XerAllCreation/SurroundingPowers

Surrounding Powers

The Marukan Alliance:

• A nation of horsemen, their lands are marked by a large number of shallow waterways. They consider horses, in many respects, to be the equals of people, and look with scorn on those who would mistreat their mounts. Their horses are often considered to be the finest in the whole of the world. They tend to look down on outright slavery, though they believe that 'debts must be paid'.
• The only 'real' city is their capital of Celeren, though they have some notably large towns, in particular Deren's Ford, Mishaka, and Puyo.
• The Marukani are intensely patriarchal. Women are more often than not considered property, and a man marrying his daughter off for a horse or two is considered an economic exchange.

The Guild

• The Guild's presence seems, in many ways, fairly limited near Thorns. Rather, around the lands of the Marukani, the Guild operates a large number of plantations and slave-halls, where they grow vast fields of opium and other drugs, and train, gather and distribute slaves.

Lookshy

• Although somewhat distant from Thorns, Lookshy's power is well known, and their influence, through both their allies and various forts, is felt throughout the Eastern lands. A military nation, they have held the River Province against the forces of the Realm time and again for centuries.

Nexus

• Nexus is it's own city, but being at, for lack of a better term, the Nexus of two major rivers, the city serves as the most well-known trading post in all Creation. The Guild makes its headquarters here, where it enjoys one of the more stately first-age towers.

Harborhead

• Just south of the Bayou of Endless Regret, the large nation of Harborhead currently stretches ever Eastward past the Summer Mountains, making war with the Jungle Tribes, to provide it with its ever-growing need for slaves. It is known for the Brides of Ahlat, fierce women who have sworn themselves to the God of War. Some rumor that the nation will strike north, but most figure that not even the Brides would be willing to cross hundreds of miles of Shadowland.

Tha Mask of Winters

• The most visable Deathlord in the region, his Shadowland, the Bayou of Endless Regret, is larger than most nations. He had a massive corpse-fortress called Juggernaut, a dead behemoth over three miles long.

The Walker in Darkness

• Although far away, the distance of a Deathlord should never be taken as a sign of safety. The Walker's plans go largely unknown, and moves unnoticed, but few suspect him of benign goals.