At the start of the setting (ca. 1980), Northwind and Aviona were allies, and the heirs to their respective thrones were betrothed to cement that. This led to the so-called "Empire of the Pinesvaald," when Balvora and Autrisch also joined the political union. Eventually the emperor, Talvar I, was deposed for sparking a large foreign war that got out of control (the "Great World Conflict"). A regent then ruled the Empire for an extended time -- until a cabal of Aviona and Northwind nobles, somewhat melodramatically calling themselves "The Alliance of the Seven," decided to seize control.
The Seven were defeated, and King Elcore ascended the throne of Aviona, with Northwind once again declaring independence. Balvora and Autrisch joined with the Estren Territories as the "League of the Southeast" under the former Empress, Kacia. Not long thereafter, as a result of a magical plane-merging ritual gone wrong (a la Clive Barker's "Imajica"), Kacia was magically imprisoned, and Aviona was openly invaded by the Abyss (the so-called "Days of Darkness"). The invaders were dealt heavy enough losses that they temporarily broke off, although localized "pools" of Abyssal evil (like the manifestations of Zelazny's "Black Road" in the original Amber series, or the places of the Shadow in Andre Norton's "Witch World") remained behind.
In the Southeast: After Kacia's imprisonment, the League of the Southeast fragmented. Balvora largely reverted to wilderness; Autrisch became a fiercely independent banking center akin to Switzerland; and the Estren Territories were stabilized by a former frontier marshal, Kolvin of Estren. This is the setting of a long-running PBP game.
In Aviona: Elcore proved a weak king, and relied heavily on his chancellor, Palamis, to govern Aviona after the Days of Darkness. Unfortunately, Palamis was in fact a high priest of Graz'zt (the demon lord responsible for the Days of Darkness); he used his position to attempt to engulf Aviona in strife with all its neighbors, as well as provoke a civil war. Palamis was unmasked and assassinated by members of the King's Guard; however, the sowing of civil unrest broke out in Aviona in the form of d'Ansac's Rebellion.
In Northwind: Spared the demonic invasion and political disunity, Northwind prospered. Disgust over the legacy of the Empire led to disaffection with the whole concept of a hereditary monarchy. Increasingly, King Abalore and the provincial nobles are acting more as ceremonial figures, while local politicians, often elected, actually run things. Count Lowen of Wilden (formerly one of the Seven) was one of the first nobles openly deposed; he lost a magical duel and was hanged from an obscenely high gibbet in the main city there.
