Much information will be discoverable among rumors, reports and other people's encounters. It is a diplomat's duty to find this information to find weaknesses and bargaining chips to use at the negotiating table. Check with other diplomats, NPCs and the report documents in the Faction's war table.

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Kae'zo Empire

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Their lands comprise mostly of swamps, the people were sent there to gather oil and pitch that can be found in the deep marshlands. Once the Ancient's left, they had to deal with the many perils. The swamp is home to many types of venomous snakes, giant leeches and various other animals and insects. Their medicine had to advance quickly to deal with demands, on top of this, they developed ways to use the poisons of the swamps to their benefit. Though their military is quite minor, their elite troops use poisoned weapons to inflict more lasting damage to their enemies. What the Kae'zo are known for more are their healers. Much of the higher echelons of the Attraxan medial corps are led by Kae'zo herbalists. Their Empire does not seem interested in expanding but they are on the hunt for technological and medical advancements. Many Ancient sites in neighbouring lands have been marked by the banner of the Frog, the heraldic beast of Kae'zo.

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Kingdom of Nauternus

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The beaches of the Western Bay is held soley by the Kingdom of Nauternus. An almost entirely Naval based faction, they control almost all the waters of the Western side of the Continent. Their fleet, flying banners of the Kraken, is the strongest in the Continent. Starting as a fishing camp by the Ancients in order to feed the human workforce of the entire continent. What terrain they do have is tall forest, forestry has reduced much of this to provide lumber for their ships. The mechanical ships the Ancients supplied sank much the same time that they left, seemingly self sabotaging once they were relinquished of command. The Queen Of Oceans, the ruling Monarch of the Nauternus, prides herself of being unbending in their naval power. The primary reason they haven't stretched their influence is more of convenience than lack of ability. Their warships do not have the supply capacity for voyages longer than a month, Their lack of favour for taking territory means they haven't settled ports anywhere else. Recent reports show that this attitude may be changing.

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Vottrun Republic

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A mountainous region, Castle towers spiral high into the clouds, what few can be seen through the mists fly the Ram banner. This region was colonised to harvest its superior stone reserves, the toughest Granite and Slate is quarried from deep in the mountain regions. To resist landslides, the populace live in heavily fortified Castles, Citadels and cities carved out from the rock face. Their is a common misconception that the Vottrun are slow and are too lazy to expand beyond their borders. The truth is more that they prefer defense over attack, their troops used thick armour gathered from the metals mined from the mountains, large shields and are often considered implacable. The Vottrun lack any form of "Capital". Instead, one Fort was repurposed to house their Republic Senate. Representatives from each region gather there, along with diplomats and dignitaries, to discuss the future of the Republic as a whole. They look down on people who impose power upon others without challenge, they rarely ever will deal directly with anyone calling themselves of a royal line or next in line for leadership. All Republic representatives are frequently put to election, chosen by the people they represent. This happens so often, as is the case, they spend almost as much time lobbying for support for the next election than actually in the Senate house making decisions.

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Caizzano Principalities

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North-East of the Casshi'aan Border lies the Caizzano, a series of small cities each led by a Merchant prince. They rarely, if ever, hold a united front for any purpose other than to defend their borders. There is a lot of infighting among the Merchant princes, vying for power and riches held by their neighbours. Their cities are situated on or near to rich veins of silver, providing much of the wealth to the cities and the merchant princes, it was found later that a special type of salt also found in the region was a good conductor for Etherium energy in earlier iterations of the science. Etherium engines still use solutions made with the salt to help with the energy transfer, making the region just as successful from the Magic-Industrial Revolution. There are rumors that the Mercenaries that took over much of the Casshi'aan lands were either paid to do it by one of the Merchant Princes or were let go from their service and had nowhere else to go. Regardless, once the Revaarans drove them out, they fled back to Caizzano lands. Either way, some members bore the Snake heraldry of the Caizzano, though each Principality bears the form of a different snake. Their lands are split in half by a mountain range, the south shares the desert terrain of the Casshi'aan, the north is lush tropics, the very north border is edged with jungle. Most of the Principalities are central to the territory, close to the mountain range which appears to be the source of the wealth of silver.

