Places

Paksenarrion's World has several major regions and many realms within them. Since the Mapmaker is behind in her work (she's busy writing the books) here are brief descriptions of the regions.

The Eight Kingdoms. Both a local and a southern name for the region "over the mountains" and north of Aarenis. Also called "the north" in Aarenis. A major river, the Honnorgat, forms the major drainage system here, flowing from west to east and emptying into the Eastern Sea. The land is wetter and more forested to the east; dryer to the west, finally (beyond the sources of the Honnorgat) a short-grass steppe that shades into true desert. North of the eight kingdoms more steppes, home to the horse nomads.

Fintha. Farthest west of the Eight Kingdoms, Fintha is spread across several tributaries of the Honnorgat and many of its sources. Fintha was once ruled by magelords but is now ruled by the Fellowship of Gird under the Marshal-General. The Code of Gird is the only law in Fintha. Farmers own their own land, and large accumulation of land is discouraged. Magery is forbidden and wizardry viewed with suspicion. Nearly all magelords fled Fintha with Luap. Many Girdish granges dot the countryside, each supported primarily by local inhabitants. All able-bodied adults are expected to belong to a grange and all youths are trained in basic fighting skills. Capital is Fin Panir, where the Marshal-General is headquartered, where the Knights of Gird and paladin-candidates are trained. Most of the action in Surrender None was confined to Fintha, though some was in western Tsaia.

Tsaia. Downstream from Fintha, Tsaia also extends on both sides of the Honnorgat--the river flows through its capital, Vérella of the Bells. Tsaia is still ruled by a king, but its legal code is closely based on the Code of Gird and overseen by a Marshal-Judicar. Land ownership is primarily feudal, with dukes as the highest rank, followed by counts and barons. Titles and usage do not conform precisely to any European court. The dominant religion is Girdish, but the Crown is tolerant of other belief systems as long as they don't cause trouble. The Crown also tolerates wizards. Tsaian customs are more formal than those of Fintha. Because the best pass to the south is in southern Tsaia, this kingdom has more contact with the south than any other--much trade passes over the mountains in both directions.

Pargun. Downstream from Tsaia north of the Honnorgat. Pargun is ruled by a king and governed regionally by "sagons." Though it is across the river from Lyonya, their borders are not exactly opposite: two other kingdoms, Kostandan and Dzordanya, share the north bank of the river, but only two--Lyonya and Prealith--share the south. North of Pargun, up a rise of hills, the trees disappear and the great steppes stretch away.

Kostandan. Downstream from Pargun and heavily forested. Kostandan has a smaller population than Pargun, but is ruled by a king and shares many of the same customs.

Dzordanya. Downstream from Kostandan, borders the Eastern Sea. Dzordanya is something of a mystery to its neighbors, densely forested and infested with dangerous small creatures called "mikki-kekki". Dzordanyans met abroad are usually on "varkingla" a long ritual journey only they understand. It's believed they live in "long houses" and have very strange magic. According to some legends the first Kuakgan came from there.

Lyonya. Downstream from Tsaia south of the Honnorgat, Lyonya's capital is Chaya. This is the kingdom of dual sovereignty, elves and humans sharing its rule. Much of the Lyonya is forest, and some of that forest is part of an elvenhome kingdom known (to humans) as the Ladysforest, ruled by the elven queen whose real name they never hear. Lyonya is considered strange and probably dangerous by outsiders. Its focus is inward.

Prealíth. Downstream from Lyonya south of the Honnorgat and bordering the Eastern Sea, Prealíth's focus is on the coast. Its splendid harbor of Bannerlíth receives both coastwise and distant shipping, including all the way across the Eastern Sea. Although it is not jointly ruled by elves, the Ladysforest extends into western Prealíth. Human settlement is mostly confined to the third nearest the coast, and its trade runs mostly on the river, up to river ports, not along the southern trade road at the foot of the mountains. South of Prealíth, the Eastbight thrusts out into the ocean, and a few dangerous tracks lead across its height to the Robber's Coast in Aarenis.

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Ladysforest. The elvenhome kingdom now known as the Ladysforest was once centered in an elfane taig on the north side of the Dwarfwatch mountains south of Lyonya proper. When that haven was breached and began the banast taig--before Paksenarrion healed it--the elves moved to the forests of Lyonya and western Prealíth. When the mageborn moved into the north, the elves and old humans had already begun to share western Lyonya. Elvenhome kingdoms do not have fixed boundaries as the ruler of each "wears" the kingdom and it moves with him or her, but in Lyonya and Prealíth there are legal boundaries beyond which humans do not pass without permission--if they're wise. The Ladysforest extends partway into the mountains (avoiding the dwarf and gnome lands) and even onto the Eastbight (avoiding the human coastal settlements. Given the timespan of an elvenhome kingdom, the internal politics are opaque to humans.

