Encyclopaedia Elyden updates Vol 5 (the Surrach) (Patreon)

Edit: I've updated the list to include the entries for all of the Surrach - both West and East. I'll be uploading the Eastern map in 2 weeks, in keeping with my 4-week schedule for map updates. I'll make sure to link back to this list once I post that.
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Here are the encyclopaedia entries for the Surrach map I posted last week. I'll be editing this with updated entries as I post the Eastern portion of the map, hopefully in 3-weeks :)  

Just to give yo uan idea of how extensive this entry is - Volume 1 of the Encyclopaedia Elyden currently has 450,000 words. The below text (which has not yet been added to the Encyclopaedia) is around 25,000 - 1/18th of the current total contents of the Encyclopaeida, which includes entires on EVERY REGION I've made so far, as well as religions, organisations, animals, etc. That just shows how Huge this region really is! Taking that into account, I, really surprised I was able to get this done in the time it took me :)

Please let me know if you spot any typos or inconsistencies between entries, as these are meant to go into the Encylopaedia once I'm done.  Generally, the longer entries tend to be more interesting than the short ones :)    

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A note on the following entries: Many of the following names are Korachani transliterations of native names, and may differ somewhat in pronunciation from the native form. In other cases names assigned by Korachani colonists over a thousand years ago might have remained popular amongst scholars, though the native word is otherwise well known.   

A’NOTHA: fortified settlement in the region of Furud in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,000).

AADAX: r. in the W of the Surrach, flowing for S - W 200-miles from sources in the Brochitter Mtns. before meeting its distributary, the r. Brud. 

AAREN: 1. isl. and region in the Surrach, in N–W Sammaea. Its natives are believed to have power over waves & wind and are said to capture ships for plunder.

2. Sea off the coast of the Surrach, between the isles of Aaren and the Sea of Serpents.

3. city-port and capital of the eponymous isl. (pop. unknown).

AARRUAM: ridge in the c N - W of the Surrach, dividing the Kailik from the Shaat Lotha. 

ABARTA: city in the region of Hannaster in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 15,000).

ABILAM: major harbour in Terion, in the N - W of Sammaea. Its deep natural harbour makes it a perfect port, and it overlooks the Bay of Bhaad (Pop. c. 30,000). 

ABOSHATHOT: expansive mtn. Range forming the S - E border of the Surrach with the Etuan Wastes.   

ACHAATU: twin colossi in the c S of the Surrach guarding the 12-mile-wide pass across the pass of Meloggos. They were erected during the height of the Selahimi empire and guarded the route into its S lands.

ACHALA: ancient temple in the S foothills of the Gamigahua Mtns. in the E of the Surrach. It it attributed to ancient vapula of the Second Age. 

ACHANYANA: mtn in the S - W of the Surrach, forming the N - W-most part of the Straminea Mtns.

ACSATHO: major settlement in the region of Betahal in the N of the Surrach (Pop. c. 17,800). 

ADA: main city in the c S - W of the Surrach, along the course of the r. Hathuran. It is known for its finely dyed camelhair garments (Pop. c. 16,900). 

ADASICH: independent city-state in the c W of the Surrach. The city’s emblem is a hyena’s head, and is adopted in various guises across the city and its culture. It is a major centre of industry, and most of the city is comprised of a gigantic manufactory, with amenities and workers apartments contained within the sprawling structure (Pop. c. 19,800). 

ADELL: Szikalian monastery in the far E of the Surrach, in the W-face of the Pameroas Mtns. 

AEDDANA: fortress-city in the S - W of the Bakhran States, and headquarters of its army (Pop. c. 80,000).

AETA: settlement in the region of syncrasia in the N of the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,800).

AGONNAR:  major fortress of the knights Exile in the far S - W of the Surrach, guarding the Ivory Road before it heads S into Romorea. The knights patrol the region for miles around and are ruthless to bandits and itinerants who may be a threat to the caravans on the road.

AHAMM: coastal settlement in the region of Gorgan in the far W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

AHATHRA: bifurcated part of the r. Hathuran that stretches for some 90-miles in the c S - W of the Surrach. The bifurcation is possible due to the incredibly level terrain in the area.  

AHEMA: settlement in the region of Katurush on the W of the Surrach, along the course of the r. Essra (Pop. c. 4,000).

AHEPPO: major city-state in in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 18,000).

AHINA: ntn. in the W of the Surrach, emerged in 2484 RM from a mix of people descended from Korachani immigrants who failed to colonise the region in c. 2300 RM and Savi natives. The ntn. collapsed in c. 3580 RM following a devastating plague. 

The vacuum left in the wake of Ahina led to a period of strife, in which rival tyrants and warlords warred for decades, though eventually the ntn. of Saviana,  (the name of which is derived from the native name of the region - Saviud) rose to power in c. . See Vol III: Extinct nations.

AHINAN CALENDAR: calendar unique to the region of the region of the Six Cities and surrounding states in the W the Surrach. The calendar is derived from the founding of Ahina in 2484 RM and is currently in the year 1523 AB (translated as ‘Founding of Ahina’) as of 4007 RM.

AHSAAT: fortified city in the region of Knaess to the N of the Psammol Mtns. Its fortresses are old and date back to a more uncertain time in the region, and today most have been converted to civilian uses (Pop. c. 17,200).

AKANOS: small fortified city in the region of Zilion in the W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 7,800). 

AKEMA: small city in the region of Ada in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 7,600).

AKORIA: small city in the c of the Surrach, in the region of Aedanna, along the course of the r. Essra (Pop. c. 8,600).

AKRAS: ruin in the c W of the Surrach, 15-miles N - E of Mt. Akrasia. It was buried beneath ash following an eruption in c. 3300 RM and remains abandoned to this day.

ALABANDA: alcohol in the Surrach made from triple-distilled goat’s milk. See Vol II: Alcohols of Elyden.

ALACOEL: ruined city in the region of Sûr Ghath in the W of the Surrach.

ALAHAR: Atr. flesh ‘tower’ in the badlands of Chulat. Its sickly stench draws vermin to it, which are slowly killed by its sticky writhing ‘roots’, and it is thought to draw sustenance from their rotting bodies which litter the ground for hundreds of feet around it. 

The tower is thought to be alive and possibly sapient, to a fashion, though few have penetrated the flesh-like roots that surround it to study it further.

ALAMA small city in the c N of the Surrach, along the course of the r. Rameal. It is known for its fine silks (Pop. c. 9,000).

ALASS: settlement in the E of the Surrach, N of the Gamigahua Mtns. Its primary industry is the large-scale quarrying of rubies (Pop. c. 4,000).

ALBICA: small city in the c S - E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 7,500). 

ALBICANT FIELDS: dry plains in the S - W of the Surrach, overlooking the coast of the Bay of Bhaad. The plains are noted for their pale colour. 

ALICH: expansive rocky escarpment in the W of the Surrach, serving as a border between the regions of Qattisysh and Adasich.

ALRON: major city in the Six Cities region in the W of the Surrach, in N - W Sammaea. It emerged from a smaller independent city of the same name around in c. 3920 RM, and its territorial claims in th region were solidified following the deification of the catatonic seer-king Amenethet, and is now recognised as the 7th major power in the Six Cities region.

The city is known for its many oghur labourers: remnants of the old Ahinan culture that is now extinct (Pop. c.  18,000).

ALYSCERY: fortified settlement in the region of Bacalusia in the c W of the Surrach. It overlooks the pass of Mishanos, W into the region of Ada (Pop. c. 8,000).

AMAARIMA: small city in the c E of the Surrachi, along the course of the r. Hanna (Pop. c. 10,000). 

AMARANTHA: plains in the c W of the Surrach, between the Sarraster and Psammol Mtns. It is named after the purple flowers that dominate its terrain for a month after the first blooms in spring.

AMASTHA: lighthouse in the far S - W of the Surrach, overlooking the narrow strait between the mainland and the isl. of Raliss. The lighthouse makes use of three large parabolic mirrors that reflect light emitted by its central lantern to a variable point, up to around a mile disant. It was a wonder of the ancient world and, despite more modern lighthouses exiting in the Surrach, this continue to be used. Due to the Atr. tainted waters of Namegha, the narrow strait guarded by Amastha is the only entry into the stretch of coast leading up to Negash, 250-miles N.

AMATAN: l. In the c of the Surrach. Like its larger companion, l. Zarazesh, it is endorheic and very salty with little wildlife surviving there. Its waters are slightly pinkish on account of the minerals in the water. The mud from its sediment is used by nearby settlements in construction and cosmetics.  

AMBER FORT, the: fortress-cathedral in the N of the Surrach, built by Korachani immigrants in c. 2380 RM to establish their claim of the region. The front of the fortress is dominated by a large rose window, the individual panes of glass of which are made of imported amber, which give the structure its name.

The fortress remained occupied by exocrines of the Church of the Machine and a large contingent of guards and faithful following the abandonment of the Surrachi colonies by Korachan in c 2400 RM. Since then the small city of Raradchan has grown around the fortress, which is the centre of a radical cult of the Undying Machine in the region, known as the Children of Rachanael, which sends missionaries into the Surrach.  

AMMAR ORAH: ancient relic in the c W of the Surrach, W of the Thisathon Mtns. It takes the form of a giant blue sphere, some 60-ft. Tall, stood on a temple plinth. Its surface is opaque, with pale clouds swirling along its surface. When the sun is behind it a vague shape can be seen, like a dull embryo. Nothing is known of this object’s history and its name means ‘sleeping child’ in the saviudi language.

AMODI: small fortified city in the region of Chatoyant in the W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,000).

ANKILL: coastal settlement in the region of Edalla in the far W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

ANNUR: fortress in the region of Tullant in the N - E of the Surrach. It guards an Atr. extraction facitity that refined raw umbra and pumps it to the city of Tullant, 65-miles ot the N.a

ANOESIS: settlement in the region of Concupiscea in the c N - E of the Surrach known for its near-inacessible hedonistic monastery in which monks seek enlightenment through carnal activity of the basest nature. Some seek out the monastery believing it to be a place of pleasure, but only the most sadistic of those those travel there leave content (Pop. c. 6,000).

AORABANT: settlement in the c of the Surrach, along the shores of l. Zarazesh. Its primary industry is the collection of mineral-rich mud from the shores of the l. which is used in pottery as well as cosmetic products that are used across the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000). 

ARETALOG: also ‘the Bragging City’. City in the c of the Surrach, in the region of Caesura. It is known for its spectacular tombs carved into the cliffs of the Harash escarpment behind the city, and each has elaborate hewn relief vignettes and entrances that are 50-ft. up the cliff and inaccessible (Pop. c. 7,000).  

APINAR: major city in the Six Cities region in the W of the Surrach, in N - W Sammaea. Built on the ruins of the fallen capital of Ahinia, Apinar is fertile, even by the standards of the Six cities, and is surrounded by the Apine Forest. Travel into and out of its satellite settlements is regulated and foreigners are rarely accepted (Pop. c. 18,000).

APINE: 1. r. in the Six Cities region in the W of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea. 

2. F.  in the Six Cities region in the W of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea. The f. largely consists of olives, carobs, cypresses and blackbarks, which all thrive there.

APOCALAMA: fortified settlement in the region of Betahal in the N of the Surrach. The city is perched atop a steep rise in the N of the Stul massif and is well-fortified against attack and was known in the past for its heroic sallies (Pop. c. 9,000).

AQRATH: settlement in the region of Zilion, in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,200).

ARCOCEPHALY: pointed head in S surrach.

ARK: common coin denomination in the Surrach, produced through punch-marking. The Ark is commonly valued at five Shibs and 1/5th of a Valk. See Vol II: Currency and Coinage in Elyden.

ARRABA: settlement in the region of Knaess in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 10,000). 

ARRAK: milky unsweetened spirit made from anise that is grown in the S of the Surrach. See Vol II: Alcohols of Elyden. 

ARRKIN: Szikalian monastery in the c E of the Surrach, in the S-face of the Gamigahua Mtns.

ARROTU: small fortified city in the region of Aheppo in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 10,000). 

ASDULL: city in the region of Furud in the Surrach. It is known for its expansive low-yield coal mines (pop. c. 8,000).

ASKLEPIA: small city in the Surrach, known as to have one of the best hospitals in the Surrach. It is situated along a powerful Atr. leyline that helps with shaping of wounds and ailments. It is around 60-miles from the Ivory Road & serves as a hospice to travellers and mercenaries moving through the region who are in need of medical aid (pop. c. 12,800).

ASSAAC: small fortified city in the region of Genethaant in the c E of the Surrach, along the course of the r. Yellrakh. It is known for its grapes and other arable farming (Pop. c. 10,000). 

ATTAH: rel. in the W of the Surrach, developed from a Sammaean cult of Rahana. The triple seven-pointed star is its symbol. See Vol IV: Religions and Cults.

AUALAR: series of small fortified settlements and homesteads in Syncrasia in the c N of the Surrach. Collectively they are known for their large cattle ranches (Pop. c. 4,000).

AUTULGA: coastal city and tributary of Zilion in the W of the Surrach, known for its man-made harbours and deep shipyards (Pop. c. 17,200).

BAAGON: small fortified settlement in the c S of the Surrach, in the stone desert of Thamaaz. Its only industry of note is the mining of borax (Pop. c. 1,200). 

BAALSHEBETH: dei. common in the E of the Surrach. Little is known of it outside of the region as its worshippers are insular and do not share their cults’ secrets freely. See Vol IV: Religions and Cults. Add to vol IV

BACALUSIA: 1. Region in the c of the Surrach, along the course of the Ivory Road. The region is named for the plains that slope to the E from the foothills of the  

2. major trading city in the eponymous region in the c of the Surrach, along the Ivory Road. It is known for its large caravanserais, colosseum-like markets and many entertainment establishments to cater to the desires of all people passing through. It’s markets are famed for their honeyed meats that are served year-round (Pop. c. 200,000).

BAHANT: major fortress in the N - E of the region of Zaffre in the c E of the Surrach. Apart from defending the region from Cyhlagharri incursions, it is also the centre of a soulstone mining operation, controlled by the rulers of Zaffre. 

BAHARI: small fortified city in the region of Ttartall in the N - E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 9,000).

BAKHRA: capital of the Bakhran States (Pop. c. 90,000).

BAKHRAN COLLEGE OF THE ART: Atr. and Fir. college in the city of Bakhran, in the Bakhran states. Licences are awarded to those who pass a test in a controlled environment. Unlicensed use is punishable by lobotomization, enslavement or death. 

BAKHRAN STATES, the: also, the Five States. Young nation in the N - W of the Surrach, in N - W Sammaea, just S of Eret. Originating as a coalition of 5 city-states around in c. 3831 RM. The cities prospered under a centralised leadership, quickly becoming powerful. The Bakhran States encompass a total of 180,625-square-miles, ranging from temperate plains and woodland in the N, to mountainous regions in its c and temperate savannahs in the S, including the r. Essra that flows west into the Sea of Eschata.

In 4002 RM the Bakhran States became a kingdom following decades of arranged marriages and strategic changes to local laws. Lord Khagan became Lord Potentate of the Five States through the arranged marriage between his sons and princesses of the other four states. He stated the divinity of his appointment and through heavily enforced edicts no-one opposed him. Amongst his first political moves was the cessation of trade W with the Six Cities, in move meant to weaken them before a planned invasion W that has not yet taken place. Following this he built the Five States’ military and fortified many of its outer settlements, building fortresses across its W borders, which are largely contested with neighbouring states. See Vol III: Extant Nations and Realms.   

BAMEGOR: fortified settlement in the N -E of the region of Yeppo in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,700).

BARHAD: settlement in the region of Aheppo in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

BARRACEH: depression in the c E of the Surrach. It is -120-ft. At its deepest. For most of the year it is dry, though following the wet season, rainwater from the surrounding highlands collects there, resulting in a series of endorheic l. that last a few months before slowly evaporating. 

BAUD: city in the region of Qattisysh in the W of the Surrach. It is a major producer of saffron that is used in cuisine across the Surrach and beyond (Pop. c. 15,000).

BAUGL: oghur city in the N–E of the Surrach. It is relatively multicultural, with non-oghurs forming a part of society, albeit a worker-class. It originated as a Cyhlagharri colony, though broke away following years of strife in c. 3895 RM. It maintains trade with Ophar as well as Cyhlagharr (pop. c. 6,000).

BEARER OF FLAME, the: see Yashodhara.

BELON: city in the region of Syncrasia in the N of the Surrach. It is located 60-miles S of the Ivory Road, and trades many goods N with the city of Glamor (Pop. c. 13,400).

BERAGOT: basin in the c of the Surrach. It is dominated by the salty endorheic l. Zarazesh.

BETAHAL: dry plains in the far N of the Surrach, E of the Glamor plains.

