On the Formation of the Maelstrom Nations and the Diminishing of Bretawald

As requested, our archivists have collated a brief summation of the creation of The Maelstrom Nations from the works of King Xenophon II of Athantia (11820 - 11864). Though much of his writings could be considered required reading for many a scholar, we should examine it with a critical eye, given what we now know of his... proclivities.
Athantia “Waging war on the Darkhans from Port Kolin proved impossible. The knightly orders refused to know their enemy and were outmatched by the so called savages with their mounted archers. The founding principles of Athantia require us to know ourselves and to know our enemies even better. We must always learn and evolve if we shall ever survive, indeed without the Darkhans to teach us of failure we might have stagnated and fallen long ago.
The naming of Athantia occurred over centuries as there was never a formal declaration of independence from Bretawald. We had to evolve past the rigid systems that could not react to the ever changing Darkhan threat, and now only the most knowledgable and adaptable of us can be trusted to lead. Sadly, the old Thanes are reluctant to ally with us for fear of angering our neighbours, but we shall weather such things as we always have.”
Bretawald “Great Bretawald, whose Thanes call Athantia's philosopher king “The Low Thane”, not always insultingly, mind, were never going to hold The Maelstrom together, so don't think less of them for it. A single High Thane has enough trouble keeping the Thanes in check, never mind the ever changing political and religious tensions half a continent away. Even without that cursed storm between us it would still take weeks to travel from one end to the other.”
Halaxia “Halaxia, now, for that we should blame ourselves. Athantia needed independence but it seems once the first domino is pushed, the rest must fall. Doomsayers claimed they saw a broken, divided continent and the gods demanded ever greater sacrifice. Not realising they would create the very situation they feared, the plague of belief spread like wildfire, only stopping when Idria heeded the words of the fleeing priesthood and Bretawald's Thanes stopped bickering enough to pay attention.
The bloodbath of sacrifices only abated when the population had been decimated. Now they keep to a steady stream, careful to maintain enough people to replace losses but not so many that the theocrats might risk an uprising. Their system of tree based dwellings provides camouflage from outsiders (and each other) and allows them to live closer to nature, which their leaders have decreed is the will of the gods.”
Idria “Idria, as I say, was slow to act. The few Thanes in that part of the world did not heed the warnings of Halaxia's fall until the fleeing priests rallied and committed themselves to stemming the tide. Too late was the army raised, and whole swathes of land were lost before a front line was formed, exactly where the border stands today.
Like a hammer to an anvil the newly armed warrior priests pushed back the encroaching zealots, and when peace returned the Thanes were denounced as too comfortable and weak, executed by their own or willingly abdicating.
Separated from Bretawald but still united in purpose, the priests maintain close ties with their forebears. From what I hear the High Thane regards the warrior priesthood as a of religious order of knights, though that may be wishful thinking.”
Quoshua “Quoshua it seems was born of pragmatism on the High Thane's part. Raids on each other's lands had evolved to a complex system of alliances which often erupted into outright warfare. To keep raising the army to quell infighting between the Thanes was expensive and drastic, so it was in the end an easy decision to grant independence to the Nation of Quoshua, named after the first (and last) High Thane of that country.
Knowing Quoshua wouldn't rule for long, the High Thane of Bretawald was astute enough to have secured favourable trade terms each of the Quoshuan Thanes individually. Indeed it is has been suggested that an assassin from Bretawald was responsible for Quoshua's death; this would account for the fact that no Quoshuan noble has since taken the title of High Thane since.
This situation seems to suit Quoshua now at least. They are content to act as a buffer against the Halaxians in return for support from Bretawald, and on and on the dance of politics goes to this day.”

Kalites “For all we try to learn and know ourselves, none of us saw Kalites emerging under our very noses. We were so blinded by our own imagined benevolence that we did not see the discontent being stirred up by a pit of vipers calling themselves “enlightened practitioners of the arcane”. Another of our failings is to never have made peace with them.
Still, it could be worse. Idria had seen our departure from the old customs and were not impressed. After coming to blows over the centuries, the new Kalitean government found themselves unable to form a bond with Idria. Worse, many Idrians still refer to Kalites as “New Athantia” despite both maintaining close alliances with Bretawald.
The only thing preventing war between ourselves and Idria has indeed, been Kalites. We now exist in a triumvirate of mutually assured destruction. If any of us invade another, the third will take advantage of the opening. The gods willing, none of us will dare, for none will emerge victorious.”