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House of Turpin

The House of Turpin is one of Torrune's mercantile clans, notable for having produced the second Lord of the City, Talrik (this was in the olden days when Torrune's archon was still elected by the city magnates, before Alberic of the House of Thoab instituted hereditary succession). As Archon, Talrik of the House of Turpin was notable for ordering the construction of the public plaza now called Talrik's Square and the monumental Sidrene Column which stands at its center. His rule was relatively brief, however; his bad health incapacitated him for long stretches, and he was pressured into abdicating the archonate after only five years. Leovar of the House of Kroma was elected to succeed him as Torrune's third archon.

The House of Turpin is much less influential now than in the time when Talrik was elected archon, but it is still a fairly wealthy trading clan, with yearly profits qualifying its master for membership in the Merchants' Guild. They also still take great pride in that fact that their family tree includes one of the only four men ever elected as archon of Torrune, rather than inheriting the position as did all those after Alberic.
Ekhroa

Ekhroa is a mountainous region in eastern Orithea, situated between the land of Urem to the north and the Sarpic Seas to the south. To the east of Ekhroa lie the fertile green lowlands of Phoacia.

All of Ekhroa notionally falls under the rule of the Kirdan Empire, but up in its rugged highlands, imperial authority is little heeded and local chieftains mostly do as they please. The native people of the region have no love for their Kirdan rulers and are not disposed to cooperate with them. Consequently, the mountains of Ekhroa are a popular hideout for bandits and rebels.

Kirdan rule over Ekhroa dates back to the reign of the sixteenth Tash-Teshivan, Yemegan I, who led a series of wars against the Phyridian Empire during the 1150s and 1160s CV. Wresting Ekhroa from Phyridian hands is probably the most famous achievement of his reign and the most significant result of these wars, which were indecisive on other fronts. Amran's control over the region had lasted since the mid-700s CV, and during those four centuries, it had been challenged by many local rebellions but never by an external enemy. Prior to this, Ekhroa had changed hands between the Phyridian and Asgali empires several times, interspersed with periods of independence from both. Even earlier, in the times before the Great Cataclysm, it was subject to Qossite domination along with the rest of the lands around the Sarpic Seas.

The Ekhroan people have a strong devotion to the cult of Touz, and a long tradition of matriarchal chieftainship, which is intertwined with their history of resistance to outside rule. Priestesses of Touz wield considerable influence in Ekhroan society, especially up in the highlands and away from the coastal towns where Kirdan authority is strong.
List of Races

Humans

* Uremites
* Vaskars
* Suagirs
* Thelbirs
* Kelims
* Vastemards
* Daeya
* Brecai
* Vards
* Suule
* Dranurs
* Krens
* Azars
* Ullyrs
* Kulvars
* Daare Karsha
* Beleks
* Ushaya
* Turzenes
* Harunnas

Elves

* High Elves
* Wood Elves
* Wild Elves
* Sea Elves
* Dark Elves
* Drow

Dwarves

* Duergar
* Derro

Orcs

* Uruks
* Goblins
* Hobgoblins

Halflings

Half-Orcs

Half-Elves

Dragons

Trolls

Ogres

Giants
Utara-Vaati

Utara-Vaati is the name of the collective cultus of the Thaedonu-Vaati, the body of religious practice and belief centered around their worship. The origin of the term is a phrase in classical Tuvai that means "fidelity (or obedience) towards the offspring" [of Thaedon]. Utara-Vaati is the predominant religion in most of the human-populated areas of Orithea and Rhydain, and in certain other parts of the world as well . Devotees of Utara-Vaati, worshippers of the gods of the Thaedonu-Vaati, are known as Vanir-Vaati.
Kren Peninsula

The Kren Peninsula, also called the Krennish Peninsula or (more rarely) Krenland, is a large and mostly mountainous peninsula extending over three hundred miles out from the southeastern corner of Tythium, separating the Shreenwater to its north from the Emerald Ocean to its south.

The neck of the peninsula has a spine of mountain peaks that are essentially the most southeasterly arm of the Tythian massif; they start out high and snow-capped in the west, getting progressively lower as the peninsula narrows to the east. At its narrowest point, the peninsula shrinks to an isthmus only twelve miles across, before widening back out to a substantial foreland that measures roughly one hundred miles north to south and slightly wider east to west. It is actually this foreland, not the whole peninsula, that is more often called “Krenland”. Mountainous terrain also covers most of the Kren peninsula’s foreland, though it is less high and jagged than the spur of Tythian ranges that extend along its neck.

The Kren Peninsula’s name comes from the Krennish people; it is said to be their ancestral homeland and certainly the area’s population is mostly Krennish. However, scholars cannot say with certainty whether the Krennish culture truly developed here before they took to the seas and spread out to other areas, or whether the peninsula was settled by Krens migrating from elsewhere in ancient times.
Dun Charag

Dun Charag is a large, elaborate castle--or arguably a fortified palace--situated on a cliff-walled prominence just west of the city of Banadyr. It is the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Charagma and the stronghold of their clan, although the ducal court itself is usually located in Banadyr proper.