BEZONANT: Bandit city in the W of the Daened Sulrach. Its raiders are known to penetrate as far W as the caravanserai of Kalai in the Surrach. It is ruled by Queen Bachesa, who is feared across her lands (Pop. c. 14,000).

BHAAD: sea off the W-coast of the Surrach, forming the E-most part of the Sea of Eschata. Its waters are largely free of the Atr. taint that plagues the larger sea.

BHAADA: Militocratic city-state in the far W of the Surrach in N–W Sammaea. The city-state controls the eponymous peninsula and surrounding archipelago overlooking the Bay of Bhaad, its ships dominating trade around the sea (Pop. c. 30,000).

BHAKK: farming settlement in the region of Syncrasia in the c N of the Surrach. Its main industry is cattle ranching (Pop. c. 4,000).

BILIAL: settlement in the S - W of the Surrach, at the periphery of the Knaghta Salt Flats in the region of Sûr Ghath Its main industry is the excavation of brine from wide pits that surround the settlement for miles around (Pop. c. 4,000).  

BIRANTA: massif in the far E of the Surrach, to the S of the Gamigahua, and N of the Iskaha Massifs.

BLEACHED SHELF, the: chalky steppes S of the city of Ras in the E of the Surrach. It is known for its chalky soils and salty wastes. A trade-route between Kalai and Ras passes through the Shelf, thoughe h is not heavily-guarded.

BLOOMING MARSH, the: see Edasash.

BONE MINER: also ‘boner’. Those who mine the supranatural bone-formations in the region of Ossikehona in the c E of the Surrach.

BONER: see Bone Miner. 

BRAAT: settlement in the region of Thamaaz, in the S of the Surrach, along the course of the r. Brud (Pop. c. 10,000).

BRAGGING CITY, the: see Aretalog.

BROCHITTER: craggy mtn. range in the c S - W of the Surrach, forming the S - E border of Sûr Ghath.

BROND: ruined settlement in the S of the region of Qattisysh in the W of the Surrach. It was destroyed by Bakhran bombardments and taken by state troopers in 4004 RM. It was since retaken by Qattisyshi troops and later abandoned. Today it had been reduced to rubble, surrounded by abandoned trenches and the wrecked war machines of both sides. Opportunistic scavengers and looters brave the wastes, though it is otherwise ignored by both sides’ armies. 

BRONZE KING, the: god common in the region of Daaz in the Surrach. Is thought to have links with the more ancient Azer.

BROT: settlement in the region of Katurush, in the W of the Surrach. It is known for its pomegranate groves (Pop. c. 4,000).

BRUD: r. in the W of the Surrach flowing for 1,070-miles from sources in the Straminea Mtns and emptying into the tainted waters of the Namegha Mtns. in the Sea of Bhaad.

BUARSA: small city in the region of Hannaster in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,000).

BULLAHRA: settlement in the region of Txedek in the far E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

CADDA: fortified settlement in the region of Surda in the c E of the Surrach. It is a major place of learning for Atr. (Pop. c. 5,000).

CADUCA: city in the c of the Surrach. It is a major manufacturer of medicines in the Surrach, some of which are Atr. in origin (Pop. c. 20,000).

CAESURA: 1. Region in the c of the Surrach, E of the Ghuzz Mtns. 

2. Main city of the eponymous region in the c of the Surrach, it is located at the edge of a 15-ft high cliff, which in antiquity served to defend the city from attack (Pop. c. 20,000).

CAGASTRA: Atr. wastes in the S - W of the Surrach, in the region of Thamaaz, N of the Straminea Mtns. It is a disease-ridden place said to fall under the sway of the moons’ cycles. It has existed since recorded memory began and is one of the oldest Atr. regions in the Surrach, if not beyond. Little of it has been explored but it is not believed to contain any ruins or lcations or interest. Its W-most reaches have been exploited by Sussura, which has 6 satellite settlements, each of which extracts raw umbra for its use in research and industry.

CAMERANIA: expansive cave-system in the c S - W of the Surrach, S of the Mishanos Mtns. and S - W of the Ghuzz Mtns. 

CANTHUS: fortified settlement in the S Qattisysh in the W of the Surrach. It was once a thriving city with a healthy metallurgical industry, but it heavily bombarded during the Bakhran States’ first attacks against the area in 4003 RM (Pop. c. 4,200).

CARNETABAEL: expansive desert to the N of the Straminea Mtns. in the S of the Surrach. The region is rocky, dry and receives little if any rainfall in a year. It is largely uninhabited. 

CAROR: coastal settlement in the S - E of Terion (Pop. c. 3,900). 

CESTUS: coastal city in the S - W of the Surrach. It is known for its beloved shie queen, who was once an acclaimed gladiator from the city of Daylam, who won her freedom and united outcasts who followed her, eventually funding the city of Cestus in c. 3820 RM. It has grown steadily since then and, though the queen has lain down her weapons, she still commands great respect from her followers (Pop. c. 18,900).

CHATOYANT: 1. Coastal region in far W of the Surrach, in  N - W Sammaea, along the coast of the Sea of Escata.

2. also ‘the Iridescent City’. Coastal city in far W of the Surrach, in  N - W Sammaea, along the mouth of the r. Essra. Chatoyant’s main industry is pearl diving and the creation of object d’art made of nacre, which is also used in architecture across the region. It is also known for its misanthropic nobility and the elaborate costumes they wear that feature large pearl-covered headdresses (Pop. c. 62,000).

CHEGRINT: (dem. Chegrintish) early Fifth-Age empire in the N - W of Sammaea, occupying what is today the Surrach and built largely on Laetian ruins. The empire appeared in c. -1000 RM and continue,d largely unopposed until c. 980 RM, by which time it had begin to fragment from both within as well as from without: likely from S - E and N - E peoples, unified by the so-called Potentate Haabhus, whose descendants ruled Chegrint until c. 1200 RM before its eventual collapse and fracture into five different regions. 

Its rulers were known as the Pauper Kings, though such accounts all come from after the collapse of the empire, and the name was most likely bestowed in a derogatory manner, used by those who followed it to diminish their accomplishments.

Today it is little more than scattered ruins, either reclaimed by the Surrach, or rebuilt as the foundations for extant cities. See Vol III: Extinct Nations. 

CHILDREN OF RACHANAEL, the: radical rel. cult of the Church of the Undying Machine, centred in the amber fort, in the independant city of Raradchan. It evolved from exocrines and those faithful to the Church of the Machine that chose to remain in the Surrach following the Korachani empire’s retreat from the region in c. 2400 RM. Their views became more extreme as they became cut-off from the heartland. Hey maintain their rule of the region surrounding Raradchan to this day and are xenophobic, allowing few outsiders (mostly merchants, out of necessity) to enter their city.

CHRISM: settlement in the region of Shaat Lotha in the c N of the Surrach. It is situated atop a concentrated Atr. region, and it extracts the Atr. for use in industry throught the region (Pop. c. 4,000).

CHULAT: badlands in the S - E of the Surrach, to the S of the region known as the Bleached Shelf, just N of the caravanserai of Kalai. 

CHYPRE: 1. Small coastal region in the W of the Surrach, known for its orange cultivation

2. Major city in the eponymous region in the W of the Surrach. It is known for the vast orange groves outside its walls and its busy harbour (Pop. c. 20,000).

CHMEL: small fortified city in the region of Saburra in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 7,400).

CINERIA: 1. l. in the far N - W of the Surrach, in the Bakhran States. The l. is notable for its dull waters, which reflect the grey peaks of the surrounding mtns., most notably the Cinerious Mtns.

2. City in the far N - W of the Surrach, on the S shore of l. Cineria. It is known of its sizeable lodestone mines, about 2-miles W of the city limits, and they are amongst some of the largest outside of Meniscea (Pop. c. 10,000).

3. Pass to the W of l. Cineria, between the eponymous mtn. range to the N and the Bakhran mtns. to the S. 

CINERIOUS: small mtn range in the far N - W of the Surrach, forming an extension to the N of the Bakhran Mtns. the range is known for its grey peaks.  

CITY OF BRASS, the: see Daaz.

CITY OF BRIDGES: see Nasthono

CITY OF WELLS, the: see Qanat. 

CIVAT: small fortified city in the region of Yttria in the c of the Surrach. It is positioned along the course of seasonal r. that appear in the region, feeding water to l. Zarazesh for a few months every year. It is known for its gigantic twin cannons, weighing 20-tonnes and measuring 19-ft. Long. They are remnants from a birth of the Surrach in c. 3000 RM. They remain operational and in-use to this day (Pop. c. 9,000).

COELLA: settlement in the region of Yttria, in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

CONCUPISCEA: rocky region in the c N - E of the Surrach, S of the Nghalleal Mtns.

CORRAS: fortified settlement in the region of Hithra in the far N of the Surrach, overlooking S Erebeth. It is a major producer of food in the region (Pop. c. 3,200). 

CRAVEN POTENTATE: see Potentate Haabhus. 

CRETACEA: small fortified city in the far E of the Surrach, close to the border with Khalhat. It is known for its white chalky bricks (Pop. c. 8,000).

CYNOSIATES: those who adher to the religion of Cynosiaty, in the E of the Surrach.

CYNOSIATY: religion of idol-worshippers common in N–W Sammaea, particularly in the E of the Surrach.

DAARAN: (D.3787 RM ) tyrant in the W of the Surrach, in the region known as the Six Cities. He gained the upper hand in 3752 RM, taking a 100-mile stretch of coast centered around the city of Dakhra, stretching as far east as the city of Edent.

1307 – 1312 AB – a coalition of other peoples (both within and without the Tyrant’s lands) oppose him. Following a long period of strife lasting 5-years, Daaran was defeated and the surrounding lands divided equally amongst the 6 generals – the birth of the Six Cities.

1303 AB – the tyrant Daaran gives birth to twins, a boy, Soth; and a girl, Tehra. Upon Daaran’s death they are entrusted to his lieutenant Arakh, who raises them as his own.

DAATH: W-most of the states of the Six Cities, Daath is dominated by the ancient rel. of Ianhan, revived in c. 3950 RM. 

Daath was once the largest of the major settlements in the Six Cities, though it suffered after the newly-forged Bakhran kingdom ended trade with the Six Cities in c. 4002 RM and it has steadily dwindled in size since then, with some areas of the city empty and populated by writhens and outlaws (Pop. c. 13,500).

DAAZ: also the City of Brass. Major free-city in Thamaaz, in the c of the Surrach. At one point it held a powerful confederacy, of which Paan was a major part, though it broke free and is now independent. Some groups want the two to remain divorced, whereas others want them united, leading to tense relations between the two and a rise in gang-culture, which has escalated in gang warfare on more than one occasion.

Halfbloods, as well as those descended from azer and arabeali immigrants are common there. Daaz began trading with the High-empire in c. 2500 RM, though its people contracted an isolated disease carried by foreigners in c. 2700 RM, closing its borders.

This isolated Daaz for a while, leading to its insular culture, though by c. 2850 RM it had begun trading East again.Its people are known for keeping pale one slaves, a practice which is rare in other lands of the Surrach; and for their fervent worship the so-called Bronze King. (Pop. c. 110,000).

DACHRATU: badlands region in the N - E of the Surrach and S of Cyhlagarr that’s largely abandoned, save for the city-state of Taraceh. The region was, between c 1150 - 1180 RM site of a major conflict between Chegrint and Cyhlagharr, and was part of the reason for the fall of the former ntn. The area is covered with the ancient and derelict detritus of war, and many mines, technarcane weapons and bombs remain in the region, a potential danger to anyone trespassing.  

DAKHRA: main city of the Six Cities region in the W of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea. It is a state living in the distant shadow of the Tyrant Daaran, who some 250-years ago subjugated half of the extant region. It was only upon his death, following a coalition of other peoples, that the region would slowly recover, giving rise to the present city-state.

The people of Dakhra are now ruled by his son, the god-king Soth, who rose to power around 200-years ago and has been ruling with an iron fist since then (Pop. c. 22,500).

DAKHRAN PLAINS: coastal plains, covering around 7,500-square-miles, in the W of the Surrach region known as the Six Cities. 

DAKTRA: city-state in the c of the Surrach noted for its mercenaries and political agitators, whose expertise is bought across the Surrach and beyond. There are great arched markets where people bid for the services of famed assassins and agitators. Their widespread use can be summed up y a Surrachi saying: ‘An old politician or public figure there is considered a mighty man indeed’ (Pop. c. 33,000).

DASIL: lachrymist monastery in the W of the Surrach, along the hills of Ko-orhaz. 

DATHOT LLOL: small city in the region of Tusental in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,000). 

DAYLAM: major city in the c S - W of the Surrach. It is known for its gladiatorial games and mercenaries (pop. c. 28,000).

DEEP SURACH, the: Korachani term, coined during its exploration of the S - E of the Surrach in c. 2300 RM. The term refers to the inaccessibility of the region as well as its sparse population, due to its climate and location along the Tropic of Rah. 

DERACINANT: small fortified city in the far E of the Surrach, close to the border with Khalhai. It is known for its amethyst mines, which are worked by prison labour (Pop. c. 10,000).

DERREN: nomads common in the Surrachi Plains in N–W Sammaea.

DESCENDANTS’ TOMBS, the: see: Proligea.

DISURAST: settlement in the region of Hamular in the c N - E of the Surrach. It is known for its wine-making (Pop. c. 2,800).

DIKALAH: settlement in the S of the desert of Thamaaz in the S of the Surrach, under the control of Haab. It is known for its diamond mines (Pop. c. 2,000).

DOLINE COAST, the: region in the W-most coast of the Surrach, over 100-miles long and covering some 650-square-miles. It is characterised by hundreds of sinkholes and caverns, many of which are linked and flooded. The coast is beautiful and its lack of resources of note has left it largely unpopulated and untouched by civilisation. It is a haven for birds and small mammals.

DONADA: small fortified city in the region of Ada in the c W of the Surrach, along the course of the r. Hathuran. It was founded in c. 3600 RM after alluvial gold was found there. It rapidly boomed into a city, though has since diminished into a settlement with various industries (Pop. c. 7,000). 

DOSSAL: also ‘the Hanging City’. independent settlement in the c W of the Surrach. It is situated along the steep cliffs in the treacherous E slopes of the Psammol Mtns of the  (Pop. c. 9,000).

DRAGON ASSASSINS: org. Group of assassins based in the fortress of Munder Nah in the Aboshathot Mtns. in the far E of the Surrach. Their blades are fashioned after ancient dragon teeth, and it is said a real blade of such design hangs in their base.

DUSKHEADS, the: large carved humanoid faces in the S of the Gorgan region of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea. The faces look W across the Sea of Eschata, and are weathered by sea and rain, though their scope and expert construction mean that their features are still visible. Their creators are unknown, and they are thought to date the Third Age of Mortal Life. 

EDALLA: major city in the W of the Surrach ruled by a tyrant who controls twin shapers who can cure aepathy. This makes him very powerful and he sells the skill to the highest bidders across the Surrach and beyond. His people live in misery, slaving in large workshops, whilst his palace is opulence incarnate. It is most famed for its collection of oddities, including exotic skeletons (amongst them a well-preserved sphinx skeleton, and conjoined soulstones). 

The twins have a rare condition similar to aepathy though they absorb it and use it to power their shaping. they are remarkable and out of his shackles would be powerful and fearful indeed, though their minds have been warped by his poison words (Pop. c. 60,000).

EDASASH: also ‘the Blooming Marsh’. Salt marsh along the coast of the Sea of Eschata in the w of the Surrach. It is known for its unique and colourful spring and early summer blooms.

EDASICH: independent city-state along the Ivory Road in the Surrach. The city’s emblem is a hyena’s head (pop. c. 8,000).

EDENT: small city in the Six Cities region of the Surrach, under the control of Dakhra (Pop. c. 9,000).

EHAMET: small city in the region of Ussamar in the N of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,000). 

EHRATA: small city in the region of Edalla in the W of the Surrach. It is a noted for its arable farmland that provides food for the region (Pop. c. 8,000).

EHTALA: narrow headland off the S - E coast of Terion, stretching for  90-miles, dividing the Bay of Bhaad from the Sea of Eshata.

EHTAL: 1. bay in the S of Terion, overlooking the larger Bay of Bhaad.

2. settlement on the headland of Ehtala, overlooking the eponymous bay within the Bay of Bhaad (Pop. c. 3,000).

ELAEL: settlement in the region of Sûr Ghath in the W of the Surrach, along the course of the r. Hathuran (Pop. c. 5,000).

ELIPHAO: wasteland in Sammaea, N of the Tropic of Rah in the S–E of the Surrach. Little is known of the region other than the ancient ruined city of Kalai, the demise of which is attribute to a Demiurge.

