War laps ever higher, as the tides,
The Chosen bicker, and man abides,
Two evils meet, on tainted mud,
The lands of man are bathed in blood,
But if you wish to spare defeat,
To the lands you go,
Where three rivers meet.
- Penance

The State of Affairs

A brief rundown of what every state in the Scavenger Lands is up to, and who is in charge, at least publicly.

Nexus

Head of State: The Council of Entities

Lookshy

Head of State: Chumyo (Somebody)

Marukan Alliance

Head of State: Mayhiros Raygar

Greyfalls

Head of State: Satrap (Somebody)

The Hundred Kingdoms

Head of State: Workin' on it (Probably many)

Thorns

Head of State: The Mask of Winters

The Ebon Spires of Pyrron

Head of State: The Walker in Darkness

Sijan

Head of State: Also workin' on it

Prologues

Given that Heavy Lies the Crown will be the first storyline to really encompass the entire Scavenger Lands, there's a lot of prologue material. The entirety of The Risen Shadow can be considered prologue material for Heavy Lies the Crown, as can the individual prologue stories within that chapter. The events of Disposable Heroes can be considered a direct prologue material as well.

The Death of Mayhiros Tesos (Marukan)
Midnight's Grandest Eve (Thorns)
An Accord Most Foul (Hundred Kingdoms, Bronze Faction)