The land of flames and beauty, is a loose confederation of city-states (very much in the Ancient Greek style) that band together for the international political scene. While they are very innovative and open with technology, to the point of housing one of the only  two magic academies on the continent, they are fiercely proud and tend to refuse outside assistance when it comes to internal issues. As such, many city-states are rivals to the point of attack on sight, or rather, would be if not for the invasion. While the common populace may carry out such city based pride and prejudice, the official statements is that the nation works together to prevent the invasion of the Black Demesne. While their land has a suitable number of underground, difficult to reach water sources, the number of above ground sources are few and far between, thus, before the invasion even began, they devised a way to use lava for crop growing, mill work, and other such things, so that water can be used primarily for drinking and washing. According to records, 1200 years ago, one city state dammed a river at the source, claiming the source, and then dug a canal from the core of a volcano to the bed of the now dry river. Many soon followed. Some say this was all the plot of an exceptionally extravagant Ayla of dragons, but no proof could be found. When the Black Demesne reached their borders some 500-600 later, the same concept was used to dig massive moats along the frontlines, allowing for a heavy entrenchment, and castles straddling the divide. Their culture is very Greco-Bactrian.