Charagma is no longer one of the richest or most important Helvandrian states, but Dun Charag is still renowned as one of the most impressive fortresses in League lands. It was greatly enlarged and improved during the days when Charagma's dukes still controlled the wealth of Torrune's river trade. Its impressive size, and combination of opulent luxury with imposing outer fortifications, are rivaled by few other noble households.
Fimra

Fimra, XXXXXX, XXXXXX, is one of the Zhabd-Aoun (the offspring of Klython and Xhura) and a primary deity of the Rhantaseppa pantheon. Like Tecla and Erkala, Fimra is androgyne; the Rhantashani refer to her using a special grammatical class in the Chomarra language, which is reserved for sacral contexts and which simultaneously denotes masculine and feminine characteristics. However, she is typically considered a goddess with androgyne characteristics by the Vanir-Vaati.

Fimra is a war-deity and guardian deity who serves as the shield of the righteous and a punisher of evildoers; her divine attributes include tenacity, justice, victory, and to a lesser degree, healing and sanctuary. She is also associated with storms and lightning, and a warhammer is the traditional weapon of her priestesses and paladins. At the same time, she is associated with wealth and prosperity, and the Rhantashani pray to her for profitable trade and success in mercantile ventures.

Fimra, like Tecla and Erkala, is frequently treated as a more important part of the Rhantaseppa than Klython or Xhura. They may be the mother and father of the pantheon, but Fimra's dominion over matters such as war, justice, protection, wealth, and prosperity mean that in many ways, she is more relevant to the concrete needs and desires of the Rhantashani.
Kothara

Kothara is a fortress-city in northeastern Turajem. It is named after Kothaur and its foundation was dedicated to him. Its tessaraon is centered around a grand Kothaurite temple (with an almost equally large temple of Tefra connected to it), and the adjacent citadel of XXXXXXXXXX is home to one of Orithea's most significant Kothaurite templar orders. Kothara is a major site of pilgrimage for devotees of the Defender, and countless warriors (including templar brethren from other orders all over Orithea) passed through the city and made offerings to Kothaur on their way south to face Gol Garga’s horde during the recently concluded orcish wars.
Elvish (language)

Elvish is what humans call the language of the elves, although the elves themselves call it XXXXXX and in truth some of its several dialects have diverged enough to be considered different languages in their own right (e.g. that of the Drow).

Elvish is written in a flowing and cursive script, in which each character is connected to those before and after it; there are special characters to mark the separations between words and whole sentences, so long passages may be written in a single extremely complex stroke. It may be written either left-to-right or right-to-left, or vertically using a different form of the alphabet with different rules for the connection of characters.
Azhir

Azhir is a very large island lying off the west coast of Orithea, with the Sea of Wyrms to its east and the XXXXX Sea and Sea of XXXXXX to its west. It is by far the largest of the Western Isles, stretching nearly fifteen hundred miles from north to south.

Etymology: Azhir's present-day name is a truncated form of its ancient name, Azhi-Rahe, meaning "island of the orchards" or "island of fruitful glades" in old Tuvai.
Charnan

Charnan is the northeasterly arm of the huge island of Taijuria, and by common convention, also includes most of the central portion of the island from which it and the two other major peninsulas (Peiramia and Lesharea) extend. It is also called simply North Taijuria. Its interior highlands are the most rugged and mountainous in Taijuria, with chains of tall peaks that exceed those elsewhere on the island.

Like the much lower and more rolling highlands of Lesharea, these mountains are rich in gold and gems, but much of this area is under the control of the dwarven kingdom of Mabulzikar. The Mabulzikaru are is more reclusive and xenophobic than the major dwarven states of Rhydain, having only limited interest in trade with humans and no interest at all in relations beyond the commercial. In the past, the Sarcian Empire fought two unsuccessful wars against the dwarves of Mabulzikar, attempting to subjugate them and gain access to their mineral riches. The Sarcians lost badly both times and doubtless only reinforced the Mabulzikaru view of humans as greedy, untrustworthy thieves and graspers.

Since then, the Sarcian presence in Charnan has been limited to a narrow province wrapping around the peninsula’s eastern end, with a long arm running down the southeastern-facing coast to join the much larger and more important Lesharean province, and a shorter arm extending partway along the Charnan’s northern shore. In truth, this province mostly consists of a string of entrepots and imperial outpost towns dotted along the coastal strip. It bears little resemblance to the situation in Lesharea, where there is wide-scale Sarcian territorial control, a large settler population, and a number of major cities. The Sarcian governor of Charnan is little more than a deputy of the viceroy in Bhatrichor.

There are other human inhabitants of Charnan, up in the mountains of Mabulzikar, but they are few in number and seem just as insular and unfriendly as the Mabulzikaru themselves. Whatever alliance they have made with the dwarves to allow them to dwell there is peculiar to their kind and seems to have been in place for centuries. They have no large towns, just scattered villages in the high dells cradled by the snowy peaks. By appearance and dialect, they come from Ullyrian stock.
Ghauvail River

The Ghauvail River is the largest tributary of the Split Steel River; their combined basin makes up most of the region called Beraitha in eastern Khadoa. Its headwaters arise at the extreme southwestern edge of the Arkanmoor and as it flows towards its confluence with the Split Steel, it is feed by many streams and smaller rivers rushing down from the western shoulders of that hilly land.

The Ghauvail and most of its tributaries lie within the borders of Uldaegu.
Aumegaron

Aumegaron is a large island in the Azarian Archipelago and a province of the Sarcian Empire, which has ruled it for centuries.