EMEL SUMI: r. in the W of the Surrach, flowing S - E for 475-miles from various sources in the W Bakhran Mtns. before meeting with l. Kal adhi.

EMPTY CITY, the: see Urhagnatt.

EMPTY PALACE, the: abandoned baroque fortified palace in the c E of the Surrach. It was abandoned in c. 3200 RM and is thought to date back to the days of the ntn. of Ahina. Despite its age or almost a millennium, it is in very good condition and has not been repopulated due to the small, if extreme, Atr. taint that surrounds, rendering any life within a 100-ft. Radius of the palace impossible. Attempts to explore the palace in 3820 RM failed despite the use of hardsuits - over half of the 12-man party died within days of entering the region and the rest died on their way back to civilisation. It is shunned and thought to be cursed by most.  

EMPUSA: 1. r. flowing N for 700-miles through the Surrach, from l. Kal adhi, before emptying into the Sea of Eret.  

2. Main city in the region of Glamor in the N of the Surrach, along the course of the eponymous r. The city is today a centre of arable farming surrounding the r., though was once a great city and major power in the now-extinct empire of Chegrint. It was in the streets of Empusa, c. 4,000 years ago where the armies of Potentate Haabhus defeated the last resisting forces of the Pauper Kings, forcing them across the r. 

Local legend claims that the pauper general fell so-in love with the the great enclosed bridge that spans the r. Empusa that he instructed his troops to leave it standing, alone amongst all the bridges of the city. It was because of this his army was caught and drowned in the r. The general was captured and executed by hanging from a balcony on the same bridge. The r. is sometimes known as the Red River, after the blood of the soldiers killed in its waters (Pop. c. 80,000). 

ENHEDUANN: independent city in the W of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea. It is famed for its large ‘library’ that’s interesting for its lack of any books - the so-called library is home to a sect of monks who keep knowledge and myths through oral storytelling. They train themselves to remember epic tales word-for-word, helping to keep myths and legends from all cultures alive. The monks travel across Elyden and their reputation precedes them and they are valued in most societies, where they are allowed to observe customs and study at local libraries  (Pop. c. 8,000). 

ENNAIAH: rich apathetic coastal city-state to the W of the Surrach in N–W Sammaea. The city grew incredibly wealthy centuries past, before the dwindling of the the Sea of Eschata led to the drying of its harbours. It is a spire-crowned metropolis governed by a strict social hierarchy, with the lower castes serving as little more than cattle and playthings for its dispirited and sadistic nobles, who rule as gods. It is common in the N, where it features in a parable, the moral of which is that the inheritors of knowledge or wealth do so without also inheriting the discipline required to attain them (pop. c. 40,000 inc. slaves).

ENTOMA: fortress in the c S of the Surrach, just N of the Thamaaz. It is known for its network of deep dungeons, some of which are thought to date back to the days of the Shadow War in the Fourth Age. 

ERAAN: fortified caravanserai in the S - E of the Surrach, just S of the canyons of Rallata (Pop. c. 1,000).

ERDEN: prison-city in the far N of the Surrach, in the S-face of the Nghalleal Mtns. It was originally a fortified Korachani monastery, though was abandoned in c. 1600 RM, where it remained deserted for some centuries before being converted into a prison in c. 1880 RM. It is now a high-security prison where powerful and influential figures are incarcerated (Pop. c. 1,200).

ERTANT: settlement in the region of Membarra in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 2,800).

ESCHATA: sea off the W-coast of the Surrach in N–W Sammaea. Its S waters are dark, and afflicted by an Atr. pall known as the Namegha. The sunset over its waters is ironically a beautiful, if dark sight, with its light filtering through the Atm. smog with a rich purple hue.

The sea has, since time immemorial, been recognised as a place of death with many necropolis’ and death temples surrounding it, dating back to various ages.

ESHARAT: lead mining settlement in the Bakhran States in the N - W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,000).

ESHED: dry plains in the E of the Surrach, between the city-state of Kurda and Mern.

ESSAM: small city in the Six Cities region of the Surrach, under the control of  Alron (Pop. c. 10,000).

ESSRA: r. in the Surrach, flowing S - W for 1,100-miles from sources in the Sarraster, Bakhran and Psammol Mnts, before emptying in the Sea of Eschata.

ENATHASHA: otherworlder who once ruled the city of Massega. Nothing is known of its life before being reborn as Enathasha, but as an otherworlder it was an epicurean who passed on its hedonistic lifestyle to its followers. The city and its extravagant year-long carnival are overseen by the halfblood descendants of Enathasha, who during the peak of the carnival remove the mummified body of the otherworlder from its glass crypt and carry it across the city in a great procession.

ESTOPIR: city in the region of Chypre in the W of the Surrach. Like most cities in the region it is known for its orange groves (Pop. c. 8,000).

ETASRE: settlement in the region of Zaffre in the c E of the Surrach. Its main industry is logging (Pop. c. 4,000).

EXOGIANT: small fortified city in the region of Hattre in the E of the Surrach. It is known or its classical universities, where many of nobles of the Surrach go to study arithmetic, economic and history (Pop. c. 10,000).

EZUHATOR: small city in the region of Hattre, along the course of the r. Yellrakh in the the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 10,000).

FAITH, THE: rel. common in the city of Apinar in the Six Cities region in the Surrach. See Vol IV: Religions and Cults.

FANNAU: small city in the region of Kurda in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,000).

FARAK: small fortified city in the region of Paan in the c S of the Surrach. The city is located along the Ivory Road and is known for its caravanserais and underground trade-halls. (Pop. c. 8,000). 

FARCA: settlement in the c W of the Surrach, and satellite to the city of Dossal (Pop. c. 2,000). 

FARKAS: lead-mining region in the c W of the Surrach based around a large central settlement. It is famed for being the birthplace of the emperor Hegeumar (pop. c. 9,400).

FARYS: settlement in the region of Sûr Ghath in the W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 5,000).

FATHA: small city in the c N of the Bakhran States, 35-miles from the border with Maracha (Pop. c. 8,000).

FAVUAR: isl. around 10-miles off the W-coast of the Surrach, in N - W Sammaea. This tiny island, less than half a square-mile in size, was once a prosperous mining city with a population of around 6,000, with apartments built directly above the vertical mine shafts that extracted coal from the region. It was abandoned almost overnight in c. 3876 RM and remains deserted to this day. 

FIVE STATES, the: new name for the Bakhran States following the appointment of Lord Khagan as Lord Potentate in 4002 RM.

FLAVESCA: 1. City-state in the W of the Surrach. It is known for its sulphur and iron mines 

2. Main city of the eponymous city-state in the W of the Surrach. It is known for the huge sulphur open-cast mines that  surround it. It’s main industry, other than the mining of sulphur, is the production of gunpowder and vulcanised rubber and it is one of the more advanced cities within the Surrach (Pop. c. 40,000).

FULIGINA: city in the region of Shaat Lotha in the c N of the Surrach. Its buildings are made from dark stone, giving it a sooty appearance (Pop. c. 18,000). 

FURUD: 1. sovereign state in the Surrach ruled by the Sleeping Kings, catatonic conjoined twins. The region is composed of three primary cities (Furud, Ĥund & Asdull) and as many as a dozen small towns.

2. capital city of the eponymous region and seat of the Sleeping Kings. It is one of the more forward-thinking cities in the Surrach and is known for its metallurgy and fledgling manufactories (pop. c. 38,000).

GAAP: 2. city-state in the region of Thamaaz, in the Surrach. It was once a coastal settlement though following the withdrawal of Elyden’s seas, became landlocked in c. 3100 RM. The city is renowned for its bleeding monolith, around which it is built, and is regarded by locals as a dei. (Pop. c. 30,000).

GALE: lachrymist monastery in the c N of the Surrach, in the W foothills of the Nghalleal Mtns. 

GAMIGAHUA: massif in the c E of the Surrach, N of the Salith desert.

GENETHAANT: 1. Fertile, if dry plains in the c E of the Surrach . 

2. Fortified city and central settlement in the eponymous region in the c E of the Surrach. Its people are renowned astronomers, who place great importance in the position of the stars, which they believe govern the lives of those born beneath them (Pop. c. 18,000).

GANGUA: 1. Region in the Surrachi Plains in the c of the Surrach, famed for the large impact crater in which its capital is built.

2. Major city in the eponymous region in the Surrach. It originated in c. 1000 RM as a mine over the Ghat kha crater and slowly grew into a prosperous city directly above the mines. The city grew upwards, building high citadels and towers, connected to each other for ease of access and support. Similarly, its mines led directly down like a taproot, branching outwards to extract as much meteoric iron as possible. Over time, as the upper reaches of the mines were exhauseted, people began moving underground, leading to a class divide - all those concerned with the mining industry, from rich oligarchs to poor workers - moved underground, whereas others, including the metallurgists, remained above ground.

The soil within the crater basin is fertile and covered in farmlands that sustain the city to this day. It is a powerful city-state with a very strong military tradition and metallurgists. Interestingly, there is a powerful, if small rel. in the city that worships the meteorite as a dei. Which is seen as a chthonic giver-of life - for without the meteorite the city would not exist (Pop. c. 50,000). 

GANTH: ruined Selahimi harbour in the c S - W of the Surrach. Today it is 90-miles from the coast, and long-since deserted. It was once a major sea-port trading goods W, though today little remains of it save for rusted ships and crumbled buildings.

GATUNG: small city in the region of Genethaant in the c E of the Surrach. It is a major producer of glass, used primarily in the construction of telescopes, and mines fine sand in quarries (Pop. c. 8,000). 

GAUL: ancient man-made trench in the far N of the Surrach in Sammaea. One side of the trench collapsed long ago, and exists now as a fragmented steep slope leading down to the concrete wall of the trench, which rises 50-feet at its highest point.

Many settlements can be found along its 15-mile length, with the clear ground at its foot serving as a thoroughfare of sorts, linking them all onto a lose confederacy, the largest of which is the city of Menta.

GERRON: small city in the region of Edalla in the W of the Surrach. It is a major source of food and reed-items in the area (Pop. c. 8,200).

GHAT KHA: impact crater, measuring some 10-miles across, in the c of the Surrach, in the N - W of the Surrachi Plains. The city of Gangua is situated atop its peak. 

GHENAN: settlement in the c E of the Surrach, known for its proud hunters and trade in gazelle skulls and other trophies (Pop. c. 13,000).

GHOUL ISLES, the: largely unexplored isl. chain comprising 4 major isl. and many smaller ones off the N - W coast of the Surrach, divided by the Strait of Khadra. In the early days of the Fifth Age the isl. was home to an ancient ntn. now remembered only as the Tragic Kingdom, which is believed to have died from a horrific plague in  c. 580 RM, leaving the isl. uninhabited and blockaded by Surrachi ships for centuries after. 

Legends in the Surrach that developed since that time claim that the Ghoul Isles are populated by a considerable number of degenerates or similarly wretched beings, though there is little proof of this due to the cultural fear of the isl. that persist to this day. Rumours abound of cannibalism, debased magics, profane rel. and worse.

GHUZZ: limestone mtn. range in te c S - W of the Surrach, to the S - E of the Mishanos Mtns. The foothills S - W of the mtns are riddled with caves, known as Camerania. 

GLAMOR: 1. wide, relatively flat region, in the far N of the Surrach to the S. of Gaul. It is one of the more densely inhabited parts of the N Surrach, largely due to the fertilite nature of its clay-like soils. The city of Suda is amongst the most notable in the region.

2. City in the above region, and one of the first major cities in the N-most reaches of the Ivory Road in the N of the Surrach. It is fortified and maintains large caravanserais and trade yards where merchants trade their wares (Pop. c. 18,000).

GNOSCIA: settlement in the region of Empusa in the c N of the Surrach, along the Ivory Road. It is a place of learning and has possibly the largest written history of the Surrach (Pop. c. 5,000).

GORGAN: 1. region in the W of the Surrach, in N–W Sammaea. Once a fertile shallow sea, it was once of the first records regions to dry up in c. 2000 RM. It is now a harsh place, renowned for its many salt-flats, cracked land and horsetail-like cacti. Its people are decent and hard-working. Its S coast is populated by strange idols known as the Duskheads, due to their large carved faces that face W across the Sea of Eschata: a reminder of an ancient time and the people that once populated the region.

2. city in the eponymous region (pop. c. 38,000).

GORORI: rocky region forming an extension of the Bakhran Mountains in the W of the Bakhran States, forming a border with the Six Cities. The region is known for its harsh N peaks and its shallow decline to the S into the Hehabbaan wastes.

GRONT: Mtn. forming a small branch of the far larger Nghalleal Mtns. in the c N - E of the Surrach.

GYPSY KINGS, the: rulers of the city of Hapaxantha in the c E of the Surrach. Their entourage is known as the Itinerant Court due to their nomadic nature. They spend most of the year travelling around the  and E basins of the Surrach, from the Surrachi Plains in the N - W to the Inotarhl Basin in the S - E, visiting most major cities along their circuit to the city of Hapaxanth, which is largely abandoned in the long dry months, but explodes with an influx of people in the few short wet months, when the r. Tadessa come alive with flood waters. The Gypsy Kings the return o the city where they open the yearly gladiatorial combats that draw competitors from around the Surrach. 

HA-AL: stone desert in the S of the Surrach, N of the Straminea Mtns. fragmented lhaus ruins from the Fourth Age can be found here, though there is little of worth in the wastes.

HAAB: city in Thamaaz, in the far S of the Surrach, in N–W Sammaea in the desert of Thamaaz. It is the S–most of the major city-states of Thamaaz, and exists only due to the great spring atop which it is constructed. Its waters are kept clean by the constant vigil of an exclusive caste of Atr. who are the lawkeepers and tyrannical rulers of the city and its satellites. Shaping is prohibited under their rule and allowed only amongst a select few with close ties to the rulers (Pop. c. 32,000).

HAAD: city in the region of Sin in the c S of the Surrach (Pop. c. 20,000).

HAAKH: see the Levelled City.

HABONRA: settlement in the region of Siskin, in c N of the Surrach. It is known for its woody red wines (Pop. c. 4,000). 

HACHA NUR:  Atr. wasteland in the S of the region of Ascoryca in the S - E of Cyhlagharr. It was formed in 1178 RM, during the height of the war between Cyhlagharr and Chegrint, by a shaper who could not control its powers, resulting in a massive Atr. explosion that devastated the region and killed all present there. The explosion played a large part in ending the war - with the Cyhlagharri believing that the explosion was intentional and used as a display of force. Today the region is shunned. 

HAMULAR: major city in the N of the Surrach. It is known for its proud monarchy and for its Royal Fungus that is endemic to the region (Pop. c. 40,000).

HANAP: fortified settlement along the Ivory Road in the region of Llaron in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,800). 

HANGING CITY, the: see Dossal.

HANNA: r. in flowing S for 700-miles from sources in the Nghalleal Mtns, before emptying into l. Igraal

HANNASTER: 1. Sparse f. in the c E of the Surrach, to the S - E of the Surrachi Plains.  

2. Dominant city in the above region, in the c of the Surrach, along the banks of the r. Hanna (Pop. c. 20,000).

HAPAX: independent city in  the E of the Surrach. It is known for its cynosiaty, which originated there in c. 3580 RM. Despite the arid location of the city, it is well-watered by deep aquifers that are exploited by wells across its major crossroads (Pop. c. 12,400).

HAPAXANTHA: semi-permanent settlement in the c E of the Surrach, situated long the course of the seasonal r. Tadessa. It is ruled by the so-called Gypsy Kings, who spend most of the year travelling with their court and followers across the E of the Surrach, from the Surrahi Plains in the N - W to the Inotahl Basin in the S - E. 

The settlement is near-abandoned during the dry months, with only the elderly and certain industries remaining there until the wet season, which brings with it water and an influx of nomads and merchants from hundreds of miles around.  

Hapaxantha is most well-known for its arena sports, which attracts competitors and spectators from across the Surrach (Pop. c. various - 100,000 at the height of events).

HARAMIS: small scholar-city in N–E Surrach, noted for its order of historians, who are eponymously-named (Pop. c. 8,000).

HARAMIS, ORDER OF: order of classically-trained historians from the city of the same name, in E Surrach. They are famous around the region, and beyond and their library is amongst one of the best-stocked of N Sammaea.

HARASH: cliff-sided escarpment in the c of the Surrach, forming the E-part of the ghuzz Mtns. 

HARAT CHLO: Atr. corrupted area in the c S - E of the Surrach. It appeared over the course of just a few years in between 3681 - 3684 RM, devastating many settlements in the region that operated a major soulstone-mining operation. The largest of those cities, Zaazuash, remains to this day, though it is an eerie place, shrouded in fog, the earth waterlogged, its people covering themselves in heavy tarps and gas masks to survive.    

