The Imperial Sultanate of Shalasia

Shalasia is among the largest and most prosperous nations in the world known to Black Steel, and (perhaps not coincidentally) one of the greatest naval powers as well. Bounded by the Sharna and Trevesh rivers (and a perpetually disputed line between them through the mountains) to the north and the northern foothills of the Hammer Mountains and Tornbring Vale to the south, Shalasia proper is geographically centered in the vast reaches of the Shalasa desert, but its centers of population and political power are centered along the rivers and mountains to the north. (See regional map.) The Sultanate's holdings also include a number of islands in the Broken Sea region, the largest of which is East Shalasia, the large and mountainous island -- itself the size of a small country -- that lies directly east of the city of Shalaton. One of these islands also harbors Shalasia's most important naval port outside of Shalaton and Sarema themselves, the military base of Port Alseyn, which commands the entire western Broken Sea.

Citizenship and class in Shalasia determine one's rights under the law, and are mostly based upon personal wealth and political influence -- both of which are normally, though not exclusively, acquired via inheritance. Slavery is entirely legal in Shalasia, and slaves have no rights at all except as the property of their masters, but any citizen of Shalasia or an allied country is accorded enormous freedoms of action ... so long as it does not cross the interests of higher-ranking members of the Shalasian class structure. While the wealthy and powerful in Shalasia do not have specific rights or legal recourse to enforce their will outside of their own properties and estates, there is little or no meaningful legal recourse for a citizen threatened or mistreated by order of a powerful entity like a church leader or Pasha, even when the mistreatment is theoretically against the law. Nevertheless, by working within one's own class and keeping one's head down until one can gain power of one's own or the assistance of powerful friends, it is possible to thrive and even rise in power in Shalasia from any level of society. Even slaves have been known to rise to positions of power after winning the sympathy of a free citizen and being purchased out of slavery.


Government: Absolute power in Shalasia supposedly rests in the hands of the Sultan, but of course the reality is far more complex; the Sultan and his advisors regularly consult with key members of innumerable power groups on every subject before formulating so much as a statement from the Imperial Seat, to ensure the nation's political framework continues to forward the larger goals of the Sultanate, and that the international situation continues to favor them. In addition to (and often overlapping with) powerful merchant companies, great wizards, and church authorities, many of Shalasia's interests are controlled by the nation's vast aristocracy, from the powerful Pashas among whom most of the country's usable land is divided to the lesser nobles of Shalaton who might own no more land than the grounds of their personal villas. As well, diplomats from far-flung lands, such as Black Steel's foreign minister and ambassador to the Sultanate, occupy positions of importance in the Sultan's court, as the impact of the Sultan's decisions upon Shalasia's relations with her present and potential allies is necessarily an important consideration in the plans of the nation.


History: The rise of the Shalasian Pashas and the original Sultanate are matters more of legend than of history, and some of the current Pashas can trace their ancestry for dozens of generations, all the way to records of their family heritage that are counted among the earliest historical records of the region -- some even including perhaps-fanciful linneages dating back through many generations of oral history or invention to legendary names or deities. The present Sultan is among these, and his linneage does arise from the Shalasian Sultans who ruled the region for centuries before the Al-Samir revolution, but it is only in recent times that the name of Sultan was revived by Sultan Thoshmon III, who was previously known -- like the last twenty-seven of his predecessors on the throne -- as the High Pasha, a sort of "first among equals" at least in name.

Shalasia's existence as a united country stretches back beyond the horizon of history, though the extent and reality of its unity has varied from century to century, and even from generation to generation. It was long ruled from the Holy Imperial City of Aphera, which lay on the river Sharna near its northernmost extreme, until "barbarians" from the north -- the ancestors of the present-day people of Espava -- possibly in response to Shalasian designs upon their land and people, crossed the Sharna and laid waste to the city. No reliable contemporary account of the battle has as yet been found intact, and modern historians still debate what actually occurred, but either the defeat of Shalasia's military force in the region was so complete or the sack and burning of Aphera (according to some, by surprise or subterfuge) was so dispiriting or Shalasia was so divided for other reasons that Shalasian forces were forced to withdraw from the northern Sharna region, and would not regain lasting control there for centuries. The ruins of Aphera can still be seen, much ravaged by time, war, weather, squatters (particularly in the periods of Espavan control) and occasional floods, but with rubble cleared and other ruins dug up or cleaned and polished in recent times thanks to an active restoration effort by Shalasia. The ruins are now a popular site for visits by historians, the curious and wealthy, and certain desert nomad tribes who seem to regard the journey as something in the nature of a religious pilgrimage.

