A journey through a land of fantasy…

I’ll start the my discussion of the different regions of Chorenn with Thirmondas, which, you might realize, is also Sparrow’s real last name.  The name of the region was normally changed by the monarch when the monarchy was passed to a new house, so that the region and the house had the same name.  However, the Thirmondas house has held the monarchy so long that the custom has been completely forgotten.  If Sparrow chooses to take his mother’s family’s name (which Nathan has hinted that he intends), the region will remain Thirmondas unless Sparrow decides to change it (which I doubt Nathan would think of).

(I realized later, after devising this history, that it is highly unlikely that a single house held onto the monarchy for that long — over 1,400 years, I believe — but, hey, stranger things have happened.  There have been periods of turmoil within the monarchy, but I reason that sometimes, the house had enough heirs to weather the succession war, and at other times, another house’s heir might have taken the throne but also taken the name, for various reasons.  I haven’t written out the entire history in that much detail.)

Thirmondas is the southeastern peninsula of the continent, and enjoys moderate weather at most times of the year.  Light snows are common in winter, but heavy snows and blizzards are rare.  The three major cities of the region are Nemeril (the capital of the land), King’s Peace, and Port Jonlen.  West of Nemeril is a chain of mountains, and to the east is a thick forest where the king and nobles enjoy hunting.

Nemeril is considered the pinnacle of society, though the other regions’ capitals, especially Silverleaf in Talnoor and Tarnas in Valuria, might be richer and/or more cultured.  In the imaginations of people of other regions, Nemeril contains high towers, great buildings, and great works of art and engineering, and the people are rich and noble; however, this creates a dichotomy with their awareness that King Harold and his retainers are cruel and greedy.

In reality, Nemeril, under Harold’s ancestors, was one of the great centers of culture and society, but that has largely fallen, as Harold, and his father and other recent monarchs before him, paid little interest to such things.  While the King’s Library at Nemeril does still exist, for example, its stores of knowledge have decayed, as its caretakers struggle under tight budgets and bicker among themselves about what deserves to be preserved, saving only that which interests them personally.

The social atmosphere in Nemeril is quite poisonous, as Harold enjoys intrigue and plays his lessers off each other.  He does not administer the city himself; the lordship of the city is largely a puppet position, currently occupied by Lady Ollidia Sellinel, who keeps her status by keeping the city’s coffers full.  King’s Peace is a traditional lordship, currently held by Lord Vinnen Caulgold, though the Caulgold family keeps close ties with the king and favors his form of government.

The commoners are largely used to the high taxes and the oppressive nobles.  They are careful not to voice any opposition, since the Obsidian Guard population is (as far as they know) much higher than anywhere else in the kingdom.  Most find that if they keep their nose to the grindstone and don’t complain, they are largely ignored by those who consider themselves their betters. 

Nemeril does have a large ghetto area, and, unlike most other cities on the continent, has an organized underworld – what you might call a thieves’ or assassins’ guild.  This, however, I’ve left largely undefined, since it seems to me that it’s as likely that the king, or the Obsidian Guard, knows about and utilizes it, as it is that it is competely independent.