<aside> ♻️ The practical-minded dismiss philosophy. The scholarly remind them that war is just applied ontology.
</aside>
The Eternal Valley lies at the far western edge of the world, a loose chain of towns built around ancient stone wells whose depths predate recorded history. Isolated by distance and difficult terrain, its inhabitants tend to be inward-looking and self-reliant.
The state of Aargenbode was founded as the first line of defence against potential magical threats from the frozen north. The threat never arose, and they are nowadays mining and fishing towns with a fondness for festivity.
Dravinslagg was established as a mining colony of Emrys and expanded fast enough to be recognised as a nation. They then peacefully gained independence, developing a reputation for the export of rare ores.
The Echolands is a region with strong, fertile terrain. It is said to be the birthplace of the High Knight, though he never commented on the matter. The nation’s territory is presently dominated by orchards, vineyards and farmland.
The Sanctified Realms are the former home of the High Knight. Their most populous city of Emrys is considered the capital of humanity, and most of the world’s economic activity and artistic pursuit takes place within their white walls.
Timber Heart was established as a lumber colony of Emrys amid vast pine forests. After strikes and lumberworker revolts, it gained independence and is now a quiet, largely self-sufficient nation built around forestry towns.
The Clearhills rose as a trade nation around the Cerulean Delta, where ship lines across the Five-fold Sea would stop before heading inland to Sebas or southwards to the tropics. Its international presence makes it known for strict tariffs and meticulous record-keeping.
Sebas occupies the high mountain ranges and contains the largest nonhuman population across the nations of Eos. A short-lived monarchic dictatorship followed the High Knight’s death, but it was overthrown, restoring decentralised provincial rule.
Tavan stretches along the desert coast, its markets and palaces clustered around ports and sheltered by tall palms. It is widely respected for advanced scholarship in the restoration of life and the study of death, which are treated as intertwined sciences.