The sack of Aphera resulted in a major shift in the Shalasian political landscape. The capital was moved to the nation's most important commercial port -- and a location far from the "barbarian" front -- in spite of its location near the extreme eastern edge of the lands and population centers controlled at that time by the Sultanate. While the new capital, then called Ge'ar Sultanri, exerted enormous influence over its near vicinity, sheer distance -- in a period when long-distance travel and communication were difficult in the extreme -- limited its effectiveness as a true center of national rule, to the extent that the Pashas of western Shalasia became rulers of close-knit but independent fiefdoms in all but name, paying only token fealty and tribute to the distant Sultan.

Some centuries after the establishment of Ge'ar Sultanri, it appears that the arts of sorcery in the region had developed to the point of permitting effective long-distance communication. Most Shalasian historical records from this period have unfortunately been destroyed, and the remainder are mostly cryptic, unreliable, or both, but inference from later documents seems to suggest that Shalasia functioned in practice as a truly united nation again for something over two centuries leading up to the Al-Samir revolution. For reasons that remain unclear due to the sketchy historical record from that period, communication between the eastern and western portions of the Sultanate appear to have broken down somewhere in the neighborhood of a half-millenium ago, with the Pashas of western Shalasia again drawing away from the Sultan's influence. This trend appears to have gone largely unresisted until the reign of Sultan Omiran IV, sometimes called the Sorceror-Sultan, though whether he in fact wielded magical power or relied on that of others remains in doubt. He managed through a combination of magical power and military might to project his rule and influence across all of present-day Shalasia, and even into large portions of present-day Espava. His new Sultanate was short-lived, as the Pashas of western Shalasia led a revolt of the powerful Shalasian aristocracy. Now known as the Al-Samir revolution, it ended in the death of Sultan Omiran IV and most of his near family, and the ascension of a distant cousin to the throne as the first High Pasha -- a title held by the nominal rulers of Shalasia until Thoshmon III, after years (and perhaps generations, as previous High Pashas may have prepared the ground) of careful planning, scheming, and political maneuvering, reclaimed the title of Sultan in the wake of the Fall of Isiyes.


Key government figures: (extremely incomplete list)

His Imperial Majesty, Sultan Thoshmon III: The Imperial Sultanate of Shalasia is ruled by an extremely temperamental and unpredictable monarch, seemingly led more by his emotions than by policy. Nevertheless -- and perhaps in part for that very reason -- he is a beloved by the common people of Shalasia, and has had a strikingly successful reign, to the point of crushing a would-be rebellion and Espavan invasion and re-establishing the institution of the Sultanate in his own name. This success may well derive in part from the ground laid by his predecessors, and it may even be that he is a shrewder man than he chooses to appear, but most astute political observers give most of the credit to his two most-trusted advisors: Pashas Richella and Zavalier.

Pasha Richella, Radiance of Athoth: The highest religious authority for the church of Athoth in all of Shalasia -- and by that token, the Pasha of vast and rich estates -- is also the chief advisor of Sultan Thoshmon III, and arguably the most powerful man in Shalaton, or perhaps all the Broken Sea region. Though famed for his ruthless political cunning, Shalasia's Radiance is one of the best-loved figures among the people of the country, in part no doubt because of his religious position -- the population is predominantly Athothian, and though many other faiths are tolerated, Shalasia is officially an Athothian nation -- but also perhaps because his ruthlessness is so thoroughly employed in the service of Shalasia itself.

Pasha Zavalier, Grand Wizard of Shalasia: A mysterious, shadowy figure to most of the people of Shalasia -- and indeed the world -- the Grand Wizard of the Sultanate is a powerful Pasha whose lands and title (like those of Shalasia's Radiance of Athoth) though life appointments, are conveyed by his office rather than by heredity. Of course, Pasha Zavalier has managed to parley these and certain holdings that he possessed prior to his appointment into sizable additional titles and estates that are his to bequeath, and has further transformed the position of Grand Wizard itself into one of the most influential and important posts in the Sultanate; if Pasha Richella is the Sultan's right hand, Pasha Zavalier is his left. The full extent of this influence is not known to many, but certain members of Black Steel have worked with him closely, and have some idea of his real power. As well, Theril had several opportunities of meeting him socially, and found him an affable, expansive, naturally well-mannered gentleman ... with perhaps just a streak of iconoclastic independence and anti-authoritarianism.

