By the time Primus had begun to send settlers south of Inunda, diplomatic relations had finally been established with the Natives. These relationships were still strained by over a century of bad blood, but those moving into the region had a strong desire to make peace with their new neighbors. They brought what gifts they could, found places to settle that minimized their intrusion on the Natives, and sometimes even joined Native settlements to provide expertise that the Natives lacked. The work took several human generations, but eventually, Natives who had grown up around humans slowly became the dominant sociopolitical body among the Native populations. The integration of advanced human technology with Native magic helped combined cities prosper and attracted new settlers from both sides who had before been reluctant. The three provinces of the Phthalos Reach quickly set out to form a combined governing body that would fill the gap the Primus law code and political reach left when dealing with a combined population distant from Radius.
By the time of the Archipelago War, relationships with Primus had already begun to strain. The provisional government of Phthalos, tolerated as a necessary evil to Primus leadership beforehand, found itself under pressure from the headstrong Prince Hippomane. The Native population, in turn, chafed at the idea that the hawkish nation might change their mind at chance and drive them out of their homes. The war's vicious and rising toll soon represented a break-point in Phthalos government, with the population torn between demanding withdrawal from Primus and fearing an equally-vicious retribution if they did so. This division was settled, however, with the declaration of independence by Liber Porta, and more importantly by the very slow federal response. The separatist movement quickly pushed through their own declaration, and the United Republic of Phthalos was independent within two weeks.
Though Primus never made any direct threats to the Republic for its sudden 'betrayal', the government was rightly worried about more insidious actions against their new nation. A Department of Cultural Defense was established with a budget set aside to promote nationalist sentiment and build a 'cultural police force' that would prevent foreign agents from sowing anti-Phthalos sentiment. The DCD was more successful than most had hoped, and the nation which had once proudly accepted immigrants from across Ruknaset slowly became a xenophobic, semi-isolationist enclave. They are still well-regarded as wonderful trading partners, and there is a powerful 'common good' mentality between the citizens of Phthalos. However, their nationalist zeal makes their neighbors fear that they may someday become a violent expansionist force like the pre-parliament Primus they once came from.