Well, Kugane being the new city-state over Ala Mhigo was a genuine surprise. It's not even in Doma.

If Meracydia isn't supposed to be Mysidia directly, then it could instead act as a modern civilization found in the area. Azys Lla lore points that Meracydia was particularly difficult for the Allagans, especially when it's implied most other societies were basically steamrolled away, but that they eventually did take it over.

On another note, I find that for a society that epitomizes the concept of the ivory tower, it's implied that the "Sharlayan" people named their islands "Sharlayan," main homeland city "Sharlayan," and colony turned city-state "Sharlayan." Was this confusing mess of a naming convention meant to further push outsiders out, or was it just a failure of human language?