Like most other Azarian islands, Aumegaron’s original inhabitants were either breakaways from or descendants of the People of the Ten Thousand Ships. They thus share common origins with the Achuireans. They are mostly followers of Rhantashannu to this day, although diverse other cults also flourish on the island.

For millennia, Aumegaron has been renowned as a center of culture and learning; its oldest city-states boast ancient traditions of scholarship and philosophy which, they claim, stretch back to the island’s settlement by humans shortly after the Schism Wars. Some of these city-states claim to have been founded by scholar-princes who were disciples or companions of Tarquenus during the Schism Wars and on the Rhantashannis' exile, before coming to Aumegaron as leaders of its first colonists.

In the days when Qoss ruled the Sarpic Seas, Aumegaron served as a haven for sages and truth-seekers who found Qossite domination intolerable, and who were welcomed by the Rhantashani Aumegarones despite being mostly Vanir-Vaati. Their choice of destination and the tolerance they met are not surprising, since such students from distant lands have always flocked to the island to study under its great masters, and have generally been accepted despite heterodox beliefs.
Because of this age-old reputation and the very high standards of learning still upheld in Aumegaron’s centers of learning, slaves from the island are valued as tutors and physicians throughout the Sarcian Empire, and in Rhydain and Phyridian lands as well. Such slaves are not captured by force and sold in chains like Thelbirs of the wild north, but raised from childhood in a scholarly setting, with the knowledge that when they reach adulthood they will be sent overseas to the house of a new master.

Despite the generally negative attitude held towards Rhantashannu in Orithea and Rhydain, most such slaves persist in their faith (and are permitted to do so) after being sold into the households of Vanir-Vaati masters. Such is the value placed on Aumegarone wisdom that rich lords will allow even their own children to be tutored by an infidel, as long as the instruction doesn't include attempts to turn them against the Utara-Vaati cultus. There is also the consideration that once a slave converts to Utara-Vaati, social pressure to manumit them will be applied; this in turn incentivizes masters to treat their valuable Aumegarone slaves kindly and allow them to maintain their traditional practices, since a mistreated slave might be tempted to convert in order to end their bondage. See also: Slavery in Orithea and Rhydain.
Koerdian Freehold

The Koerdian Freehold is an unusual state which lies in Koerdia, a mountainous region of north-central Rhydain. The Freehold is unusual in two respects: Firstly, it has no king or lordly class and is governed by elected councils of deputies chosen by the inhabitants of each town (in this way it may be thought of as a larger version of the Free Towns that exist in the Helvandrian League, or as a confederation of such Free Towns). Secondly, it partially overlaps the territory of the great dwarven empire of Kuzul-Kadrin, with its human inhabitants living autonomously on the surface and the dwarves going about their business underground. This, of course, is the common arrangement where human surface settlements exist above the subterranean domains of Kuzul-Kadrin, but it is not common for the surface-dwellers to establish for themselves a sizable country which also extends beyond Kuzul-Kadrin's borders.

The Koerdian Freehold is therefore a strange mix of sovereign and subject, with part of its population existing as a minority in the dwarven empire and part lying outside it. In practice, ties between the Freehold and Kuzul-Kadrin are extremely close and the Freehold (even the portion beyond the border of the dwarven realm) is understood to fall under Kuzulnizam's protection. Some would say that the affairs of the Freehold are so closely tied to the much larger and more powerful dwarven empire that the former is little more than a client or puppet of the latter. Whether or not this is fair, it is certainly true that the Freehold hews very closely to Kuzulnizam in most matters.
Darzalik

Darzalik was one of the kingdoms of Sularia, and a part of the chain of border-states which stretched all along the length of the old Ulthark Marches from the Gulf of Thrakka to the Emerald Ocean. For centuries it had formed part of the bulwark defending human civilization in Orithea against the menace of orcdom. It was overrun and destroyed completely during Gol Garga's invasions; its population was either put to the sword, enslaved, or forced to flee as refugees to safer lands. All of what was once Darzalik now lies within the domain of the orcish warlords.
Alondria

Alondria is a sizable region situated in south-central Rhydain. It is generally considered to include all the lands along the coast of the Emerald Ocean from the Gulf of XXXXXXX to the XXXXX Peninsula, extending inland to encompass the southeastern foothills of the Helgremars along with the southern edges of the Lokenmoor and the Tythian Massif. Some would include the whole of the Lokenmoor in their definition of Alondia, but the Lokes who live there certainly would not. Alondria thus comprises a lengthy coastal plain of varying width (generally wider in the west and growing narrower as one heads east towards Tythium), rising up away from the ocean to become hilly country which is gently rolling in some areas and quite rugged in others.

Like many of the human-inhabited parts of Rhydain, Alondria is divided up into a number of small independent or loosely confederated states. Here they are collectively referred to as the Alondrian principalities. None are especially large, although some are city-states controlling only a narrow hinterland outside their walls while others have respectable territories with several sizable cities or towns. The most prominent of these are Sedoa, Venantia, XXXXX, XXXXX, XXXXXXX, and XXXXXX.
Inner Oceans

The Inner Oceans refers collectively to the Thurnic Ocean and the Emerald Ocean, the two major bodies of water that are mostly surrounded by the landmasses of Umre and Achuirea. They are distinct from the much larger Encircling Ocean, to which they are connected in three places: The narrow Gates of Barossus between Vhaluzia and Ulthark's southeastern tip, the wider Myrrenian Channel separating Vhaluzia and southwestern Achuirea, and the very wide Durrak's Passage between northern Achuirea and the Cape of Woe at the end of Forvirad.
Great Plain of Tethas

The Great Plain of Tethas, also called the Great Northern Plain, the Plain of Urem, or the Uremite Plain, is a vast expanse of flat grassland and semi-wooded savanna (interspersed with areas of scrub forest or broadleaf forest) that stretches for over two thousand miles across eastern Orithea. Countless long rivers twist and meander across it; the greatest of them all is the mighty Rhanna, into which most of the others flow as tributaries.

