The first thing I need to remember — well, to keep in mind: This planet is different from Earth. Not just in the whole existence of magic aspect, but the planet itself. If I’m right, Aran is considerably larger. That affects geography and climate, although those seem to work similar to Earth. The existence of qi has to play into it somehow. But these environments shape the nations that arise in them.

Depending on how you count, there are about nine continents. All of them have roughly similar sizes as those on Earth, although they might be bigger on average. I’m not sure.

Depending on how you count, there are either ten or twelve global powers. All of those cover at least a significant portion of a continent.

These global powers operate according to different structures, of course. But I can see similarities. Most of them are quite old, and spread across their home continents over time. None of them has anything that resembles a modern democracy, although their governing systems differ. But it tends to be the strongest cultivators that are in charge. Class structures are prominent, often in forms resembling feudalism. All of them based in history.

The relationship between these powers is, to summarize it in one word, tense. Many of them have spread onto and colonized other continents. Sometimes, that led them into conflict. But outright war between the powers isn’t something anyone appears to want. It hasn’t happened since the colonizations really kicked off, and the current distribution of power emerged. Everyone knows that total war would be devastating, that it would harm themselves as well as their enemies grievously. At least, that’s my impression. Does this multi-front cold war based on a delicate balance of power and threat seem unstable? Of course it does. But it’s held for a while. And to be fair, not everyone is hostile to each other. There’s only a few real enmities.

These nations like to keep their secrets. In general, there’s little commerce or communication between them. Well, a few countries do trade, but not anywhere as much as I remember from Earth. They also make sure not to show important knowledge or technology to outsiders. That’s why any assessment of another power’s capabilities has to factor in some uncertainty.

They also have some degree of decentralized government. Just how much autonomy provinces or colonies are allowed varies, though. But vassal states and petty kingdoms subordinate to a power seem common, especially on those continents where many nations coexist, including several of the global players. The Earth Continent comes to mind, where most of the Empire’s territories outside of the Central/Sky Continent are located.

Since the last major changes to global powers’ borders lie centuries in the past, they have all secured their territories in their own way. I think the Empire is a good example of how that can work. They don’t discriminate based on ethnicity, everyone is a citizen of the Empire. Living standards don’t differ much between the continents or regions. The Empire promotes a shared, overarching culture, but local influences are accepted and show up everywhere.

Depending on how you assess it, the Empire of the Sky is the second largest nation in terms of landmass covered, the second biggest in terms of population, and probably the second greatest in terms of technological development. Although our knowledge is limited, so those assessments may be in error.

But the real key in those statistics lies in how none of the countries presumably taking first place are at the top in more than one category. The Lotus Confederation is a mess, closer to a federation of countries than a centralized nation. It has a huge population, but a lot of internal strife. Although its foreign policy is consistent, if you consider their internal structure, it’s no wonder they appear to be behind in terms of economy and technology. And the Peiah-Kartun might cover a large area, but a good chunk of it is inhospitable wasteland. Probably the aftermath of some huge catastrophe based on qi.

No, in reality, the Empire of the Sky’s claim to be the most powerful can’t be dismissed. Even if I only have access to some sources, given everything I have learned, I’d judge it to be justified.

Of course,  it also pays to consider the Empire’s status in terms of geography, if you look at the world map overall.

… Despite the name, the Central Continent does not lie at the center of the world. Shocking, right? In fact, it’s somewhat close to the equator but beneath it, in the southern hemisphere of Aran. But it’s a good location that has many strategic advantages. Ships from the Empire can reach four continents quickly, either due to proximity or ocean currents. Plus, it’s a pretty good climate, unlike what some other countries are stuck with.

Anyway. I’ve taken a closer look at some of the nations that hold importance to the Empire.

The first one would be the City-State of Adzur. Despite the name, it’s a bit more than a city-state nowadays, though not on the level of a global power. But its technological development is superior to all. Or so they say. I’m inclined to believe it, although from what I’ve seen, I’m confident I can get the Empire to surpass them. It makes me wonder if they have a connection to other worlds. Their relationship to the Empire must be pretty good, since they occasionally sell us devices and even blueprints. Maybe that’s why they’re still alive and kicking, despite all the superpowers around. They hold a strategic location, so I imagine they could act as something like a buffer state. Since no one wants the others to gain control of them.

Then there’s the Kingdom of Terbekteri. A mouthful, but they may be the closest allies the Empire has. Still not that close, and there’s no official alliance treaty, although they have made a number of agreements. On the global stage, the two countries support each other more often than not. There’s even a lot of trade. At least half of the Empire’s exports go to Terbekteri, if I had to guess. If there’s ever a global war, the two are likely to be on the same side, probably as the center of a power block. I’m not the only one who thinks so, and I get the impression their relationship is one of the foundations underlying their status on the global stage.

But the most important nation to the Empire is, without question, their rival. The Zarian Dominion. It covers the Southern or Storm Continent, the one connected to the Sky Continent. Their animosity goes back to the time both of them rose to dominate their respective continents. When the Empire pushed south, and the Dominion sent expeditions north.

Yet the two don’t share a border, because between them lies what locals call the Yellow Graves, and the nomads inhabiting that region. They call themselves the Zarieni. If what I’ve read is right, that means ‘children of sorrow’, while Zarian is ‘children of the storm’. Or something along those lines; the meaning is complex.

The Zarieni came to inhabit the region after they fled from the northern plains of the Storm Continent. Why and how that happened, I’m not sure. Maybe they were a rogue faction driven out by the Zarian, or a people that fled from the prospect of being conquered by them. The Imperial books I’ve read don’t offer a clear answer, since it depends on which side you ask, and even their stories are hardly consistent.

In my opinion, the Empire made what may be the most grievous mistake in its career by pushing south and trying so persistently to get across to the Storm Continent. They made themselves the enemy. Even now, despite the official stories, it’s clear to anyone that the Zarian and the Zarieni have established some degree of cooperation. I don’t think that’s just Imperial propaganda. It makes sense for the Zarian to use them as a buffer state and cat’s paw. In return, they protect them by threatening war on the Empire if it tries a full invasion of the Yellow Graves.

That brings me to the raids. They’re almost a constant through the south’s history. Years or decades might go by without one, but the peace at the border never lasts long. Of course, most of the raids are minor, although a few tribes have tried to invade the Empire outright.

The nomads are organized in tribes. They move around a lot, and have perfected the art of hiding in their territory. That makes it hard for the Empire to root them out. The Zarian presence means that no large-scale effort has been undertaken. At least not in a few millennia, I think. Of course, the border has fortifications, but there’s a lot of ground to cover and it’s not like a wall would do much to stop a cultivator. It’s pretty clear why the south is a frequent problem for the Imperial throne. But the southern coasts and the regions further inland are rich in population and resources.

The Zarian themselves are a global power same as the Empire. They might be a little weaker, but it’s not enough to risk a war. Not nearly. They have a few colonies overseas, but they’re more concentrated on their continent than the Empire.

I don’t see this conflict being resolved any time soon. The animosity runs too deep, and the two sides are too evenly matched.

On that cheery note, I’ll stop. I want to take a closer look at the oceans and what they might hide. Or at least the shipping routes.