Aureus
Merchant driven, mainly. Country of wonder, discovery, and opportunity. Culture stressed individuality, self sufficiency. One of the few places on the continent with operable remnants of the old civilization. Some of these drive travelers and pilgrims to pass through. One such spot in Shinar is considered a great wonder, and people will travel all the way to the southern edge of Aureus to see it. A giant crystalline structure that each night precisely when the sun dips below the horizon explodes in a dazzling array of light. The official explanation is that fireflies rest in the base and wake up at sunset. But the astute notice that the base is completely sealed.
Only a few miles from the sealed city rests the grand university. As the only respected place of learning in the land, aspiring scholars from the entire continent travel to study there. With its focus on learning, they also tend to be the lead in many areas of life, and as such, even with no codified political power, they hold much sway over the people of the land.
