The Seven Nations of the Allied Territories are bound in a fragile alliance, known as the Alliance of the Crescent Powers. Once divided by relentless warfare and ideological clashes, the nations now stand together in an uneasy peace. Each is a bastion of its own ideals—Justice, Order, Knowledge, Power, Freedom, Loyalty, and Faith—under the vigilant watch of sovereign leaders who embody these values. But beneath this alliance lies a simmering tension, as age-old rivalries, hidden agendas, and ambitions for dominance threaten to shatter the delicate balance.
The Nations
Sorenthia, the Nation of Justice
Element: Iron
Leader: High Warden Alistair Rhone
Description: The realm of Sorenthia is a place of unyielding order, where justice is absolute and law prevails over personal liberty. The nation's cities resemble fortified bastions, walled and constantly patrolled, making Sorenthia feel as much a prison as a sanctuary. Yet beneath the ironclad facade lies a darker underbelly: The Iron Fist—a syndicate of vigilantes who execute "justice" in places the law doesn't reach, often through ruthless means like smuggling and blackmail.
Caelum, the Nation of Knowledge
Element: Wind
Leader: Archscholar Imara Zephyr
Description: Caelum's floating cities hover among the peaks of the mountains, where its people seek wisdom, knowledge, and power through intellectual mastery. Libraries and schools dominate its landscapes, where ideas are traded like precious metals. But information also comes at a price, controlled by The Veiled Circle—a clandestine network of spies and brokers of knowledge who exploit secrets for influence across the nations.
Ignira, the Nation of Power
Element: Fire
Leader: Sovereign Drakar Mordane
Description: In the desert wastelands of Ignira, only the strongest thrive. Strength and resilience define both its people and its ruler, Sovereign Mordane, who is known for his aggressive policies and military might. But Ignira's fervor for power has led to the rise of The Ember Guild—mercenaries who deal in black-market weaponry, forbidden magic, and drugs, empowering rebels and challengers to ignite new conflicts.
Valya, the Nation of Order
Element: Earth
Leader: Commander Aegis Valcor
Description: Valya's vast stone cities are marvels of engineering, as efficient as they are unyielding. Society is structured, almost mechanistic, where each citizen serves a specific role. The rigidity, however, is often vulnerable to corruption, managed quietly by The Unseen Order—a shadow group using bribery and blackmail to control Valya's black-market economy and sway its bureaucracy.
Zephyra, the Nation of Freedom
Element: Water
Leader: Tempest Queen Lysandra Gale
Description: The archipelagos of Zephyra are places of dynamic individuality. Citizens live freely on the seas, guided by their own rules, and leaders are chosen through popular vote. This liberality, however, breeds lawlessness, embodied by The Azure Tides—an alliance of pirates and rogue traders led by the enigmatic Sea Serpent. They proclaim themselves as guardians of freedom, often clashing with other nations and the VPM.
Nyxvale, the Nation of Loyalty
Element: Shadow
Leader: Warden-Empress Selene Nyx
Description: In the fog-draped forests and shadowed valleys of Nyxvale, loyalty is paramount. Its people are trained from birth in the arts of espionage, and their fealty to the Warden-Empress is unbreakable. The Black Web, a network of assassins and spies rumored to be entwined with Nyxvale's intelligence forces, carries out covert operations and assassinations that keep power in check throughout the allied territories.
Ardara, the Nation of Faith
Element: Light
Leader: Radiant Pontiff Leonara Aetheris
Description: Ardara is a holy land where the people live under strict religious order, believing themselves a moral compass for all nations. The land is dotted with temples, and faith is woven into every aspect of life. Yet, even here, fanaticism breeds fanaticism, embodied by The Blinding Hand—a cult enforcing "divine justice" through sinister means, including assassination and coercive "salvation."
The Vally Prison Management (VPM) and Reiner Cain
At the center of these nations is Vally Prison Management (VPM), an organization originally established to house dangerous criminals but now tasked with upholding a fragile international order. Based in a neutral zone called the Divide, VPM operates independently, enforcing laws and maintaining peace—though whispers speak of its darker, self-serving ambitions.