Aarenis. The name means "Daughter of Aare"; it was settled by immigrants (refugees, some say) from Aare, across the Immerhoft Sea to the south. From the Dwarfmounts on the north to the Immerhoft Sea in the south, and from the Eastern Sea (to which the Immerhoft connects) to the Westmounts, this entire region is Aarenis..."the south" to those from the Eight Kingdoms. Its primary drainage system is the Immer, whose tributaries reach to Valdaire just over the pass from the north to the far northeast. A large plateau blocks the Immer tributaries from reaching the southwest, which is drained by a much smaller river system, the Chaloquay. Aarenis has a mix of feudal domains and free cities, the latter dominated by the Merchant's Guild, and located mostly along the central and western branches of the Immer. The Merchants' Guild has formed a League and maintains excellent roads for transport, along with caravanseries, and very similar legal codes from city to city.

Dwarfmounts: The range of high mountains dividing Aarenis from the north, running from near the tip of the Eastbight all the way west to meet the Westmounts, the western boundary of Aarenis (straggle in from the SW. Though the main pass over the Dwarfmounts is north from Valdaire, other passes exist--mostly footpaths and quite dangerous.

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Valdaire: Free city just south of the mountains, south of Tsaia: the south end of the main north-south trade route to the north. Valdaire is the winter home of several mercenary companies, prosperous and powerful with all the trade that passes through.

Foss Council: a Guild League domain, ruled by the Merchanters' Guild, the next domain east of Valdaire. Foss Council has two cities, Fossnir and Foss.

Vonja: a Guild League domain, ruled by the Merchanter's Guild, the next domain east of Foss Council. Has two cities, Vonja and Pler Vonja.

Andressat: an old feudal domain south of Foss and Vonja, on a plateau, ruled by the Count of Andressat. One city, Cortes Andres, on the Chaloquay. Produces excellent wine for export.

Middle Marches: high sheep-grazing country between Foss Council and Vonja to the north, and Andressat to the south. Small villages in hollows, but thinly settled.

South Marches: SW of Andressat, cities include Sibili on the west branch of the Chaloquay, and Cha, where the river forks. The coastal cities of Confaer, Korran, and Sûl are not included in the South Marches

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Cilwan: southeast of Vonja on the river: one city, Cortes Cilwan. Ruled by a count, with considerable tension between the Guild League and the old feudal remnants.

North Trade Road: Build and maintained by the Guild League, this road runs roughly east-west across Aarenis from Sorkill in the east to Valdaire in the northwest, by way of Semnath, Merinath, Sorellin, Ambela, Pler Vonja, Vonja, and Foss. It is newer than the old trade route along the river. Other Guild League roads connect cities down the main branches of the Immer--often but not always on the earlier River Road.

River Road: follows the line of the Immer and its major tributaries--whereever it exists, is called the River Road, but has fallen into disuse and was never built to carry the same traffic. The oldest cities are along the river and were all walled fortifications in earlier days (some still.)

Immervale: region between the Imefal (main eastern branch of the Immer) and its main northern branch (still called the Immer)--in terms of cities, Immervale, Koury, and Rotengre are on the northern branch, and Cortes Immer (at the fork), Fallo, and Falsith are on the Imefal. Between these cities is a very productive, flat, oft-flooded agricultural region, a major grain-producing and exporting area.

Duchy of Fall: ruled by the Duke of Fall, one of the two duchies in Aarenis (one vacant until partway through the Deed of Paksenarrion, when it was claimed by Alured the Black.) Fall controls the upper end of the Imefal, including that part of the Immervale between Fallo and Falsith.

Cortes Immer: once the seat of the Duchy of Immer, a title long vacant but recently claimed by Alured the Black, who bases himself now in the coastal ports at the mouth of the Immer.

Immer ports: At the mouth of the Immer, a large bay has several ports: Aliuna, Immerdzan, Ka-Immer--and a fortress, Seafang, which either guards the bay and harbors (if held by a legitimate government) or is a nest of pirates.

Copper Hills: Line of high ground inland from the Eastern Sea, very sparsely inhabited as they're dry.

Robbers' Coast: Eastern shore of Aarenis--dry to barren, sandy. Offshore barrier sand-islands, shoals, a very dangerous coast for shipping coming from the north or east. Only one half-decent harbor just south of the Eastbight, aply named Slavers' Bay. There is a north-south caravan route from Sord (coastal city on the Immerhoft Sea) to the north, with a pass to the west through the Copper Hills to Sorkill and the start of the North Trade Road.

Kolobia: A maze of canyons with a large underground complex lies far across the western desert, west of Fintha and somewhat north. Considered mythical in Pakenarrion's day, it was the refuge of magelords fleeing Girdish rule in Luap's time, and before that was a place of power for the Elder Races.

Khartazh: a realm west of Kolobia, in the desert (size unknown) on a north-south trade route and once connected to the east across the desert.

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