There are only two nations bearing mention in the modern age, one dead, and one attempting to grow. Talia Carte, the Eternal Empire, sits empty and turned to wilderness. South of the former nation, Echelion, sometimes called the Last Empire, seeks to grow against all popular sentiment outside its borders that the age of empires has passed. Only time will tell for certain whether Talia Carte's demise was a portent of permanent change or a challenge to be overcome.