HATHURAN: r. in the W of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea that flows for 850-miles S - W from sources in the Mishanos and Thisathon Mtns. before emptying in the Bay of Bhaad. 

HATTRE: city-state in the far E of the Surrach, known for its dealings with the nomads of the Yothshammanei escarpment. The city guards the pass of Surra W into the Surrach and is known for its tradeyards (Pop. c. 22,000).

HEGEUMAR: (B. c. 3570 - D. c. 3608) warlord who in c. 3600 RM unhited various disparate people in the wake of the collapsed ntn. of Ahina, forming the ntn. of Saviana, taking the name of the region - Saviud, and adapting it. Born in the city of Farkas, he was a charismatic if brutal leader, but was killed in c. 3608 RM, beginning a tradition in Saviana that continued until its eventual downfall in 3796 RM at the hands of the coalition that would lead to the formation of the Six Cities.

HEHABAAN: Atr. wasteland in N - W Sammaea, in the region of the Surrach known as the Six Cities. It is approximately 4,200-square-miles in area. Its effects are largely unknown outside of the elite shapers who study its effects, though it is known to have corrupted many groups of indigenous people into writhens, who continue to live within its borders attacking the city of Nekharaal.

HERPETA: settlement in the region of Hithra in the N of the Surrach. Its main industry is coal-mining (Pop. c. 3,900).

HIGH CITY OF REDEER: city in the region of Caesura in the c of the Surrach, known for its high-caste of Atr. shapers who specialise in Oneriomancy and researching dream-tainted lands. Its members are known to undertake expeditions to the tainted lands of Somnial, to the far S - E in the Etuan Wastes.

HILASMA: coastal settlement in the W of the Surrach in the region of Daylam. It gathers Ar. tainted water from the Namegha and distills it into a lubricant used in technarcane engines (Pop. c. 8,000).

HIQARAST: ‘Bearer of the Keys’. Major dei. in the region of Thamaaz in the Surrach. The god takes the form of the mummified body of a preacher or prophet and is worshipped as a holy idol. Hiqarast is kept in a large temple and is hel under constant guard.

In life Hiqarast was considered a prophet and visionary, bringing a philosophy of thought to the people of the Surrach that was utterly alien. He preached of a singular god, cold and hard as metal and just as strong. He was deified upon death and his teachings became corrupted by local sensibilities and over many years he became the god he preached. See Vol IV: the Gods and Cults.

HISPIDIA: scrub f. in the c N of the Surrach, S of the region of Sabbotua.

HITHRA: 1. Region in the N of the Surrach, just S of Erebeth. It is relatively fertile and lightly wooded across most of its reach.  

2. major city-state in the far N of the Surrach, along the banks of the r. Megrez, overlooking the S of Erebeth. It was once a centre of gold-mining, though the mines were spent by c. 2220 RM, by which time coal was discovered in the vicinity. The region grew wealthy from the gold-mining and maintains that wealth by selling coal to more industrialised ntn. to the N. (Pop. c. 49,000). 

HOLON: settlement in the W of the Bakhran States in the W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 5,000).

HUND: city in the region of Furud in the Surrach known for its recently-opened iron-mines (pop. c. 6,500).

HUORORI: small city in the region of Bhaat Lotha in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 7,400).

HUTA: coastal settlement in Teria, overlooking the Bay of Bhaad (Pop. c. 9,000).

IDOL OF ZINNOBRA: metallic green idol in the S - E of the Surrach. The idol is some 60-ft. tall and depicts a four-armed humanoid, its features pitted and worn, though its feet are polished, possibly from the millennia of veneration by nomadic people of the Inotahl basin.

IANTHA: expansive amethyst cave-system in the c S of the Surrach, in the stone desert of Carnetabael. The caves were discovered by Korachani explorers in 2392 RM, not long before the abandonment of its colonisation efforts in the region, possibly explaining why the caves were not explored further. The native savi people were aware of the caves, though largely ignored them, on account of them featuring in underworld myths of the region.

The caves are expansive, and are carved by natural processes from ancient volcanic stone in which can be found amethyst geodes, crystal caverns of colossal size, and deposits of quartz and iron impurities. The quartz was fashioned into wondrous sculptures by the Xanthic empire, most famous of which are the amethyst skulls with pointed craniums, which appear in private collections from time-to-time to this day. 

ICHRON: coastal settlement in the region of Edalla in the far W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

ICTERA: settlement in the N - W of the Etuan Wastes, at the foot of Mt. Rhadamanthous. Its people operate great quarries where they extract sulfur from the surrounding hills (Pop. c. 10,000).

IDOL OF CYNOSURE: Brilliant white monument in the c E of the Surrach, to the S - W of the Gamigahua Mtns. Its brilliance is so much that some scholars believe that the Atr. or Fir. are responsible for it.

IDOLUM: also ‘the Moaning City’. Settlement in the E of the Surrach. It is known for the strange moaning sounds that fill the air, particularly subterranean areas - both natural and man-made. Local legend claim that the city is perched above a deep cavern that connects to the underworld. Some scholars outside the region maintain that this is evidence of the sheer reach of the Prison Carceri, over 5,000-miles distant  (Pop. c. 10,000).

IGRAAL: seasonal endorheic l. in the c E of the Surrach, in the N of the Surrachi Plains. It is fed by seasonal r. That flow from the surrounding basins, especially during the wet season between Korahalen and Satavalen.

ILLRAP: small city in the region of Flavesca in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,000). 

INCUBA: independent fortified settlement in the Etuan Wastes, on the N - W edge of  the dreamscape of Somnial. Its location means that its inhabitants have a unique understanding of the dreamscape and its effects, and its scholars are expers on the subject and are sought out from far and wide (Pop. c. 5,000).

INTORALL: Szikalian monastery in the far E of the Surrach.

IRASCENA: 1. Region in the N of the Surrach, S of the Nghalleal Mtns. 

2. Pass across the Nghalleal Mtns. linking the N of the Surrach with the S of Cyhlagharr. The pass was for many years a well-used route S for Cyhlagharri slavers though following conflict with the Irasceni warriors who developed in the region in c. 3300 RM 

3. Main city in the eponymous region kin the N of the Surrach, just S of the main pass across the Nghalleal Mtns. into Cyhlagharr. It is known for is martial-based culture, possibly evolved through necessity from its many conflicts in the past with Cyhlagharri slavers moving S across the pass. Today their warriors form part of a rel. sect that is known for its drug use, who in times of war force themselves into a deep rage. A major sport and passtime in the region is the tossing of stone pillars. The activity likely dates back to the repopulation of the region in the Fifith Age where ancient granite pillars were discovered, some of which are still used to this day  (Pop. c. 20,000).

ITINERANT COURT, the: see Gypsy Kings, the. 

INCUNABULIST: lore-collectors in the Surrach. They are jacks of all trades who travel throughout the Surrach, bringing with them recent new and lore, repairing objects, trading for exotic items, healing those in need and so-on. They are usually accomplished navigators and trackers, and tend to be accomplished individuals - which is needed to travel along in the hinterlands of the Surrach. They are commonly seen as larger-than-life characters and most people respect them for the lies they live.    

INOTAHL: basin dominating the S - E of the Surrach, from the Ossoh ridge in the W to the Idol of Zinnobra in the E. At its deepest it is 120-ft. below sea level.

IQHUL: settlement in the region of Robat in the c of the Surrach. It is known for its arable farmland (Pop. c. 2,100).

IREEB: small independent city in the c of the Surrach, along the shores of l. Zarazesh. Its primary industry is the collection of mineral-rich mud from the shores of the l. which is used in pottery as well as cosmetic products that are used across the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,200). 

IRRIDESCENT CITY, the: see Chatoyant.

ISEDA: also the Flesh Tower. Tower marking the E-most boundaries of the wastes of Eliphao in S–E Surrach. It is shaped like an obelisk, perhaps 50-feet high and is made of a singular flesh-like stone, that is soft to the touch and on close inspection looks like skin, with pores and follicles, even scars in places. It is thought to have links to Khalhat.

ISHAN: independent city in the c E of the Surrach, atop the highest mound of the Roshhot hills. The city is a major mil. Presence in the region and is renowned for its well-crafted rifles and its cavalry (Pop. c. 14,000).

ISKAHA: massif in the far E of the Surrach, to the S of the Iskaha Massifs.

ISORNA: major fortified city in the Bakhran States, and base to its military (Pop. c. 20,000).

IVRESSE: city in the far N - W of the Surrach, within the Atr. tainted region of Thesmoth. It is populated by Atr. and other shapers who research the surrounding region (Pop. c. 12,000).

JALLEN: small city in the region of Tzedek in the far E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 9,000).

JODDA: fortified settlement in the region of Moloch in the W of the Surrach. It is known for its single large iron mine that employs half of its populace, and for its large ironworks (Pop. c. 10,000).

KAILIK: basin in the c N -W of the Surrach, N - W of the Aarruam ridge. It is noted for its large rocky formations and the large black fossils that protrude from them. It is considered an accursed region and is shunned my most savi people.

KAL ADHI: l. in eastern Knaess in the c W of the Surrach, bordering the city of  Kamah, fed by the Emel Sumi and Vael Sumi. The damming of the Vael Sumi in 3945 RM led to the dwindling of the sea, leaving it greatly reduced now. The hulks of fishing vessels and ferries lie abandoned in its now empty basin, echoing the trade that was once common there. The l. empties to  the N into r. Empusa, which flows N before emptying in the Sea of Eret.

KALAI: ruin of a stone city in Sammaea, N of the wastes of Eliphao 450-miles N of the Tropic of Rah. Little is known of the city outside of the legend that it was destroyed by a Demiurge eons past.

A small settlement exists on the footsteps of the ruin, catering to caravanserais and explorers passing through the region (pop. c. 350).

KAMAH: city in the region of Knaess, along the S shores of l. Kal adhi in the Surrach, known for its thriving population of Shie. Situated in a major crossroads along the Ivory Road, the city is renowned for its inns, taverns and brothels which cater to the discerning tastes of travellers from all around the Surrach.  (pop. c. 52,000).

KATURUSH: fortified city-state in the W of  the Surrach, in N - W Sammaea known for its elephant-riding mercenaries and their expert mahouts (Pop. c. 20,000).

KEKHEMM: settlement in the far E of the Surrach, to the W of the Aboshathot Mtns. It is populated by keratin - one of few such settlements remaining - who ware make little contact with the outside world. They are known to scar themselves and sacrifice their own flesh to their mysterious deity. They are fiercely territorial and defend their small part of the Surrach savagely  (Pop. c. unknown).

KENOGAN: settlement in the region of Bacalusia in the c W of the Surrach. Its main industry is cattle-rearing (Pop. c. 8,000).

KENOSIS: small fortified settlement in the region of Bacalusia in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 10,000).00

KARKARADREA: ancient black plagi tower in the far N - W of the Etuan Wastes. It is thought to date back to the Third Age and was once part of a far larger defensive network, most of which is now buried beneath the Wastes. 

KERRET: city in the S–E Surrach, known for its links with the lhaus of Khalhat (Pop. c. 14,000).

KHADRA: major coastal city in the W of the Bakhran States, known for its docks and quayside stores (Pop. c. 42,000).

KINGS’ RIVER, the: see: Reis.

KNAESS: 1. region in the c. of the Surrach, E of the Bakhran Mtns. It is fertile and known for its picturesque farmlands.

2. city in the eponymous region in the Surrach. It is famed for the sizeable aquifer beneath the city that’s accessible by as many as a few dozen wide shafts that are carved from the granite on which the city stands. It is an open secret that these shafts are used for various activities, mostly illicit (40,000).

KNAESSI: human ethnicity common in the W of the Surrach, specifically in the areas surrounding the Bakhran States. Its people are known for their green eyes, dark hair and dark olive skin, comparable to that of the N Samamean coast along the Inner Sea, though past relations with Korachani colonists in c. 2300 RM and Sammaeans from the S farther in the past mean there is a variety of differing skin-tones.

KNAGHTA: once a large bay along the W of the Surrach. Following the diminishing of Elyden’s seas, the bay was cut off from the Sea Bhaad and remains now as an endorheic l. that is slowly dwindling. The l. is extremely salty and is bordered by miles of briny salt flats known as the Knaghta Brine Flats. The ancient coastline, as much as 280-miles E of the present coastline, is peppered with the dry ruins of ancient harbours and the rusted hulks of abandoned ships.

KNAGHTA BRINE FLATS: salt and brine flats covering 6,500-square-miles in the W of the Surrach, around the eponymous l.

KNIGHTS EXILE: knightly order in the Surrach dedicated to protecting trade and travel along the Ivory Road. They have fortresses along the road which charge a small toll for safe passage, and serve as hostels to weary travelers. They  have chapters in most major cities along the trade route, though are based in the city of  Robat, in the c. of the Surrach.

Little is known of their history and their name, if it means anything, has lost any connotation.

KO-ORHAZ: rocky hills in the W of the Surrach to the N of the r. Essra.

KOBIAN: Atr. tainted region in the c S - W of the Surrach, to the S - E of the Brochitter Mtn. The air here is thick and light does not penetrate it easily, leaving it in near-constant twilight.

KORO: abandoned settlement in the c S - E of the Surrach, in the Atr. region of Harat Chlo. Little is left of the settlement other than a grey mound - the remnants of its clay brick structures that were left to rot over 300-years-ago.

KROKUD: settlement in the c W of the Surrach, known for its hyena handlers, who operate across the Surrach as bodyguards and intimidators (Pop. c. 4,200).

KURBAN: settlement in the S - E of the region of Hannaster in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,000). 

KURDA: 1. Pass across the S - E stretch of the Nghalleal Mtns. It is guarded to the S by the city-state of Kurda, after which it is named.

2. Independent city in the c N - E of the Surrach, N of the Eshed plains and S of the E-most reaches of the Nghalleal Mtns. It guards one of the few passes across the range (Pop. c. 10,000). 

KYRNA: coastal settlement in the region of  Sûr Ghath in the W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 5,000).

LABATAR: ruined city in the deserts of the c S of the Surrach. It was a place of opulence, its rulers and nobility decadent and uncaring of their subjects. At the height of its power in c. 2900 RM, it boasted a population of c. 500,000, fed by deep wells that were maintained at great cost, and aqueducts that stretched for a hundred miles to the Straminea Mtns. in the S. 

It began to decline when its gold mines ran dry in c. 3100 RM. Unable to maintain its infrastructure, it was slowly reclaimed by the deserts around it and abandoned within a decade. It remains now as a ruin out of time and place, its stone buildings howling in the wind that claims the region.

LACHRYMISTS: org. order of martyrs common throughout the Surrach. Members are rarely seen outside their hilltop monasteries and when they are, they are, their faces are concealed beneath featureless masks and burlap cowls. 

LAET: ancient empire early in the Fourth Age occupying much of the extant territories of the W of the Surrach. Many of the ruins are still visible, and many large cities in the region are built on top of such ruins, with ancient blocks reused in more recent buildings. 

LANKRA: sparse woodlands dominating the N of the Surrachi region of Maracha and the ntn. Of Eret. Once virgin woodlands covering over 50,000-square miles, it has been reduced to around 18,000-square miles by changes in climate and over-exploitation by the aforementioned regions. 

LATOL: small city in the region of Hithra in the far N of the Surrach, overlooking S Erebeth. It is a major producer of food in the region (Pop. c. 6,800).

LATUROLL: 1. r. in the N - E of the Surrach, flowing from sources in the * for *-miles before ending in an endorheic l. around which is situated the city of Laturoll. The r. once continued S - E for some miles before drying up, though the city dammed it and now uses enough to keep its level uniform.

2. Endorheic l. In the N - E of the Surrach, forming the end of the eponymous r. The l. was artificially-created by the people of the city of Laturoll, so serve its needs, ultimately halting the course of the r.  

3. city surrounding a small crater in the N - E of the Surrach. The city is built around the edge of an ancient crater that once served as the banks of l. Laturoll. The l. Was dammed in c. 3800 RM and the l. now forms the c of the city, its level fluctuating by season but rarely drying completely. It is known for its small surrounding hamlets and their wine-production (Pop. c. 12,000). 

LEVELLED CITY, the: previously known as Haakh. A large city in the region of Ada in the c of the Surrach that was levelled by an earthquake in 2904 RM. Survivors and refugees scattered across the Surrachi Plains, with some integrating with neighbouring settlements and others remaining nomadic to this day, refusing to allow themselves to be put into their ancestors position ever again. The remnants of the city were ignored, left to rot. 

Today most of it is overgrown, buried, covered in scrub, with only small echos of the old city remaining. Many have explored it since then, and korachani archeologists have emerged from the area with vast treasures, though it is not without perils - tremors are common and cave-ins often follow them; chthonic beasts now dwell there; and it is said that the descendants of those few who remained there following its destruction haunt the region, little different to degenerates.

