Dominion of Kelnore
The Dominion of Kelnore is made up primarily from various beastmen variants. The national founder, Dokhak, a massive minotaur united the Dominion through pure fighting power and a reign of terror towards his enemies. He drove out most of the foreign races on the island and established himself as it's unified first ruler after a decade of struggle.
Before the Dominion was created the island was made up of various beastmen factions. Mostly they lived in peace with the occasional skirmish against each other. This all changed though when the other nations landed on the island. The different factions were goaded to fight each other by promises of riches, glory and support to settle old grudges.
The capital of Tamash Ahir was already build a few decades before the unification of the lands by human hands when the Kron Nesis wanted to establish a foothold on the island to exploit its natural resources. The island itself might be mostly barren but the mountains hold riches beyond counting along with massive coral reefs along the coastlines. Dokhak made the city the Dominion's capital out of spite towards Kron Nesis.
The Grand Kingdom of Kron-Nesis
The Grand Kingdom of Kron-Nesis is one of the largest kingdoms in Telduria, rivalled only by the Northern Alliance and the Fang Lands. The Kingdom has a long and proud tradition of knightly orders and could be considered the major player when it comes to mounted combat.
Kron-Nesis is primarily made up from humans and various races which serves as slave labour. While not all foreign races are made into slaves, most of them came to the kingdom through slave trade and war. In the kingdom if you're born to a slave, you're a slave, unless a free person claims you as their offspring. The only way out of slavery is earning enough favour to be released, escape, or death.
The capital of Kron-Nesis is Tarantis, the jewel of the south, as it's also called. The city is almost entirely made out of marble, jewels and other precious stones and materials. The royal family likes to flaunt their wealth and you're supposed to be awed when you enter, or even see the capital. They want to make damn sure you know why it's called the Grand Kingdom after all.
Darakeene Protectorate
A small nation to the west of Kron-Nesis. Made out primarily of dwarfs and crafty races in general. The mountain chain which divides the protectorate and Kron-Nesis is a highly contested area which wherein skirmishes happen almost daily. Neither side is willing to commit a large force though since the mountains hinder Kron-Nesis formidable cavalry to engage the enemy. While the Drakeene employ cannons which spew fire like the dragons of legends.
These cannons is also why the nation is named as it is. It was through the use of these cannons that the protectorate won its independence from Kron-Nesis. Something which greatly irritates the nobility of Kron-Nesis and are adamant to take the territory back and once again unite the peninsula under its iron rule.
Illvandrin
The proud nation of Illvandrin, or the Forest Heart as it's more commonly called outside its borders. The nation of elves, pixies, dryads and other various fay creatures. The forest itself guards against trespassers that the forest haven't approved for entry. This is the reason which any visitors have to go through set up custom posts or risk the wrath of the forest. While the forest won't harm those that do it it's it inhabitants no harm, it's merciless towards those that would harm them.
Illvandrin has two capitals, one for the elves and one for the rest. Curael Endir is the elven capital deep inside of the forest. This was the original capital. It's as ancient as the forest itself. Arathene is the capital of the the rest of the races that inhabit the nation. While this is not a strict policy and the races often intermingle, the main reason for this being the case is that Curael Endir hold the nobility and royalty of the nation.
Archclericy of Valon
A nation founded around religious dogma. The Archclericy is a melting pot of races and cultures that adhere to strict religious dogma. Anyone can join, as long as they're a convert of the faiths. Most priests that serve in the different nations gain their training in the holy arts here.
Valon is also where the holy orders are based and where their grand temples are located. When one order wants to build a temple, the other three follow. This has lead to more than one place called "temple hill" due to the four temples sharing the same small space and tries to get new followers and worshippers for their god.
Despite the underlying rivalry between the temples and their orders they're mostly quite civil against each other. However they do regularly leave on crusades against the ungodly ones and capture them as slaves. Two thirds of the entire nation is made up of slaves.
