Streyl

Streyl is one of the major continents on the planet of Sprin'Torel.

Geography
Though the continent itself spreads up to the desert, many of the surrounding islands are also considered part of the continent. As such, even though the mainland is rather plain, mostly consisting of desert or grassland landscape, the islands provide plenty of variety, giving many of the countries beautiful landscapes.

This continent includes the following countries:

Zuskil
Taking up almost a third of the mainland, stretching out from the Southern tip to the edge of the lake is Zuskil. Here, the country is split up into countless provinces with their own respective ruler. Though these rulers answer to the emperor of Zuskil, Empress Volstaria, they are typically able to run their provinces as they see fit. As such, they are typically independent and able to function on their own without excessive need for trade. Of course, that hardly means they don't need trade, but rather that it is a small enough need that they do not have much need for trade outside of the continent, preferring to do dealings with Fraicor or Druisal.

The capital, Monttou sits on the edge of the lake, equidistant from Fraicor's and Druisal's capital, so that the emperors of these three countries may easily come together to discuss whatever matters need to be dealt with. While some worry that having the capital, and with that the emperor, so close to foreign lands, the majority see it as a symbol of trust, knowing that an attack from one of the other two empires would surely lead to mutually assured destruction.

Fraicor
On the Northwestern third of Streyl is the empire of Fraicor. Though it is run almost identically to Zuskil under the leadership of Emperor Fistantilian, they put more of a focus on industry than self-dependency, believing their survival to be in a look towards the future. Though this forward mindedness has made Fraicor more reliant on other countries than any of the three feudal countries on Streyl, this is balanced by producing good at a much more expedient rate than any of the other countries could - with the exception of Kamery. Though, even then, this is a much better rate than most other countries could hope for, allowing them to export things at a much higher price than it costs to import them.

Like Zuskil, Fistantilian's home in Perperis sits on the Northwestern coast of the lake, equidistant from Zuskil and Druisal's capiitals, giving them the same peace and concerns that Zuskil faces.

Druisal
The smallest of the Triumvirate of Empires, Druisal fills up the Northeastern third of Streyl. While they are the smallest of the empires, they are also the most densely populated. While this has sometimes raised concerns of overpopulation in this area, they elected to build upwards while other countries built outwards. This gave Druisal the nickname of The Sky Empire, with their buildings stretching up further than anywhere else.

The capital, Houisseau, like the other two empires sits on the Northeastern side of the lake, an equal distance from Perperis and Monttou. However, while they sit on the lake, very close to the other two capitals, Empress Kaldera technically lives the furthest away, her palace much further off the ground than any other building in the capital.

Ubrain
Located off the Northeastern Coast of Streyl is Ubrain. This archipelago is comprised of countless tiny islands with their own societies and laws, yet they still come together to form the Federal Republic of Ubrain. Here, each of the islands come together for the sake of unity when it comes to trading with other countries, knowing that there is strength in numbers that they would simply not be able to attain individually.

Though each of the islands is seen as an independent state, they still see Levamans as the capital. This is where they placed the House of Congress, where representatives from every island comes to speak on behalf of the other islands. Every few years, the people determine who they want to represent them, and then they come together on Houiseau to speak on behalf of every island - even if they are speaking selfishly and contrary to what is actually best for the people.

Doscua
Rumour has it that when Doscua was founded, it was little more than a sandbar that the rich had used their money to build on until it was a full fledged island off the Eastern coast of Streyl. As the country expanded and became known as a tax haven for the rich, they started building it up bigger and bigger until it was little more than a fanciful show of exuberance. Though there are plenty of rich people living here, the majority of the people who make up the permanent residents are little more than servants or shopkeepers who serve to keep the richer members of the town happy.

Argenmasse, the capital, is arguably the biggest display of wealth the entire country has to offer to the point where they hire private security to walk the streets instead of using the Gold Helms as a police force. This high class society is located right in the middle of the country, where they can be best protected by the security they spent millions of platinum pieces on - especially with Hascoucor just Northeast of them.

