Governed by orcs, the Balta Dictatorship is populated mostly by goblinoids and orcs. They are expansionistic, but are currently reaching the limits of their ability to administrate, so they’re mostly focused on putting down revolts in the marches. The capital city of Balta is an overgrown fort with a small permanent population, the majority consisting of fresh soldiers there for training. Crime here is punished by a period of hard labor in one of the state-run farms, mines, or foundries. The duration is determined by the severity of the crime, with petty theft punishable by 1 year, murder of unimportant people by 5 years, and murder of a superior by life.
The Divine Lands are ruled by a council of high ranking priests of various local gods. The towns are governed by a human aristocracy, though humans make up less than half the population. The rest, those that aren’t slaves, are forced to rent from human land owners. The capital city of The Grand Arcade is a collection of temples to every god worshipped in the lands. Crimes here are largely punished by fine, officially at least. Inability to pay the fine leads to a period of forced labor, rented out by the local lord until the fine has been paid. Theft is punished by a fine of 5 times the value of the stolen goods, murder is 5 times the value of all the dead person’s holdings, meaning if the person had no property other than the clothes on their back, the fine would be no more than a few gold.
The Dral Supremacy is a kingdom ruled by a human aristocracy. The western islands are the only place the Kuru people can be found. Most of the non-humans here are slaves, but a few have bought their way to freedom by special services to the local lord. The capital of Drala is the location of King Corin Dral’s court. Murder is legal here, nominally. The killing of someone else’s slave is considered an act of theft, and is punished by paying the value of the slave or taking their place, if you have insufficient funds.
The Duchy of Eis is a cold and dreary land with a short growing season. It’s surprisingly egalitarian, welcoming all races who have the will to survive in the harsh landscape. Duke Goort is a half-orc who claimed the throne by strength of arms. He rules harshly but without prejudice. The capital city of Cold Keep is a large fort and the largest cold storage in the country. Strength is the law of the land in Eis. If you can’t protect your property you don’t deserve to have it. Of course, this means that if you kill someone well liked, there’s nothing to stop their friends from hunting you down in revenge.
The Fisher Dominion is ruled by a tengu aristocracy. They are known around the world for their export of dried fish and seasonings, harvested primarily by the slaves, though the artisans are considered free. Social climbing is done primarily through adoption, making it rare but not unheard of. Lady Garum rules from the trade capital of Fisher Keep. Crimes against citizens are punishable by fine in the Fisher Dominion, unlike crimes against the state, which are most often punished by torture or death. If the perpetrator is unable to afford the fine, they are forced into slavery after their possessions have been auctioned off.
The North Lake Alliance is a collection of city-states, nominally ruled from the capital of Lake Town, the largest city on the coast of the lake. The city-states are largely self-governing, with various races forming the dominant class locally. Trade is allowed freely between city-states, but personal travel is somewhat more restricted. The ruling council of Lake Town is appointed by the local rulers. Crimes of property are severely punished here. If you kill someone but do not rob them, the normal punishment is exile from the city-state. Theft is punished by having all personal goods auctioned off followed by a period of torture, most often dunking.
The Peaks of Wisdom is a religious state ruled by the syrinx and administrated by the Strix. The rest of the population are slaves of other races who farm the lower mountains. The temple city of Enlightenment is officially ruled by Abbess Coor but the day to day operations are under the command of Seneschal Wind. Crime here is handled by caste. Nothing a Syrinx does to any non-syrinx is considered a crime, with intracommunity conflict considered a private matter. Crimes committed by Strix are punished by fine, usually a small one unless the crime was against a syrinx. Any crime by a ground-dweller is punishable by death by falling.
The Savage Barbarity is home to gnolls, goblinoids, ogres, orcs, and troglodytes, among others. It’s a land ruled by strength with little in the way of official government. It avoids subjugation primarily by not being worth the effort of conquering. The Blood Market is guarded by a gnoll named Grat, and being the guard of the largest market in the region grants her a modicum of legitimacy. Crime only exists here inside of market districts. All crimes are punished by death, with the perpetrator’s worn property being given to the shops whose business was disrupted.
What was once an uneasy alliance of caligni, derro, drow, duergar, and kobolds has evolved into a unified, if stratified, culture. Kobolds are the most common type of slave under the confederacy, but it’s not unusual for one to buy their way out if they have a marketable skill. Above ground, this nation is mostly terraced farms staffed by chattel slaves captured or purchased from other countries. Possibly the land with the most laws, disrespect to one’s betters is punishable by public flogging. Theft is most often punished by mutilation or death, depending on the expense of the investigation and the items stolen. Whether or not murder is a crime depends on social standing; anyone following the queen’s orders is innocent of any wrongdoing, but a slave who managed to kill one of her favorites would consider death a great mercy.
All are welcome in the Vitae Peninsula, provided they can afford the travel tax, payable in goods or gold in addition to a term of service in the agricultural industry. The mage council that rules the country is based in The Academy, the primary seat of magical education in not just the country, but the world. As expected of a land whose ruling council includes undead, murder is legal here. Theft is punishable by reparation, confiscation of all goods and exile, or having one’s soul fed to a lich, depending on the severity. This leads to the bizarre situation where if you want someone’s things, it very well might be better to kill them to get them.