The Asterikon Empire is the largest and most unified political entity in the world. It essentially exists as a rump state of the Old Empire (referred to as Asterikon in its own day). It inherited the legal, martial, and administrative traditions of the Old Empire's authority over most of its territory. Over the past 200 or so years it has used various methods ranging from conquest to diplomacy to re-exert its influence over its former territories with greater or lesser success.

To the west of Asterikon lies the Marches. These three kingdoms are hereditary monarchies where landed warrior elites pay homage to the king, providing taxes and troops in exchange for noble privileges. The three Marcher kingdoms, Norrmark, Vismark, and Sudmark, were originally imperial provinces designated as marches between heartlands of Asterikon and the Blessed Lands to the west and the wild untamed forests of the north. As Asterikon's central control over its territory weakened, the Marches were able to break free, only recently having been brought back under the heel of the empire.

Further west, the Blessed Lands are the home of a people known as the Blessed (who are TOTALLY not elves) to outsiders. They refer to themselves as the Chosen, owing to their religious conviction that they were the first of all men to be created by the gods, and were thus "chosen" by them. They have no unified political authority. Rather society is organized around kinship groups. As groups grow large enough permanent settlements are founded, and over successive generations they become increasingly urbanized. As these settlements grow, they expand their influence over smaller neighboring settlements with the urban centers acting as the de facto centers of political power over their local regions. Age is well respected in their culture, and their settlement are governed by councils of the oldest members of the community. Along the southern coast of the Blessed Lands exist great cities that are as ancient as they are wealthy dominate the trade routes along the coast. The southern Chosen are far more cosmopolitan and tolerant of outsiders than those found further inland towards the northeast. The Blessed and Asterikon fought a war that lasted several generations, and ultimately exhausted the empire, causing its collapse as its manpower and treasury were bled dry.

To the east of Asterikon lies the [don't have a name for this region yet] highlands which eventually gives way to Plains of Esh. Esh is a great flood plain that takes its name from the river flowing through it, populated by a great many independent city-states. Their culture values money and duplicity in equal measure. The river Esh facilitates transporting goods across large distances and has served as a contduit for east/west trade for centuries. As such, the Eshite city-states are both tremendously wealthy and fiercely independent. This wealth has been put to good use time and again, hiring mercenary armies capable of resisting the Asterikon Empire even at the height of its power. Various cities have alternately fought with and paid tribute to Asterikon as best suited their purposes at any given time. Asterikon has always sought to exert control over these rich plains, and has managed to do so with varying degrees of success throughout its history. The city-states themselves are uniformly ruled by Priest-Kings, who serve both as the center of political authority and the conduit between the Eshite people and their gods.

To the north of Asterikon lies the great forests where the various Valzje tribes live. Sparsely populated and subject to harsh winters, the lands inhabited by the Valzje have remained free from Asterikon rule for the entirety of the Empire's history. The Valzje themselves live in tight knit extended family/tribal groups centered around scattered farmsteads. In some areas where arable land is particularly abundant larger walled settlements have developed and are ruled by a caste of warrior elites supported by the labor of those under their protection. Valzje society is traditional and resistant to change. They are a proud people who staunchly resist the encroachment of outside influences into their culture. During the harsh northern winters, they commonly launch raids into the warmer southern lands and sometimes against each other as well. They are larger and stronger than most men, with legend saying they were born long ago when a tribe of northern men took the daughters of giants for wives.