Ochal
Hidden somewhere in the Northern desert is Ochal, masked behind layer after layer of magic so that only people who are looking for it and worthy of finding it may stumble upon it. While this hasn't stopped people from bringing in non-magical guests or even granting citizenship to these people, the country is predominantly made up of casters and artificers, putting value on magic over anything other contributions a person may provide to society.

Equally hidden, and rarely in the same location for more than a day is Chally, Ochal's capital. Here, the High Magi work to keep Ochal physically hidden while still working to build their reputation around the world as best as possible. Though they claim this is for Ochal's protection, many believe that they prefer to do this for the sake of showing off - especially when they are selected for the Test of Strength and have a chance to make a dramatic appearance.

Hascoucor
On the furthest outskirts East of Streyl on the map is Hascoucor, little more than a small cluster of islands - though it is often considered The Thieves' Republic in spite of the fact that its a Kleptocracy. Given its small size and criminal reputation, many countries do not acknowledge Hascoucor, and those who do consider it with a bad taste. It follows then, that Hascoucorians are as diverse as their treasures, with the only similarity being a sense of greed.

The capital, Beaunne, is a sort of a mystery. Though people know it exists and know that this is where each of the past and present The Masked Lords live, nobody is able to find it on a map except for only the greatest of thieves

Eskines
One of the least populated countries on the world, and buried away in the very bottom of the mountain range is Eskines, a peaceful country. Here, every member of the country gets a say in how the country should be run, not passing even a single law unless it has a Qualified Majority Vote from The Assembly. Of course, as Eskines grew and spread out, creating multiple cities and towns scattered around the country, The Assembly was forced to adapt with it. As such, they made it so that each town was given a representative to count the people's votes and hear their say before bringing it to the Council. If new information is presented, the representatives return to their towns, explain it to people, and return to present the numbers from their towns and cities.

The largest of these cities is the capital, Palon, found in a valley surrounded by mountains, where The Assembly Hall is located. Here, the representatives give the numbers for them to be tallied and ruled upon. This system, which gives everyone a voice, has run into some issues, of course. Some choose to not use their voices, while others choose to use their voices for evil. In spite of that, The Assembly works with a unified goal in mind most of the time, leading to a certain faith in it from the people.

Politics
Even though Streylian countries do influence each other's political structures, the sheer number of these countries means that almost every country has a unique way of running their countries. While Zuskil, Fraicor, and Druisal are organised in such a way where each of them is run by an emperor with powerful families or warlords ruling over provinces. In these systems, high ranking soldiers and fighters exist at the top of the social hierarchy, food producers next, then artisans, shopkeepers, and merchants after them.

In Ubrain, there are a collection of independently run islands which came together such that representatives of every state decide how they should be run together. While there may be some who deem Ubrain to be a minor continent comprised of lots of small countries, it is typically seen as and treated as a single individual country.

Doscua is run by the rich, allowing for anyone to enter into the Council by simply buying their way in. While the Council determines the price of each of these entries, meaning there is a clear bias for who they're willing to let into the Council and who they aren't, and some may see them as a glorified autocracy, this hardly changes the fact that people accept the Council as a necessary evil. After all, they need a healthy country if they want to maintain their personal wealth.

Similarly, Ochal cares only about the richest of society, though not for financial wealth. Instead, they are run by the High Magi, a group of people who have proven themselves as being the best that the magic community has to offer. Of course, while many of the High Magi are actual casters, some aren't natural born magic users, instead proving themselves through their brilliance with infusing items with magic.

Hascoucor, on the other hand, worries not about their own riches but the riches of others. Here, the ruler of Hascoucor is merely known as The Masked Lord, their leadership changing almost as often as the seasons. This is in part because, while nobody knows who The Masked Lord is, any member of the country can become The Masked Lord by stealing the mask and surviving long enough to pass one law.

And finally, there is Eskines, a country that believes in individual freedoms that anyone who owns land has a voice in The Assembly. While this has created some minor issues - especially with married individuals or with people who own multiple plots of land - The Assembly found ways to solve this problem, changing the laws of property such that married individuals could share land without compromising their share in The Assembly, and allowing independent individuals who lived on another person's lot to be deemed the land 'owner' even if they were merely leasing it.