Estheos

Estheos is the third oldest of the Five Land Nations of Eostrea. Situated to the south of the Blood River, they have had a constant rivalry with Genestheos over the Jewel of the River Dragon, a magical artifact that brings good blessings to whichever side of the river it is currently on. In present day, Genestheos has the jewel, but Estheos has often gone to war with them causing the jewel to change owners many times. Estheos had been struggling the past few years due to the lack of magical blessings which caused the other countries to favor Genestheos as a trading partner. Their surplus resources from the last time they had the jewel were running out and they were about to prepare for war with Genestheos. Then one day, an undersea Esthean research team encountered a newly formed Aque surface research team from Oceanus. The two countries began negotiations, and a beautiful allyship was born. Estheos became the first country to welcome Oceanus to the surface, and in return for their hospitality and trade of land-exclusive resources, Oceanus helped Estheos acquire new magical boons and technological advancements that made up for their lack of the jewel. They still believe the jewel is rightfully theirs, though, and are looking for a good opportunity to try to take it back from Genetheos, imagining just how much more successful they'd be with both Oceanian magic and tech and the Jewel of the River Dragon. As for Estheos's government, it is run by a parliament of senators elected by the citizens of the various villages, towns, and cities that make up the nation. The number of senators per city is determined by the landmass of that city, so there is a culture around expanding, joining, and absorbing cities to increase their size. This leads to a culture that pushes for constant expansion into natural forests and common disputes over borders between various cities. That said, because these are purely based on official borders and not population, typically cities won't do anything with the lands they conquer, and often leave them as nature preserves and farmlands anyway. This means that there are lots of cities that are technically very large, but the individual properties are very spaced out. It is common for a small family to have a vast open field, farmland for livestock and crops, and multiple buildings all to themselves.