As its other names suggest, the Great Plain of Tethas is the dominant geographical feature of the land of Urem. In the past it was divided among many different Uremite kingdoms, but today almost all of it is under the rule of the Kirdan Empire.
Gulf of Thrakka

The Gulf of Thrakka is the long, relatively narrow gulf or bay separating Ulthark-Irsha (to the south) from western Vastemar (to the north). It was also called “XXXXXXXX’s Moat” [major state in southwest Vastemar] prior to Gol Garga’s conquests. It’s name comes from the notorious orcish corsair Thrakka XXXXXXXXX whose fleet terrorized the Vastemards of the gulf’s north coast for nearly thirty years in the mid-XXXs CV (before that it was called the Gulf of XXXXX, and that name is also still sometimes used, albeit rarely). During Gol Garga’s conquest, it was crossed by an orcish flotilla that successfully swept aside XXXXXX’s squadrons and landed at XXXXXX, which was the first time the orcs had attained any kind of mastery over the gulf since the days of Thrakka himself.
Shreenwater

The Shreenwater is a northwestern embayment of the Emerald Ocean, cradled between the Tythian coast, the Kren peninsula, and the end of Peiramia. It opens to the ocean in the southeast; to the north, it is connected to the Sea of Surna via the narrow strait known as the Dragon’s Jaw. A great amount of maritime trade, moving between the Sarpic Seas and the Emerald Ocean, passes through the Shreenwater on its way to or from this strait. The waters of the bay are thus often crowded with ships, and it is a popular hunting ground for pirates and corsairs of every stripe.

The Shreenwater is generally a calm and placid bay, characterized by clear blue-green waters and mild weather even in the winter months. Storms are rare and tend to pass quickly. For mariners traversing the Dragon's Jaw north to south, the gentle Shreenwater is a solace after the treacherous currents and jagged shoals of the strait.

Etymology: The Shreenwater's name is derived from that of dread Sherian, the Storm Rider, the cruel sea-goddess feared by sailors the world over. The Queen of Tempests seems an incongruous namesake for such a placid bay; the reason for it lies in the age-old sailor's tradition of offering sacrifice to Sherian when approaching the Dragon's Jaw from the south, in order to beg respite from her malign interference during the dangerous passage to come.
Kuzul-Khabrak

Kuzul-Khabrak was a dwarven state (actually a confederation of stronghold-cities that were mostly self-governing, but bound together by oaths of reciprocal aid) located in the mountains of central Sularia. It had long formed part of the bulwark against orcish invasion along the old Ulthark Marches, but was completely overrun and destroyed during Gol Garga's terrible conquests.
Archon of Torrune

The Archon of Torrune is the hereditary lord and master of that mercantile city-state; in Torrune itself he is more commonly referred to simply as "the Lord of the City". As the archonate of Torrune is a full-fledged member of the Helvandrian League and a party to its Grand Charter, the Archon is a palatine elector of the League and is entitled to attend its high councils in Hakoris.

The current archon is Sulon, of the House of Gedeira, who succeeded his father Trondero to the archonal seat in 1235 CV (thus he is in the twentieth year of his reign, making him one of the longest-ruling archons in the city's history). He is the sixteenth Lord of the City and the fourth from the House of Gedeira, which came to the archonal seat with his great-grandfather Kyros.

The residence of the Archon in Torrune is the Blue Pearl Palace on the Hill of Okhtar in Torrune's High City.

List of Archons of Torrune:

1. Gideon, House of Lothar, 1089 - 1098 CV, First Lord of the City (elected)
2. Talrik, House of Turpin, 1098 - 1103 CV (elected)
3. Leovar, House of Kroma, 1103 - 1115 CV (elected)
4. Alberic "the Grasper", House of Thoab, 1115 - 1119 CV (elected, but abolished election of archons and instituted hereditary succession)
5. Nyrrias, House of Thoab, 1119 - 1132 CV (namesake of the Nyrrian Bridge)
6. Gallen, House of Thoab, 1132 - 1133 CV
7. Gessen, House of Thoab, 1133 CV
8. Thacco, House of Lugaro, 1133 - 1168 CV
9. Ubertin, House of Lugaro, 1168 - 1171 CV
10. Jerrard, House of Lugaro, 1171 - 1176 CV
11. Vostrig, House of Serekan, 1176 - 1180
12. Fulkren, House of Serekan, 1180 - 1194 CV
13. Kyros, House of Gedeira, 1194 - 1207 CV
14. Thato, House of Gedeira, 1207 - 1228 CV
15. Trondero, House of Gedeira, 1228 - 1235 CV
16. Sulon, House of Gedeira, 1235 CV - Current
Anchorhook Islands

The Anchorhook Islands, or simply the Anchorhooks, are an island chain in the Sarpic Seas running roughly north-south between Ekhroa and the Koerdian coast, separating the Sea of Tyrus from the Sea of Pearls. The island of Skalanis, just off the southern shore of Ekhroa, is the largest of the Anchorhooks. Other notable islands in the group include Yaath, Gartabis, and Amruut. The name of the island chain probably comes from the fact that they offer a series of safe anchorages, none too widely separated by open ocean, for mariners crossing the central Sarpic Seas.
Desolation of Xhan

The Desolation of Xhan is an extremely inhospitable region of arid, rocky basin-and-range country in northern Shiankar. Its mountains are generally lower than Jyord's Anvils to the south, though still exceedingly rugged. Cratered terrain, jagged-edged crags, bizarrely shaped rock formations, and dramatic expanses of sheer-sided mesas define the landscape. It sometimes receives sparse snow in the wintertime, but otherwise precipitation is very rare.

Along the northern edge of the Desolation of Xhan, the terrain turns to broken scablands, and the gulches that wind across the parched earth grow into ravines, then canyons, that merge together as the barren plateau drops away dramatically into the steep-sided river valleys of southern Beraitha.
Daeya

The Daeya (or Daeyu) people are a human ethnic group or tribal family which makes up the majority of the population in Enyrion and Khadoa, and a substantial part of the population of Um-Gerat as well. They are predominantly dusky-skinned and dark-haired like the Rhynn people who inhabit the Western Isles, and in fact the two groups share common roots; the Daeya are mostly descended from ancient Rhynn settlers who returned to the mainland and colonized northwestern Orithea after spreading throughout the Western Isles and reaching the archipelago's northernmost reaches. For this reason, the Rhynn and the Daeya are sometimes grouped together into a single broad tribal family referred to as the "Rhyndaeyu".

Etymology: The name of the Daeya people stems from the ancient Tuvai root "aiyu," meaning "the gods" (cf. Aiyu-Atma, Aiyu-Thani, etc.). The nature of the derivation is uncertain but it probably originates with the Rhynnish ancestors of the present-day Daeya referring to themselves as the "Urnudaiyu" ("favored of the gods") or "Vanir-marudaiyu" ("adherents of the true gods") when they first emigrated into Enyrion and Khadoa. At this time, these proto-Daeya people (who were worshippers of the Thaedonu-Vaati) came into contact, and conflict, with the Kulvaric and/or Bozur peoples who already inhabited the region. These groups were not Vanir-Vaati and were regarded as heathen barbarians by the new arrivals, who began describing themselves using various terms which emphasized their devotion to Utara-Vaati and its superiority over the cults of the natives. Today, nearly three thousand years later, such conflicts are mostly forgotten by the common people of the Daeya race, along with the origin of their now-shortened name.
Free Duchies of Tythium

The Free Duchies of Tythium are a string of small but sovereign human states in the region of that name, situated around the periphery of the much larger dwarven kingdom of Bharakzigal. They are ruled by a set of lordly families that mostly originated with mid-ranking local nobility who established their own independent domains following the collapse of the Asgali Empire (in which they had previously been members of the provincial aristocracy and sometimes regional magistrates or other such officials). As the collective name for these states suggests, Duke is the title used by most of these rulers, but some do style themselves as Arch-Dukes or Princes, or Duke-Archons.

Most of the Free Duchies have close relations with Bharakzigal, their prosperity being largely dependent on trade and commerce with their much larger neighbor (as is typical for the smaller human states clustered around the great dwarven powers of Rhydain). Obviously Bharakzigal also wields much greater military power than all of the Free Duchies combined, so when it comes to matters of war, peace, and statecraft, they likewise have little choice but to follow the dwarven lead. Several of the Free Duchies are so closely linked to Bharakzigal that they could be considered client states or protectorates thereof.

The Free Duchies include the individual states of XXXXX, XXXXXXX, XXXXXX, XXXXX, XXXXXX, XXXXXXX, XXXXX, and XXXXX.
House of Serekan

The House of Serekan was once one of Torrune's most powerful (and, in their time, notorious) mercantile households. In 1176 CV, they violently overthrew the House of Lugaro and seized the archonal title for themselves. The sitting archon, Jerrard of the House of Lugaro, was murdered along with several of his family members and retainers during these events. His replacement was Vostrig, master of the House of Serekan, who naturally had a grim reputation and is remembered today as a cruel tyrant. He consolidated his new power swiftly and wielded it ruthlessly, but nevertheless reigned for only four years before falling to the assassin's knife himself. Most people said he had reaped what he sowed. He was little mourned.

Vostrig was succeeded as archon by his nephew Fulkren, who ruled from 1180 to 1194 CV and was somewhat more popular than his uncle. When he was unseated by Kyros of the House of Gedeira (first of the current archonal line and great-uncle of Sulon, current Lord of the City), he and his family were stripped of their wealth and sent into exile. It was a better fate than they had inflicted on the House of Lugaro, or on their many political enemies during the two decades they held power.
Bluecairn Mountains

The Bluecairn Mountains are a sizable mountain range which forms the spine of the Yhendorn peninsula, running roughly 450 miles from the peninsula’s northernmost headland to the Arkanmoors at its southern extent where it branches off from the mainland. They are not particularly high but are very steep and rugged in many places, and their peaks and ridges are permanently snow-covered. Their northeastern slopes are generally steeper and drop straight down to the Stormclaw Sea in many areas, whereas their southwestern-facing slopes tend to be gentler, giving way to rolling foothills and then a low-lying coastal strip along the Fyrdenglin.
Manticore Mountains

The Manticore Mountains, or simply the Manticores, are a huge mountain range (actually a chain of several interlinked ranges, each impressive in their own right, as well as several high alpine plateaus) that runs east to west across nearly the full breadth of Achuirea. They separate the northern regions of the continent (Harumau, Turazan, XXXXXX, and the lands of XXXXXXX) from Belekesh and everything else that lies south of the great range.
Khreianoa

The Khreianoa is the collective name for the three daughters of Khreus: The sea-goddesses Sherian, Nyra, and Shenoa. It simply means "the Daughters of Khreus" in classical Tuvai, coupling Khreus' name with the suffix "-anoa" meaning daughter or daughters (no distinction between singular and plural).

The Khreianoa have a powerful impact on how the peoples of Urva view the oceans. The three have no love for one another and are often feuding, which mariners blame for all manner of storms, maelstroms, doldrums, rogue waves, and other such unpredictable dangers of the sea. Since Khreus herself was slain long ago and the domains of her daughters are as shifting and borderless as the ocean itself, the seas of Urva are often said to be masterless or unruled. And because Khreus and her offspring are all goddesses, the sea itself is also considered feminine by many peoples (the words for "sea" or "ocean" in elvish, Tuvai, and Chomarra are all grammatically female).

The maritime city-state of Thrommelport is home to a huge temple to the Khreianoa, which is one of the world's most important cult centers for the triple sea-goddesses.
Kamuria

Kamuria is a highland region in northeastern Orithea. Geographically it consists of an elevated plateau nearly four hundred miles across, surrounded by ranges of rolling hills and ridged by mountainous outcroppings in its western half (these mountains mark the easternmost extent of Shandara’s huge interlocking ranges). In the south, it drops down to the Plain of Urem; in the north, to Tirnavon and the Sea of Jalmar’s coastal strip. The Kamurian highlands are mostly covered by dense coniferous forest, though in some places the pines and yew-trees give way to birch and oak. In far western Kamuria, the landscape becomes semi-arid, with the thick forest yielding to drier and scrubbier upland woods.

The Kamurians are an unusual and idiosyncratic people, with their own dialect of Tuvai that is very hard for outsiders to understand, and their own peculiar traditions and cultic practices. Some say they are a product of intermixing between ancient tribes of the Uremites and the Ullyrs (which might mean they have Thelbir ancestry); others say they descend from Daare Karsha people who came down from the interior of Shandara in some long-ago age. Some even claim they have a bit of dwarven blood in their veins.

The greater part of Kamuria is subject to the rule of the Kirdan Empire. It was first absorbed into the empire as part of the conquests of Marotai I (father of the even more renowned Marotai II), who then used the region as the launching point for his unsuccessful wars against Tirnavon. The conquered territory was almost all lost during the short, disastrous reign of Abazunai the Apostate, whose overthrow allowed the Kamurians to break away from Baribur's rule and the Tirnavenes to then push far south into the region. However, a few decades later, Tembekai II reclaimed much of the area for the empire, setting the boundaries of Kirdan Kamuria that are roughly still in place today.

A small northern section of Kamuria is still held by the Kingdom of Tirnavon, a remnant of the days when Kirdan control lapsed. Some scattered independant chiefdoms and principalities lie in the margin between the Kirdan and Tirnavene parts, as well as in the region's far west where the terrain becomes drier and more mountainous.
Kar Nebehar

The Kar Nebehar, sometimes Karnebehar, is the most northerly and easterly of the large endorheic basins (kars) that make up the Kesh Karkhan. It is situated in northeast Shandara, separated from the Kar Zahak to its south by the Irontooth Mountains. It’s northern and western rims are formed by the Yhevnas, and to the east it is bounded by the Giant’s Coffins.

Etymology: "Nabehe" is an old Tuvai word meaning mourning or lamentation; the name of the Kar Nebehar is best translated as "the desert of lamentations" or "the pit of lamentation."
Myrrene

Myrrene, or Myrrenia, is one of the two major lowland regions of Vhaluzia (the other being Elashad). It makes up most of the island-continent’s northern lobe. Myrrene forms part of the heartland of the Empire of the Red Hawk and is home to a large portion of its people and several of its major cities, including the capital Macharadus.

The Myrrenian Channel separating Vhaluzia from Achuirea is named after this region, whose coastline forms the channel’s southern edge.

The land of Myrrene was in turn named in honor of Myrru Xhuramensu, the daughter of Tarquenus from whom the Redhawk Empresses claim descent.
Lothring

Lothring (sometimes called Lothyrin, an older version of the name) is the capital city of Turajem and primary location of King Thuy II’s court. It was besieged by orcish forces during Gol Garga’s invasion of Dranuria, but its defenses held and it suffered comparatively little damage. The surrounding countryside and nearby towns were ravaged by the orcs, however.
Emirs of the Western Isles

The Emirs of the Western Isles refers collectively to the dozens of local lords and princes (for whom the most common title is, of course, emir) who rule the various islands and island groups of the Western Isles. The size of their holdings naturally varies considerably, but all are fairly small compared to large mainland states like those of Kelimaria. The political status of these emirates differs over time with the relative strength of various other powers around the Western Isles and the Sea of Wyrms. At times when the Kelimarian or Azhiri sultanates have grown strong and extended their influence across the isles, many of the emirates have been made tributaries to Yhimir or Shyrrik (if not conquered outright and reduced to the status of vassal-states). At other times, they have been left to their own devices, with the expected feuds, minor wars, alliances, and other maneuverings between them.
Kordan

Kordan, the Earthshaker, the Father of Stones, is one of the Aiyu-Atma and is the primordial god of the earth. Korgul and Urugan are his sons; the elemental spirits of the mountains are his daughters, as are the restless fiery spirits of the volcanoes. He shaped the bones of Urva at the dawn of time when creation was new, thrusting up mountain ranges and delving out the valleys and basins between them, filling the rocky substance of the deeps with ores and metals, roofing over Karkharos with the molten bowels of the earth so that it was separated from the mortal world. In those ancient days he wrought mighty works and his forges far beneath the earth blazed and rumbled, but now that Urva is full-formed, his hands are stilled and he sleeps. He does not dwell in Aenuvion or Karkharos, but in the earth itself, suffusing it; the very stones of the world are his flesh.

Kordan cares nothing for the affairs of mortals or other gods, and bestirs himself but rarely. He is little worshiped by mortal beings and most consider him almost the deified elemental essence of the earth itself, rather than a god like those of Aenuvion; poetically or metaphorically, his name may simply mean the earth, or the stones and mountains of Urva that are not covered by the sea. Some druidic cults honor him as such, and some tribes of the Kesh Karkhan revere him as a chthonic force to be propitiated with buried sacrifices or offerings thrown into volcanic craters; but if he hears such prayers, he does not answer them or grant blessings to those who make them. The dwarves likewise revere him as the father of their god Urugan and as the shaper of the earth, thanking him for the gifts of ore, metals, and precious stones which he sowed in the depths. However, they also know that he is heedless of mortals, and their reverence and thanks are offered only as symbolic honors.
Kelims

Kelims are the human ethnic group or tribal family that make up the overwhelming majority of Kelimaria’s population. The region is named after them and they are also often called “Kelimarians”; thus that term may either mean actual inhabitants of the Kelimarian lands (no matter what their ethnic origin), or people of Kelim descent (no matter where they live). The peoples of Azhir and the Western Isles, the Medrenesse, and Ojaum also have varying degrees of Kelim blood in their veins.

Kelims tend to have tan and ruddy skin, sometimes almost dusky, with curly hair that is often red but may also be blond or dark. Many find them similar in appearance to Uremites, leading scholars to speculate that these two widely separated groups may have descended from common tribal roots in the primordial days when humans spread out across Orithea. If this is true, the ancestral Kelims and Uremites would have diverged from one another millennia ago as the former headed west from the Sarpic Seas and the latter migrated north and east.

Kelims are Tuvai-speakers (with a particular accent and dialect that others easily recognize as Kelimarian) and almost universally adherents of Utara-Vaati.
House of Lothar

The House of Lothar is one of Torrune's oldest and most historically significant mercantile clans, although it no longer possesses the political influence it once did. The first Lord of the City was Gideon of the House of Lothar and the household still takes great pride in this illustrious ancestor.

The house's prominence as a trading clan goes back to the late 900s CV, shortly after the founding of the Helvandrian League. It was one of the first to grow rich from the renewal of the river-trade which is Torrune's lifeblood. In those days, Torrune was part of the Duchy of Charagma, and the House of Lothar was a close ally of the dukes in Dun Charag, which certainly helped them grow and prosper as the city did.

After the conclusion of the XXXXXXX War in 1087 CV, which left Charagma saddled with both enormous debts and the ineffective leadership of Duke XXXXXXXX, the House of Lothar played a key role in persuading XXXXXXX to sell Torrune its independence. Gideon, head of the House, masterminded the cooperation of the city's often-contentious merchant clans in this effort and served as their chief representative in negotiations with XXXXXX. The merchants' cause benefited not just from his considerable personal charisma, but from his household's long record of friendship and loyal support for Dun Charag. This made it easier for the weak-minded XXXXXXX to imagine that he could sell the city its freedom in name (thereby resolving his dire financial situation) and still keep it under his thumb in practice. Of course this was not to be, and the Dukes of Charagma have resented the arrangement ever since.

When the deal was concluded in 1089 CV, Lothar won election as the first archon of the newly independent Torrune. He reigned for ten years before abdicating in 1098 CV due to his advanced age. His rule was considered wise and effective, and he did much to shepherd the city through those early days when so much work was needed on the institutions of self-rule. After his abdication, he was replaced by Talrik of the House of Turpin (Lothar's decision to step down due to old age helped establish the precedent which was used just five years later to pressure Talrik into also abdicating over his poor health).

Since Gideon's abdication, the House of Lothar has not come near the seat of power again and has mostly avoided the rough-and-tumble of Torrune's politics. However, they remain a quite prosperous mercantile family, owning dozens of river-boats and two large warehouses on the Low City waterfront. They mostly deal in wine from Huareb and Lucidar, but also in wool and dwarven metal-works. The masters of the house have always been respectable members of the Merchants' Guild.
Fishmongers' Market (Torrune)

The Fishmongers' Market, or Fish Market, is a large public bazaar stretching for several blocks just behind the waterfront docks of the Boatwrights' Quarter, in Torrune's Low City. As its name straightforwardly suggests, it is where the many fishermen who ply their trade on the Helvander gather to sell their catch each day.
Derro

The Derro are a twisted and degenerate branch of the dwarven race, who live in the deepest, darkest bowels of the earth. They hate and shun all other living creatures, and are hated and shunned by them in turn. Though they retain the natural toughness and cleverness of dwarves, they long ago lost their martial fortitude and straightforward vitality. Instead they are creeping and half-blind, cowardly and vicious, hunting by ambush, fighting by trickery. They are said to be cannibals who will happily feed on their own kind or anyone or anything else that falls into their clutches. They are also masters of all manner of traps and pitfalls, and of many poisons, which they use frequently. Upright dwarves view them as pathetic and loathsome in equal parts, and if they find them, will kill them as much out of pity as anything else. The Derro, like the Duergar, are few in number and their reclusive habits mean that even other dwarves (let alone humans) will likely never encounter them.

The origins of the Derro are not well-chronicled, but they are descended from dwarves who were captured and enslaved by the vile drow in ages past. Right-thinking dwarves will usually kill themselves before being taken prisoner by the drow, but the forefathers of the Derro did not, and as a result they and their offspring spent unhappy generations in captivity. How some or all of them came to escape is not known, but by the time it happened, they had been broken in both body and mind by countless torments. Some say the drow allowed them to scurry off into some forgotten tunnel when their usefulness as slaves was at an end; if so, this was likely done in the expectation that they would soon fall prey to the hunting horrors of the deeps. Others say that they broke the ultimate dwarven taboo and took up the worship of Korgul, which they learned from orcs who were likewise slaves of the drow. In this telling, Korgul promised to deliver them to freedom, only to laughingly lead them into some trackless maze of caverns and abandon them there, for of course the god of the orcs has no use for either the prayers of the weak or the offerings of dwarves. Yet another telling has it that the derro took up the worship of some other foul deity or spirit of the darkness, little known to the world, which truly did free them from drowish shackles in exchange for their veneration.

The root of the name "derro" is likely unclear, but it may well stem from some derivation of "drow", in which case the very name of these miserable creatures would be an unwelcome remnant of their ancestor's degradation by the sadistic dark elves.
Kalkidan

Kalkidan was an ancient human city and kingdom (the latter's name stemming from the former) which existed during the Archaic Age, prior to the Schism Wars. It is one of the earliest states attested to in recorded human history, first described as a city-state or independent city, later as a larger entity with the city of Kalkidan proper as its capital. It was located on the southern shores of the Saulean Sea, in the area corresponding to present-day Sarpadia's northern coastline.
Alabaster Coast

The Alabaster Coast or Alabaster Shore is the strip of coastline extending all around Turazan's western tip, and up onto the west coast of Baudros as well. It has always been an exceptionally prosperous area: Not only is the farmland along the coast very rich and productive, but the port cities of the region lie at the nexus of maritime trade routes running up to Thelbiron, down to Belekesh, and west to the Azarian Isles, Taijuria, and then the Sarpic Seas.

Kerestes of Mimyran reached the Alabaster Shore after journeying from Phoacia, and his conquest of its city-states established the nucleus of the Sarcian Empire. Today the region makes up part of the core provinces of the empire. The imperial capital Sarcedon (formerly Tusuba) is located on the Alabaster Shore, as are several other large and important imperial cities.

The region's name comes from the high, white chalk cliffs that define much of its coastline. These are up to 1500 feet tall in some areas, although heights of a few hundred feet are more typical, and can be dazzlingly bright when the sun is on them.
Aiyu-Atma

The Aiyu-Atma are the Old Gods, the first generation of divine powers who were present at the dawn of time and took part in the ordering of creation. At this time, they fought and prevailed in a titanic struggle against the XXXXXX, the forces of primordial chaos. The Aiyu-Atma then went on to create or give birth to successive generations of lesser deities, the Aiyu-Thani or Young Gods.

Thirteen Aiyu-Atma are known to mortal beings, although some myths attest that there were others who were destroyed in the battle against chaos at the dawn of time. Of these original thirteen, only eight remain; the others were slain by each other, or their offspring, in further wars among the gods when creation was young.

* Thaedon
* Klython
* Khyron
* Kharax
* Xhura
* Touz
* Kordan
* Epheos
* Khreus
* Ymuz
* Chogorus
* Aurhion
* Nysseia

Etymology: Aiyu-Atma is an ancient Tuvai term meaning simply “old gods.” The root “aiyu” (gods, deities) is unusual in Tuvai in that it originated from elvish, deriving from their term “Aeiur” for the gods. It is the rare example of a non-human loanword entering the sacred lexicon of Tuvai, which has always been carefully regulated by the priestly caste. Some scholars believe it indicates substantial contact with elves early in mankind’s history, possibly in the early archaic era. Today, “Aiyu-Atma” will be used (in both Tuvai and Chomarra) in a sacral context, in ritual, in holy texts, or in religious debates among priests and scholars; outside those contexts, people are more apt to simply call them “the Old Gods” in the modern common tongue.