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Alder: Pronounced El-dear, it is a wide valley on the eastern side of the river Sil. House d’Alder (Laria’s former family) owns the northern half and the forested hills that merge with the moors south of Shăr, while Lady Telia d’Sander owns the southern portion and the greater expanse of farms and forest south toward Capri.

Arka’ra: Ark-car-ra; the Ellin world ship crashed on the edge of the Ix’ilan plain. Not visited by humans, as the land around the world ship’s grave is shattered and poisoned. Those who go there die of unknown illnesses, or do not return at all, making the area forbidden to the nomads who live on the plains and northern tundra.

Capri: Trade city along the River Sil. The port contains a wide harbor in the River Capri which spills into the Sil and leads up toward ‘The Gap.’

 
Cest' En'nar: Known as the fabled “Night City,” or in correct Ellin, “The City of Ever Dark,” it is one of a dozen or more lost or abandoned Ellin cities. However, with Cest' En'nar, this was possibly the largest built, and much of that under the central range known as “The Spine of the World.” 

Cil'ca-dar: Ellin ruin in northern Naxia. The name simply means “High Place.”

Chăñ: Southern land of jungles and sand wastes, it is not really one place but a collection of city-states. Also, where Charr comes from.
Cherlen Sea: Large inland sea that splits Naxia into two kingdoms. Its far eastern shores border on Denia.

Denia: Capital of the kingdom of the same name. The nation stretches from the borders of Naxia to the far eastern city of Andriz. Originally ruled by Mary d’Clarmerion, she abdicated in favor of her sister. Mary would be Zara’s aunt.

Di'silvandar: The Silver City in the common tongue. Once home to Alus, its ruins can be found at the very northern edge of Naxia, where the Naxian Tundra begins and the northern extent of ‘The Spine’ ends.

Farbank: Large settlement west of Shăr at the western foot of the Farbank Bridge.

Farbank Bridge: A large bridge spanning the river Sil, overbuilt with houses, taverns, and many merchant stores. The middle of the bridge raises to provide passage for ships.

Hadila: Settlement in Western Ionia. In truth, it is formally the most southern extent of the old kingdom of Tarvia.

 
Mengia: Pronounced ‘Men-gee-ar’, it means ‘gull home’ in Ellin. The city hosts the same name as the original ruling family of Shăr. In point of fact, it was once the capital city and ruled in unison with House d’Tarvium, much as Naxia has twin thrones. Old Tarvia was the sibling house of Mengia. The d’Mengian and d’Tarvium bloodlines are the same in many respects. However, some six hundred years before our story takes place, the then head of House d’Mengian betrayed ‘The Raven Queen’ and annexed Oshelila, driving the descendants of House d’Tarvium into exile.

 
Kăr: Pronounced ‘Car’ (roll the ‘r’ slightly) the city is a powerful regional throne made wealthy by the trade from Mez and the Shăr Confederacy. From the old Naxian derived from the Ellin ‘Cil’ca-dar’, the name means high rock.

Khiz: Southern city at the headwaters that feeds the River Sil from the western side.

Mer’Shrike: Southern port city at the head of “The Bore.” The name comes partly from the Naxian for a steep bluff or cliff (Mer). A shrike is a seabird endemic to the area. In cases where “Tol” is found at the start of a name, it derives from the Naxian name for harbor. So, “Tol’Naxia” would mean Naxia Harbor.

Mez: Southern city built on waterways at the head of a bay of the same name. There is much debate about the meaning of the name, but it likely derives from the Ellin word for fish.

Oshe: River that runs through the province of Oshelila. The name in Ellin simply means cold, or cold stream as it is often translated.

Oshelila: Pronounced ‘Os-hay-lee-a,’ the city is the remnant of the d’Tarvium regional throne. Nestled in the upper downs of the province of the same name, the city is wealthy beyond most rulers’ dreams thanks to trade over the spine and the many gold, silver, and gemstone mines in the region. The name means ‘Place, or land of cold streams.’

Pulva: River that runs the length of Southern Naxia to exit near the city of Ziñ.

 
Shăr: Pronounced ‘Shaar’ (long ‘a’ sound) it is the capital city of the Empire of Shăr. The city is not just old; it is ancient. Founded nearly three thousand years ago, the city has become decrepit and truly corrupt. The city’s name is derived from the old Naxian word for refuge.

Shăr Confederacy: Breakaway provinces that left the empire in a civil war two hundred years ago when the true d’Mengian line was forced from the throne.

Salamis: Pronounced ‘Sal-a-miss,’ the city stands as a free entity on paper, but in reality Stoil, and by proxy, Naxia keep a watchful eye on it as much as they do its western twin, Scindia. Technically, it is a free city, which Naxia and Ionia are not meant to interfere with. Historically, the city and its twin once belonged to Tarvia. Yet the original city lies in ruins at the edge of the lake that leads to Thorn, having been sacked long before old Tarvia fell and House d’Tarvium went into exile. The name derives from the old eastern pagan name for Alus’s daughter.

