Foreign Policy

Cyleans are not known for their humility (still less for their public contrition), and few of them would use those terms to describe their international posture. But any sober assessment of their history must acknowledge that their current foreign policy, if not fully chastened, has at least absorbed some lessons at the proverbial School of Hard Knocks.

Cylea remains the sole superpower in the Island of Lost Souls, but in contrast to its imperial era, this is not due to its military might; its vast Expeditionary Forces that once occupied various colonies and "supported" numerous protectorates were substantially disbanded in the wake of the Civil War. In their place, a small Marine Corps serves as a rapid reaction force for crisis management, while national defense is otherwise entrusted to the Home Guard. By design, the days are long gone when Bastion could simply impose its will through gunboat diplomacy on multiple simultaneous fronts.

All this hardly means Cylea has descended into isolationism though. To the contrary, its diplomats are notorious for their dogged, proactive advocacy of the nation's interests, and Cylea's sheer size grants it an inherent advantage in most negotiations. The nation's cultural and intellectual achievements, to say nothing of its vast markets and natural resources, provide copious incentives for all but the most recalcitrant leaders. At the end of the day, Bastion still acts as the primary coordinating force in the region, setting the international agenda through its extraordinary soft power.