Spheres of Influence: Alliance

790 AF
Diplomatic Turn

The Alliance continues onwards into the future, approaching its 90th anniversary. Few would have thought, when the armies arrived at Bronze Pass all those years ago, that it'd still be going strong today. At the time, they thought the countries of the Alliance would collapse back into infighting within the decade. And there has been infighting; the Alliance hasn't been foolproof in preventing conflict. But it is nothing like the blood there once was. The peace has seen the flourishing of new societies and ideas, including an entirely new kind of revolution. But more change is coming. Steam pumps are being puzzled over, as engineers try to consider how to transform them into practical engines. The dwarves are stirring from their holds, looking outward, back towards their lost homeland. And in the west, something stirs beneath the surface of the buglands.

Khuln Kalduhr has been on every diplomat's lips lately, as the new King Thedrin II has raised a grand host of dwarves. This has upset the balance of power in some people's minds, but such a force may be a boon to the Alliance. Certainly, it has many of their dwarven neighbours looking to them with hope.

Kor Vurneus continues as it always has, holding back the tide of the bugs and fortifying the borderlands of the Alliance. Even the goblins view them as targets, despite their militarization. As the mightiest land power of the Alliance following the fall of Praterre, it now falls to them to serve as the sword and shield of their allies.

The Unity of Nature's Friends has long existed to the far east of the Alliance, peacefully minding their own and helping those who gave them friendship in return. But with the changing days, and the much-anticipated invention of a practical steam engine on the horizon, how long will their peaceful lifestyles last?

To the northwest, in the heart of the orcish steppes, a new power has risen. The Nogroon have united a number of regional tribes, and are assimilating them into the fold. With their power on the rise and a holy mission from their gods strengthening their wills, they are proving to be a potential contender for the unclaimed title Khagan of the East. Perhaps an even greater destiny lies in store for them; only time will tell.

In the heart of the Alliance, the Freed Bay Post stands proud, having won their independence and established themselves as a stable country. Their postmen still roam the Alliance, as they once did under the king of Praterre, delivering messages to high and low alike. Now, wherever they go, the fire of freedom goes with them.

North of the Alliance, in the deep forests along the coast, the half-elves of Orbona have risen and united. Now, after generations of establishing themselves, they have begun to emerge from their woodland home. Though seemingly primitive, they have great power and might, and only time will tell whether they will be a friend or foe to the Alliance.

In Tiranóg, catastrophe has destroyed most of the country's leadership. With an unexpected king pulled from nowhere, the country staggers onwards, stumbling forward long after some had expected it to collapse into anarchy. Whatever Tiranóg becomes after this calamitous shift, it won't be the same as what it was.

In the Crescent Wastes, the cleaning of the magical contamination in the wilderness has reached a tipping point. Now, at last, the country is widely inhabited again. Though the region still a shockingly dangerous place to live, the Wastelanders have once again made it their home, and are at last turning their gaze towards the flagrant abuse of magic abroad.

The wealth of the Alliance continues to flow through Nova Kalla. Though pirates roam the seas, the fleets of Nova Kalla and Tiranóg are more than enough to preserve the Alliance's trade lanes and keep prosperity flowing. On the islands themselves, the people of Nova Kalla stop and wonder to themselves; do we truly have enough money?

The Antipode Coalition, meanwhile, struggles with a deficit born of repairing the damage done to their majestic Institute. With the arcanophage largely contained, they now look to rebuilding and replacing what was lost in the disaster four years ago. The Alliance was cautious to welcome them before. Will they aid them now?

Time grinds onwards; the 10th Convention of the Alliance is due to begin soon. Scheduled every ten years, it allows the Alliance to get together and decide if it wants to change any of its constitutional rules, which are few and far between. Until then, the countries and neighbours of the Alliance are free to meet and discuss their issues, as things are sure to begin happening soon...