Her Majesty, Theora Arastani: The Sultan's officially wedded wife naturally has significant influence in the Shalasian court, as well as in Arasta, born and raised as she was into that nation's royal family. Shalasia is a decidedly misogynistic country by Black Steel's standards, and her power is not what perhaps it would be in a more enlightened country, but she knows what levers to pull to accomplish her political objectives, and does not hesitate to use them. She is accounted very beautiful, even by the standards of royalty (who can afford to take rather extensive liberties with their natural appearances) and this no doubt provides her some degree of additional influence in a court dominated by men, but the effect is small in comparison to her family connections and her relationship with the Sultan.

His Imperial Highness, Ad-Sultan Justinon: The Sultan's first son (and second-born child) stands to inherit the throne upon his father's death, although at present he is still in his early-mid-teens, several years from the age of majority. Reputedly more headstrong and unpredictable even than his father (but less temperamental and less emotionally driven in Black Steel's experience) the Ad-Sultan is a wild teen, habitually evading his minders and sneaking off into Shalaton, where he apparently has wide connections of his own among the aristocracy, and is supposedly at home even in the back ways of the tent city; he seems to delight in mixing with people below his station (a group which by Shalasian reckoning includes just about everybody). In spite of all this, he is regarded by most as extremely -- even dangerously -- intelligent, capable, and self-possessed. It is worth noting that, whatever mischief he may manage to get into outside the bounds established for him, he has always emerged intact and unruffled back into the world of the court. He is no doubt helped by his sheer popularity -- the Ad-Sultan is better loved among the people of Shalasia than probably anyone else in existence, including even his father the Sultan or Pasha Richella himself -- but Shalaton presumably harbors madmen, enemies of the state aware of his idiosyncrasies, and any number of dangerous characters who wouldn't recognize him in whatever disguises he wears in the streets. That he never yet has come to harm suggests that he's either been tremendously lucky, or that he has tremendous hidden resources to call upon at need.

Pasha Fokahre: The powerful and popular Pasha of extensive mountainous estates near the border with Espava -- estates that include some of the most important iron mines in the region -- and a long-time advisor to the Sultan, Pasha Fokahre does not play in the same league as the likes of Shalasia's Radiance of Athoth or the Grand Wizard of Shalasia, but is nevertheless an important political figure in his own right, and at court represents the interests of numerous other northern Pashas and Shalasian citizens with skill, diplomacy, and no little success. His political ties now also extend beyond Shalasia, as he was recently betrothed to the Honorable Matrix: The Foreign Minister of the Scabbard-Edge Confederation and its ambassador to Shalasia. The engagement is said to be a love-match, and though the Confederation's growing importance in regional politics makes it an appropriate diplomatic move as well, the attraction between the two is manifest to anyone who has seen them together; some old friends have sworn they can actually hear the Pasha's blood start to race whenever he sees Matrix step into the room.

The Scabbard-Edge Confederation

Known as "The Black Steel government" in everyday parlance, or even just "Black Steel," the federal government that oversees The Scabbard, Thornton, and the rest of The Edge is officially known as "The Scabbard-Edge Confederation" on diplomatic papers, and in any context where it sounds more impressive or appropriate. In these contexts, the name generally carries the implication that "The Edge" includes most of the jungles and coastline between the Great Divide and The Scabbard, though in reality Black Steel controls only a few small areas in the region, mostly in the immediate vicinity of Thornton. (See regional map.)

The federal government handles foreign relations, from diplomatic negotiations to trade rights to the national defense, but imposes few domestic laws -- all of the few relating either to dealings with foreign people and foreign powers, to establishing basic freedoms for all its citizens that no local government can deny, or to making it possible for the federal government to perform its function. No domestic taxes are imposed; the federal government receives all of its income through customs tariffs and (extremely widespread) investments in local businesses. Local governments have a high degree of local autonomy however, and may impose their own taxes and laws so long as they fall within the laws of the Confederation as a whole. Local rule has shown a tendency toward government by some form of popular vote, but this is not strictly required according to Confederation law -- indeed, as Alluarten and Thestrinarra (and for a long time, the town now known as Thornton) demonstrate, there is no strict requirement for any local government to exist at all -- so long as the people's basic freedoms are not denied by whatever power structure may form instead.