LICEA:fortified settlement in the c of the Bakhran States in the c N - W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000). 

LLARON: fortified city along the Ivory Road in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 18,500). 

LOSH: endorheic l. in the Wastes of Hehabaan region in the W of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea.  

LUSTHIS: large area of dry scrubland in the S–W of the Surrach in N–W Sammaea. It is known in N legends as the home of ancient artificer’s workshops, that some accounts claim to be the place of origin of the Idol of Ridera.

LYRNAS: coastal city along the west coast of the Bakhran States, in N - W Sammaea (Pop. c. 10,000).

MAEUAT: city in Syncrasia in the c N - W of the Surrach. It is known for its leather and vellum industries (Pop. c. 15,000).

MANNON: small fortified city in the region of Hattre in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,500).

MARACHA: 1. region in the N - W of the Surrach noted as one of the main areas settled by Korachani colonists in c. 2300 RM.

2. Major coastal city in the eponymous region in the N - W of the Surrach. The people here have a distinctly Korachani look about them, a throwback to the days of the attempted Korachani colonisation of the region in c. 2300 RM. some imperial customs remain to this day. Though the imperial rel. Was abolished by c. 2500 RM, replaced with local rel. (Pop. c. 38,200). 

MASOT: fort in the c of the Surrach, guarding the Ivory Road. It is built atop the ruin of an ancient Selahimi tower.

MASSEGA: major city in the c of the Surrach, known for its extravagant carnival that lasts for most of the year, building up to the celebration of the rebirth of the otherworlder Enathasha, whose mummified body is carried across the streets of the city in a great procession. The otherworlder was an epicurean whose philosophies are still observed to this day. People of means visit Massega from across the Surrach and its population slowly increases from around 80,000 to close to 300,000 during the peak of the carnival (Pop. c. 80,000 - 300,000). 

MASSUS: fortified settlement in the E of the Bakhran States in N - W Sammaea (Pop. c. 4,000).

MEGGROLL: scrub f. in the c W of the Surrach, dominating the S - E of Saggar, and the far S of the Bakhran States. 

MEGREZ: r. in the N of the Surrach, flowing N for 250-miles from sources in the Nghalleal Mtns. before meeting its distributary, the r. Maenda. It passes through the mildly Atr. tainted region of Amam, in the S of Erebeth.

MEHEMM: Szikalian monastery in the c E of the Surrach, to the N - E of the Biranta Mtns. 

MELAR: small city in the c W of the Bakhran States, along the main trade route through the states. It is known for its stone quarries and its carob groves (Pop. c. 9,000).

MELIK: settlement in the E of the region of Genethaant, in the seasonal wetlands of l. Igraal in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

MELLAR: major city in the Bakhran States, built on Laetian ruins (Pop. c. 48,000).

MELOGGOS: ridge in the c W of the Surrach.

MEMBARRA: major city in the c E of the Surrach, along the Sabarrak depression. The city is noted for being constructed on heavy stone stilts that become submerged in the wet season and the normally-dry endorheic l. of the area being to fill with rainwaters from the N (Pop. c. 32,000). 

MENARACGH: large slum-city in the region of Gorgan in the far W of the Surrach. It was originally envisioned in c 3520 RM by the now-extinct ntn. of Ahina as a massive drydock. The project ultimately failed, though not before a vast quarry was constructed close to the water’s edge, though never linked to the water. The material removed from the quarry was used in construction of the surrounding settlement. The quarry remained empty for some time until an earthquake in c 3610 RM toppled part of the city into it. The rubble was used to reconstruct part of the city, which extended within the quarry, ultimately becoming a large unregulated slum, from which the present city evolved. 

Today the city is a major industrial centre and capital of the region of Gorgan, gutting decommissioned ships and recycling the waste of nearby cities into usable materials (Pop. c. 30,000).

MENNANT: settlement in the S of the region of Genethaant in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,200).

MENTA: N-most major city in the Surrach, in N–W Sammaea, located on the ruins of a great Fourth Age trench known as Gaul. The city is located along the remaining side of the trench, rising vertically along its surface. Scattered balconies and loggias pepper its visible parts, though its bowels dig deep into the catacombs and caves beyond (Pop. c. 17,000).

MERN: city-state in the c E of the Surrach. It is known for its master astronomer (Pop. c. 17,800).

MISANOMNISTS: rel. and philosophy in the Surrach in N–W Sammaea, characterised by its distrust of the Atr. and the Fir. and those who manipulate them and worship them. They are misanthropes and can be found in scattered cults as far afield as S of the Inner Sea.

MISHANOS: Mtn. range in the c. of the Surrach in W Sammaea. The range runs N - W for around 450-miles acting as an internal border for independent regions within the Surrach.  

MITAHAH: monastery in the region of Flavesca in the W of the Surrach.

MOANING CITY, the: see Idolum.

MODOB: 1. City in the W of the Surrach, along the S - E reaches of the saltlands of Gorgan and home to the later Autocrat of Sagittaria. It was once a prosperous harbour metropolis, its sun-baked houses and white-washed roofs synonymous with the name, though it diminished greatly in the years since its divorce from the sea, with most of its outer districts crumbling into low hills, beneath which lie the remains of the ancient city. It is now 75-miles from the sea.  (Pop. c. 18,000).

2. Major fortress, about 20-miles N - E of the eponymous city in the W of the Surrach. It was once coastal, protecting the safest passage into Modob’s harbours, though was abandoned following the drying of the Gorgan. 

MOLOCH: coastal city in the far W of the Surrach known for its deep enclosed harbour and shipyards. It was originally a Korachani colony in c. 2300 RM and, alongside Maracha, is the area of the Surrach with the most links to Korachan  (Pop, c. 37,000).

MONASTERY OF LIKATHU: monastery in the N - E of the Surrach in the S - W face of the Nghalleal Mtns. overlooking the Pass of Kurda. The monks are ascetics who eschew material wealth and spend their days in meditation, looking to the skies and the changing cloud formations. 

MOND: fortified settlement in the region of Betehal in the N of the Surrach, known for its ancient astronomers who left behind large observation platforms on which present settlement is built. Today it is home to a guild of cartographers who are responsible for most maps of the region (Pop. c. 8,200).

MORACHAN: 1. imperial fortress in the far W of the Surrach, built during an ill-fated early Korachani colonisation effort there in c. 2220 RM. Little is thought to remain of the place but for the seeing engine that was erected there to facilitate contact with the Heartland. The fortress was abandoned in c. 2400 RM as the Korachani immigrants left or spread across the area as they mingled with the locals and the fortress has given its name to the region: Maracha.

MORPHEA:  city-state in the far S - E of the Surrach. Its ruler is a strange queen, thought to be halfblooded or possibly scion-born by those who dare to wonder. She sends ‘dream hunters’ S - E into the dream-tainted lands of Somnial to capture nightmare entities and other Atr. phenomena. What she does with these trophies is unknown to all but her closest advisors and many think that the city exists solely so that she may continue claiming such trophies. It is postulated that she may be related someway to the entity responsible for the region of Somnial, and is trying to amass enough dreams and memories to ascend to godhood herself, though those who voice such opinions have been known to disappear.

It is one of the more insular city-states in the Surrach and it trades very little with outsiders (Pop. c. 20.000).

MORUR: abandoned settlement in the c S - E of the Surrach, in the Atr. region of Harat Chlo. Little is left of the settlement other than a grey mound - the remnants of its clay brick structures that were left to rot over 300-years-ago. 

MT. AKRASIA: (5,070-ft.) volcano on the W-face of the Psammol Mtns. in the c W of the Surrach. It is quite active, known to erupt once every few decades at least, though (ill-tempered)

MT. DRAR: one of 3 volcanoes in the S - E of the Thisathon Mtns. The volcano, alongside its companions, the Mataiar and Soiar, erupted in 2759 RM, devastating the empire of Selahim.

MT. MATAIAR: one of 3 volcanoes in the S - E of the Thisathon Mtns. The volcano, alongside its companions, the Drar and Soiar, erupted in 2759 RM, devastating the empire of Selahim.

MT. SOIAR: one of 3 volcanoes in the S - E of the Thisathon Mtns. The volcano, alongside its companions, the Drar and Mataiar, erupted in 2759 RM, devastating the empire of Selahim.

MUHADDIS: series of overgrown sinkholes covering some 200-square-miles in the N of the Surrach, within the f. of Hispidia. Many of the sinkholes have caverns that lead into the limestone of the region, some of which are flooded and home to interesting fau. that never see the light of day. 

MUNDER NAH: Mtn. fortress in the Aboshathot Mtns. in the far E of the Surrach. It is home to the Dragon Assassins and region around it is heavily guarded.  

MUSHIR: a title common in much of the Surrach. A mushir is a court scribe, keeping meticulous details of all official meetings. In some regions mushirs also assume the role of interpreter and translator, if need be, this is most common in areas with many conflicting languages.

NAALO: mining settlement in the region of Adasich in the W of the Surrach. It is known for its citrine quarries, the produce of which is used in the production of jewellery (Pop. c. 3,500).

NACEH: settlement in the region of Hithra in the N of the Surrach, in the N foothills of the Nghalleal Mtns. It is known for its alchemical research in the mildly Atr.-influenced stone of the region  (Pop. c. 3,000). 

NACREOUS COAST, the: coastline around the city of Chatoyant in the W of the Surrach. It is named for its many clams and other molluscs which are farmed in great number, the nacre of their shells being used for decoration.

NALCR: Mtn. range in the S of Cyhlagharr, forming an extension of the Nghalleal Mtns. 

NALLO: area of around two dozen large fortified homesteads in the region of Moloch in the W of the Surrach, known for their production of saffron (Pop. c. 1,100).

NAMEGHA:  Atr. tainted waters forming the S-most reaches of the Sea of Eschata. Its waters are dark and viscous, and reach the shore of the S - W of the Surrach, making habitation there impossible. The sunset over its waters is ironically a beautiful, if dark sight, with its light filtering through the Atm. smog with a rich purple hue.

The sea has, since time immemorial, been recognised as a place of death with many necropolis’ and death temples surrounding it, dating back to various ages.

NASTHONO: also ‘the City of Bridges’. City in the Katurush region in the c W of the Surrach. It is positioned on both sides of the r. Essra, and is nicknamed for the many bridges that span the course of the r. In some parts the r. Is concealed for large stretches, built over with vaulted manufactories and workshops (Pop. c. 32,000). 

NEAR: small city in the region of Ada in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 6,200).

NEGASH: fishing settlement in the S -W of the Surrach, close to the S - E periphery of the Atr. tainted waters of the Namegha.

NEKHARAAL: S-most of the main cities in the region of the Six Cities in N - W Sammaea. Its influence once spread farther E than it does today, though the slow growth of the Atr. wastes of Hehabaan have forced its borders W. The city overlooks the W-most expanse of the wastes and Atr. has become a valued art, with shapers given almost celebrity status, growing rich off of the government, which has for the past decade been a militocratic council. The council is tasked with keeping strong bloodlines and defending the state from writhens and other degenerates that have begun to emerge from the wastes (Pop.c. 18,000).

NEROLI: 1. Once a major city state between c. 2800 - c. 300 RM that was known for its back-stabbing rulers and political assassinations, leading to the period known as the Throne of Lies.

2. settlement in the S - E of the Surrach, in the region of Inotahl. It was once a major-city state, though lost most of its power in c. 3000 RM after which it dwindled. Today it is known for its orange clay that is used in the manufacture of pottery and bricks (Pop. c. 7,600).  

NESH: settlement in the region of Daylam in the W of the Surrach, along the course of the r. Brud (Pop. c. 5,000).

NEZAH: small city in the region of Qattisysh in the W of the Surrach. Due to conflict with the Bakhran States, the city has diminished in recent years, and many of its S districts have been reduced to rubble from enemy bombardments, though it has become a major recruiting ground for Qattisyshi forces (Pop. c. 7,200).

NISAPAHETAR: small fortified city in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 10,000). 

NOCS EQUUA: fortified settlement in the E-face of the Mishanow Mtns. in the region of Furud in the c of the Surrach. It is affected by a mild Atr. phenomenon that leaves it in a near constant state of twilight, with only a mild difference between day and night, which are divided equally all-year round. It is home to scholars and shapers who study the effects of the Atr. on the material plane (Pop. c. 5,000).

NOZAMB: settlement in the region of Hapaxantha in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 5,000).

NGHALLEAL: mountain-chain, covering some 1,650-miles in N Sammaea, forming a border between the Surrach in the S–W and S Erebeth and S–W Cyhlagharr. The Mtns. are old, relatively low and crumbling, with many caves and cave-systems in its E face, many of which open up into larger fissures and shafts that form a hollow webwork in the heart of the mountain, which is to all intents and purposes, hollow. The lower caverns are largely flooded with stagnant waters and the stench of stale air. Earthquakes are relatively common W of mountain, following its vague outline and have been known to affect the cave-system, collapsing caverns and revealing new hollows.

OASTIS: settlement in the region of Daylam, in the W of the Surrach, along the course of the r. Aadax (Pop. c. 5,000).

OFAN: cavern system in S–W Erebeth and the far N of the Surrach. The caverns connect to the larger webwork of tunnels that dominate the N-face of the Nghalleal Mtns. The deepest reaches of the caverns are flooded and some explorers claim that these l. link to a subterranean sea that snakes its way across the Nghalleal in which pallid, eyeless fau. swim and crawl.

OLAMA: settlement in the region of Kurda in the E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 2,000).

OLORNYS: settlement in the N - E of the Surrach, in the N - E foothills of the Nghalleal Mtns. (Pop. c. 4,000).

ONAN: fortified settlement in the region of Dachranu in the N - E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,800).

ONES: lachrymist monastery in the c S - W of the Surrach, on the S - W face of the Mishanos Mtns. 

ONORIA: lachrymist monastery in the c N - E of the Surrach, 65-miles S - E of the city of Zaffre. 

OPEROSA: fortified settlement in the c N of the region of Daylam in the W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

OPHAKR: r. flowing N for 592-miles from sources in the N - E of the Nghalleal Mtns. before meeting its tributary the r. Opret. It forms a border between Cyhlagharr to the W and Ophar to the E. 

The r. is dominated by the Atr. region of Hacha Nur, which covers about 115-miles of its course, ending 110-miles upstream from its meeting with the r. Opret. The appearance of this area in 1178 RM rendered the r. lifeless and left many of the settlements that once thrived on its banks deserted and ruined. This taint continues downstream after the convergence of the r. with the r. Opret all the way to its delta in the Gulf of Ophar.   

ORACLE OF ULUTUL:  mummified oracle interred within the temple of Ulutul, revered as sacred by the people of Terion. The oracle is guarded at all times and in times of need, shapers under the command of Teria, are sent to commune with the spirit of the oracle.

ORADAYA: settlement in the region of Taraceh in the N - E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

ORGAL: lachrymist monastery in the c N - E of the Surrach, in the S foothills of the Nghalleal Mtns. 

ORIKA: city in the region of Ada in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 16,200).

OROCON: settlement in the Bakhran States in the N - W of the Surrach, in the S - E foothills of the Bakhran Mtns. (Pop. c. 4,000).

ORRIN: settlement in the region of Orrin in the W of the Surrach in the Ubiqua delta. It is known for its many riverbaots (Pop. c. 4,200). 

OSSIKEHONA: 1. Region in the c E of the Surrach unique in that the entirety of its 8,000-square-mile area is dominated by rock that is indistinguishable from sun-bleached bone. This is thought to be a supranatural feature, attributed to the works of a Demiurge in ancient mythohistory. The bones are mined and, due to their strength and relative light weight, are used in construction and the crafting of fine statues.

2. City in the above region renowned for its boners (bone miners) and for its artisans who craft objects from the supranatural bone of the region (Pop. c. 8,000). 

OSSOH RIDGE: basaltic ridge 150-miles long in the c S - E of the Surrach, foring the W-most extent of the Inotahl basin.  

PAAN: city in the Thumaaz region of the S of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea. It was once part of the Daazi  confederacy though broke away in 3521 RM. The city is recognised as an ancient place with anachronistic customs by Korachani explorers who visited the land in c. 2600 RM, and most of its knowledge of the region comes from their accounts (Pop. c. 42,000).

PADUAS: f. region in the N - W of the Bakhran States in the N - W of Sammaea. 

PALPEBRA: settlement in the region of Taraceh in the N - E of the Surrach. The city is notable for its construction beneath a large overhang/cave in the N - E foothills of the Nghalleal Mtns. (Pop. c. 6,400).

PAMEROAS: mtn. range in the far E of the Surrach, bridging the Nghalleal in the N and Gamigahua Massif in the S.

