Mage Sovereigns

The departure of the other kindreds left the High Elves of the Regime without the bulk of its regiments, and many of the high elves recruited to fill the ranks were deemed too important for frontline duty. As the anciliary regiments returned to their own cultures or actually rebelled against their commanding magistrates, the Grand Senate tried to make up the deficit using the only resource that they still possessed in abundance: Cash. The pockets of the Regime were still deep, supplied by old alliances with the Dwarfs and a still-superb trade network, and centuries of campaigning had brought back a good reserve of plunder. These were handed over, with increasing liberality, to mercenaries to fill the gaps in capability and numbers left by the Kindled and Vagabonds. This seemed a fine solution, as it not only provided the needed troops, but also turned potential enemy resources into allies: bandits, raiding clans and other renegades, as well as more 'civilised' groups of murderers.
Over time, 'mercenary' moved from a slightly disreputabel trade into a respected profession with its own guild.Small bands combined and recruited, creating the great Free Companies, entire armies hired as a group. Their rosters including not just fighters, but their own artillerists, siege engineers, cavalryand cavalry and arcanists. The Free Companies became justly famed for their results, but earned very mixed reputations for their behaviour. They also earned their pay, and accumulated money and power as the centralised authority of the Regime collapsed. Cities began to pay their debts in land and influence, which led to the Free Companies becoming integrated into the remnants of Regime infrastructure. They were powerful, but often had the sympathies of the serviles, and before long began demanding citizenship in exchange for their services, allowing them to secure senate seats and magisterial offices.
The first cities of the Remnant to fall to their own mercenary forces were the city-states of the Pyraean Coast, which were swiftly overtaken by the loose alliance known as the Heptarchy. In the wake of this betrayal, the Regime's governors had little choice but to rely on more and more mercenary forces to restore order, and the disintegration of their rule collapsed ever faster. First in the south, the sorcerous bloodlines of the Belissar Lasarate established their rule. Then the God-Queen took the forests of Ardheim as her Holy Kingdom.
In the north, the shift of power was less dramatic, where the warrior-scholrs known as the Paragons established a domain against the aggression of the Goblinoids and Giant-Kin expelled into the northern bluffs by the Regime, and seeing a chance to return. In the south east, an influx of elemental sorcerers, genasi and gnolls secured the Water Margins of Malahma in the name of the Majistry of Donara. Finally, in the far north, the Poet-King Yainu and his consort, Loahi the Witch-Queen, took power in concert as the Regime collapsed. Their alliance soon broke, however, as they feuded over the contents of the Regime’s armoury on the island of Aitana in the centre of the frozen lake Aino. With ancient defences sinking the island behind them, each took as much as their followers could carry and retreated, Loahi to the north shore and the realm of Porhovala, and Yainu to the south, which he named Kavala.

The Arcanocracy

With Talahaea divided between them, the Mage Sovereigns established an arcanocracy, wherein magical power – usually arcane, but occasionally divine – was the only metric of authority and right. With their own sovereigns the only defence against foreign conquest, and their power ensuring not only security, but also rich harvests and prosperity, the population accepted their rule, and even began to treat them like gods. They had their own clergy, the cults of magic, and their power seemed assured eternally, until the Union came.

Type

Geopolitical, Magocracy