Gaillas

Gaillas's monarch is ceremonial; but much like Britain’s monarchy today, there are certain legislative and absolutist powers that the monarch can reserve, such as temporarily disbanding Congress. Out of all the countries in Marathon, Gaillas is the most industrialized, with factories and textile manufacturers all along its borders. Much like Atlas, there’s a rigid ruling class, and a peasantry, and an emerging middle-class, but all that’s really different is how power is concentrated. The Minister of Gaillas probably has more direct control than the monarch, and if any country were to become a democracy like Kellibrir, it would probably be Gaillas.

For the record, there are other, smaller countries and communities that litter Marathon, but none of them are really that important. The only one that really deserves a mention is Hensmere. Its a tiny rural county that lives in a particularly fertile area of the Golden Delta, just outside the Free Banks. They’re a discontiguous vassal of Gaillas, and provide a lot of crops and livestock in addition to a small monetary tribute. Its peaceful, and the air is fairer here. This is also where Summer Rose and her children are from.

Regardless of what kingdom they are, the ruling class of the eastern shores long for a time of unity against the dark west — a second Empire in wake of the first’s collapse. Naturally, this collective longing fuels generations of warfare against feuding houses and rival governments, preventing that very unity.

The Grimm are not sedentary; they are restless, and want nothing more than to kill humans, because eating shadows in caves isn’t very filling. To combat this, the countries of the east have gradually built up a defensive line against the hordes, pushing the Frontier further and further west with each passing generation. This line is often marked with contiguous walls that are gutted as the defense presses on, only to be rebuilt at the front lines. This is often seen as the “edge” of civilization, as far as the human kingdoms are concerned, and everything past it is a barren wilderness.