Scindia: Pronounced ‘Skin-de-a,’ it is a free city on the border of Naxia and Ionia. Like the city of Salamis, Scindia played a central role in the second Ionian crusade. In Ionian the name simply means flat land, or plain. ‘Scina’ is the word for plain and ‘dia’ or ‘dila’ denote a settlement, so plains town or village would be an approximate translation.

Sil: River running the length of the middle province of Shăr. The river runs swift, deep, and freezing.

Stoil: Pronounced St-oil, this is a large regional center built on trade through the plains to northern Naxia and trade over the spine into Oshelila. The city stands as a bulwark against the Ionian theocracy. Built over the river Pulva, the city is in reality two large settlements that grew into one, connected by high bridges over the river’s gorge.

Tarvia: Name for the old kingdom that Naxia now occupies along with Ionia. Home to House d’Tarvium, and the now mythical Raven Queen.

Tethas Sea: Small inland sea at the edge of Naxia and Denia. The body of water in not deep and sports large regions of salt marshes and reeds.

The Bore: A set of geological oddities found at the border of Shăr and Naxia at the northern tip of The Spine. The entrance to The Bore comprises a narrow passage between steep, broken pillars of land that enters a wide, shallow, current-plagued bay that leads to a narrow passage up to Tālān. This passage in only a few miles wide at most and comprises glass-smooth canyon walls hundreds of feet high. Owing to the ferocious winds that howl down this passage, travel is restricted to the months of summer. There is a track along the southern edge, but by all accounts it is little more than a few feet wide. It is said that the surface of this track is like walking on ice, and with the ferocious winds and the fact that it is little more than a few feet wide, it is no wonder few use it.

The Gap: A wide pass that leads through ‘The Middle Range,’ which splits Shăr in half on the eastern side. Also known as ‘Seiwan’s Gap,’ the city of Seiwan sits at the upper head of this wide opening in the hills and mountains.

The Pinch: A deep canyon that runs along the southern coast between Vostrum and Mez. This structure is not in fact natural and is the remnant of the outer structure of some Ellin construction.

The Sanctuary: Ellin stronghold found in the “Middle Range” of Shăr and built deep into the mountains.

The Sea of Storms: Large body of water that leads up to ‘The Bore.’ Said to be near impassable in winter until the spring snows subside.

The Spine of the World, or more often simply called “The Spine,” is a colossal range of peaks that runs the length of the middle kingdoms. Containing many dangerous passes, the most well-known is that of the “middle pass” or the great east-west pass. There are, in fact, several ways over the spine such as Wickly Pass and a handful further south in the Shăr Confederacy, yet the “Central or Middle Pass” is the best known and the least perilous to cross. The Spine is home to the Hill Tribes (also known as Hillmen or hill people), yet these people tend to live on the eastern side of the range.

Tālān: Pronounced ‘Tar-Larn,’ it is the northern capital of Naxia and the seat of the Queen. The southern city of Ziñ is the seat of the King, so forming “The Twin Kingdoms” with Tālān. However, it should be noted here that this only came about after House d’Mengian and House ab’Naxi betrayed the Raven Queen and annexed Ziñ into Naxia, forming House d’Tālān. The city is home to the fabled “Heart of Anāru,” a sacred object kept safe by the philosopher-priests in the “Tower of Tālān.” Next to Oshelila, Tālān is possibly the richest city in the Middle Kingdoms.

Thorn: Capital city of Ionia (E-own-e-a) the city and region while technically a kingdom is in reality a theocracy. Home to the so-called “Temple of Thorn,” the city grew wealthy from trade ports on the east coast and the few gem mines around Hadila. The city is also home to the “Holy Thorn,” the holiest object in the Ionian religion. What is not widely known is that the city sits on the bones of a much older Ellin City. For simplicity, the common tongue pronunciation of the city name has been used. In Ionian, the actual name is Vormdila, meaning literally ‘place of the thorn.’

Water Square: In reality, this is more a series of smaller open spaces lined with trees, lawns, and fountains leading up to the imperial palace in Shăr, and not a single open space.

Wickly Pass: One of a number of routes through “The Spine of the World.” The Wickly Pass, however, is very narrow and moves through some of the higher peaks of the range. Considered very dangerous to cross.

  
Yamar’s holding: Large fortress city held by the Hill Tribes north of Stoil near the exit of the great central pass. The city is in reality a remnant of Cest' En'nar.

Ziñ: Pronounced ‘Zeen,’ it is the southern capital of Naxia and home to the king. Once the capital city of ‘Tarvia’ and throne to house d’Tarvium, the city now sits firmly in the Twin Kingdoms. Houses d’Mengian and ab’Naxi deposed the last queen Em’laya d’Tarvium some six hundred years past, thus forming a new Kingdom as d’Mengian finished building their empire. It should be noted that the city and region of Rël once belonged to ‘Tarvia’ as did much of Ionia.

Zinnarian Plane: Lose name for the large open fields and grasslands found along the river Palva. It was once known as the Tarvium grasslands, but the name was banished when Naxia other threw the Raven Queen and renamed Tarvia to Ziñ.