PARAPHA: small city in Maracha in the far N of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea. It is known for its love of duelling and its skilled calligraphers, whose works are prized as far afield as Korachan (Pop. c. 10,000).

PAUPER KINGS, the: old leaders of the empire of Chegrint, that existed from c. -1000 - 1200 RM in the N - W of Sammaea in the lands currently occupied by the Surrach. Their rule of Chegrint was ended by concentrated attacks by the Potentate Haabhus in c. 980 RM. Almost all accounts of the Pauper Kings come from historians writing following their deposition by the Potentate Haabhus and it is thought that the name was a derogatory one given to them as a means of belittling their rule, which it should be noted went unopposed for close to two millennia. 

PAVIS: expansive stepwell in N–W Sammaea, in the far N of the Surrach, resembling the negative space of a ziggurat. The place is hewn from the natural bedrock of the area and its sides carry intricate bass-carvings, most of which are disfigured and eroded. The stepwell is about half-a-mile to a side and about 500-yards deep, ending in a square gaping hole no more thana foot- wide, from which emanates fetid air. Little is known of the abyss beneath the stairwell or whether its purpose was even as a stairwell. Most shun the region for there is little of value there. 

PELUCIA: small city in the region of Surda in the c E of the Surrach. It is known for its large fortified square towers, which are inhabited by the wealthiest and most powerful in the city. It is a matter of pride amongst the wealthiest families in the city to have the clearest most open view of the city (Pop. c. 10,000). 

PITS OF ZITERKARR, the: ancient wells in the stone deserts S of the Straminea Mtns. There are 3 known pits in total, each within 3-miles of the others. They are around 15-ft wide, and hewn from the red rock of the region. Unidentifiable runes are carved into the walls of the pits. The pits have been explored to a depth of around 200-ft, though there is no sign of a base. There is little lore surrounding them, and the oral records of the native savi people fail to mention them completely. 

POTENTATE HAABHUS: (B. c. 942 - D. c. 984 RM) later known as ‘the Craven Potentate’. Brought together various powers and entities surrounding Chegrint in c. 975 RM to challenge the Pauper Kings. Within 5-years the Pauper Kings had been deposed, their line ended, and Potentate Haabhus at the head of one of the largest territories in the known world. He was known as a ruthless but efficient general and ruler, both of which were required traits to rule an empire as vast and diverse as Chegrint.

His rule was not to last, for in 984 RM he was assassinated and supplanted by his lieutenants who had all historical reference to him changed to the Craven Potentate. 

PROLIGEA: also ‘the Descendants’ Tombs’. Ancient mausoleum on the S - E of the isl. of Aaren attributed to a barbaric otherworlder (possibly scion) who had all its offspring put to death and buried here.

PSAMMOL:  Mtn in the c W of the Surrach, in N - W Sammaea, just N of the Mishanol Mtns.

PYRANA: settlement in the c N - W of the Surrach built into the remnants of a gigantic tree stump, nestled in its roots and tunneled within its wood. In the middle of the stump is young tree, growing from a seed of the stump, which have both taken on near-rel. importance to the settlement’s inhabitants. It’s main industry is object d’art made from the malleable deep roots, which are mined (Pop. c. 5,200).

QANAT: also ‘City of Wells’. Small city in Maracha, in the far N - W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 10,000). 

QATTI: plains in the W of the Surrach, W of the Sarraster Mtns.  The plains are known for their saffron plantations. 

QATTISYSH: independent city-state in the Surrach. The city is renowned for the dust-worms it harvests. The creatures are used in the production of leathers and their meat is processed into dross (Pop. c. 25,000).

QUEEN BACHESA: ruler of the bandit city of Bezonant, in the W of the Daened Sulrach.

RAAD: fortified city in Terion, in the N - W of Sammaea. It is known for  its silver-mines that produce some of the finest silver in all of Sammaea, its its filigree, which is used in fashion throughout Terion. Its delicate cosmetic chainmail is a symbol of status amongst its nobility and has spread to Korachan through trade, where it is just as popular (Pop. c. 17,400).

RAADI: city in the region of Sûr Ghath in the W of the Surrach, in the S foothills of the Mishanos Mtns. (Pop. c. 12,000). 

RABANNA: fortified city in the region of Zilion in the Surrach (Pop. c. 10,000).

RAETZANT: small city in the region of Tzedek in the far E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,000).

RAHASAN: small city in the c N of the Bakhran States in the N -W of the Surrach . The city is known for its copal (a type of soft amber) deposits, that are mined and fashioned into object d’art(Pop. c. 8,000).

RAHADANT: fortified city in the W of the region of Kerret, in the E of the Surrach. It is ruled by a caste of skull augurs, and skulls form a major part of its culture and funerary customs - the skulls of the dead are varnished and kept by the descendants of the dead, who keep shrines that contain many generations of the dead, which are left offerings on certain festivals (Pop. c. 13,000).

RALISS: isl. off the W-coast of the Surrach. 

RALLATA: Picturesque canyon system in the far E of the Surrach covering some 300-miles. It has 1 natural arch that spans its width, over which a major road linking the cities of Sulhafat and Kalai passes.

RALLATA, CUBE OF: Giant pitted metal cube, its sides around 20-ft. Wide, floating above the eponymous canyon system in the far E of the Surrach. It has existed for as long as written and oral records of the region go back, and was ignored by people ancient and present, who fear it. As though the nature of the object were not mysterious-enough, it is most well-known for the constant stream of fine white sand that pours from and cube and scatters across the canyon, carried far on the strong winds of the area. No one knows where the sand comes from, though few have studied it with the scrutiny of modern eyes due to the stigma that surrounds the region.

RAMEAL: r. Flowing W for 460-miles from sources in the Nghalleal Mtns. before meeting with its distributary, the r. Vael Sumi.

RAND: ridge, some 250-miles long, linking the N - W of the Bakhran Mtns. and the W-most reaches of the Azhao Mtns. The ridge forms a natural border between the ntn. of Eret and the Surrachi region of Glamor.

RARADCHAN: independent city-state in the c N  of the Surrach, populated by rel. extremists descended from Korachani colonists from c. 2400 RM. the city is known for the Amber Fort, which is the headquarters of the Children of Rachanael, an extremist cult that splintered from the Church of the Machine following the retreat of Korachan from the region (Pop. c. 18,000). 

RAS: town in the far E of the Surrach, built in a shallow crater basin to the N–W of the Bleached Shelf. It’s now-crumbled rim was  foundation for an ancient wall that surrounded Ras, though the town has long-since outgrown it.

Ras appeared as a mining settlement long ago, where small volumes of meteoric iron and moldavite beads created at the time of impact, were mined. Though the iron was consumed millennia past, the moldavite is still used to make a greenish jewellery that is famed throughout the Surrach (pop. c. 3,800).

REFLET: large prismatic spring N of the Hannaster f. in the c E of the Surrach.

REIS: also ‘the Kings’ River’. Seasonal r. in the c N - E of the Surrach, flowing only seasonally for 900-miles from sources in the E Nghalleal and Pameroas Mtns. before meeting its distributary, the r. Yellrakh. 

The name Reis  comes from the regions’ his. where the capital of an ancient ntn, was said to lie on the banks of the r. under what is now the city of Hattre.  

ROSHHOT: rocky peak in the c E of the Surrach, E of the Surrachi Plains.

ROYAL FUNGUS, the: fungus unique to the region of Hamular in N of the Surrachi. Its harvesting is by the appointment of the royal household of * only. The fungus is famed for its medicinal and restorative properties and the areas in which it grows are heavily guarded.

RATH: fortress in the S of Maracha in the far N - W of the Surrach, guarding its border with the Bakhran States. 

RECUSA: settlement in the W of the Bakhran States, known for its nonconformist attitude towards rel. - it is the only major settlement in Bakhrani to be eschew any of the recognised rel. in the region (Pop. c. 5,000).

RED MOON, CULT OF THE: rel. common in the cities of Pegan and Apinar in the Six Cities region in the Surrach. See Vol IV: Religions and Cults.

RED RIVER, the: see Empusa 1.

REIDANT: fortified settlement in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,200). 

REMEX: fortified settlement in the far W of Saggar, known for its bird-keepers and their birds of prey (Pop. c. 4,000).

RHADAMANTHOUS: Sulphuric volcano in the N - W of the Etuan Wastes, in the S - E face of the Aboshathot Mtns. It is known for its many caves and yellow sulphur fields that are mined by hand by the people of Ictera. The process is dangerous and many die extracting the sulphur, either due to noxious gasses, cave-ins or generally bad working conditions.

RIUH: waterfall in the c W of the Surrach, along the course of the r. Essra. The city of Saggar is located close to the falls. 

ROBAT: fortified city-state in the c of the Surrach, and base for the Knights Exile. Within its walls are a great number of hostels, caravanserais, markets and hospitals, all serving the needs of those travelling along the Ivory Road (Pop. c. 15,000). 

RODEN: settlement in the N - E of the Surrach, known for its carob groves and the hard carob cakes it makes that are a common food in merchant caravans of the E Surrach (Pop. c. 3,000).

RODHUD: settlement in the W of the region of Hapax in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

ROLOGASTER: ruins of an ancient once-great telescope in the S of Thamaaz in the c S of the Surrach.

SAAT: settlement in the region of Sin in the c S of the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,000).

SABARRAK: small city in the c N of the Surrach, to the S - E of the forest of Hispidia. Its primary industry is the crafting of wooden statues and object d’art (Pop. c. 6,500). 

SABATA: fortress along the Ivory Road, belonging to the Knights Exile. It is a base for rangers who patrol the region.

SABBOTUA: gently-sloping hilly region covered intermittently with scree and boulders in the N of the Surrach, S of the Nghalleal Mtns. 

SABURRA: major settlement in the eponymous region in the c of the Surrach. It is noted for the solid granite foundations of its buildings (Pop. c. 38,000).

SACHLOAL: major fortress in the S - E of the Surrach, guarding the pass between the Straminea and Aboshathot Mtns.

SACROSANCT SIMULACRUM, the: gigantic metal idol in the c W of the Surrach, in the region of Sûr Ghath. It is around 100-ft. tall and stands at an angle, half-buried in the soil of the region and depicts in dark pitted metal humanoid figure, its arms destroyed, its head bearing seven eyes and three horns.  

SAGATHY: settlement in the c N of the Surrach, known for its fine silks (Pop. c. 4,200).

SAGGAR: 1. Region in the c W of the Surragh, and target of Bakhran expansions S - W.

2. City in the eponymous region in the c W of the Surrach, near the falls of Riuh. It is known for its high towers, each belonging to a major family in the city and used as a display of power. It is a major trade influence both up- and downstream along the r. Essra, and the barges of its merchant houses are a common sight. It is a city divided in two, with a part above and another below the waterfall, each of which is linked with a well travelled road that moved trade good off the river, across land to the continuation of the r. Either above or below the waterfall (Pop. c. 48,000).

SAHKHIA: settlement to the S of the Yggathalur Mtns. in the N - E of the Surrach. The settlement is built in the inner rim of a meteor crater, and is known for its shaded loggias, with structures and dwellings built in the cool crater rim. In antiquity the crater was mined for its meteoric iron, with tunnels stretching outwards, like the spokes of a wheel, though since the mines were exhausted centuries past they were converted into stores and rooms for various industries (Pop. c. 3,200). 

SALARIA: city in the N of the Surrach, in the region of Empusa (Pop. c. 20,000).

SANDNAR: settlement in the c of the Surrach, along the shores of l. Sandnar. Its primary industry is the collection of mineral-rich mud from the shores of the l. which is used in pottery as well as cosmetic products that are used across the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,000). 

SARRASTER: Mtn in the c W of the Surrach, in N - W Sammaea.

SAVI: indigenous people of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea. Since the arrival of Korachani migrants and colonists there, first in c. 1700, then again in c. 2200 RM has led to a dilution of the savi bloodlines, particular in the N of the W-coast, around the region of the Six Cities and Maracha. The savi people have been least touched by outside influence in the c and E of the Surrach and are closest there to what they were like during the time of the Chegrintish empire.

SAVIANA: relatively short-lived period in the history of the Surrach , the name of which is derived from the native name of the region, Saviud.

The fall of the ntn. of Ahina in c. 3580 left a vacuum in the area now occupied by the W of the Surrach, about as far E as the city of Furud. For decades the entire area was consumed by war as rival tyrants and warlords subjugated the region to war. What under Ahina had been a united land became fragmented, changed into a land of dozens, if not hundreds of city-states that controlled only the immediate area around them, with lands between being lawless regions that made travel difficult. 

By c. 3600 RM one coalition of cities led by the charismatic leader Hegeumar, gained the upper hand and within a few years had united most cities into the loose ntn. that became known as Saviana. The ntn. was ruled by a succession of short-lived tyrants, many of which were deposed or slain by their successors, whose rule was only as effective as that of their governors and lieutenants who oversaw the various districts. 

In 3791 RM, a loose coalition formed opposing the Tyrant Daaran who had risen to power in Saviana, taking over much of the W part of the region. Following a protracted war, the Tyrant was defeated in 3796 RM and the land was divided into 6 territories, amongst 6 generals, and the term, the Six Cities was first used in an official capacity to describe the region. See Vol III: Extinct nations.

SAVIUDI: language of the Savi people that is common across the Surach. It is first recorded in c 1600 though likely dates back to the days following the fall of the Chegrintish empire, and was a precursor to the kingdom of Selahim, allowing it to spread far and maintain good communications through its unified language. The language itself is known for having dental clicks and replying on physical gestures (such as an upward nod being the ‘word’ for no. 

The collapse of the kingdom in 2761 RM led to a fracturing of the region and the language itself diverged alongside regional cultures, and in some places has developed to the point as to be considered different languages. Hundreds of regional variants exist today, and most travellers and merchants communicate in a simple pidgin tongue that has roots in the most basic words of the original Saviudi tongue. See Vol II: Languages of Elyden. 

SCABRIA: 1. fertile region in the c of the Surrach, surrounding part of the r. Rameal.

2. Main city of the eponymous region (Pop. c. 19,000).  

SCALPTUR: satellite settlement of Gangua in the c S - W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 2,000).

SCAPPHIA: independant city in the c N of the Surrach, situated atop a level plateau S of the Nghalleal Mtns. Its people are known as studiers of the sun and moons, and their lives revolve around their movements. Eclipses are seen as times of great contemplation (Pop. c. 10,000). 

SCATEBRIN: region in the c of the Surrach known for its many bubbling springs and geysers.

SCENA:  mil. rank in the city of Irascena known for its drug-use and caber-tossing

SCIOBUTTRA: Atr. tainted region in the c N of the Surrach covering some 25,000-square-miles. At its most intense it causes those within its borders to suffer from violent hallucinations, oft-times indistinguishable from the real world. 

SCIOLLA: 1. city in the c of the Surrach, in the S of the Atr. region of Sciobuttra. The city’s relative vicinity to the nearby Atr. wastes has earned it the moniker ‘the City of Apparitions’ after the hallucinations many of its citizens experience. 

Indeed, the city would not exist so close to an Atr. wasteland, were it not for its unique industry. The city operates many salt mines, each which is about 5-miles from the city-proper. The mines extend N, mile  into the wastes of Sciobuttra, from which the salt is extracted. Its proximity to the wastes and the probably length of time the salt has existed within the wastes has imparted a unique trait to the salt mined there - it has potent hallucinogenic properties, which makes it a valuable drug and it is very common in Bacalusia and Massega, though is not unknown as far E as Venthir, though transportational constraints make it prohibitively expensive far from the Surrach. The drug is known colloquially as Sciolla, after its place of origin (Pop. c. 20,000). 

2. Hallucinogenic drug common in the Surrach, made from powdered and refined rock salt, mined in the environs of the eponymous city in the Atr. tainted region of Sciobuttra. The salt, deposited eons past in Sciobuttra, has inherited its hallucinogenic properties and is mined specifically for this purpose. It is commonly used in the cities of Bacalusia and Massega, where it commands a high but not unaffordable price, though the cost increases exponentially the farther from the source it is transported. This is because it breaks down rapidly once it has been exposed to air, becoming not only ineffective but potentially dangerous to use. Special caravans have been constructed for the specific purpose of transporting the drug, not only to keep it effective, but also to keep it safe from banditry. See Vol II: Drugs and Addictions.

SEBRANT: small city in the region of Membarra in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,200).

SEER, CULT OF THE: rel. common in the city of Alron in the Six Cities region in the Surrach. See Vol IV: Religions and Cults.

SELLOH: small city in the region of Gangua, in the c S - W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 6,800).

SERHAN: settlement in the region of Hannaster in the c of the Surrach. It is famed for the great skull that can now be found, displayed behind a guarded reliquary in its main administrative district. The skull is of unknown form and is thought to belong to a Mesochtoni, though there is little evidence supporting this (Pop. c. 8,000).

