The Lormyrr Imperial nations have tried to send to troops to "help stabilize the Shandarin political situation". These troops have been rejected by the Eight Nations, who recognized that once Imperial troops have a foothold in their nation, they risk losing their own sovereignty.
Here are some specifics about the eight nations that make up Shanidar:
Not a nation, but the pagan people who were in Shanidar before the advent of "civilization". They are scattered throughout the Shandarin continent in various tribes. These tribes tend to eke out a sparse existence on poorer land, and are often persecuted by the other peoples of Shandarin. They are a fierce race that, with the exception of the Heldori tribe, has not embraced the words of the Church with any enthusiasm.
Ilmoria is a stable and prosperous nation. King Aelfwine is much loved by his people, as is his son, Crown Prince William. Ilmoria has a diverse economy, some mining, some farming, fishing and trade. As they have a much more reasonable taxation policy than Icarus, they get much trade from the Empire. The serf/lord relationship has largely disappeared, existing only in some of the most rural provinces.
The Church is strong within Ilmoria, and has a good relationship with the crown.
Thylatis is a large country split through the center by mountains and a large forest. It is a traditional monarchy ruled by King Martin. Feudalism is partially in force, but over half of the people are freemen, rather than serfs.
The eastern part of Thylatis is primarily rural and very provincial. This is not a wealthy land, with the people subsisting largely by farming, fishing and some coastal trading.
The western portion of Thylatis is more prosperous, more urban and more urbane than eastern Thylatis. There is still some farming and also some mining at the edge of the mountains, and in the hills in the peninsula. Fishing is almost non-existent as the Dragon's Bight is too dangerous for casual sailing.
The Thylatian Peaks are wild with scattered goblin, orcs and occasional dwarven villages. The Ishakar Forest is dense and the depths are held by Elkyri.
Thylatis is a very religious nation, with a strong Church presence.
Smallest of the Eight Nations, Sirion is also the most unusual. It is a matriarchal monarchy currently ruled by Queen Dalriada, a young and, according to rumors, exotically beautiful queen. Not particularly welcoming of strangers, what is known of Sirion falls largely in realm of rumor. If half of these rumors can be believed, the people of Sirion barely remain human and one cannot walk through the lands of Sirion without running into dryads, sprites and elkyri.
The economy of Sirion deals largely in the unusual spices and herbs that grow there. These spices are primarily for food and perfumes, but many have medicinal properties.
The Church has only a tenuous presence in Sirion, and there is much talk of the Church raising a Crusade to correct this situation.
The largest and most powerful nation of the Eight Nations is, without a doubt, Icarus. It is also, without the same doubt, the most disliked of the Eight Nations, especially by the others of the Eight. It is unique in its governance, in that the last King of Icarus died 150 years ago, without specifying an heir. Since that time, a council of nobles, called the Ladran Council, rules the country. The current ruler of the Council is High Lord Corrin.
Icarus largely controls the trade between the eastern and western nations and has become very wealthy by taxing this trade. To enforce these taxes and to protect the caravans that have paid the proper taxes, Icarus maintains a large and well-trained military.
The Church is very powerful and, to all appearances, very corrupt within Icarus.
The Heldori were the strongest of the Celtibreri tribes and were absorbed into Icarus, rather than exterminated, as were many of the smaller tribes. They were a part of Icarus for centuries, but eventually tired of being treated as second class citizens and, just over a century ago, rebelled and formed their own nation.
Thylatis supported the Heldor rebellion, nominally because of "centuries of Icaran suppression of Heldori freedoms", but, in reality, because supporting Heldori freedom gave Thylatis a pathway for trade, free if Icaran taxation. With a strong military presence at Drakensburg, they threaten the flank of any Icaran offensive against Heldor. As octiron made the political situation more unstable, Icarus is afraid to make too many threats against Heldor, for fear of Heldor turning to Lormyrr for assistance.
Heldor is ruled by His Noble Lordship, Lothar, Thegn of the Heldori. This title reputedly predates the introduction of civilization to Shanidar. The land he rules is a poor state, with few resources of note, no trade through its lands to speak of, and a wide expanse of desolation across its center. These factors have kept the Heldori the poorest nation on the continent. Despite this, they work hard to eke out a minimal existence on what land they have, as well as exporting labor whenever and wherever possible. A number of mercenary groups come from Heldor, rugged bands of doughty warriors raised in the fringes of the Spotted Plain or in the Beldin Highlands.
Heldor's geography gives the basic reason for much of their culture and national institutions. Situated across the entire center of the country is the Spotted Plains, a vast region of ash, dust, lava, and stone. This region is almost entirely devoid of life and is useless for farming, even near the Archerstone River which cuts through part of it. Very few live within this desolate wilderness, as it is known to be the abode of monsters that are said to eat dirt and stone, and prey upon the unwary. These creatures represent the only real internal threat to Heldor, and at that they tend to be only a minor one. A more forbidding region is hard to imagine.
