The Republic of Agrinion

If Chester is the Jewel of the former empire, then Agrinion is the crown that supports it. Agrinion is the largest republic comprised of a single landmass (going by total land size, then the tribal lands of Barlethan is the largest). Agrinion also has the largest population, the largest standing army, and the largest navy in all of the republic (and second in the world). They are the only fully independent Republic for raw materials and food. The major export of Agrinion is lumber and ships. The Agrinion River begins here before flowing south into Chester, and unlike the Chester end, the river is cleaner and more vibrant.

So why is Agrinion still a member of the Confederacy and not its own independent country? There are two reasons for this. The first is the Konin Chamber of Commerce. The governing body of the city of Konin elects the governor of Agrinion itself and is comprised of the most powerful merchants in Agrinion itself. These merchant barons are constantly plotting against each other and the only thing that consistently unites them is the removal of any Governor who seeks to put forward a motion of independence. If Agrinion declares independence, the governor would then be the de facto ruler of the new country, and the council would lose the power they have amassed. Outside of the council themselves, the common folk have been crying for Agrinion independence for generations as they consider themselves above the Confederacy.

It would be possible that perhaps Agrinion would have achieved independence if not for the second reason: the lands of Agrinion are the only ones in the world where the mineral Aurum is scarce. Because of this, Agrinion relies on trade to acquire a significant supply of the mineral that fuels all steam technology. The southern city of Silezia has a large harbor and several ship factories that produce everything from schooners up to large tankers and steam ships. In the north west, the mining town of Opole is known for its gem mines and abundance of iron.