Kiatra
Kiatra is a kingdom in the Southern Reaches of the Greater Continent. It is unique for the fissure surrounding it: a relatively new feature, brought about by an event known locally as "The Great Schism".
History
Kiatra won independence from the Layloma Empire in the early-to-mid Third Age of the Alliance. Around the same time, rich deposits of diamonds and rhenium were discovered, quickly converting Kiatra into a prosperous state.
Throughout the Third and Fourth Ages, Kiatra developed rapidly. Upon the discovery of exploitable resources, they were quick to bring in modern equipment and expertise, and invent new technologies of their own. While the mines on Kiatra soil eventually played out, the kingdom was able to export its mining technologies, and therefore remained prosperous.
The Great Schism
In A.Y. 5303, Kiatra was attacked by Lumot to the east and Senega to the north. In the intervening centuries, these two nations had developed from simple subsistance farmers to prosperous exporters of cotton and flax. Kiatra had much more water available, as well as a new diamond mine and an oil field off-shore.
While nominally members of the Alliance, all three nations were technically part of Layloma, as none had registered independently. As such, the Alliance could not intervene in an "internal" matter, unless any nation invited assistance. Kiatra was initially keen to hire the Crimson Blade mercenaries, except on grounds that Crimson Blade easily had the military force to invade and occupy Lumot and Senega, and reduce them to puppet states of the Foundation. The Alliance was not eager to allow any such influence, especially in some of the chief suppliers of cotton and similar in the region. Crimson Blade activity would thus have required Alliance intervention, which would in turn lead to something both parties were eager to avoid at any cost: an armed conflict between Alliance regulars and Crimson Blade Lancers. What happened next would become the stuff of legend. A 'great power' reached out, and divided the states physically, in 'a single night and day of destruction'.
The actual event involved a series of earthquakes which opened three large rifts, over the course of a week, and apparently with enough advance notice that no one in Kiatra suffered any injuries. There was significant damage to their infrastructure, but fortunately, "most of the state-owned factories were closed for refurbishment, with their equipment dismantled and carefully packed into shipping containers". Additionally, the nations' twelve nuclear power plants were offline for refueling.
The rifts created a series of mountain ranges and fjords (the region had been mostly plains before), with the rifts swallowing most of the Lumot and Senga armies. These gave Kiatra its own boundries, waterways, and steep mountains, to defend the nation against further attacks. The waterways became vital shipping lanes for the neighboring states. Eventually, the great schism would be remembered fondly.