SINOPIA: major food production centre in the far N of the Surrach, 120-miles N of the Ivory Road. It is known for its many fortified homesteads and the arable land that each possesses, where much of the food consumed in the N of the Surrach (Pop. c. 5,000).

SELAHIM: empire in the N - W of Sammaea, centred around the inland portion of what is now the Surrach. It emerged in c. 1830 RM from the void left by the collapse of empire of Chegrint in c. 1200 RM, occupying most of what is today the E and S - W lands of the Surrach. It was known for its great harbours to the S - W, most of which are landlocked and abandoned today, and its great E caravanserais, some of which remain to this day, albeit much-altered, and the great trade-routes that linked the two - which partially survive in the Ivory Road.

The empire lasted until 2761 RM, when the suicide of its ruler, Drakugh, left it rudderless, following a series of devastating earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the Thisathon Mtns. 2-years earlier. The thirteen Ankhs, his closest confidantes, could not elect a leader and their squabbles and power grabbing rapidly descended into a civil war which gripped the region for 13 years, at the end of which the land was divided between the 7 surviving Ankhs and the coalitions of city-states that had formed during the war. A state of uneasy truce emerged, though political backstabbing remained common, leaving borders in a state of constant flux and the emergence of new states commonplace for some time after the death of Drakugh.

Following this no one single region became dominant over any other for a significant amount of time. This eventually became the status quo for the region, which by c. 3000 RM had become known as Saviud. See Vol III: Extinct Nations. 

SHAAT LOTHA: scrubland in the c N of the Surrach.

SHAIPERA: expansive region 60-miles S of the city-state of Gorgan in the W of the Surrach. Was, until c. 500 – 1500 RM submerged beneath the waters of the Sea of Eschata, though was exposed following the retreat of Elyden’s seas. Revealed by the sea’s retreat was a vast petrified f. some 250-miles long. Though most of its trees are collapsed and appear as little more than stone pillars, some remain erect, an eerie sight along the stony coast.

SHIB: common coin denomination in the Surrach, produced through punch-marking. The Shib is commonly valued at 1/5th of an Ark. See Vol II: Currency and Coinage in Elyden.

SHUGRA: fortified caravanserai controlled by the Knights Exile in the S - W of the Surrach, along the Ivory Road as it enters its most dangerous and ill-guarded stretch S, out of the Surrach, into Calchodon.

SIA: small fortified city in the region of Adasich, in the W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

SIN: 1. Region in the c of the Surrach, in the Surrachi Plains.

2. Major city in the eponymous region. Its foundations are carved from the black rock of the area (Pop. c. 10,000).

SISKIN: major city in the region of Sabbotua in the N of the Surrach. Before it became a large city, it was known as a settlement of woodworkers and falconers and lovers of all bird species. Though that part of its identity is no-more, birds still feature prominently in its architecture and cultural icons. The settlements under its control are amongst the major producers of lumber in the Surrach (Pop. c. 48,000).

SIX CITIES, the: small area in the W of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea, covering approximately 20,000-square-miles of fertile coastal territory, overlooking the Sea of Aaren. The local calendar (AB) is derived from the founding of Ahina and is currently in its 1523rd year.

The region’s origins lie within the ruin of the empire of Ahina, its population descended from a mix of imperial colonists who remained here, the Savi natives, and people from the E of the Surrach. This had lead to an interesting genetic and cultural mix that continues to this day. Ahina fragmented in around 3580 RM in the wake of a terrible plague. The population was decimated and many cities were allowed to fall into ruin. A string of warlords appeared following this time, subjugating the remaining populace of the region. The short-lived nation of Saviana emerged during this time, and war was common, reducing other inhabited cities to rubble and further savaging the population. 

In 3791 RM, a loose coalition formed opposing the Tyrant Daaran who had risen to power in Saviana, taking over much of the W part of the region. Following a protracted war, the Tyrant was defeated in 3796 RM and the land was divided into 6 territories, amongst 6 generals, and the term, the Six Cities was first used in an official capacity to describe the region. These territories are roughly analogous with the extant states of Dakhra, Apinar, Nekharaal, Daath, Pegan and Tanass, though borders have changed over the years. The region of Alron emerged some 75-years ago, from parts of Dakhra and Pegan. Other autonomous states (such as Vanka and Moloch) have since appeared too. Each state has its own character, following a trend common in the greater Surrach.

The region is very fertile and has a climate favourable to farming, and it is densely-populated. See Vol III: Extant Nations.

SLEEPING KINGS, the: catatonic conjoined twins and rulers of Furud in the Surrach. They act through proxy, their decrees often misinterpreted by servants who have no means of communicating with them.

SODALOR: independent city in the N of the Surrach, built along the inside of a large dam barring the r. Emel Sumi. The city is renowned for its tiered construction, flowing water channels and stepped gardens, and lodestone mining, the operations of which are largely unseen, beneath the city. It was founded of the ruins of an earlier Chegrintish settlement (Pop. c. 32,000).

SODELI: small city in the region of Adasich, in the W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,000). 

SOMNIAL: Atr. tainted region in the N - W of the Etuan Wastes, bordering the Sauddhakehu Mtns. in the S - E of the Surrach. The region is considered a dreamscape and is avoided by most, though there are some thrillseekers who seek the region out for its grotesque sights. 

SONTNAH: small city in the region of Bacalusia in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 9,000).

SOSSOUL: city in the region of Sûr Ghath in the c S - W of the Surrach. It is located along a bifurcation of the r. Hathuran known as the Ahathra.

SOTH, CULT OF: religious cult in the far W of the Surrach, common in the city of Daath. See Vol IV: Religions and Cults.

STAIRS OF ARTUT: ancient hewn stairs ascending the 11,050-ft. miles in the S-peak of the Nghalleal Mtns. Little is known of their origins, though they are thought to date to the late Fifth Age or early Fifth Age and are unlikely to be directly related to a Demiurge. They are in surprisingly good condition, though are worn in places, and are designed for a gait larger than a normal human, indicating giganri design.  

STORACHAN: fortified city in Maracha, in the far N - W of the Surrach. It is known for its well-made forts and horse ranches (Pop. c. 10,000).

STRAIT OF KHADRA: narrow strait dividing the Ghoul Isles from the Surrachi mainland. The strait is some 100-miles long and at its narrowest, is around 7-miles wide.

STRAMINEA: expansive Mtn. forming the S-most border of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea. The range is known for its pale straw-like colour and stretches W - E for close to 2,000-miles, from the Sea of Eschata in the W to the tower of Sachloal in the E.

STREPOR: coastal city in the far W of the region of Sûr Ghath in the W of the Surrach. Its harbours are quite busy and the sounds of ships are known to reverberate across the crater-like bay (Pop. c. 20,000).

STROBIA: fortified settlement in the N - W of Terion, overlooking the Sea of Syrtash (Pop. c. 4,000). 

STUL: massif comprising the N-most reaches of the Nghalleal Mtns and is around 7,000-square-miles.

SUDA: city situated in the region of Glamor in the Surrach, N–W Sammaea. The city is sizeable and possesses a renowned mercenary force that is well-recognised along the length of the Gaul trench (Pop. c. 42,000).

SUDD: major fortress in the c E of the Surrach, under the control of the city of Surda.

SUDORA: small city in the region of Scabria in the c N of the Surrach, along the course of the r. Vael Sumi (Pop. c. 8,200).

SULCA: small city in the c of Eret (Pop. c. 8,000).

SULHAFAT: fortified city in the far S–E of the Surrach, positioned 10-miles N of the Tropic of Rah, guarding a wide valley that leads into the Etuan Wastes. The Sulhafati people are insular and hardened by years of war with the etulai nomads (Pop. c. 6,750).

SUMMOTIA:settlement in the region of Tusental in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 10,000).

SUNTANA: small coastal city in Maracha in the far N -W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,400). 

SÛR GHATH: 1. region in the S of the Surrach, known for its multicultural cities, populated largely by mulls, dvergai and humans, with humans commonly forming a lower caste.

2. Fortress-city and capital of the eponymous region in the Surrach. Much of the city is built in a cliff face and it is renowned for its hewn vaults, some of which go very deep beneath the surface. Most famous are the so-called Hammer Deeps. (pop. c. 24,000).

SURDA: 1. region in the c E of the Surrach.

2. city-state in the eponymous region in c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 18,000).

SURRACH, the: (lit. ‘many lands’) imperial name for the land of Saviud, which occupies a 4,000,000-square-mile area of N–W Sammaea, bordering Izabal, Erebeth, Cyhlagharr, Khalhat, and the Daened Sulrach, some 6,000-miles away from the politicking of Korachan, though it is still not entirely outside its sphere of influence. The region is known for its many disparate city-states and small demesnes of loosely allied people.

Some 2–millennia past Korachan was exploring the immediate world, funding colonisation efforts in many regions, including the Surrach. Major efforts at colonisation were made in c. 2300 - 2400 RM, but due to more pressing matters at home as well as difficulties in area the empire was attempting to exploit led to the abandonment of the colonisation effort, though many groups chose to remain there. Some ruins and relics of this original century of colonisation efforts remain, largely in ancient fortresses and harbours, some of which are still in use to this day. Elsewhere, various imperial ruins can be seen. 

Until c. 2760 RM the region was a single entity, known as the empire of Selahim, that sprawled from the W-coast to the Surrachi Plains in the east. The suicide of emperor Drakugh in 2761 RM after the region was sundered by a great earthquake and volcanic eruption in 2759 RM left the empire leaderless and without direction. The thirteen Ankhs, his closest confidantes, could not elect a leader and their squabbles and power grabbing rapidly descended into a civil war which gripped the region for 13 years, at the end of which the land was divided between the 7 surviving Ankhs and the coalitions of city-states that had formed during the war. A state of uneasy truce emerged though political backstabbing remained common, leaving borders in a state of constant flux and the emergence of new states commonplace. 

By c. 3000 RM the region had become known as Saviud, which means ‘conflict’ in the native tongue. It was during this time that the region became characterised by its many disparate charismatic leaders, whose ideals shaped the cultures of their respective domains. Though now regarded as tyrants and despots, records show that they were mostly revered (though the verity of our sources is debatable, at best) by their subjects. By c. 3400 RM the region of Saviud had taken on a cadence little different to that of today, though many city-states and demesnes have come and gone since then. 

The region is most characterised to outsiders by its fragmented nature, though this is in no way an indication of an unhealthy culture. The Inner Sea, with its many rivers feeding it and (originally) better climate, was more conductive to the formation of larger nations. The Surrach in general, and he W-coast in particular, are in a drier climate with scattered resources. This has made it more difficult for settlements to unite as nations as they have elsewhere. As a result, most settlements in the Surrach appear over places that are rich in a particular resource. This means that most cities tend to have a particular character where most industries and exports revolve around that particular resource. Many cities are dominated by high towers, that are built by rich families and dynasties as status symbols as much as they are for defence. Others are known for their street-orchards, with fruit harvested by appointed officials from across the city. Its W coast is known for its high number of ancient merill ruins, exposed in the last centuries by receding waters.  

This in turn has made trade between city-states a vital part of life, and merchant caravans are a common sight, snaking across the many territories, trading important commodities and exotic items across the Ivory Road. Both sea trade along the W-coast and land trade E into Parthis, via its colony in Varta. 

Though each region has its own language, there is a common root, Saviudi, dating back to the original language of Chegrint, though divergent evolution has led some areas to now be very different to each other. There exists a pidgin tongue that is commonly employed by merchants and travellers, that uses the more simple words from ancient Chegrintish, that are used to facilitate trade and communication. It is this language that  has allowed the region to thrive, even as each territory maintains its own identity. 

The S of the Surrach is known for its somewhat disparate culture, including the custom of binding the skulls of newborns to create elongated skulls,and the chthonic dei. they worship in rock-hewn temples known as hypogea.

See Vol II: Extant Realms and Nations.  

SURRACHI PLAINS: dry grassy plains forming the centre-most part of the region of the Surrach. It is populated by derren nomads and many disparate settlements, much like the greater region. The plains are peppered with ruined towers that once belonged to the Selahimi empire that crumbled in 2774 RM.

SURRAT: settlement in the N of the region of Hannaster in the c E of the Surrach. It is known for its game-hunters, who are guardians of the settlement, protecting it from the predation of scavengers and carnivores (Pop. c. 5,000).

SUSSURA: settlement in the far S of the Bakhran States in the N -W of the Surrach, in the foothills of the Thisathon Mtns. Its S borders are guarded by a deep fissure that is known for its murmuring winds (Pop. c. 4,200).

SUURANT: settlement in the far N of the region of Kurda in the Gront Mtns. in the E of the Surrach  (Pop. c. 5,000).

SYNCRASIA: large city in the N - W of the Surrach. It is known for its metropolitan culture, large towers, subterranean districts and fortifications (Pop. c. 40,000).

SYNCRIS: city in the S of the Bakhran States at the edge of the Meggroll f. the N -W of the Surrach. Its main industry is logging. Since the Bakhran States moved S against the region of Saggar the city has been fortified and is a major recruiting and training centre for its armies (Pop. c. 18,000).

SYRTA: ruined and abandoned in the W of the Surrach, in the Knaghta Brine Flats. It was consumed by silt following the retreat of the Bay of Knaghta centuries ago.

SYRTASH: 1. Sea in the W of the Surrach, forming a division between Chatoyant, Flavesca, and Terion. 

2. City and harbour overlooking the eponymous sea in the region of Flavesca in the W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 19,000). 

SZIKAL: founder of the order of the Szikalite hermits in the E of the Surrach in c. 3400 RM.

SZIKALIAN HERMITS: org. in the E of the Surrach, with scattered monasteries in Mtn. regions.

TACENT:independent city in the c of the Surrach. Almost all citizens of the city have taken a vow of silence, but music plays a vital role in life there. Its people are so skilled that many find themselves far from the Surrach as performers, the vows of their old lives forgotten (Pop. c. 6,800).

TADESSA: seasonal r. in the c E of the Surrach, flowing S - W for 340-miles from sources in the Gamigahua Mtns. before emptying in l. Amatan. The r. is seasonal, flowing intensely for a few months each years. Over the past centuries the frequency in which is has flown as decreased, with it running dry for as many as 3 years between rains. 

TAENIA: coastal settlement in the W of the Surrach, in the region of Adasich (Pop. c. 4,000).

TALUS: scree-filled hills in the W of the Surrach, forming the W-most part of the Thisathon Mtns. 

TAMRANT: settlement in the region of Hapaxantha in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

TANASS: city in the Six Cities region in the W of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea. It is fed by the r. Apine. Founded by Atr. and Fir. exiled in ancient Ahina, Tanass continues the traditions of its founders, promoting their use as a means of bettering life. Perhaps fittingly, given its obsession with otherworldly forces, it is ruled by an elective magocracy, though the last elected official seized power 7-years ago, revealing himself to be an otherworlder. Since then the region has become antagonistic and insular (Pop. c. 14,500 [c. 12,000 excl slaves]).

TANTALUSS: settlement in the c W of the Surrach. It is known for its distilleries, where the most famed alabanda (triple-distilled goat’s milk) in the Surrach is made (Pop. c. 5,000). 

TAKIN: settlement in the W of the Surrach, known for its large horned goats (Pop c. 4,000).

TARACEH: fortified settlement in the the region of Hithra in N of the Surrach. Its main industry is coal-mining  (Pop. c. 2,000). 

TAZARANT: independent settlement in the S of the Surrach, between the deserts of Thamaaz in the W and Carnetabael in the E. It is known for its monitor paddocks and its mounted monitor knights (Pop. c. 10,000). 

TELEMA: ancient stone colossus in the W of the Surrach, in the S - W of the Thisamon Mtns. The settlement of Telemon is situated within the great colossus, which is said to date to the Third Age and has crypts and hewn caverns that reach deep into the earth.

TELEMON: settlement in the W of the Surrach, in the S - W of the Thisamon Mtns. It is notable for being mostly contained within a colossus carved from an ancient peak of the range (pop. c. 2,200). 

TEPHRA: settlement, known for its arable farming, in the c W of the Surrach, in the Hathuran valley between the Thisathon and Mishanos Mtns. Its soil is known to be fertile, possibly from asd deposits and lava from the nearby Mt. Drar (Pop. c. 5,000).

TERIA: main city in the region of Terion, in the Surrach (pop. c.28,000).

TERION: region in W of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea.

TERSER: small fortified city in the N of the Surrach, E of the Stul massif (Pop. c. 10,000). 

THADDEA: major city in the Bakhran States, built on Laetian ruins (Pop. c. 48,000).

