Basai

During the heyday of the Empire, the wetlands of the Gentai river were lush both for rice agriculture and, in certain areas, for cultivating fos root - in fact, Basai was the province with a near-monopoly on its production and sale, making it extraordinarily wealthy. Most of the customs of the mystics were nurtured here centuries ago, especially in the lakeside capital city of Dundures with its many libraries and universities. After the Empire’s fall, leadership fell to the Chancellor of the Academy there, with each new Chancellor overcoming the previous one in magical combat. But now the Gentai marshes have largely dried up, and many other areas have been overfarmed. Only a few aquatic gardens still allow fos to grow there, and while the mystics attempt to control its supply, their power has waned as it no longer has a surplus to sell to other provinces. Still, the magical treasures and wisdom of Basai is unparalleled, and unwise indeed would be the army to seek to conquer it. The Chancellor is both a scholar and a leader, and surrounds herself with experts on numerous subjects of interest in developing policy. This has not prevented losses of territory from skirmishes with Hasmala to the south, although otherwise it is largely politically neutral.