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The ZirRini Theocracy

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Though the Zirrini are considered one of the most influential superpowers in the continent, their land consist of little more than a small City State., though the city itself is a Gleaming Beacon of Prosperity. The walls are titanic, the Citadel shines with a Golden Aura. They call this a Divine Providence of the Ancients, who they hold as Gods who walk the earth, though most see the truth in this. Though they are a religious order, their success is mostly due to their accountancy skills. They are a bank. The largest banking power in the Continent. On top of that, the City sits astride a chasm. Deep in the chasm is a wealth of Gold Ore, the same gold Ore they used to fund the construction of their city and field their influence. Before the city was built, the prospecting town were often raided by their two neighbouring factions. After it was finally completed, all other settlements were abandoned and left to be taken over. Once the other factions realised how much resources it would require to besiege the Grand Cathedral, they gave up hope. The Zirrini Church then flipped the odds in their favour. They bought the loyalty of the neighbouring factions, both became subservient to their demands. Two whole factions answered their call until recently. After the Royal line was cut from one of the factions, they became annexed by the Nauternus to keep them from further raiding. This annex is soon to fall however, the Nauternus lack the territorial reach to hold it much longer. Most believe the Zirrini will install a puppet leader, though this is only speculation. Zirrini colours bear the heraldry of a Golden Firebird. Some believe it to be a Phoenix, Historians believe the ship that ferried out the gold bore a resemblance to a mythical Pre-ancient creature, though none of this can be proven.

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The Rhinen Federation

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The Rhinen territories are a barren place, Rocky Lowlands and higher Plateau cover much of the landscape. Very little is usable as farmland, they depend on their mines, ironworks and forges to provide trade for building materials, food and other necessities. They supply the best metals to other nations, this has provided them with relative safety from attack as nobody would risk the attention being drawn. Shortly after the Disappearance of the Centrans, the territory to the west of Rhinen became home to Bandit Lords, large scale criminals and Exiled faction leaders who attracted the loyalties of other criminals, dissidents, turncoats and murderous ex-soldiers lacking purpose following the Attraxan Accord. Of late, the Rhinen have been put under pressure by these Bandit Lords. The Forgemasters, the defacto leaders of the Rhinen, may soon succumb to the Bandit Lords' influence if nothing is done to remedy the situation. This is not helped by their unfavourable political stance. They distrust the Revaarans due to their technological advancements whilst not relying on their Metals Monopoly. They have good ties to the Gulldahn kingdoms but are situated poorly to ask them for assistance, the wrong side of the Bandit Barrens in fact. Soon the Canary banner may fall.....

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Isla Cosma

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Out in the seas of the Eastern coast of the continent lies Isla Cosma, an excluded island rich in metal and minerals. Most notably a type of crystal unique to the island that can be used in the production of coolant rods for Etherium engines. The production process of these rods is a closely guarded secret among the islanders. Due to the high amount of metals in the island the surrounding seas are not well suited for marine life and fertile farming ground is hard to come by. This means that the islanders rely on trade with the continent to attain food for the population. Lucky for them, they have the monopoly on Etherium coolant. With the war raging on continent there is constant demand. The island itself has been heavily fortified, made possible by the near limitless supplies of materials found deep within the land. This means that even those nations with considerable naval power would be hard pressed to take the island by force. It is because of this that a strong trade relationship has been formed between the island and the Nauternus As the island does not have the technology to create ships capable of long distance travel, they rely on the ships of the Nauternus. Ships that require a lot of Etherium coolant. It is this symbiotic relationship that has kept these two nations in amicable standing for such a long time.

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Amani Lowlanders

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The Amani Lowlands are a large area of fertile land made perfect for farming due to its low altitude. In the times of the Ancients these lands produced enough food to feed nearly the entire continent. The humans who worked these lands were taught very efficient farming methods to get the most possible produce out of the land. Although many of the Ancient techniques have been long forgotten, the natural affinity for agriculture has not been lost within the people of the lowlands. The Amani are still renowned as the best farmers in all of the continent. They are respected by many of the other nations whose homelands do not support growth of food in a sustainable manner. It is for this reason that the Amani have little conflict in their history. Their contribution to the continent as a whole is respected and outside nations are happy to benefit from the fruit of their labor in return for peace. Those with ill intent to the Amani have historically suffered at the hands of their many allies. Although the Amani do not have official armies their combat strength should not be underestimated. As a farming nation the have become very skilled with tools such as scythes and threshers. This skill has been shown to great effect not only in farming, but in combat situations as well. Though their military presence is very minimal, of the few military encounters they have had, none have returned to tell of it. People are unsure what the Amani did, but it was highly effective. It would be best if you never encounter the banner of the stag on the battlefield.

