Thassas

The citizens of Thassas would call it the most outward-looking country on the Sheoran Continent, and they're not entirely wrong. Thassas was technically founded over a millenium ago by exiles from The Kingdom of Sheora, sent through @gravesto to presumably die in the cold without much in the way of resources. Their survival spawned a colony, and further exiles spawned a nation. By the time the rulers of Sheora realized the magnitude of Thassas's expansion around the turn of the millenium, it was far too late to pull it back; expedition parties inexperienced at surviving the extreme weathers of Sheora rarely survived.
Bordered with the much more extreme climate of Ashana, the military power of Sheora, and the difficult-to-traverse marshes of Algan, surviving off of trade wasn't an option for Thassas. The people learned to use the brief months of summer to forage from the land, to learn to dig up animals hibernating or hiding beneath the snow, to fish on the ice and in the cold water of the sea, to build houses that could withstand the cold. Northern villages of Thassas tend to find their homes in vast caves, while other villages are built with thick insulation and stockpiles of firewood. Creating fire with magic is one of the first lessons learned by just about every Thassian, though it's not always at the level of a spell and can be done simply by creating loose sparks atop dry tinder. Thassus's expansion into small pieces of the underground has led to the discovery of vast resources of ore and other mineral resources, leading to the development of new technology and prosperity in Thassus.
People say fire burns in the eyes of every Thassian, whether that be the literal fire of magical power or the metaphorical fire of passion and drive. Thassus is the only country to send expeditions deep into the eastern ocean, and there are always rumors swirling that they've found something. Despite the treacherous conditions, Thassians learned to send seabound caravans south along the coast to reach Estil for trade, and what was once a relationship that provided Thassus with much needed goods in exchange for luxuries has quickly reversed course in the past fifty years, with the now-prospering Thassians eager to repay the centuries-old debt of aid that Estil once provided them. Thassus has begun some expansion into the northern Algan Wilds, aided by its newfound relative prosperity and means. Patriotism runs deep in Thassus, and Thassian children dream of being the one to make the next discovery.
The noble families of Thassus are the direct descendants of the original exiles who founded the nation and safeguarded future exiles. Though the noble families rule the country in concert, substantial expectations are placed on every child of a noble family. Members of these families are expected to become national heroes, or at least develop some renown, and are expected to similarly marry only others who have served the country.

Type

Geopolitical, Country