The Shattered Isles
The Shattered Isles inhabit the ancient islands that remain after their empire had an unfortunate accident with a meteor which destroyed most of the island. The once big island shattered into pieces as it fragmented and the massive city which sprawled it vanished under the sea.
It did not take long for the naga and other sea dwelling creatures to move in and take over the isles. Now they once again host a nation. A nation made up from the rules of the sea. And these rulers are not keen on competition as they raid the shipping of the other nations they don't like.
Most of the nation is under sea but a large portion of the population and their actual harbours and ships are on the surface, waiting to set out other to trade or plunder.
Kingdom of the Sea Lords
The Kingdom of the Sea Lords have a long and bloody history with their neighbouring nations. So many wars has been fought in the bay that it got renamed Blood Bay due to the death that dwells in it's domain. They are ruled by an electorate monarch which is elected every twenty years. While the monarch mostly rules like any other king or queen, the council can overturn any order from the monarch with enough support, even dispose of the monarch if he or she is unpopular enough.
The Sea Lords are the second most dominant naval power in the world and has the largest fleet by quite a large margin. This is the reason why this relatively small nation can contend with its much bigger neighbours. The kingdom also provided their fleet to support the independence of Darakeene in an attempt to weaken their biggest rival.
Eamonvale
There isn't much to say about this nation because it's quite young. Once upon a time Eamonvale and Nyrae were part of one much larger nation but after a massive civil war which lead to half of their combined population getting killed they split into two. The two nations are in an almost constant state of war where scouts and their respective armies fight each other every now and then, constantly reaching a stalemate.
Nyrae
Nyrae, once a proud and strong nation, now decimated after civil unrest. Despite a long time passing, so many dead and scarred doesn't heal in any short amount of time. The fateful king that ruled at the time of the rebellion became known as the Crow King by his enemies.
He enforced his rule with blood so in the end he was the king of crows. Since they were the only beings left after the decimation of the population. Shortly after Eamonvale broke off from the nation the nomads of the Ashen Wastes along with the Barrows also broke off, splintering the nation further.
Kingdom of Vesh
The kingdom of Vesh is a small kingdom, but they are one of the biggest producers of grain and food supplies in the southern nations. The lands along the river and sea has made the lands extremely fertile and was once upon a time highly contested by the neighbouring nations. After the formation of the council it was declared that the region of Vesh was to become its own neutral nation which would supply the surrounding nations with supplies so that no one would starve.
Estorna
Very similar to their cousins in Vesh, Estorna is also something of a breadbasket of sorts. However instead of grains, the big and grassy plains are instead the home of massive herds of various animals. The herds are bigger than the eye can count and are tended to by their shepard nation. They don't use pens to keep their herds in line, instead they let them roam around by themselves.
This has made the nation one of community since the animals are owned by the nation as a whole. The so called state owns the animals, but the people own the state. Thus there is never any theft of animals or other produce since when you need some milk, you can just go to the herd and milk what you need.
The Fang Lands
Ruled by a troll for the last three centuries, the Fang Lands are as crude and hostile as the name implies. Only the strong survive in this hostile land. Despite farmland being abundant and cattle everywhere you can see, everyone still fights for survival. It was decreed by the ruling king that no one would get anything for free and everything had to be fought for.
This has made the nation one, if not the strongest military power in the world since everyone had to fight since birth for their right to survive within the world. But this also has divided the nation since the Troll King has not left his palace for the last decade. There are rumours that he is dead.
Ashen confederacy
Made up from nomads which once were part of the large Nyrae nation. Primarily orcs and other tougher races along with humans made up the population. They reasoned since they didn't have any permanent settlement; why should they live under the thumb of a far away king? So with the stalemate situation which was formed in the civil war the clans and tribes of The Ashen Wastes decided to break off and do their own thing.
The numerus clans banded together in one massive, moving nation which wanders the wastes and the surrounding territory in their bid for survival. And survive they do, flourish even. Since they never took part in the fighting, part from token forces, most of the clans are at top strength and only growing. Thus the Crow King can't force them back into the fold.
