Aw thanks, Ilanthar!
Kind of plinking around here, not settled on a political style, but thinking it might be something similar to my Bannarith Empire map. Probably not quite as label-heavy. Or maybe it will be, though it'll be hard to pull off with this font. Maybe I'll lower the opacity on the city names.
The borders/colors/look are placeholders. They probably won't end up staying like that.
Some lore:
Medria: A mercantile republic, Medria is probably the richest land in the region. With its strategic position, vast mineral resources, and powerful trade network, Medria has no need of huge armies to secure its position on the world stage. The nation is governed by the Council of Syndics, the heads of the strongest and most influential trade guilds. Since the revolt of Akkabar, the Syndics have introduced limited reforms to the slave trade, but tensions grow and wane amongst the slave population and the poorer free men.
Botha: To the north of Medria is Botha, a kingdom dominated by rich prairies and low mountains in the south and east, dry steppes in the north, and swampy wetlands in the west. Botha is a land of extremes, and traveling west to east from one end of the nation to the other is like visiting a whole continent due to the number of different biomes.
Akkabar: Once part of Medria, the slave population of the city revolted decades ago, slew their masters, and proclaimed a free republic. Their noble ideals lasted approximately long enough to secure their freedom. Today the city is ruled by Citizen-Ruler Omides, the grandson of the original rebel leader, who keeps the city free and rich by offering his services to the stronger nations in the area, skillfully playing them against each other by raiding slave ships in the name of 'freedom'.
Pandona: The Empire of Pandona is both militaristic and expansionist, a fact that keeps its neighbors awake at night. Ruled by a powerful Immortal who styles himself as Azabedes, God of Fire, the empire is kept in check by the kingdoms across the Trasian Sea and the natural barrier of the Great Karoo, but its eyes are always fixed on the riches of Medria and the northern lands.
The Great Karoo: A vast and arid semi-desert, semi-steppe populated by various nomadic tribes whose riches lie in their vast herds of Aroptryx, large terror-birds that are used as both mounts and food source.
Immortals: Far to the west, at the limit of the known world, lie the Change Wastes. Strange magics permeate the very ground there, and any who linger too long either die slow and painful deaths as their bodies are defiled by the poison in the earth... or they return as changed beings, beings of immense power, often insane, always eager to dominate. Many cities, towns, and even a few nation-states are ruled by Immortals. The stronger the Immortal, generally the bigger his or her domain. The most (in)famous example is the god-king of Pandona.
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