Ascaria
Ascaria is a land of vast open plains. To the south it’s more verdant with small forests and savannas. To the north it is drier and the grasslands give way to a semi-arid desert. This land is home to a number of large beasts that the Ascarians are famous for domesticating and training.
The Ascarian people are heavily influenced by their elven neighbors in Iushana. They work artistry into their architecture and carpentry and prefer a slower, more thoughtful lifestyle. Most Ascarians value freedom and simple pleasures more than anything else. Their cuisines are unique as well, blending elven cooking styles with more common human dishes.
Ascaria is a republic, led by a senate of leaders that are elected by the citizens in their domain. They eschew slavery, having officially outlawed it almost 80 years ago. However, to prevent international conflict, they usually return runaway slaves to their owners.
Economically, Ascaria is not particularly competitive. They have a firm grasp on the spice trade with Iushana, Penitia, and Sentrim, and their beasts of burden are sold all across Calistaph. But, they can’t compete with the world markets in the Aspyan Enclave or the vast sea trade of Desnia.
Aspyan Enclave
The Aspyan Enclave started as a mercantile dominion. It is still ruled by a council of merchant lords and operates on principles of clean and efficient business. The land provides spices, big game, ivory, tobacco, cocoa, and sugarcane, which collectively serve as the basis for the Aspyan export economy.
Aspyan roads are long, straight, and well maintained, making them the preferable conduit for trade between most of Thadonia and the Sandsea. Taxes charged to caravaners passing through provide a substantial fund for maintaining the roads and building new ones.
No goods are withheld from the Aspyan markets, which makes them popular with international smugglers. So long as you abide by the rules within the Aspyan Enclave, the Merchant Lords and their national guard don’t discriminate against buyers and sellers based on criminal records from other countries.
Because of its open markets, the Aspyan Enclave is home to wealthy merchants and traders as well as charlatans and criminals. This dichotomy makes it a disreputable country by more sanctimonious individuals. Nevertheless, law prevails in the Aspyan Enclave.
Bruim
Bruim has two main regions, a vast jungle ruled by barbaric human tribes and leonin prides, and a densely populated coastline ruled by a traditional monarchy. The jungle is thought of by the coastal natives as untamed wilderness, though it does have pockets of civilization and roads connecting the coast to its borders. A few main trade routes cross the jungle and those are the only places one can see patrols of the royal guard north outside the coastal cities.
Clailor
Often considered a backwater by its neighbors, Clailor is a pure agrarian democracy. The Clailan climate is perfect for growing a delicate bush that can be processed into a royal blue dye. Consequently, clothing from Clailor is quite popular. Ambitious individuals have tried to control the dye supply for as long as Clailor has been an independant country, but anyone who comes to own too much in Clailor is disenfranchised, or even exiled, by popular vote. Native Clailans are deeply committed to equality.
Escar
The city-state of Escar is a more condensed city-state than Thiyya and built like a fortress. It is the home of minotaurs, and only minotaurs, and it’s all that remains of their once glorious empire. Other Thadonians look at it as a potential problem, assuming that the minotaurs will someday try to reconquer their lost lands. While that is probably true, Escarians are pragmatic enough to understand that it will be a long time before they're in any position to invade and conquer anyone. In the meantime, they work to extract as much value as possible from their diminutive territory. One species of beetle that seems to thrive only in a small valley within Escar's domain is the source of a purple dye. The rest of their farmland is conducive to growing coffee, allowing them to compete with Vacretia in the continental coffee market. Since they aren't able to produce as much, Escarians focus on the quality of the coffee and using it in other exports, such as liquor.
Rodos
A coastal military monarchy, Rodos is known for producing elite soldiers and contracting them out to neighbors like mercenaries. Meanwhile, issues within the country that would normally be dealt with by a military are instead contracted out to local mercenary companies. Strict social strata keep most Rodosians in near-poverty, making military and mercenary work particularly appealing as means of escape from menial labor.
To read more about this country, check out Rodos.
Sentrim
Sentrim is largely regarded as nothing more than a bunch of pirates, theives, and cutthroats. Sentrimians do nothing to contradict this reputation. While most coutries are moderately cooperative with each other in terms of restricting trade on certain items and returning criminals to their home country to face justice, Sentrim does neither of these.
Thiyya
Thiyya, a grand, sprawling city-state built by dwarves and tritons. It is home to the world’s greatest college of arcane arts and some very unique architecture.
Vacretia
Vacretia is the only country that doesn't seem to mind Escar, a the city-state of minotaurs. While the two technically compete for dominance in the continental coffee market, Vacretia's larger area allows it to grow far more coffee. In addition, Vacretia has an ongoing deal to purchase all the purple dye produced in Escar at a generous price. This gives Escar a reliable income, and Vacretia has more people to put that dye to use and sell the purple products to the rest of the world. Vacretia is an oligarchy with five ruling lords who control the vast majority of the land and labor in the country.
Look at the south-central part of the continent to see these nations on the map
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