THAMAAZ: 1. Region dominating the S the Surrach, N–W Sammaea. It is known for its relatively dry climate, and the many small independant cities that pepper its lands, under the aegis of the city of Thumaaz. In antiquity this l and was a part of lhaus domains, and some lhaus can still be found there, and some have even served as the foundations of some city-states, such as ruins are scattered there. The region is united by common worship of a mummified idol referred to as Hiqarast, roughly translated as ‘Bearer of the Keys’, and is thought to have been a missionary from the N.

2. Dominant city in the eponymous region. It is one of the largest cities in the Surrach and controls trade in the immediate surroundings (pop. c. 82,000).

THEOPA: settlement in the region of Hapaxantha in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,400).

THESMOTH: mild Atr. tainted region in N Sammaea, along the border between the Surrach, Ophar and Trakia.

THISATHON: mtn range in the c S - W of the Surrach. It is most well known for its devastating volcanic eruptions in 2759 RM, that devastated the empire of Selahim, causing it to fragment 2-years later. 

THRONE OF LIES, the: name given to a his. period between c. 2800 - 3000 RM in the S - E of the Surrach in N - W Sammaea, around what is today known as the Inotahl basin.The period is characterised by the rapid rise to power of a large and powerful city state, known as Neroli, over its surroundings and the savage politicking and numerous assassinations of its rulers. This instability is what ultimately led to its collapse and eventual absorption by the newly-emerged Surrach.

THYSIASTERY OF THALSIMUS: ancient sacrificial altar in the Tulaan Shaador hills in the c E of the Surrach. The altar was once part of a large temple-complex, which is now in ruins, scattered across the region.

TIRAL: coastal settlement in the region of Chatoyant in the W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

TIUUGU: farming settlement in the region of Syncrasia in the c N of the Surrach. Its main industry is cattle ranching (Pop. c. 3,000).

TODAR: settlement in the region of Shaat Lotha in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,600).

TOMBS OF THE LAETIAN KINGS: ancient tombs of ancestral Laetian kings, buried in the W-face of the Sarraster Mtns. The tombs are spread across a mile of steep incline, and many of them are buried, though a few remain visible, facing the Watti plains.

TOWER OF LHUKH: ancient tower in the far S of the Surrach, S of the Straminea Mtns. The tower is made of a strange pale porcelain-like substance and is believed to be a relic of ancient lhaus domains that dominated the region W of here in the Third Age.

TRAGIC KINGDOM, the: extinct ntn. its original name now forgotten, off the W-coast of the Surrach, in what is today known as the Ghoul Isles. The ntn. emerged in c. -200 RM and grew throughout the first centuries of the Korachani dominance around the Inner Sea, and reached its peak in c. 480 RM, where it was known to trade with Parthis (then Parthia) and the Korachani empire to the east and other lands to the W. Its capital, Zaduh, was a great harbour with gilded domes and needle-like spires. 

Contact with the greater world decreased suddenly in the years leading to 500 RM, ending completely by c. 505 RM. Accounts of the Surrachi people say that a terrible Atr. plague struck the isl. in 579 RM and that contact was severed with the isl. to keep the Surrachi mainland safe. The waters of the Strait of Khadras were heavily patrolled, and anyone caught leaving the isl. was shot at without questions asked, though little contact was made with natives of the isl. See Vol IV: Extinct Nations.

TRIA: settlement in the region of Katurush, in the W of the Surrach. It is known for its pomegranate groves (Pop. c. 4,000). 

TTARTALL: major city in the far E of the Surrach. Its main industry is the breeding and rearing of monitors (Pop. c. 20,000). 

TULAAN SHAADOR: rocky hills, covered in scattered sparse shrub f. in the c E of the Surrach, S of the Roshhot, Gamigahua, and Biranti Mtns.   

TULLANT: major city in the N - E of the Surrach, in the N - E foothills of the Nghalleal Mtns. (Pop. c. 20,000).

TUNUS: small city in the N of the region of Betahal in the N of the Surrach (Pop. c. 7,500). 

TUSENTAL: census-city in the Surrach. The city’s sole purpose is to catalog and codify the other settlements and city-states in the region. It is a bureaucrat’ heaven, with the city existing solely to support the many census offices, embassies and consulates that dominate its quartres. The variety of of races and cultures amongst its populace is unravelled across Elyden and its market is a gigantic tiered amphitheatre that offers exotic foods, clothing and other goods from across the Surrach and beyond.

It is said that over a thousand city-states and demesnes are represented within the city (Pop. c. 33,000).

TZEDEK: independent city-state in the far E of the Surrach, close to the border with Trakia. It is known for its grotesque demonic idol, that dates back to an idolatrous time. It is populated by marauders who regularly penetrate E into Trakia, raiding villages (pop. c. 8,500).

UBIQUA: extensive delta of the r. Hathuran, encompassing some 12,000-square-miles. 

UDANT: settlement in the far N of the region of Kurda in the E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

UGOMOS: stoney plateau in the N - W-face of the Pameroas-Mtns. It is known for the lithographs carved into its flat surface. From the air, these take the form of gigantic concentric circles, the largest of which is some 300-ft. wide and of perfect curvature. It is thought that a powerful Atr. leyline may have once occupied this region, though if that’s the case, it was either spent (either by natural decay or a large ritual that drained it) long ago or drifted elsewhere through natural phenomena.

ULOSITH: large hill in  the c of the Surrach. It is rocky and scabrous, and of dark hue and is shunned by most.

ULUTUL: temple in the far S - E of Terion, overlooking the Bay of Bhaad. The mummified remains of the Oracle of Ulutul are interred within, and they are revered as sacred by the people of Terion. The temple is guarded at all times and in times of need, shapers under the command of Teria, are sent to commune with the spirit of the oracle.

URAKESH: small city in the region of Ussamar in the N of the Surrach. Its main industry is logging hardwoods (Pop. c. 7,400).

URHAGNATT: also ‘the Empty City’. Ancient ruins in the c of the Surrach, in the Atr. tainted land of Kobian in the S - W of the Surrachi Plains. The ruin dates back to the Fourth Age and was once a major city, boasting a population of millions during its peak. Little is known of its fate, though it is thought to have fallen during the Shadow War, but other accounts imply that the Atr. wastes of Kobian appeared as a result of the meddling of shapers who delved too deeply into forbidden knowledge. The fortress of Vacatur, just 75-miles from the ruin of Urhagnatt and 25-miles from the border of Kobian, exists purely to penetrate the Atr. wastes in an attempt to open up the ruin to exploration. 

USA: coastal settlement in the region of Chypre in the W of the Surrach. It is known for its orange groves and water-side palaces that are owned by nobility across the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

USSAMAR: barren hills S of the Nghalleal Mtns. in the N of the Surrach.

VAAL: small city in the region of Sodalor in the c N of the Surrach it has a large population of savi natives from the S (Pop. c. 8,400).

VACATUR: fortress in the c of the Surrach, overlooking the Atr. wastes of Kobian. The fort is populated by a group of Atr. who work to keep the encroaching wastes of Kobian at bay in the hopes of one day removing it, opening the ruins of Urhagnatt to exploration.

VAEL SUMI: r. in the W of the Surrach, flowing W for 500-miles from sources in the far W of the Nghalleal Mtns. before meeting with l. Kal adhi. The r. Was dammed in 3945 RM, leading to the dwindling of l. Kal adhi, which in turn resulted in the abandonment of various small settlements along the old shore of the l. which is now littered with the rusted huks of grounded ships.

VACIVA: sand desert in the N - W of Sammaea, to the W of the Sea of Eschata in the region of Carnat.

VAMODOR: city in the region of Furud in the c W of the Surrach, along the Ivory Road (Pop. c. 16,200).

VANKA:  main city in the region of Qattisysh, and main producer and distributor of saffron in the W of the Surrach. It was once an independent city though an alliance with Qattisysh, saw it become the latter’s dependency in c. 3980 RM (Pop. c. 18,500).

VANUS: ancient Xenthic ruin in the far S of the Surrach, in the rock deserts of Carnetabaael. 

VARTA: Major Parthisan colony in the N–E of the Surrach, founded in c. 3950 RM to facilitate trade between the two regions. By c. 4000 RM is a cosmopolitan metropolis, one of the largest cities in the region and is effectively an autonomous colony of Parthis. It is incredibly wealthy and has great armies that dominate the region, making it one of the safest areas of the Surrach (pop. c. 110,000).

VIUTH: settlement in the N of the Surrach (Pop. c. 3,000).

VODOR: settlement in the region of Zaffre in the c E of the Surrach. Its main industry is loggin (Pop. c. 3,000).

VROT: settlement in the contested region between the Bakhran States to the N and Saggar to the S, originally part of the former, but attacked by the latter in 4003 RM. It is now occupied by the armies of the Bakhran States (Pop. c. 2,000).

WELA: settlement in the region of Tusental in the c of the Surrach. It is known for its large cattle herds (Pop. c. 2,000).

WANIA: ruins of a coastal city in the region of Sûr Ghath in the W of the Surrach. The city was abandoned in c. 3000 RM when the Bay of Knaghta was cut off from the ocean, leaving the city landlocked.

WIND WARDENS, the: Large stone structure in the c of the Surrachi Plains in the Surrach, that serves as a border between four regions. The structure is hollow and on windy days it produces an eerie howling sound, that changes tune depending on the direction the wind is blowing. Its origins are unknown, and predate any extant culture in the area. The Wind Wardens act as a crossroads to the surrounding regions of Gangua, Tusental, Yttria, and Sin. 

XANTHAON: mtn. range in the W of the Surrach, forming a natural border with Terion. The mtn. is named after the Xanthic kingdom of antiquity.

XANTHIA: (dem. Xanthic) ancient kingdom in what is now Terion and the S - W of the Surrach that rose in c. 0 RM and lasted until c. 1500 RM, at which point the Xanthic Princes were defeated by invading corsairs from the W. The kingdom is remembered for its opulent palaces, the warren-like settlements surrounding them and the dark yellow robes that their rulers are said to have worn. At the height of its powers it extended as far E as the caverns of Iantha, in the N-face of the Straminea Mtns. The empire is mostly known today for the amethyst skulls that its craftsmen fashioned, and their elongated craniums.     

XANTHIC PRINCES: rulers of ancient Xanthia in what is now Terion and the W of the Surrach, known for the dark yellow robes they wore. Scholars today think they may have been Str. shapers, though there is little evidence to support this.  

XENURIA: fortified settlement in the region of Robat in the c W of the Surrach. Its mines produce high-quality sandstone that is used along the Ivory Road (Pop. c. 2,000). 

XOANON: major gold mines in the S of the Saggar region of the Surrach. The land surrounding the settlements in this region is a wasteland, pock-marked with dozens of spent gold mines (Pop. c. 5,000). 

XYCHA: settlement in the  of the Surrach (Pop. c. 2,900).

XYSA: major city in the region of Edalla in the W of the Surrach. The city is dominated by a large manufactory what is divided into different districts, each dedicated to the production of different items. The manufactories are all powered by a single central furnace that routes heat and power across its many districts (Pop. c. 18,000).

YASHODHARA: also ‘the Bearer of Flame’. Granite statue in the N of the Surrach, S of the Nghalleal Mtns. in the region of Ussamar. It is thought to date back to the early Fourth Age and depicts a humanoid with arms outstretched, its hand originally bearing unending flames. It is unknown how the flames burnt, though it is thought to be a Fir. effect that, stopped burning in c. 338 RM. 

YEPPO: city in the c E of the Surrach in N–W Sammaea. Little is known about it other than its ruling thaumaturge caste, which is noted for its strict religious laws. Any form of shaping other than that practiced by its thaumaturges is forbidden (pop. c. 34,000).

YELLRAKH: r. in the c E of the Surrach, flowing W for c 800-miles from sources in the Gamigahua before reaching the endorheic basin in the N of the Surrachi Plains. During the wet seasons, between Korahalen and Satavalen, rains flood the r. banks and cause a temporary lake, known as Igraal, to form on most years.

YGGATHALUR: N - E-most part of the Nghalleal Mtns. in the N - E of the Surrach, extending into S - W Ophar. It’s notable for its sightly granite formations along its W-face, ranging from orange, to brown and red in colour.

YLEM: 1. Unique ore found in the eponymous isl. city-state in the W of the Surrach. It is thought to date back to the earliest days of shaping and is easily manipulable by shapers, making it a prized material amongst such individuals. It is crafted into intricate and exquisitely-detailed object d’art which is sold across Elyden. 

2. independant coastal city on the isl. of Raliss. Its primary industry is the mining of an ancient material, also known as ylem, that is thought to date to the earliest days of the Demiurges’ shaping of Elyden. The material is easily malleable by shapers and is sold to them for research purposes and crafted into object d’art (Pop. c. 20,000).   

YLIVI: settlement in the region of Yeppo in the c E of the Surrach. It emerged in c. 3820 RM when the purported remains of First Age illidraen settlements and remains to this day a major scholarly centre for the study of illidraen and other mortal races (Pop. c. 2,800). 

YTTRIA: 1. Region in the c of the Surrach, in the Surrachi Plains 

2. Main city in the eponymous region, known for its wide shallow quarries (Pop. c. 18,000).

ZAAZUASH: once a major city in the c S - W of the Surrach, whose main industry was the mining of soulstones for technarcane use. It grew rich off of the exportation of the stones and technarcane devices that required them as fuel and boasted a population of over 100,000 during its height in c. 3200 RM. It was devastated by the sudden appearance of the Atr. wastes of Harat Chlo between 3681 - 3684 RM and was abandoned soon after. As the Atr. wastes expanded, surrounding settlements were also claimed and slowly refugees made their way to the city and eventually continued the soulstone industry. Much of the city is now deserted, the clay bricks of its abandoned districts disintegrated into grey mounds around the populated area. 

The area around the city is a waterlogged wasteland peppered with wretched trees and the shallowly buried  

ZADUH: old capital of the Tragic Kingdom, on what are now known as the ghoul Isles. It was once a great harbour, known for its gilded domes and many merchant ships that trades W and E. Today it is a grey ruin, some distance from the coast due to the diminishing waters of Elyden. The ruin and much of the surrounding coast are shrouded in thick mists, as cool sea air meets the warmer ais that hangs over the isl. 

ZAFFRE: City-state in c N–E of the Surrach in N–W Sammaea, that is renowned for the large dark blue dome of its main administrative structure as well as the many other similarly-coloured domes around the city.

The city has been under the leadership of an otherworlder since 4007 RM, around which a sizeable cult of personality has grown, attracting pilgrims from around the Surrach. It is also known for its multiculturalism, especially its tolerance, if not outright celebration, of different rel. and faiths. Its settlements are amongst the major producers of lumber in the Surrach (pop. c. 40,000).

ZANDER ADESH: city in the c E of the Surrach (Pop. c. 14,000). 

ZANDERA: small city in the region of Bacalusia in the c W of the Surrach (Pop. c. 8,000).

ZAOL: settlement in the region of Asklepia in the c W of the Surrach. It is situated along the Ivory March and operates a caravan that operates for 60-miles between it and Asklepia where the injured are seen to. (Pop. c. 4,000).

ZEAR: fortified settlement in the region of Bacalusia in the c of the Surrach (Pop. c. 4,000).

ZENARCH: ruling caste and title in the city-state of Mern in the Surrach. A triad of Shapers and otherworlder-worshippers. Their rule is harsh and they forbid the Arts under their rule.

ZARAZESH: endorheic l. and expansive salt flats in the c of the Surrach. The l. is fed by seasonal r. that gather into temporary r. in the Beragot basin.   

ZARI: gold mines in the c E of the Saggar region of the Surrach (Pop. c. 2,200).

ZARRI ZAKIR: tiered city in the c E of the Surrach, known for its large date and pomegranate groves (Pop. c. 20,000).

ZAYAT: settlement in the S of the Bakhran States in the N - W of the Surrach. It is known for its large forums and speaking halls, that date back to ancient cultures in the area (Pop. c. 3,800). 

ZENDIK: also ‘the Heretics’ City’. City in the far S - W of the Surrach, in the region of Gaap. It is small, and considered to be independent from Gaap, and is ruled by shapers who were excommunicated from Gaap in c. 3780 RM (Pop. c. 5,000).

ZENONA: series of around 2-dozen fortified homesteads in the region of Concupiscea, known for their distinct wine-making (Pop. c. 2,000).

ZESTA: lachrymist monastery in the c S of the Surrach, just N - W of the tower of Entoma. 

ZILION: independent city  in the c S - W of the Surrach. It is known for its elephant-based industries, where the beasts are used for lifting and carrying (Pop. c. 15,000). 

ZILLALOR: stone region in the c E of the Surrach, W of the Aboshathot Mtns. covered in granite pillars - remnants of erosion in the area that removed softer stone, leaving the pillars  in their place.