Government: The Scabbard-Edge Confederation's governing body consists of a 24-member cabinet, though there are also two members of the cabinet staff who are accorded voting privileges under certain circumstances, and all officially-appointed ambassadors have the right to introduce legislation, though not to vote on them. The full cabinet meets only occasionally, and its primary role at present is to confirm, reconcile, or overturn the provisional decisions passed by "Interim Councils" -- which amount to cabinet meetings that require smaller, and therefore more achievable, quorums.

History: Black Steel's original leadership was a tight-knit group initially driven together by circumstances and necessity on Lost Soul's Island off the Fire Coast, and forged into a unit by the need to resist their would-be masters in the pirate fiefdom that soon claimed them for its own. This original core prepared and led a group of sailors and warriors, disgruntled with their pirate leadership, to escape the fiefdom and come south to the Broken Sea, their ships laden with recovered pirate treasure. With the development and growth of The Scabbard and later The Edge, the original core has expanded to meet the needs of the people they rule, and whom they serve.

The Scabbard-Edge Confederation has evolved organically into its present form as a series of compromises between its various component factions: Between members of the original Black Steel leadership, later important additions to its ranks, and the towns of The Scabbard and Thornton. As the needs of the young nation have changed, the Cabinet has evolved to meet them, maneuvering the people best-suited to handling the needs of the nation into the best positions from which to do so.

Key government figures: (The Central Cabinet)

Brenlyth Mytras: The Scabbard's highest elected official, the chairman of its Town Council, always represents the Confederation's capital city on the Central Cabinet as Minister of the Scabbard. The current office-holder, Brenlyth Mytras, is a the innovative head of the progressive political party that won this year's Scabbard election in a landslide.

Minister Grynne: Friendly, unassuming, and sometimes shy, Grynned heads Black Steel's Ministry of the Interior, and can always be seen around The Scabbard, keeping an eye on the nation's investments and his ministry's projects around the city. He is quietly competent at the wide-ranging duties of his job, and probably knows every one of the thousands of Scabbard citizens by name.

Admiral Lynethizon: Black Steel's Minister of the Navy is thoroughly familiar with all forms of battle on the high seas; he learned some of his dirtiest tricks in the course of many years as a pirate captain before throwing over his pirate lord to escape with Black Steel. Though his first responsibility is for the flagship Avenger, Lynethizon's responsibilities on the Central Cabinet include ensuring the safety of Black Steel's extensive transport fleet and the many civillian ships that make its harbors their ports of call. He and Scaelorrel naturally work very closely together, to the point where some like to say that Lynethizon is actually Assistant Minister of Defense and Scaelorrel the Assistant Minister of the Navy.

The Honorable Matrix: Black Steel's Foreign Minister and ambassador to Shalasia (the title of "Honorable" is traditionally granted to all ambassadors; it is not a reflection on her character) is an expert negotiator and diplomat; it was Matrix who famously brokered the peace treaty now in force between Shalasia and Espava. She can dominate a room with the sheer force of her commanding presence, in part perhaps simply because of her devastating beauty. Matrix gives everything to her career and the Confederation's foreign interests as a matter of course; though it is said to be a love match, this surely has informed her engagement to be married to Pasha Fokahre, an important member of the Court of Shalaton, with major land-holdings in the iron-rich hills of northern Shalasia.

Chairman Noble: The head of the Cabinet and chair of its meetings, Noble resides in The Scabbard and rarely leaves -- except on vitally important occasions such as the battle for Kaiimar, on which he went to lead Black Steel's troops personally. He is deeply attached (though not officially engaged) to Captain Goldenrod, the Minister of Court Affairs and head of one arm of the Trident -- Black Steel's primary military force.

General Scaelorrel: An expert strategist and tactician, the Black Steel Minister of Defense is responsible for the overall disposition of the nation's armed forces, especially including its Trident rapid-response teams. Scaelorrel is regularly consulted by the other members of the Central Cabinet, to ensure that key locations can be properly defended, and their plans and initiatives will not endanger national security.

