Due to the recent extirpation of the royal family and subsequent death of the usurper, Serrnis may be considered the region's most troubled feudal monarchy. The lords are split between those who covet the throne for themselves or their allies and those who see the current absence of kings as an opportunity for collective rule. The nation's difficulties in the wake of war are compounded by political pressure from Corvus, which grows more eager with each passing year to shake off the burden of being a Serrnisian business venture rather than a country in its own right. A number of the noble houses have their own losses to cope with, their post-war positions suddenly unsure in the face of healthier rivals.