The Empire of Sogel is the largest nation on Ganae. It covers a significant fraction of Ahvosia, and is still slowly expanding.
However, Sogel is a fractured empire, with the central authority (the Emperor) ruling over a collection of kingdoms and principalities which are largely independent. The emperor has some control over his vassals, and this is aided by the special magical abilities which the rulers of Sogel command.
After the fall of the ancient Empire of Yarbalis, humanoids roamed freely across the plains of Ahvosia. Various nomadic cultures roamed over the wide expanses. The remaining humans either fell prey to these creatures, fled into other lands or behind the few cities that remained, or became as harsh and warlike as necessary. Some of the more noteworthy tribes are the Omkedrin and the savage Vei horsemen.
In some areas, the local warlords began to protect those who could not protect themselves. This led to the development of a feudal system, where local lords governed areas for barons, counts, and dukes. The feudal monarchy would have remained small, since each of the lords couldn't hope to stand against the barbarians which regularly pillaged the lands. However, in YYYY, this changed when NNN discovered the magics of the Cainam Crystal
The magical nature of the Cainam allowed NNN to control magics throughout his land. He was able to use the magical power to fortify his realm. Eventually, he expanded his control, and gave the secrets of the Cainam to his family members and trusted allies. As their power spread through the land, each new realm ruler adopted the rulership of NNN.
Initially, the land was just one kingdom - Carregor. Other groups of nobles unified to stand against the growing might of the Sogel forces. However, while they could prevent Carregor from conquering them, they couldn't stand against the ability of its rulers to draw magic from the land itself. A number of wars were fought, with little gain on either side.
This state of affairs lasted for several decades. Eventually, NNN2, the grandson of NNN, offered the secret of Cainam to the king of Sarpace in return for his fealty - and his daughter's hand in marriage. The proposal was accepted. Priltova, not to be excluded, also offered fealty in return for the secrets of Cainam and certain land concessions. In a series of spectacular diplomatic successes, a number of kingdoms, independent duchies, and free cities all joined under the banner of NNN2. Thus was the Empire of Sogel born.
Since the birth of the empire, the nobles of Sogel have tried to extend their reach. Several new kingdoms and duchies were formed recently. Sogel has been successful at expanding and holding land originally controlled by the Vei and Omkedrin. They have also expanded in other directions - conquering the kindgom of Thydencia, and replacing its ruler. Sogel forces have attempted to conquer Zordon as well; however all attempts to maintain control of the city have met with failure.
The threats from the Omkedrin tribes and the Vei have lessened over time. Sogel's army, when unified, is one of the strongest on Ganae. The series of fortresses and small castles make invasion difficult, as the castles are difficult to crack by siege. At the same time, nobles who are not inheriting frequently try to carve new territories for themselves; this practice is actively encouraged by the various Kings and the Emperor.
Because the Cainam provides power at three distinct levels - the Emperor, kings, and dukes - the power controlled by each noble and family is relatively fixed. Therefore, the nobles are constantly vying for political positioning or advantages of resources. Occasionally, a noble house will be destroyed, or a royal dies without heir. This usually results in fierce efforts by other nobles (and those who wish to become nobles) to claim the power of the Cainam.
Merchants in Sogel have been integrated into the feudal structure. Most nobles have groups of merchants which act as salesmen and purchasing agents. These merchants trade on behalf of their lord in return for a secure home.
Religions vary widely. Because of the piecemeal method that the empire was formed, the various local religions were left alone. Since the unification, priests have moved from one kingdom to another, so identifying which gods are served in which city is sometimes a challenge. The clergy of Tempus and several other war-gods have followings in many areas (and is one reason the Kingdom is so fragmented).
The oldest, and the strongest kingdom, is Carregor. It has roughly a dozen provinces, each ruled by Dukes. Carregor is probably the most classically feudal kingdom. It is ruled by the heir of the emperor, who acts as King of Carregor. Carregor borders the ocean to the west, and has a small navy.
Just to the north of Carregor is Sarpace. Sarpace is the second-largest kingdom, and almost equal to Carregor in power and status. Culturally, Sarpace is a little more progressive than Carregor.
Southwest of Carregor, along the coast, is Priltova. Priltova is made up of not only mainland, but several large islands and island chains. Priltora has the most active navy of Sogel, and has sailing ships plying the seas. It is the primary naval strength of Sogel, though the nobles prevent it from usually being a unified force. Priltova is separated from Carregor by the dense JJJ jungle; roughly a quarter of the jungle is within Priltova.
To the east of Priltova, and south of Carregor, is Ardevora. Ardevora includes the rest of the JJJ jungle, as well as desert, high mountains, and .... Ardevora is a rough country, where untamed land still exists for ready nobles to conquer it. But this is no simple feat, as monstrous creatures are more common. Ardevora and Priltova are rivals; only Sarpace and Carregor exceed the status of the two rival kingdoms.
To the south of Ardevora is Thydencia. Thydencia is one of the newest kingdoms of Sogel, and it is one of the least feudal.
To the east of both Carregor and Sarpace is Harphos. Harphos is a smaller kingdom, with only five duchies under its control. Harphos has a strong interest in magics of various types, and each of its duchies is governed by an arcane spellcaster of some type.
East of Thydencia is Redowas. The kingdom of Redowas is the furthest east, and bears the brunt of attacks from the Omkedrin and Vei. Because of this, Redowas is less populated than most other kingdoms. It is also the smallest of the mainland kingdoms, and thus suffers a lack of status among the other kingdoms.
Southeast of Harphos and east of Ardevora is the kingdom of Oludhor. Oludhor is a small kingdom primarily made up of settlements of halflings and gnomes.
The last of the mainland kingdoms of Sogel is to the west-northwest of Sarpace. This kingdom, Altema, is one of the smaller kingdoms. It borders the ocean, and actually includes land underneath the waves as a separate duchy.
Another kingdom of Sogel is actually entirely under the waves. Located in the ocean to the west of Carregor is the kingdom of Wahovea. Wahovea is made up of several undersea races, each within its own duchy. Since the races are frequently hostile to each other, Wahovea's king must deal with frequent clashes between his nobles.
Timaria is one of the most unusual of kingdoms. Rather than occupying a fixed location, Timaria is built on magical stone which floats in the sky, and the floating islands move around the empire. Each of the duchies occupy one large city-sized stone, plus a cluster of smaller stones which travel in a group. The duchies can move independently, but all remain technically a single kingdom. The Timarian duchies are most often found over Carregor, Sarpace, Priltova and Ardevora.
There are also a number of independent duchies. These are governed by a Duke, but they owe fealty to the emperor directly. These duchies are scattered around different areas of the empire.
Warriors from Askmath occasionally work with the Order of XXX for pay. These Askmath mercenaries are very fierce, and usually loyal. The Order believes that it is better to have the Askmaths on their side, rather than let the northern lands be a target. Some of the nobles in the Eltannia region have also hired a small number of Askmaths as mercenaries.