Telaeri's Report on Reilahren

Sitting down with Herring, Theril, Rondus, and Fraegan in the cabin of the longship, Telaeri spends the better part of the day explaining what she knows about the culture, rituals, and leaders of the Reilahren tribe, as well as its trade network representatives. She's learned a lot in the month she spent there, and tries to give Fraegan the benefit of as much knowledge as she can convey in -- and that he can retain from -- a single morning and afternoon. She's much better at communicating visually than verbally -- part of the reason her answers to Theril's Assurance are not among the best -- and conveys the characters of the people she's describing more completely by emulating their body language and facial expressions (often coupled with those typical of tribe members who approach them) than she ever could with words alone. As she explains the tribal culture, it becomes increasingly clear as well that, largely by happenstance, she was the perfect choice for first ambassador to the tribe, since Reilahren's is a deeply visual and tactile culture; Telaeri spends twenty minutes, mostly with one or both of Fraegan's hands in hers, just helping him understand the hugely significant, sometimes non-intuitive meanings of different kinds of pressure and motion in a handshake. She teaches him to recognize the tribe's many ritual dances, some religious, some ceremonial, some apparetly means of self-expression, communication, community building, and even decision making, not by description but by demonstrating them, sometimes with Fraegan himself, teaching him the simple steps of the dances in which he'll most likely be asked to participate.

Fraegan's a quick learner, and he drinks in Telaeri's knowledge with intense concentration, but something more is happening: He didn't want the Grat'han assignment originally -- he was hoping to work in a civilized country -- and accepted it in the end only because Matrix insisted he was the right man for the job, and that it was his best chance to advance in the foreign ministry and eventually be appointed to more important (and civilized) posts. He intended to do the best job he could, and was glad of the opportunity, but his enthusiasm was not for the job itself -- just for using it to help his career and his country. By noon, as he learns from Telaeri, Theril can see that his whole perspective on the assignment has changed. Matrix explained that the trade network and even the Reilahren tribe itself represented a real power in the region, and in some sense a real and civilized country, so of course he knew that already, but if Theril is reading him correctly, something in learning the details of Reilahren's culture and society, or something in the way Telaeri is teaching him, has made him feel it viscerally. Theril herself communicates much better verbally than otherwise, but she hears it in his word choice, among other things: The ambassador to Reilahren in abstract changes for him from "you" to "me," and there's even a shift in the questions he asks and the way he uses "we" that implies he's no longer just thinking, "What does Matrix expect of me here?" so much as, "How can I best use this to strengthen Black Steel in the region?"

It may be a tough assignment. Especially as she goes into details of specific meetings she saw or in which she participated, Telaeri keeps building context for her explanation about the trade network, demonstrating and explaining the things she saw so that Fraegan -- and Herring and Theril as they watch -- can follow the line of evidence for themselves, to see if they reach the same conclusions that she does before she says anything to bias them as to what those conclusions might be. And as dusk begins to gather, and Telaeri closes her eyes and breathes deep, and finally says, "I hope that's enough of the background," Theril can see at least a part of the picture already.

"They're a serpent cult," Theril offers. "Their metaphors, especially the ritual ones, suggest it, but those things you showed us in their dances..."

Telaeri nods, glancing at her. "Absolutely. Not on the surface, but it's deep. Once you see it, you can see how it goes all the way to the heart of their rituals. And you can see how it changed. A lot of those dances were different, and I can see how the old forms have been changed to serpent themes."

Herring raises a brow. "Llaesira explained a little about that sort of thing, but she said it's a very old religion in the jungles. Are you certain it's a recent change?"

Telaeri nods. "You can't see the the old ways at all from the children, and they're obvious when you watch the elderly. It must have changed within the last generation or two at the earliest."

Herring takes her word for it; if nothing else, Telaeri is Black Steel's foremost authority on the art of the dance. "Still, at least it isn't menacing. Snakes don't mean the same thing in Grat'ha as they do to us."

Remembering, Theril suggests, "Perhaps they're just returning to that old religion. Llaesira was telling us about the serpent fetishes in the trade network; even where the religion isn't actively practiced in Grat'ha, serpents are symbols of protection and good luck."

Telaeri slowly nods again. "Maybe in Llaesira's part of the jungle at least. She's out where it's really just a trade network, at least mostly, where maybe someone like her really /can/ have power -- the kind she uses, at least. This deep in though, it's a whole different world. I don't know how much Llaesira even knows about this; the network people here don't work the way she does, and the guy with the serpent teeth, the one she thinks is her equivilant, isn't anywhere near the top of their food chain. He wanted me to think he was, but he couldn't hide ... well, the excuses he made when I talked to him about things he wasn't expecting, just dances and rituals and things; the way he reacted to different situations; his body language; the way things changed when other serpent people were visiting; I don't know if I can describe it all ... but he definitely had superiors, and there were a thousand things he couldn't do or even talk about without getting a decision from them. He was ready for all kinds of questions about trade and power and military forces, but he didn't know what to do with my interest in the culture; I'm not sure he ever even understood it properly. If not for that -- say, if I was like Llaesira, always just talking to him about trading partners and things -- I might never have found out he was working for anybody but him."

