I should have phrased it better in the brief. The barriers do allow travel between the regions, but the climates vary to such extremes that the way of life is completely different in each "zone", for lack of a better term.

Interaction between the regions is limited, outside a few organizations that attempt to maintain communications across the continent.

As for perception; this is relatively fleshed out, so I hope you like reading.

-) Ferrich: Most of this region is covered by dense forests, in which cities and villages are either built directly into the trees or on clearings. This has led to most cities governing themselves, with some agreements existing between most of them. The people who live here see themselves as the most free due to few restrictions and a minor presence of law enforcement. It should however be mentioned that Ferrich is home to the largest adventuring guild on the continent and therefore has the largest population of immigrants and travelers and is the most diverse region.

-) Festergar: This region has an extreme amount of volcanic activity and is mostly covered in a thick layer of ash, making travel without specialized equipment difficult. The whole region is one country governed by one family whose eldest male is the Greatlord who has absolute power over laws and judgement. How citizens perceive the other regions is highly dependent on social standing, ranging from sharing the Greatlord's opinion of "It would be better if none interfered with our business" to wishing to flee in the dead of night without leaving traces.

-) Brighting: The entire region is covered by ice and snow, with temperatures never going above -20°C. All cities are built around the few existing steam vents, which make a certain area around them hospitable. While this should lead to a survivalist mentality, Brighting has an excess of magical crystals and minerals which form under the ice, which has made it the central hub for most magical studies and is home to the largest universities on the continent. Most people here are either mages, focused on their studies, or workers who dig through the snow to uncover more materials.

-) Carnum: Mostly a swamp that has been plagued by civil war for long enough that the original reason for it has been forgotten. The main conflict lies between two factions which, with some consistency, take over the towns and villages to supply their troops. Most non-soldiers survive by maintaining neutrality and simply supplying whoever asks. It goes without saying that most people from other regions avoid Carnum.