Coven of the Barrows
The Barrows is a sad and horrid tale which is taught to everyone at a young age. Once upon a time there was a flourishing metropolis in the Barrows. It's people were peaceful and wanted nothing to do with the civil war that plagued their parent nation. So they decided to break off and formed their own nation.
However this nation was not long for this world as the Crow King's answer was swift and brutal. Every single member of the nation that did not manage to flee was butchered, down to the last child. Their bodies used as a warning towards others that might want to rebel. But that was not the end.
Not long after the massacre, massive hordes of undead started appearing. They started constructing fortresses, walls, outposts. In every direction away from the now undead metropolis. A coven of Liches had once build a necropolis under the city, unknowingly to the inhabitants above. The purge and burning of the city had disturbed their slumber and they woke up.
The liches quickly established and sent out messages in every direction that the Coven of the Barrows had once again risen and would defend their necropolis to the last bone if threatened.
Urland
Urland, thought to be named that due to being the first nation ever formed in the world. A land where princes would ride mighty dragons into battle. A power undefeated in battle. That was until the tragedy in Ool and the subsequent world war to keep the world from drowning in devils and daemons. This once mighty nation has fallen upon hard times.
After the formation of the council of nations; they no longer has the need to provide their mighty army as mercenaries and soldiers for hire. So instead the army mostly disbanded and it's soldiers left to seek their fortune as either adventurers or independent mercenaries through the guild.
However, no one can match Urland when it comes to aerial combat. Instead of dragons of old, now their forces ride into battle on mighty griffons,
Ithell
Ithell, or The Court of the Stars as the nation is sometimes called. This is a land for those seeking something. The nation hosts the biggest and most expansive library in the world. It also hosts a massive observatory to watch the stars. It's a nation of science and progress in a world stagnated in the old ways due to magic. Ithell as a nation strives to improve the world through reason and knowledge, putting it at odds with the Archclericy.
Crucible of Souls
The Crucible, a land of destruction and death. Nothing is alive here. Part from the hellspawns that call it home. Devils and daemons run rampant killing each other and everything else that moves within these lands. The lord of the Crucible, the harvester of souls, makes sure that this keeps happening. He is a being of malicious intent and hatred for the living.
However this all started in the grand city of Ool. Once the center of the world, literally and figuratively, now its in ruins with devils stalking the land. Centuries ago a massive ritual performed by a devil worshipping cult succeeded beyond what they had imagined. They wanted to summon devils to defeat their enemies, instead, the Harvester descended onto this plane and wiped out everything in a massive area around the city.
The then nations of the world united to fight back the invasion of daemons and devils and succeeded in sealing the Crucible so that no one can leave, and no one can enter. The devils and daemons stuck outside of the Crucible was now stranded and cut off from the force that controlled them. Some went mad, some died, and some hid amongst the populace of the world.
Morazuin
The lands on which the final battle between the devils and the mortal races was fought. Once lush, now ruined. Not much walk these lands part from daemons and those insane. The daemons here though are not inherently violent, not more than is in their blood. But now they are not controlled by the Harvested and the forces beyond and decided to form their own nation.
They are the guardians of the Crucible. Those existing within the time of the control remember how it felt, and they will do anything and everything to prevent falling under its sway again.
The Northern Alliance
The by far largest nation in the world. The Alliance spans across almost the entire northern part of the world. Made up from numerous nations, clans and the like. They all came together as one after the world war caused the north to freeze over, leaving most of it in a permanent winter, or at least, that's how it feels. The winters are long, and the summers very short.
This has created a nation of hardened people who won't budge to anything and anyone. The main reason for the alliance though is that no nation or clan can survive the long winter on their own. The constant trade that is carried out between them is what keeps them alive. That, or to take over lands further south which parts of the nation is urging their leaders to do.
