The Free Worlds League grew from a loose union of three major powers, each markedly different in ethnic makeup, cultural heritage and political outlook. The Marik Commonwealth formed through conquest, the Federation of Oriente through diplomacy and the Principality of Regulus through the connections between its merchant princes. The delicate balance between these three founding states permanently shaped the politics and character of the Free Worlds League, creating a nation whose diversity gave it unmatched vitality, but also frequently threatened to tear it apart.