Fraegan shakes his head slowly, meeting her gaze. "I don't get it. Why would they care if we know who's in charge?"

"I don't know," Telaeri answers. "It doesn't make sense to me, but it doesn't leave me inclined to really trust them. They seem to want outsiders to think of them as just a trade network, but at least in Reilahren village ... well, you noticed it, Theril. The Reilahren tribesmen are a serpent cult, but they never dress up as serpents; I'm pretty sure it would be sacrilege. And the network people aren't snake worshipers at all; they just /look/ like serpents -- /all/ of them do, at least a little; every one I saw, and every one I heard about. What's more, if you actually watch them interact, the more they look like snakes, the more real authority they have, in the network, and over Reilahren. The tribe doesn't just use serpent symbols and use snaky rituals and things; they practically worship the serpent people from the network, like demi-gods or something. Even the tribal chief is terrified of them -- not just worshipful; you'd have to see his eyes: It's /fear/, even when they aren't around, of doing something they don't want, and just of them." Telaeri spreads her hands. "There's more. I wish I had more time to give you all the details. I'm not sure if I'm explaining properly. As far as I can tell, they don't trust us, and they want to hide a lot of things about their organization and their power from us. And I have to say, because of that, I don't feel like we can trust them." She takes out the flask of nectar and sets it on the table. "Certain things, okay. Of course this will be what we asked for -- why wouldn't it be? -- and I never felt like I was in any danger myself," as her eyes go to Fraegan, "or like you would be. But they're way more interested in Kaiimar than they have any reason to be -- not by their words, but you can /see/ it -- and I don't think what they want there and what we want can work together. With Llaesira, okay, but with these guys ... even if they don't take part in our battle -- and I have a feeling we'd better not really ask them for that, or even give them the chance -- I think it's going to take some doing to convince them what they really want is just trade with the city."

Political Map of the Broken Sea Region

CLICK PICTURE FOR FULL-SIZE VERSION:

This map doesen't include physical terrain features apart from land/sea and very major rivers, though the rough locations of a few mountain ranges are listed. UPDATE 4/29/08: There is now a physical map available as well, with more complete terrain features, though this one provides a more complete picture of the local spheres of influence.
Each country uses a(n at least slightly) different color, but white always represents areas that are uninhabitable, unclaimed, unexplored, unknown to Black Steel, or some combination; harder colors fading toward white represent either disputed claims (e.g. between Rhedas and Ephinos; Rhedas has the upper hand in the disputed area, which is why it's shading to their color from white) uncertainty about the extent of certain nations (e.g. the depth of the jungles controlled by the trade network, and the extent to which "control" is the operative term, still isn't very clear, which is why the green fades toward white as you grow further from Llaesira's region) or essentially wild lands ruled mostly "in name only" (e.g. the Shalasa desert has always been claimed by Shalasia, and no one disputes the claim, but ... it's still just a huge, empty desert).
Shalasia (capital: Shalaton) was the first nation to establish diplomatic relations with The Scabbard, and Matrix has been ambassador there for years; she is also betrothed to one of this rich desert country's powerful Pashas, Pasha Fokahre, who controls the iron mines near the border with...
Espava (capital: Leziv) is where Matrix is currently stationed as temporary ambassador; she recently established diplomatic relations there after negotiating an end to the border war then brewing between Shalasia and Espava, but when Byriche (the new ambassador to Espava) arrives, she expects to return to Shalaton.
Arasta extends further north than the map shows; Dwiereth is currently ambassador there (recently installed, and mostly as a sinecure, and to help imply a greater presence and influence around the Broken Sea than Black Sail actually has).
Korv (Capital: Korv Harbor) is the strange and complex realm of dwarves and men out beyond the Edge (Thornton) and the jungles, where Thorm "Glib" Casati has long been ambassador.
Havandia (Capital: Virhas) is the large country southeast of the Scabbard that relies heavily on Grat'han slaves and is Black Sail's biggest competitor for export of jungle resources. Thragor is "playing ambassador" there right now, but there hasn't been a full-time embassy since Trevor was recalled to the Scabbard to work on construction projects.