 

The Bandersknecht

 

Once they were a collection of roving bands of mercenaries, striking out to parts unknown to ply their trade to the highest bidder. When times were lean, they'd often go on raids to gather resources to see them through the dry spell, which often led them to the gold mines in the neighboring territories. This quickly changed however when the Zirrini Theocracy organised themselves and funded the construction of their giant citadel. With this deprivation of potential resources, many of the Bandersknecht settlements started infighting. The Zirrini then presented them with an offer. Become unified, follow the Theocracy and do what they want, and they will never need for anything again. The towns almost unanimously agreed, prosperity came to the land and they never needed to go on raids since. Nowadays they still act as mercenaries but will never take contracts against the Zirrini and will always favour work with the Zirrini over other nations. Their unified name, Bandersknecht, comes from the fact that they cannot be bribed out of contracts. Though they are mercenaries they have a strict code of seeing the contract through, unwavering in their honour to their word. The Bandersknecht commonly wear decoratively slashed clothing in a variety of colours, outlandish cuts and big, flaring garments. The peacock, their heraldic beast, is very telling of their style.

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Solaris Collective

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Clad in golden raiment the Solaris Collective act primarily under the Zirrini Theocracy will. With the vast fortunes the church offers the Solaris are happy to serve as the churches private army. The Solaris were formed in the times if the last Gulldahn war out of the houses of dukes who swayed loyalty to the churches near limitless wealth, over their own kingdom. The war saw many houses fall into poverty and the church took the opportunity to strike and snatch themselves an army desperate for a way out. The Solaris are not to be mistaken for the Bandersknecht who also work under the church. Whereas they act as enforcers, collecting debts and extorting businesses, the Solaris act as a defensive army. This is to protect the church from other nations seeking a slice of their fortune. One can easily identify a Solaris soldier by their gleaming golden armour and the Golden Eagle heraldry. The name Solaris came from the first battle they were fielded in. The intense dazzling sunlight reflecting off their armour saw the attackers at a huge disadvantage. They have since become known for using bright light as a tactic to stall the advance of opposing forces.

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Shadowlands

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The Shadowlands are a territory stepped in mystery and secrets. Bathing in the shadow of the great mountains north of Eisengarm, they are the perfect place for those of a more secretive disposition. There are many different stories of the Shadowlanders history, almost certainly fabricated by the people to mask the truth. The Shadowlanders are a society based in secrets, deception and manipulation. They are extremely adept at coercing others to their will, whether this be for profit, power or just a twisted idea of entertainment. Those who deal with these people should always be on guard lest they find themselves tricked in to acting against their own best interests.

People of the Shadowlands are said to give themselves many different names. A Shadowlander's true name is their most closely guarded secret. Normally only their parents and spouse hold this information. It is custom for couples to exchange names at their weddings in place of rings. Telling someone their true name is the deepest show of trust and is an admission that they will never lie to that person. One fact is commonly accepted about the Shadowlanders and that is their skills as spies and information brokers. Many of the other powers on the continent are said to have made use of these skills in the past, not that there is ever any conclusive evidence of course. Their representatives can be singled out by the Black Fox Heraldry.

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Children of the Pillar

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The Children of the Pillar are a curious society who strictly follow a way of life focused on respecting nature. Violence is completely forbidden and machinery is seen as a threat to the balance if nature. The Children of the Pillar were previously people of the Amani Lowlands, back in the age of the Ancients. One day one of the prominent Ancients who supervised the farm production went in to the nearby forest and was not seem again for 2 weeks. When he returned he seemed very tranquil and even had a slight green tint to his skin. The Ancient decreed that the first born child of every family joined him on a trip back in to the forest. Those taken by the Ancient began a new society in the forest. The Ancient orders that a stone pillar be constructed in the centre of the settlement. On this pillar the Ancient sat, completely still and without eating and drinking. The people came to believe he was sustaining solely on the essence of nature itself. Over time plants grew up the pillar and covered the Ancient. When the Ancients disappeared only a bark like shell remained The people gave up all violence due to a sickness that struck those who acted in an aggressive manner. Those who attack the Children are said to suffer the same sickness. To this day Children of the Pillar are strict pacifists and do not use weaponry in any way. The Children attempt to reduce conflict in the continent by offering some of the lush bounty of the forest to those who take steps along the road to pacifism. Those who make attempt to reduce their damage to the natural world are favoured. The Dragonfly is the mark of their influence.