Coastal Union

The Coastal Union is easily the largest and most influential nation in Terra Cognita, and by extension, Aleph as a whole. The Coastal Union spans an area once taken up by over a dozen smaller nations. Though none of those nations were technically conquered, very little evidence of the smaller ones remains. Through a series of marriages, deals, and assassinations, a cabal of nobles unified the nations, and indirectly ousted the remaining royalty until they were left as the stewards of the union. This political blitzkrieg ended the multi-directional war between the nations, and cemented their control over Sheb, which would later become Corona, the City of Light.

Despite its power, however, the sudden unification came at a cost. The other nations of Aleph are extremely distrustful of the Coastal Union, and are willing to write only the simplest trade and travel deals. This is exceptionally problematic, as The Coastal Union's sheer size makes self-sufficiency difficult. This, coupled with limited natural resources on the coastline, has made the Coastal Union desperate, with a discontented populace. Though the Council of Stewards has made some headway with the help of less scrupulous nobles, others are quick to shut them down, afraid of the Coastal Union's influence even during wartime.