[Hoplosternum]

I think that there should be some way to put back a bit of population. But considering the bonus of having just a few hundred compared to none (i.e. being able to build leaders if not armies in these provinces) and the 'end of days' theme to LA Ermor it should be both expensive and inefficent to do so.

Some sort of fairly high path (not high level) nature spell - so it's quite hard to cast but can be cast fairly soon - would be good. It could cost some gems and make it use population from elsewhere in your empire (possibly your capital or province where its being cast from) perhaps at an unfavourable ratio of some kind.

Or create a sort of preaching that can be done by nature mages that summons in population from surrounding lands. Again probably at a bad ratio but it's efficency based on nature paths.

Both are probably too difficult to do as they would need new game routines though.

But thematically, especially in a sp game, you sometimes want to heal the land. Even if it isn't very cost effective to do so.