Inspiration: Ancient Greek city-states. Renaissance Italian city states. Iceland. Hawaii.
Government: variety of city-states. Generally "soft" monarchy (not absolute "off with her head" monarchs). Machiavellian manuevering between nobles/city states.
Geology: archipelago of volcanic islands
climate: ???
Archipelago of culturally/geographically-affiliated, but politically and economically-competing, city states/islands. Dominated, mainly, by Dwarfs and Humans. Over the past few centuries, they became quite wealthy through their renowned crafts/workshops (lenses, clocks, scientific instruments, navigation aids, etc). In the recent years, has suffered economic depression as automated factories compete. Also, several of the islands got invaded during the war.
Before the war, the islands were barely self-sufficient in terms of food: they could (mostly) support the entire population through fishing, but imported a lot of food (since they trade a lot). I assume both fisheries and trade have suffered greatly since the war.
Largest island in the archipelago--the Hawaii (island) to Hawaii (state). Dominated by Mt. Hellic, large volnaco which spews lava (as opposed to the "explody" type of volcano like Mt. St. Helens). Vinto is the largest city on the island, and the "first among equals" in terms of the competing city-states
Daughter of a lens crafters from (NOT VINTO). Family was head of local guild, and fairly wealthy, with minor noble titles. With the increasing competition, the family's fortunes had begun to turn. Their foruntes turned even worse when, during the War, their home island was invaded and occupied. A very young Kaleesta enlisted in the infantry. She served for four years until the Empressed ended the war. Finally, the family came back to their home island, fought of some remnants (bandits? remains of the undead army?), and returned to their ruined workshop, their dilapidated manor house.
Kaleesta has since enrolled in Hellic University. She is studying, broadly, the natural sciences. She is, roughly, an upperclassman (possibly a grad student (I don't know how you want their academic ranks to work)). She can fight (due to serving in the army), but is also quite intelligent and educated. She is motivated to turn her family's dwindling foruntes around. She believes that civilization, collapsing, should be preserved. She believes in law-and-order, but also believes stongly in justice. Even though she is upper-middle-class, she has a fair degree of empathy for her "lessers" due to serving alongside many of them in the military. (Lawful Good).