[@Bright_Ops] The Darkness cannot increase in number in the sea province, instead imagine that they are continuously pushing in from the east/west respectively from an unknown point off board

[@Mardox] Not that there all that many NPC nations left, but theoretically they could. While the Darkness itself is a staggeringly large army of monsters, they are led by Arch-Lich who can look like any other Magi and be very convincing.