Inevitably, I had to mash up two of my favorite games. Since I didn't see a simple, non-artificial way to graft keys onto REIGN, I went out and "statted" up the cultures of near using the Company rules from REIGN as a thought experiment.

Apart from Zaru, the cultures are quite comparable in 'size' (point totals), reflecting the uneasy balance Near is in. Some explicit things in the game world description only get a blurry representation here (i.e., the moon silver is one of the reasons for the low sovereignty value of Khale. IMHO, all of these guys could do something for their citizens so they'd feel a bit more welcome or at home. I hope I needlessly mention that other ways to see Near are equally valid.

[table]
[tr]
  [td][/td]
  [td]Maldor[/td]
  [td]Ammeni[/td]
  [td]Zaru[/td]
  [td]Khale[/td]
  [td]Qek[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
  [td]Influence[/td]
  [td] 1 (a) [/td]
  [td] 2 (e) [/td]
  [td] 0 (k) [/td]
  [td] 0      [/td]
  [td] 0      [/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
  [td]Might[/td]
  [td] 3    [/td]
  [td] 3    [/td]
  [td] 0 (l) [/td]
  [td] 3 (p) [/td]
  [td] 2 (t) [/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
  [td]Sovereignty[/td]
  [td] 3 (c) [/td]
  [td] 2 (g) [/td]
  [td] 1 (m) [/td]
  [td] 2 (q) [/td]
  [td] 4 [/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
  [td]Territory[/td]
  [td] 4 (d) [/td]
  [td] 3 (h) [/td]
  [td] 0 (n) [/td]
  [td] 4 (r) [/td]
  [td] 3 (v) [/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
  [td]Treasure[/td]
  [td]2[/td]
  [td]2 (i)[/td]
  [td]0[/td]
  [td]2[/td]
  [td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

Values range from 0-6. A 0 in Territory and Sovereignty means that company is totally busted. The notes explain certain assets the companies have in regards to a given quality, as explained in the freely available first supplement for REIGN.

Maldor

(a) Epic History – Maldor once was the heartland of the empire
(c) Mass Appeal – A lot of people hope for the return of the emperor reborn
(d) Foundries, Smiths and Armories – Most soldiers are equipped with iron  weapons and armor

Ammeni

(e) Small Horizon – In Ammeni, people keep close tabs on what their competitors are up to
(g) Culture of Shame and Gossip – goes hand in hand with the above
(h) Fortune Smiles – Preparedness and Resourcefulness are ammeni virtues, if such a thing exists there
(i) Permanent Underclass – The Ammenites delight in abusing their slaves for their own gain

Zaru

  The cultural notion of Zaru still exists within the slave body of the Ammeni empire. An enterprising group of PCs could try to build up an insurgence, although they'd need to overcome the resistance of the pacifist traditionalists. The last remaining point of sovereignty shows the unbroken core of Zaru-as-a-nation.

(k) Sinister Operatives – Splinter Groups commit acts of terror to free the Zaru from the yoke of slavery
(l) Magic Resistance – As keepers of the words of creation, the Zaru know how to contain the supernatural
(m) Patriotism – The Zaru have little left besides their cultural tradition. For them, it's more than tradition, it's their basis of self-identification
(n) Cultural Tradition – Zaru is probably the oldest culture on Near, and they're equipped to prove it

Khale

(p) Classic Enemy – Besides their continuous infighting, the Khaleans always were wary of the Ammenites. Turns out their wariness was well-founded
(q) Defiant Tradition, Patriotism – The Khaleans are a proud and defiant number of woodlands tribes
(r) Defensible Terrain, Civic Theater – Protected deep within their woods, the Khaleans hold holy festivals when they're not out killing each other

Qek

The outstanding Sovereignty value is a representation of the reluctance of the Qek to ever leave their birth lands

(t) Irregular Forces – The Walozi of Qek often surprisingly double up as decent duelists
(v) Defensible Terrain – Trying to enter the Qek Jungle is even harder than trying to invade Khale

Harald,

This is great! It won't surprise anyone to find out that I think Reign is an excellent game, and I'd thought immediately upon reading it that it would be fun to use for a game set in the world of Near.

- Clinton