IRONGATE
Ruler: Townmaster Areg
Major export/s: Ore and metalcraft
Pop: 6 000
Background: Founded 48 years ago when the Ironhammer Clan liberated their ancestral home from the mountainmen.
Humans settled outside the Southern Gate and started shipping ore and finished products to Riverkeep.
The smiths of Irongate have invented clockwork, and these items are much sought after in the Middellands.
Not a pleasant city Irongate. The smithys spew out enough smoke to darken the sky, and the soot covers everything in the city. It's not for nothing they call it Irongate - the grim.
The citywalls are guarded day and night, by veterans from countless battles with the Pakri. The city is very tempting to the savages, filled to the brim it seems, with weapons of steel, valuable metals and precious rocks. The few farms in the area are heavily protected, and only the toughest dare live there during the winters.
 

OMMER
Ruler: Lady Arantyr of Armedia
Major export/s: None
Pop: 40 000
Background: An Armedian Archduchess laid claim to the Ommer peninsula 127 years ago, her family still rules Ommer for the king.
The most civilized part of the North, Ommer and the south coast is heavily farmed, but
 

SENYARIA
Ruler:
Major export/s: None
Pop: 40 000
Background:
 

NYSSOR
Ruler: Emperor Kahl-tori
Major export/s: None
Pop: 40 000
Background: Nyssori are very status-concious, and take matters of honor very seriously, but unlike the more violent societies in the North, they rely heavily on assassins and poisons. There is no loss of face in ignoring an insult, as long as the offender is dead or suitably injured within a month.
Nyssori women are very unlike their Maurian cousins. They partake in politics and trade on equal footing with the men. Sometimes to the extent that they refuse to take their husbands name.
The taking of name is a peculiar tradition that has no like in Mararanth. Simply said, it means that the woman, when she marries, adopts her husbands name.
ex: If Lissa (Blossom) marries Asud (Thorn), she takes the name Asuda (Thornbush). If she marries Arog (Wolf), she will be named Aroga (She-wolf).
If instead she refuses to take his name she will be called Arog Lissa (Wolf Blossom), which gives her higher status. This reduces Arog's status, and he may very well decide to call the wedding of, and rather deal with Lissa's brothers and cousins (who will be a mite upset).
Since names and their meanings are important in Nyssor, the fastest way to insult a Nyssori mortally, is to call him a demeaning name. Bodily functions are a traditional and effective source for this.
 

PELENN
Ruler: Archduke Tremayne
Major export/s: Fish, Jewelry
Pop: 20 000
Background: Founded before the Ice Age, by unknown forces, this has been a freeport for everybody on the seas.
 

MIRTORI
Ruler: Queen Torgunn Coldeyes of Mirtori
Major export/s: Timber
Pop: 50 000
Background: There are thirtytwo major Houses, fiftysix minor, and seven small.
To be a major House, it has to have at least two priests, one mage, three Knights, a Master of Arms, and a Hero of Mirteria.
A minor House must have a priest and a Knight.
If a House has two Heroes, it is a major House no matter what it lacks. There are also countless other rules for the making and breaking of a house. Many scholars make their living advising the heads of a House on the rules. At the present no House has two Heroes. Any family is promoted to House if there is a Hero in the family. The ranking of the Houses are determined on Battleday. The Hero is recognized by the red mark on his forehead, a crescent moon round a star. This mark is a birthmark which means that the kid will have extraordinary strength, dexterity and purity of mind. It also mean that the child have been blessed by the Judge.
Every major House is obligated to keep at least a hundred soldiers ready at all times, at the First House's disposal. The minor house need only thirty.
All soldiers in the Mirtori infantery must be foreigners. These are feared throughout the nation, as ruthless murderers. The only things that keeps these killers in check are the Heroes and Knights.
 

KAOL MAUR
Ruler: Emperor Darien
Major export/s: NA
Pop: 50 000
Background: The three fractions in this city is not the best of partners.
The army is loyal to the Emperor, the Knights of Taur Gethra claims to be loyal too, but disagree with what they call "His weakness when it comes to other nations", they want him to conquer all of Mararanth under Maurian rule.
"General" Stridmoy is the old emperor's bastard daughter, and she wants Darien to step down from the throne, and give it to her as she is the elder by two years. Stridmoy has a large contingent of earls on her side. They think she would be easier to control than Emperor Darien.
They might be wrong.
 

VERDAN AND VERDON (BELARANTH)
Ruler: Belarmar and Belgrath
Major export/s: Fish
Pop: 20 000
Background: The country founded by a God.
The Belaranthians are a hardy people. Both the islanders and the inlanders are first and foremost warriors. All children, BOTH boys and girls are trained in the arts of war from the age of five. Belaranth is the only nation that trains girls to fight.
Because all Belaranthians are trained soldiers, they've managed to keep the Old People confined to the Northern Peninsula. Most other nations view the Belaranthi with a mixture of fear and condescention. And since the Belaranthi view the Southerners as cowardly weaklings, the ground is ready for numerous "misunderstandings".
 

KIRA
Ruler: King Renkintor
Major export/s: Metals, gems, and wool
Pop: 30 000
Background: Settled by Mirterian refugees, this nation is very similar to Mirtori, they even have a magic University.
 

ARMEDI
Ruler: King Morath IX
Major export/s: None
Pop: 50 000
Background: The Armedi is a darkskinned people, but centuries of interracial marriages have produced a people of all colors.
The first Armedi arrived more than eight thousand years ago, in great longboats with their women and children and all their retainers.
The Armedi are the other main seafaring people beside Belaranth.
 

MALEKRI
Ruler:
Major export/s: None
Pop: 40 000
Background: