recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
River Helvander

The River Helvander is a major river running for over a thousand miles through the eastern half of Rhydain, following a generally southwest-to-northeast course from its headwaters in mountainous Rhyndara and Tholomyra to its mouth on the Modrinian coast, where it empties into Orphan-Bird's Bay (a part of the Sea of Tyrus). Along its northern edge, the drainage basin of the Helvander is defined by the might Adhemars; its southern boundary is formed by the Helgremars, the Lokenmoor, and the northwestern flanks of the Tythian Massif.

The Helvander is generally held to be divided into upper and lower courses by the Helvander Cataracts, just upstream of the major river-port of Torrune. The lower Helvander is the part of the river which lies below them, and the upper is that which lies above. However, the stretch of river from the cataracts down to Temsevar is sometimes called the 'middle' rather than 'lower' Helvander, with only that portion below Temsevar (i.e. the portion that flows through Modrinia) being considered the true lower river.

The Helvander and its valley (the middle and lower parts of which are called the Helvanderûn) form the main route of trade and travel through eastern Rhydain, and most of the region’s major towns and cities are situated along it. It is the backbone and namesake of the Helvandrian League, and the heartland of the larger region known as the Taefemach.

Major tributaries of the Helvander include the XXXXX, XXXXXX, XXXXX, and XXXXX flowing down from the Adhemars to the north; the XXXX and XXXXX flowing from the Helgremars of Rhyndara; the Greywine and XXXXX arising in the highlands of the Lokenmoor; the XXXXXX and XXXXX running down from the west flank of the Tythian Massif; and the XXXXXXX rushing down into Modrinia from the Mountains of the Morn.
Valgomyr

Valgomyr is an extensive region of very rugged mountainous terrain which covers the northern half of the land bridge connecting Thelbiron to Orithea. It is typically considered to mark the furthest extent of Orithean civilization, with the wild domains of the Thelbir barbarians beginning where its northernmost ranges slope down to pine-cloaked foothills. Whether it is part of Thelbiron or Orithea, or straddles the boundary between them, depends on exactly where one imagines the line dividing the two continents.

The series of high mountain ranges that spread across Valgomyr are collectively called the Valgunvorns. Their massif forms the heartland of the large dwarven kingdom of XXXXXXXX, which rules most of Valgomyr.
Qadira

Qadira, the Path-Changer, the Keeper of Fools, she who eludes the watchful eye, is a daughter of Touz and a goddess associated with good luck and fortune but also with deception and trickery. She is considered a protector of travelers and children, who guides seekers to their goals and the lost to unexpected finds, but sometimes also a patron of thieves and rogues (as well as fools and madmen).
Ontos River

The Ontos is one of the two major rivers that runs generally north to south across Cesynia, down to the Saulean Sea. The other is the Ziva, with which the Ontos eventually merges to form the Zivontos River. Its tributaries arise in the marshy Baajiri lowlands, along the northern edge of the Cesynian plain, and also upon the western flanks of Istrium's highlands.
The Trollfells

The Trollfells are a group of mountain ranges, and their surrounding foothills and the rugged highland valleys between them, extending up into Um-Gerat from Shiankar’s northern edge. Their ominous name is well-deserved, for many of their wild dales and slopes hide the dens of loathsome predatory trolls, posing a real threat to unwary travelers.

Even those areas free of trolls are only sparsely populated, for the cold, rainy climate, together with the landscape of stony hills and wind-raked moors, lends itself to little besides the raising of tough upland sheep. Only a relatively narrow strip of coastal plain lies between the northernmost foothills of the Trollfells and the Bay of Bronna’s rocky strand. The massif of the Trollfells lies between the wider, and much more densely inhabited, coastal lowlands or river basins of XXXXXX and XXXXXX to the east and west, respectively.
River Mera

The River Mera is a major river in southern Orithea, running from the Jackal's Fangs on the edge of the Suagir steppe down to Throne's Bay and the Saulean Sea. Its southern tributaries originate in the Vardic highlands and on the north flank of the Dranurian massif. The low-lying part of its basin forms the region called Pelenaia, which is the inner heartland and historical cradle of the Phyridian Empire. The imperial capital itself, Amran, lies on the lower Mera in eastern Pelenaia, a short distance above the river's mouth.
Uremites

The Uremites are the human inhabitants of the land of Urem, a vast group distributed over an expanse of plains and forests stretching over two thousand miles from east to west. They tend to be a solidly built people, sometimes stocky and burly, sometimes tall and muscular, but rarely slight or slender. They typically have ruddy complexions and curly blonde or reddish-blond hair. Almost universally, the Uremites are Tuvai speakers and adherents of Utara-Vaati.

Most Uremites today live within the boundaries of the Kirdan Empire, making up the greater part of its population and the overwhelming majority of its peasant class. However, following the Great Cataclysm and the destruction of Qoss, waves of Uremite migration crossed the Sarpic Seas into Rhydain as well (this was concurrent with the rise of the powerful pre-Kirdan Uremite kingdoms in the aftermath of the Cataclysm, and before the Asgali Empire rose to the dominant position it would eventually hold in Rhydain). Thus many modern inhabitants of Rhydain have plenty of Uremite ancestry intermixed with their Brecai blood.
Zanobian Mountains

The Zanobian Mountains, sometimes called simply the Zanobes, are a series of high mountain ranges stretching across northwestern Sularia. To the east, they join the lower peaks of the Aghai Massif; to the north and east, they slope down into the Druune Basin and the Tigerstone Rift (the northernmost extension of the Zanobes’ massif are the Hills of Scyra, which run northwest towards Kelimaria and separate these two low-lying basins).
The Haakonvorns

The Haakonvorns are the high ranges of mountains that cover most of upper Belgoroth, in far northern Orithea. They form a massif some four hundred miles wide, whose foothills descend to the Halasar in the west and Tirnavon in the east. The southern ranges of the Haakonvorns join the eastern Yhevnas and the Giant’s Coffins, so they could be considered the most northeasterly extension of Shandara’s interlinked mountain chains, but most people would not call Belgoroth or the Haakonvorns a part of Shandara proper.
Temple-State

A temple-state is an independent state under the rule of a priesthood or religious order. They are so-named because the center of their governance is the temple where the ruling priesthood is based, just as a city-state is centered on a single city which controls the surrounding hinterland. In such states, the high priest or priestess of the ruling priesthood fulfills the same role as the prince, duke, archon, etc. who governs a more typical city-state (in fact they sometimes use the title of archon). However, the priesthood itself will rarely be involved full-time in the daily administration of the state, and will instead likely employ an auxiliary order that attends to such pragmatic affairs while the priests attend to spiritual matters.

Noteworthy temple-states include XXXXXXX and XXXXXX (both members of the Helvandrian League), XXXXXXXX, XXXXXX, XXXXXXX, and XXXXXXXXXX.
Sarcedon

Sarcedon is the capital city of the Sarcian Empire and the ancestral seat of the imperial court. It is one of the largest and most splendid cities in the world, rivaled only by the likes of Amran, XXXXXX, XXXXX, or XXXXXXX. Prior to the Sarcian conquest of Turazan, it was known as Tusuba, and was one of the most important city-states of the Alabaster Shore. It was renamed Sarcedon when it chosen by Kerestes as the capital of his new empire.
Shenoa

Shenoa, the XXXXX, is one of the three sea-goddesses born of Khreus. She is beloved of mariners, who give offerings to her to secure good weather and calm seas. Her hand smoothes the rough waves and her breath is the fair trade wind; but though benevolent, her anger is also terrible when aroused, and she is just as capable as Sherian of unleashing violent tempests and raging storms on those who offend her.

She is particularly associated with porpoises and dolphins, which are considered sacred to her and often used a symbol by her devotees. She is typically depicted as a wizened old woman.

As with her sisters Sherian and Nyra, the Great Temple of the Kheianoa in Thrommelport is an extremely important cult site for the worship of Shenoa.
Touz

Touz, The Benevolent, The Life Giver, is a goddess of the Aiyu-Atma whose cult is widespread (albeit in widely varying forms) in human lands throughout Urva. Mercy, compassion, love, justness, and goodness are her essence. Vile Ymuz was her sister-goddess and was filled with evil of every kind in opposition to the goodness of Touz.

Her major cult centers in Orithea and Rhydain include the Temple of Martens in northeastern Tythium, the XXXXXXXXX in XXXX, XXXXX, XXXXXXX, and XXXXXX

Touz has many offspring who are counted among the Aiyu-Thani. Such is her creative and genitive power that they have sprung fully-formed from her essence alone, via acts of divine parthenogenesis. Her children include the triple goddesses Tefra, Sidra, and Deinoa, who are considered part of the Thaedonu-Vaati since they have married sons of Thaedon. She is also the mother of Qadira, Tulkhur, Garhanu, Auzha, and hawk-headed Yazhur.

Touz also played an essential role in the creation of humanity; once the Sons of Thaedon formed the physical bodies of the Unbegotten Men, they begged the aid of Touz in animating them with the spark of life. She agreed to instill them with her divine breath, granting them souls, and in doing so decreed that upon death their spirits would return to the gods they had venerated in life. This condition was agreeable to the Thaedonu-Vaati at the time but sowed the seed for the Tarquenian Revelation and the Schism Wars thousands of years later, and the division of most of humanity into the worship of rival pantheons.

This is the reason that, in much of Orithea, the cult of Touz has an ambiguous (sometimes contentious) relationship with the priestly caste who preside over Utara-Vaati. In Achuirea, the cult of Touz has much more official acceptance and is closely linked to the veneration of the Rhantaseppa.
Talrik's Pillar

Talrik's Pillar, also called Sidra's Pillar or the Sidrene Column, is a monumental column in the center of Talrik's Square in the Torrune Low City. It is surmounted by a golden statue of Sidra, patron goddess of Torrune, hence its alternate names. It is most often called Talrik's Pillar because its construction (along with that of the surrounding plaza) was ordered and funded by Talrik of the House of Turpin, second Lord of the City.

The pillar itself is huge, thirteen feet wide at its base and standing nearly 150 feet high when the statue is included. It is made of dark purple-red porphyry stone. Its outer surface is carved with an intricate helical frieze which wraps around the column 39 times from base to capital, depicting many scenes from the XXXXXXX [holy books of Utara-Vaati] pertaining to Sidra and her exaltants, temmataiyu, and devotees. The base of the column stands on a broad stepped plinth of white marble, with four trios of [XXXXX mythical creatures, maybe associated with Sidra] carved from lustrous gray-green nephrite facing outwards to the north, south, east, and west.
Xhuranoa

The Xhuranoa (literally "Daughters of Xhura, cf. Khreianoa) are a number of fire-goddesses who were, as their name suggests, born from the radiance of the Flame of Aeons. In contrast to the Zhabd-Aoun, who were born of the union between Xhura and Klython, the Xhuranoa sprang forth directly from her fiery essence.

Even more so than their mother, they are mercurial, fickle, and quick to anger. They have little care for their own names and mortal cults that venerate them will typically invent their own titles of reverence for them. Scholars even disagree on how numerous they are; it is said that some of the Xhuranoa may merge together or split apart at times, perhaps frequently or perhaps only slowly over the millennia, as befits their whim. Conjurers and shamans who seek to invoke one of them may instead draw the attention of another, sometimes with terrible consequences.

Despite this, there are least a few of the Xhuranoa who are relatively well-known to students of divine lore. A particularly prominent one is she called Ehiru or Ahiru, who is a central deity in the traditional Suagir cultic practice. They call her Baaqu, which means “golden-red” or “redly radiant” in their language, and believe that she sometimes dwells in a volcanic crater atop Mount Ibuzhir in the Blackspine Mountains. Legends tell that when the shamans of Marotai II were defeated in the magical duel to determine whether the Kirdan Empire would take up Utara-Vaati, travelers on the steppe south of the Blackspines saw fountains of orange fire jetting furiously from Mount Ibuzhir for months after. Terrible wildfires that swept the grasslands the following summer were also attributed to her displeasure. However, despite the loss of her devotees in Kirdan lands, Baaqu is still venerated by the inhabitants of Suagirea proper, who keep the traditional shamanic cults.

Other noteworthy goddesses of the Xhuranoa include XXXXXXX, who was said to have a temple dedicated to her in Qoss before the Cataclysm; XXXXXX, who is the patron goddess and protector of the city-state XXXXXX in Sharu-Tur; and XXXXXX, who was reputedly worshiped by a cabal of wizards in XXXXX until they offended her with improper offerings and thereby brought about the city’s destruction.
Tarquenian Revelation

The Tarquenian Revelation was the essential message preached by the prophet Tarquenus: That mankind was not ineluctably bound to worship the Thaedonu-Vaati, and should turn to the gods of the Rhantaseppa instead. In this sense it can be considered the first doctrine or founding principle of the Rhantashannu cultus.
Telaon

Telaon, the All-Merciful, from whose hand flows the Water of Restoration, is one of the five sons of Thaedon and one of the primary deities of the Thaedonu-Vaati pantheon. His consort is Deinoa and their daughter is Nevaea.

Telaon is a god of healing, forgiveness, vitality, and rejuvenation. He is compassionate and gentle; it is his nature to take pity on the downtrodden, to ease the burden of those who suffer, to mend the wounds of the afflicted, and to offer sanctuary to the oppressed. Illness and disease are driven out by his touch; the crippled and maimed are made whole by his hand.

**Symbols and Attributes**

Telaon is blind, and is always depicted wearing a blindfold in his sacred iconography and statuary. According to the ancient tales, after he and his brothers were deceived into killing Thaedon their father, he saw what they had done and was so horrified at the sight of their crime that he put out his own eyes. [XXXXX His priests will have some parable or theological theory about how his nature as a kind and merciful god grants him perception despite his blindness. His blindness is also symbolic of his impartiality in granting healing and mercy to all XXXXXXX]

The holy symbols of Telaon, and his chief divine attributes, are the lotus-flower and the cup of mercy which is brimful with the waters of restoration. Statuary and cultic images usually depict him seated, hands held before him, with a lotus blossom in one and a bowl or cup of sacred water in the other. Silver or ivory medallions in the shape of an open-palmed hand are also sometimes worn as holy symbols by his devotees. He is associated with the olive tree as well as the lotus flower, and olive groves are often considered sacred to him.

**Servants and Minions**

The principal temmataiyu of Telaon are the XXXXXXXXX, who XXXXXXXX, and the XXXXXX, who XXXXXXXXX.

**Priests and Devotees**

Priests of Telaon renounce violence and swear oaths to unceasingly aid and succor the weak, the ill, the hungry, and the fearful. They often require those who seek healing (or other blessings, favors, etc.) to free a slave or engage in some other good, personally disadvantageous behavior as part of payment.

**Temples**

The outer chamber of his temples (i.e. the first chamber people enter when they come through the doors) will typically contain a pool of clear water set into the floor, square and with steps leading down into it from each of it's four sides, about 20 feet across.  This will be holy water and will be used to bless/cleanse supplicants, perform healing rites, and so forth.  It is also traditional for the doorways of his temples to have no actual doors, symbolizing that they are open to all. His temples may also have olive groves in adjacent courts or gardens.

**Holy Days and Propitiation**

The major holy days of Telaon's cult are XXXXXXX in XXXXXX, XXXXXX in XXXXXX, XXXXXXX, and XXXXXXXXX. Rituals and offerings to Telaon are also a central element of the XXXXXXX festival in XXXXXXX.

**Cult Centers**

Major cult centers of Telaon include Suradis, Tarrek, the XXXXXX, and the Wells of XXXXXXXX in XXXXXXXXX
Throne's Bay

Throne's Bay, also called the Bay of the Centaurs or Centaur Bay, is the westernmost arm of the Saulean Sea. Three major rivers drain into it: The Obhre from the south, the Mera from the west, and the Zivontos from the north. The bay and all the lands around it are controlled by the Phyridian Empire and the major imperial cities of Turain and Eirazan stand on its shores. Amran itself lies just a short distance up the Mera.

The name of the bay stems from its long-standing domination by the Phyridian Empire, and the fact that the imperial capital is situated near its shores. The name Centaur Bay is much older, and refers to the claim that tribes of centaurs once lived on the grasslands of the bay's shores, although none can say whether this is fact or legend.
Shekondar

Shekondar the XXXXXXX, also known as Shekondar XXXXXX-XXXXXX, Shekondar XXXXXXXXXbane, and the Scourge of XXXXXXX, was a particularly large and powerful dragon which dominated the land of Ojaum from 745 CV until his death in 1168 at the hands of the Tefranite paladin Zhallu of the Nine Spears.

Shekondar's origins are uncertain, but he probably descended on Ojaum from the vicinity of the Kar Bharaz, perhaps having previously laired in the Mountains of Thundering Flame or the Sawtooth Mountains (some sources claim that Suagir nomads in the western steppe reported seeing a huge dragon flying southwards in the summer of 745). He may have been the same dragon which, in the 200s BV, menaced Corvenea before being driven off by that city's priests; that wyrm was much smaller (though still formidable), but had some notable characteristics in common with Shekondar, and of course had nearly a thousand years to grow before Shekondar's first appearance in Ojaum.

In Ojaum, Shekondar terrorized the countryside for over four centuries, made himself the de facto ruler of most of the Druune Basin, and crushed any number of attempts to challenge him until Zhallu finally succeeded. He actively encouraged draconic cults throughout the region, inducing many of them to worship him as a god, so that their influence became pervasive and they were powerful agents of his will. Some remain active in Ojaum now despite his death. He also amassed a truly enormous hoard of treasure, plundered not just from Ojaum but, at various times, from eastern Kelimaria, from Dranuria, from the Jade River basin, and from northwest Sularia. Upon his death, this hoard became the cause for war between the Sultan of Kelimaria and an alliance of Dranurian kingdoms.
Tessaraon

A tessaraon (sometimes also tessaraeon, tessarion, tessareon) is a temple precinct or group of temples situated atop a tessara, a sacred hill or mound. The term literally means "that which stands upon the tessara". Over time, however, the tessaraon has come to refer to a sacred precinct regardless of whether it is actually built on a tessara, and may now be used for any group of temples or even the grounds of a single temple; for instance, one may refer to a city's temple district as the tessaraon even if it does not stand on a holy hill. Still, throughout much of Orithea and Rhydain as well as the Sarcian Empire, it is common practice to build temples on actual tessaras (natural or manmade) wherever possible.

Etymology: This term and its roots, tessara (holy mound) plus the -aon suffix (denoting "that which lies upon" or "that which is born up by") are Tuvai, and the word is used in the Tuvai-speaking parts of the human civilizaton. Non-Tuvai-speaking humans (Suagirs, Achuireans, Thelbirs, Daare Karsha, etc.) do not use the term, even in cases where they do share the tradition of building religious sites atop sacred hills or mounds.
Northcoil (Torrune)

Northcoil is most commonly used name for the north-central portion of Torrune's Low City; it is typically considered one of the city's major quarters or districts. It comprises the neighborhoods stretching from the north edge of Aulgusmark up to the city walls, with the Syrennian Hill to the southwest and the Yazhurene Quarter to the east. Much of this land lay outside the old city walls, and only became a part of Torrune proper when the current, larger walls were built; the area thus enclosed was subsequently built up in a haphazard and unplanned fashion, resulting in a maze-like tangle of alleys and backstreets between the major boulevards.
The Arkanmoor

The Arkanmoor or Arkenmoor, sometimes pluralized as the Arkanmoors or Arkenmoors, is a rugged and sparsely populated highland region in northern Orithea, between Khadoa to the west and Um-Gerat to the east. The rolling hills and low mountains of the Arkanmoor run from the southern end of Yhendorn and the Bluecairns down to the north edge of Shiankar, where they rise again into higher and more barren ranges stretching off into the desolation of the Kesh Karkhan.
Sea of Surna

The Sea of Surna is one of the Sarpic Seas, connecting to the Sea of Tyrus to its west, the Dawn Sea to its east, and the Sea of Kaikesh to its north (where the island of Cothlis forms the division between the two). Its southerly shores are formed by the tip of Rhydain and the north coast of Peiramia; at its southernmost point, it narrows to the opening of the Dragon’s Jaw strait, by which it is connected to the Shreenwater and thus the Emerald Ocean.
Rhantaseppa

The Rhantaseppa is the pantheon of gods and goddesses centered on Klython, Xhura, and their several offspring: Most prominently, the triad of Fimra, Tecla, and Erkala. It is the primary pantheon worshipped by most (but not all) humans throughout Achuirea, and in certain other parts of the world as well. For this reason, the Rhantaseppa is also sometimes referred to as “the eastern pantheon” or “the Achuirean pantheon.”

The term "Rhantaseppa” derives from archaic Tuvai and literally means “the higher ones” or “those on high,” but the particular construction carries a strong superlative and comparative connotation: “Those who are to be most favored” or “those who are to be held up higher than others” might more fully capture the nuance of its meaning. Worshippers of the Rhantaseppa are called Rhantashans or Rhantashanis (“devotees of the most high”) and their cultus or tradition of worship is Rhantashannu (“devotion to those on high”).

Rhantashans are also sometimes called Tarquenites or Tarquenians, and Rhantashannu is sometimes called the Tarquenite Cult; these epithets are more likely to be used by Oritheans and/or worshippers of the Thaedonu-Vaati, and while they don’t always carry a pejorative connotation, they often do. Pejorative intent or not, Rhantashans tend to object to such terms because of the implication that they worship Tarquenus himself rather than the gods of the Rhantaseppa.
Syrennian Hill (Torrune)

The Syrennian Hill is the largest of the several hills that lie within Torrune's walls, and the only one in the Low City. It is situated in the Low City's western half, with the Wainwright's Quarter to its north and Aulgu's Market to the east. The neighborhoods located on the top and flanks of the Syrennian Hill are generally wealthier than the rest of the Low City, and a number of well-to-do merchants have their houses here, but there are also some poorer areas, especially on the north side of the hill. The hill and the neighborhoods upon it are considered one of the major quarters or districts of the city.

Several springs bubble up from the porous, crevice-riddled limestone rock of the hill. In ancient times, they fed one or more creeks that flowed down from the hill into the Helvander, but now they are directed into the complex network of cisterns, aqueducts, and covered channels that provide drinking water to most of the Low City (ultimately flowing out via sewers and drains into the canals, or directly into the river). These springs also supply the XXXXXX Baths which are located on the southeast edge of the hilltop.

Substantial catacombs are also dug into the northern and northwestern slopes of the hill, serving as burial sites for the city's dead (both for ongoing fresh burials, and the reinterment of remains excavated from overcrowded gravesites at various times in the past). Many of these catacombs make use of tunnels and galleries originally carved out long ago to quarry limestone blocks for the city's construction; the whole hill is honeycombed with such quarry-works (often intertwined with natural caves), as is the rock under much of the rest of the city. These excavations and the catacombs they now house form part of Torrune's so-called Undercity. In addition to use as ossuaries, some of these tunnels have been repurposed as wine cellars and storage chambers for the houses of wealthy merchants above.

A number of well-to-do families also have their own private burial chambers carved into the rock of the Syrennian Hill, especially on its south- and east-facing slopes. However, these are purpose-built crypts (often gated, and embellished with decorative stonework) to protect the tombs of the household's dead, not reused quarry tunnels stacked with the bones of poor commoners.
Umre

Umre is an infrequently-used term for the single supercontinental landmass which dominates Urva's western hemisphere. By ancient convention (both common and scholarly), it is divided into Thelbiron, Orithea, and Ulthark, each typically considered a continent in their own right. This convention is sufficiently widespread that it is rare to hear the name Umre used outside of obscure treatises, and the average person is unlikely to know it.

Etymology: Umre derives from archaic Tuvai "ume-ere", meaning "mother of all rivers." The origins of the term are lost to time, but it was presumably coined in reference to the many great river systems which drain the lands of Orithea, Thelbiron, and Ulthark.
Sanctuary Sea

The Sanctuary Sea lies between the island-continent of Vhaluzia and the land of Arrakoth (Ulthark’s eastern end); it is open to the Encircling Ocean to the south, whereas in the north it narrows to the Gates of Barossus, the strait by which it connects to the Emerald Ocean. The Sanctuary Sea is so-named for its relatively placid conditions, which are a welcome respite for those few mariners who brave the gigantic waves, furious gales, and dangerous icebergs of the Encircling Ocean’s open southern waters.
Tower of Ghorodan

The Tower of Ghorodan is a large and imposing gatehouse situated at the north end of the Fortress Bridge, where it meets the waterfront of Torrune's Low City. The foundations of the tower directly adjoin the bridge's abutment, and the roadway of the bridge passes through its gates before opening out the triangular intersection forming the south end of Talrik's Square. The corresponding structure at the opposite end of the bridge is the gatehouse of the Griffin Gate in the High City walls.

The Tower of Ghorodan takes its name from one of the dwarven architects involved in the construction of Beklagard and the Fortress Bridge.
Shandara

Shandara is a blanket term for the whole eastern half of the Kesh Karkhan; all the lands of Orithea’s deep continental interior east of the Kirga Massif's front ranges. Though harsh and arid, Shandara generally presents a somewhat less desolate landscape than Shiankar, the western parts of the Kesh Karkhan. In some areas it has dry grasslands, or even sparse forests of scrub pine and baobab, whereas Shiankar is almost completely barren.

Nevertheless, travel through Shandara is a forbidding prospect; it has scorching summers and brutal winters, drinkable water is scarce, its untamed wilderness is home to all manner of dangerous creatures, and the tribes of the Daare Karsha are often hostile to outsiders. Wayfarers in Shandara must stick to a handful of established routes with caravanserais and fortified towns strung out along them, usually at intervals of a day’s travel; those who stray from these routes gamble with their lives. The most important of these routes are considered to be the eastern branches of the Blood Roads.
Tamirate

A tamirate is the region ruled by a tamir (a Suagir chieftain or lord). Much of the Suagir steppe today is divided among a number of different tamirates, some great and others small, whose borders are mostly vaguely defined and often in flux.

The Kirdan Empire was also originally divided up into numerous tamirates, each with varying rights, duties, and prerogatives depending on the rank and status of its tamir, combined with the nature of his relationship with the Tash-Teshivan. This (combined with the addition of other types of administrative regions on top of the tamirates) eventually made the organization of the empire so complex that the Tash-Teshivan Kathakai XXXXXXX enacted a series of sweeping reforms, abolishing all the tamirates and replacing them with a uniform system of provinces called satrapies.
Nevaea

Nevaea is the daughter of Deinoa and Telaon, and a goddess of the Thaedonu-Vaati pantheon. At the beginning of spring, she carries forth the life-giving essence of her mother and anoints the cultivated lands (farm fields, pastures, vineyards, and orchards) of those who have pleased Deinoa with their offerings, thus granting them ripe harvests and healthy crops. Since ancient times the horned scarab-beetle has been a symbol of hers, especially the large XXXX scarabs with gem-like iridescent green shells; since these often appear in the late vernal months of Kaphusmoon or Telasmoon and are conspicuous in their green color, they are considered iconic of the onset of summer, and thus a sign that Nevaea spread the life-essence fruitfully in the spring.
Trickster's Sea

The Trickster’s Sea (also sometimes called the Slave Sea in reference to the Sarcian trade in Thelbir slaves) is a large multi-armed embayment on the coast of Thelbiron, with its southern end opening to the Thurnic Ocean. It’s northwesternmost branch, the Bay of Orhan, terminates in the estuary of the Bent Bow River and is generally considered to define the eastern boundary of the vast region known as Tordynnar. The opposite shore of the Trickster's Sea is formed by the western coastline of upper Forvirad.
Nimravis

Nimravis, the Crone of Winter, is one of the Qali Matra and a daughter of Epheos. Thus she is considered one of the Aiyu-Thani, along with her sister-goddesses, Aeylea, Voridis, and Thuraeya.

Her arrival is heralded by Turomë, the north wind, and she settles across the land when her sister Thuraeya has been driven away. Beneath her white mantle, the trees and growing things of Urva obey her command to slumber, awaiting the warm eastern wind Uatha and the onset of spring.

Like her sister-goddesses ofthe Qali Matra, Nimravis has no organized cult in most "civilized" lands. Druidic and shamanic traditions among people such as the Vards, Suagirs, Thelbirs, or Daare Karsha are much more apt to venerate her (of course with widely varying rituals, and calling her by many different names in their own various languages).
Palace of Concord

The Palace of Concord is the huge and opulent edifice in Hakoris which serves as the official seat of the Prince-Palatine of the Helvandrian League, and as his traditional residence when he is present in the city. The palace itself is the origin of the Prince-Palatine's title; he is literally the League magnate chosen by the Electors to take up residence in the palace and assume the rights and duties associated with that seat.
Shau River

The Shau River is a major waterway in west-central Kelimaria, rising from headwaters in the highlands of Elacreon and twisting its way south across the Plain of Tharsus before reaching the Sea of Faerod. Its major tributaries include the XXXXXX and XXXXXX.

The Shau River has been an important route of trade and travel through Kelimaria since time immemorial, and many of the region's biggest cities are built along its course, including the traditional sultanic capital of Yhimir.
Ulthark Marches

The Ulthark Marches, also sometimes called the Southern Marches or the Orcish Marches, are the boundaries separating human civilization in Orithea from orcdom in Ulthark.

For long ages, these marches followed the southern frontiers of Vastemar and Sularia, where the mountainous highlands of those regions drop down precipitously to the sweeping savannahs of [Northern Ulthark plain]. That changed dramatically with the disastrous invasions of Gol Garga, which progressively swallowed up all of Vastemar and Sularia and pushed the new line of the Marches hundreds of miles north before they were finally halted at the decisive Battle of Crow’s Gorge.

The new frontier between mankind and orcdom has uneasy stabilized along a line running through the Tigerstone Rift and the Druune Basin, and eastward across the Aghai Massif. The lands of Kelimaria, Ojaum, the Dranurian kingdoms, and the Sornele--once shielded behind the powerful martial states of Vastemar and Sularia--now find themselves on the front line of the new Ulthark Marches.
Rhantashans

Rhantashans, or Rhantashani, are worshippers of the gods of the Rhantaseppa and devotees of their cultus, known as Rhantashannu. The term is of archaic Tuvai origin and means "devotees of the most high," in reference to the Rhantaseppa.

Most Rhantashani live in Achuirea and Vhaluzia, where they make up a great majority of the human population. They are sometimes called Tarquenites or Tarquenians after the prophet-patriarch Tarquenus, who introduced the worship of the Rhantaseppa to archaic Orithea more than five thousand years ago. This sparked the catastrophic Schism Wars between the Rhantashani and the worshippers of the Thaedonu-Vaati, ultimately resulting in Tarquenus and the surviving Rhantashani escaping to Achuirea as refugees. Today, Rhantashani tend to dislike being called Tarquenites, since it implies that they worship Tarquenus himself (a long-dead mortal man) instead of the gods of the Rhantaseppa.
Turomë

Turomë is the god of the north wind and a son of Klython; he is the bringer of frost and bitter cold. His siblings are Nabhiru the south wind, Uatha the east wind, and Iraolis the western wind. It is he who drives away Thuraeya at the end of autumn and ushers in Nimravis, the Crone of Winter. As a son of Klython, he is of the of the Klythonu-Vaati kindred and counted among the Aiyu-Thani.

For the most part, there is no organized cult of Turomë among the Oritheans or Achuireans. He is important in the druidic rites of the Vards (along with his siblings), and is also worshiped by some Thelbir tribes, who call him XXXXXX or XXXXXX and associate him with XXXXXXX as well as the north wind. Among certain tribes of the Daare Karsha, it is believed that the frost giants of the high ice-capped mountain ranges are the descendants of Turomë mating with mortal women in the ancient age.
Tozhorok

Tozhorok, or Tozhrok, is the capital of Cetesh and the seat of its mysterious ruler, Xotar Xun. It was founded at his command following his conquest of the western Suagirs. It is centered around an imposing citadel and palace perched atop a high, sheer-sided mesa standing out from the southern shoulder of Mount Daheb (the easternmost peak of the Gorgonstones). This site looks out over the edge of the Suagir steppe from a commanding height, and the bulk of the city is clustered in terraces on the slopes below it.

Its name means "origin point (or birthplace) of the four winds" in Suaga.
Voegon River

The Voegon River is one of the major rivers in Kelimaria, arising from headwaters along the northwestern edge of the Hawkmoor and running generally north to south through the central part of the Kelimarian Plain; it then joins the Toross River and their combined flow enters Lake Ulobor, ultimately draining into the Sea of Faerod through the Brazenmere.

Like the Shau, Toross, [river that runs south into Lake Lhodogir) and other major rivers of Kelimaria, the Voegon has always served as a major artery for trade and travel. Several major Kelimarian cities, including XXXXX and XXXXXX, are sited along its banks.
Phyridian Battle Mages

The Phyridian battle-mages are a martial order of wizards dedicated to the service of the Phyridian Emperor. They are often simply called the imperial battle-mages or the emperor's battle-mages. The headquarters of their order is its massive, many-spired citadel in Amran. The battle-mages have been instrumental in many of the empire's greatest military victories over the centuries, and have remained a pillar of strength as other aspects of Phyridian power have slipped into slow decline.

The origins of the order stretch back to the founding of the Phyridian Empire itself, or perhaps before. Some say that it was formed shortly after the Great Cataclysm by a handful of surviving acolytes who had studied under the mages the Qossite Sorcerer-Kings, and that they were offered official protection and patronage by the empire’s founder, XXXXXXXX, in exchange for their services (others say XXXXXX was subservient to the mages from the beginning, subject to their 'guidance' if not an outright puppet). Certainly it is true that those associated with Qoss would be hated by the common people of lands around the Sarpic Seas after Alborak’s destruction, although it is questionable whether magicians of the type who could found an order like the battle-mages would need outside protection.

Over the Phyridian Empire's long history, the battle-mages have not just lent their power to wars against external enemies; they have sometimes acted almost as bodyguards to the emperor and protectors of his palaces and household in Amran, a role which has occasionally given them undue influence over imperial politics. At times they have been able to depose or install emperors at their pleasure, or have kept emperors as virtual prisoners in their palaces while dictating policy on their behalf. At other times, strong imperial dynasties (or the power of other institutions, such as the Vanir-Vaati priesthoods) have pushed back against the mages and limited their influence over the Phyridian state.
Rouam the Younger

Rouam the Younger is a Kelimarian nobleman and relative of the last Kelimarian Sultan, Olugar IX, who has just recently voiced a claim to the now-vacant Topaz Throne. He is a nephew of Rouam of Yarat, the adoptive son and chosen heir of Olugar IX, who was slain along with him in battle against Gol Garga's orcs in 1247 CV. His mother was Rouam of Yarat's elder sister.

Rouam the Younger is the first to advance such a claim in the chaotic aftermath of Gol Garga's invasion, as the collapse of the old sultanate left the various Kelimarian emirs scrambling for independence rather than looking to the throne. However, many suspect he will not be the only one. It remains to be seen whether rival claims will emerge to contest his. However, it is true that he is a clever and charismatic leader, and he certainly has some influential supporters.
Temple Hill (Torrune)

The Temple Hill, also called the Hill of Holies or the Hill of the Gods, is one of the five hills that lie within the walls of Torrune. Like the others (with the sole exception of the Syrennian Hill), it is situated within the High City. As its name suggests, it is the tessara (sacred prominence) on which the city's tessaraon (temple cluster and surrounding sacred precinct) is located. It lends its name to the surrounding district of the High City: The Temple Quarter.

Around the Temple Hill, on its lower slopes or nearby, are several notable sites associated with the temples above. At the southern foot of the hill is the House of Restoration, a hospice and sanatorium administered by the priesthood of the Telaonic temple and an associated order of physicians. The westernmost portion of the hill's summit is occupied by the formidable XXXXXX, the citadel of the Kothaurite templars, which is joined to the High City's Temple Gate by a fortified stone bridge.
Ushaya

The Ushaya are a human tribal family or ethnic group who mostly inhabit northern and eastern Turzenia, including Bel Xaffar. Many of their ancestral lands currently lie under Sarcian rule, and the Ushaya make up a large part of that empire's population. Like the Turzenes to the west, and unlike the Sarcian elite, the Ushaya descend from the People of the Ten Thousand Ships and thus have dwelt in Achuirea for several millennia. They mostly adhere to Rhantashannu, although the cults of Tulkhur and the Khreianoa are widespread among them as well. The Ushaya speak a peculiar dialect of Chomarra which is difficult to understand for most other Achuireans.
Shimmering Seas

The Shimmering Seas is the collective name for the various interconnected seas, straits, gulfs, and bays around and between the island chains of the huge Azarian Archipelago, and along the adjacent shores of Achuirea. They are also sometimes called the Azarian Seas for obvious reasons. They cover a vast, roughly triangular area stretching from Taijuria's eastern tip to the northwest Achuirean coastline, stretching over two thousand miles east to west and, at their furthest extent, nearly that far north to south. To the north, the Shimmering Seas open to the Thurnic Ocean; to the southwest, the Emerald Ocean.

The Shimmering Seas are typically understood not to include the Seas of Rhud further east, even though the two are connected via the Turzenian Channel.

Individual bodies of water within the Azarian Seas include the Cerulean Sea, the Kiridian Sea, the .....
Qyrsh

Qyrsh is a Palatine City (i.e. a city under the direct rule of the Prince-Palatine, though in practice governed by a consul appointed by him) in the north-central part of the Helvandrian League. The city's territory is sandwiched between High Krovaax to the west and Low Krovaax to the east. All three were formerly part of Krovaax ("Old Krovaax") before that larger state was broken up at the conclusion of the War of the Yenrisi Succession. Whereas titles of rulership in High and Low Krovaax were granted to noble families which had supported the war's winning faction, Qyrsh and its hinterland were given over to Palatine authority instead. To the north it borders Ceregar and to the south Yenris.

Qyrsh stands on the banks of the lower Waeth, a major tributary of the Helvander which flows down from the highlands of Baltusraal. This position accounts for Qyrsh's wealth and importance. It is one of many cities in Helvandrian lands which prospers by controlling major riverine trade routes. In days past it brought substantial revenues into the coffers of Old Krovaax, but now its status as a Palatine City means that neither High or Low Krovaax is able to tap into that flow of wealth, and it is at the disposal of Hakoris instead.
Zhabd-Aoun

The Zhabd-Aoun (meaning "revered trinity" or "beloved triad" in Chomarra) is a collective term for Fimra, Tecla, and Erkala, the three androgyne deities born of the union between the Aiyu-Atma Xhura and Klython. Together with their mother and father, they make up the primary members of the Rhantaseppa pantheon worshipped in Achuirea.
Puavea

Puavea is a mountainous region on the northern coast of Rhydain; much of its landmass takes the form of a pair of peninsulas extending northwards into the Sarpic Seas. Together with Thiatia across the water to the north, these peninsulas separate the Sea of Pearls from the Saulean Sea (the channel connecting them, between Thiatia and Puavea, is called the Gates of Ghirn and was the location of Alborak and Qoss before their destruction in the Great Cataclysm).
Sularia

Sularia is an extensive, mostly hilly and mountainous region in far southern Orithea. Together with Vastemar to its west, it forms a huge belt of rugged, elevated terrain running all the way across the continent’s southern edge from sea to sea. Major geographical features of Sularia include the Aghai Massif, the Zanobian Mountains, the XXXXXX, the XXXXXX, and the XXXXXX. It’s southernmost margin, where the rugged highlands give way to vast subtropical savannah, is typically understood to form part of the dividing line between Orithea and Ulthark. To the east, Sularia slopes down to a mostly narrow coastal plain on the shore of the Emerald Ocean. In the west, its own mountain ranges join those of Vastemar; there is little clear geographical divide between the two regions, and the distinction between them is mostly cultural and historical. Along its northern edge lie the Dranurian highlands (also mostly contiguous with Sularian ranges), the Sornele, and the Jade River basin.

As in Vastemar, the human and dwarven kingdoms of Sularia had formed Orithea’s buffer against the menace of orcdom since ancient days; and as in Vastemar, they were finally overrun and destroyed by Gol Garga’s terrible horde. Those of their inhabitants who weren’t slaughtered outright fled north and east as refugees, or fell into orcish hands as slaves. The former Sularian bulwark states included Chaleban, Thorondul, Kuzul-Khabrak, Batur, Darzalik, and Zanbalik. All are now gone.

The so-called Free Margraves of the Aghai are the last unconquered remnant of Zanbalik (and thus the only remnant of human civilization in Sularia), now reduced to collection of independent statelets since the dynasty to whom their lords swore allegiance has been snuffed out.
Tawnywine River

The Tawnywine River is a major river in southern Enyrion. Its overall course runs east to west, from headwaters arising in the mountains of Shiankar’s western edge to its mouth on the Sea of Wyrms. Its upper valley is bounded by the Khalkus ranges to the north, and the northern Snowcairns to the south; this valley stretches for over three hundred miles before opening out onto Enyrion’s coastal plain. Here, the flat country of the lower Tawnywine basin makes up much of the region known as Corumir. The valley of the upper Tawnywine is thus sometimes called Upper Corumir, but this is not common; most consider the upper valley a distinct region in its own right.
River Palla

The River Palla is one of the main tributaries of the River Obhre. Its headwaters arise among the high peaks of the Bhodevars and it rushes through a series of deep, rocky gorges, then long sections of falls and rapids, as it twists down from the mountains and across the highlands of the Dranurian massif's north flank. It's name comes from an old Tuvai root meaning "twisting" or "labyrinthine", in reference to the many turns its course takes through these falls and gorges. Notably, the upper Palla flows through the canyon called Crow's Gorge, which runs alongside the mountain pass where Gol Garga's horde was defeated at the battle of the same name in 1253 CV.