One of the primary reasons for the survival of the Heldori, in the early expansion of the Empire, was how quickly they embraced the True Faith. The harsh realities of life in Heldor created a people who understand and respect discipline. Heldor is the most strictly religious nation in Shanidar.
His Majesty, Urth-Durgal, King of all Karelia rules the oldest civilized kingdom known to man. It is also a very powerful kingdom, rivaling Icarus in power, if not in wealth.
Karelia was once a number of territories that vied with one another and other realms for power across western Ilmoria. But after centuries of wars, conquests, plagues, disasters, and all manner of occurrences, the various realms eventually coalesced into the Kingdom of the Karelias. The coronation of the first King of all Karelia was a great event that had repercussions throughout the Empire. The Kingdom has managed to maintain its unity since that time, excepting a few eras of turmoil. With its internal fighting resolved (for the most part), Karelia has since this time found itself in conflict most often with Tyrolia to the north. The two nations share a long border that has shifted a great deal over the centuries. Fortunately, fighting between the two great Kingdoms has not occurred on a wide scale in many decades, thus ensuring stability in the region.
The Arch-Bishopric of Karella is the most powerful religious office in Shanidar. The Church wields a strong, but not controlling, presence in Karelia.
His Royal Highness, Ilyan, Herzog of the West, King of Tyrolia is an aging king and his sons are in a struggle to be named heir. They all seek to gain the favor of his Consort, Irena. Irena is 25 years younger than Ilyan, a second wife after his first wife died of a fever. The sons know that she has the ear of her husband and that he will listen to her counsel. Irena, though younger the Ilyan, is no flighty beauty. She realizes her position and is seriously interested in what is in the best interest of the Kingdom.
Tyrolia is an ancient land, steeped in legend and the memory of ancient magics. It was colonized in the early days of the migrations from across the Endless Sea, the original inhabitants being largely absorbed or driven out. Still, these strange and mystical original inhabitants have left their mark on the Tyrolians down to this day, and Tyrolian culture is liberally sprinkled with the ancient legends and beliefs of these mostly vanished peoples.
Tyrolia has had a long and bloody history, having been fought over by various kingdoms and territories within, and unceasing battles with Karelians and other Shandarin states. The lists of atrocities are long and filled with exceptionally brutal acts by the local lords. This, and the great gloom of the populace, has made this a land of dark terrors, half-remembered evils, and strange events that still occur today. The people of Tyrolia, ironically the least pure-blooded of the Tyrolian nations, are considered dour and morose by outsiders, and some believe they are all tainted with blasphemous evils. While it is true that they are quite bleak and superstitious, they do have brighter spots in their culture. Music and dance are popular, and their haunting melodies are appreciated in other lands. Festivals and gatherings are popular among them.
Tyrolia has been a tough area for the Church to take a strong foothold. Individual charismatic priests have a more control, in many ways, than the vast organization of the Church.
North Tyrolia was originally a part of the greater Kingdom of Tyrolia, but three centuries back revolted against the despotic King of all Tyrolia. The war was long and bloody, marked by atrocities on both sides. In the end, North Tyrolia was successful in establishing itself as an independent Kingdom. Since this time, they have fought border wars with Tyrolia and Icarus a number of times, usually with great success.
North Tyrolia possess many of the same problems of its parent nation. It too suffers from the gloom of a long, dark history. The current rulers have fought this strongly, desiring to make their nation more like the great Shandarin states to the east that are not haunted by the bloody past. There attempts to stamp out wandering monsters and the ghosts of the land have been only slightly successful, as the racial memory of North Tyrolia's people is difficult to purge. This is not to say that the effort has been unsuccessful. Pillaging monsters have been checked, and many of the more evil sites of the Kingdom have been exorcised or otherwise destroyed, to the benefit of the people. Of course, many other dark corners of North Tyrolia have yet to be cleansed.
King Morland is an active monarch, who takes a personal interest in the workings of his land. He can be a trifle overbearing and hard-headed, and tends to anger those he thinks he is helping. But in all, his motives are good and his subjects know it. His energy and enthusiasm are evident to all that meet him, and despite some setbacks, his programs are looked upon favorably, even while most peasants think they are hopeless. A few fear that his actions might anger some ill-defined evil that might be awakened or angered. This is dismissed as nonsense by the King and his ministers.
The economy of North Tyrolia has also improved under the active King. Trade and exports have increased dramatically, despite the falling off of the landward trade routes. The port of Nargothrond, the capital of North Tyrolia, has begun to boom of late, with traffic increasing significantly in past years. This added wealth has aided the King's programs immeasurably, while the contact with foreign lands has introduced new ideas into the Kingdom. More improvements are foreseen in the coming years. The status of the Church in No. Tyrolia is similar to Tyrolia.