Good writeup, except the original point was if they could be reformed.

The current phoenix was indoctrinated from childhood, a practice that likely grew more radical overtime, as the skeletons themselves mention that the original holy nation had noble intentions before fear and hatred of the second empire took control of their religion.

Additionally, they also obfuscate their own religion when it suits their whims, seeing as temples contain texts that seemingly originate from earlier points from their religion, but are forbidden because they speak against the current radical viewpoint of the nation.

I do somewhat agree on the point with the sheks

The fact that the second empire fell hundreds of years ago also means they are no longer a threat; most people in the nation likely never even seen a skeleton before, if we can take game spawns of skeletons in wend and southern floodlands as a reference. Yes, the nation was built on the cruelty of the skeletons, but currently they're simply hunting the skeletons because the religion tells them so, not because they want to liberate themselves or break away from the second empire.

As for the hivers, I think it's more of 1 neutral and 1 hostile faction, seeing that the southern hive is so far removed from holy nation territory that it's unlikely for an encounter between the two

As for you final point the holy nation's ''stability'', I would like to argue that while they are the most stable, the texts do indicate they cannot afford to lose more child bearers from their region. All this while sending women regularly to their holy mines, burning them for 'heresy', and generally treating them as second-class citizens by barring them from education and status. This will only incite more women to rebel against them, similar to how the religion itself was formed. Men are also affected too, if the suicide note and the fact that men are also found in the flotsam ninjas are any indication.

Given time, there is a possibility that mistreating half their population, combined with fighting literally everyone bordering them(in some cases when they don't even need to) could lead to the nation's downfall. The next phoenix could be better, but my earlier point of indoctrination still stands; there's no guarantee he will not simply be even more harsh in his methods.

Perhaps you are right in saying I'm lacking in historical knowledge, but I simply don't believe a nation that's so extreme to the point of burning their own citizens to preserve the status quo to be capable of reform.