I’ve been enjoying updating the maps of my fictional world of Alltyyr. Going back over them has given me the opportunity to delve once more into the varied geographies and histories of its lands and peoples.

Book I: Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble takes place in the Western Kingdoms of Alltyyr. Eight kingdoms comprise this part of the realm: Barony, Faragellyn, Dhanarra, Sulledor, Mardainn, Jendairin, Tralyxa, and Clair.

Barony, the northernmost kingdom, boasts wide vistas of rolling grasslands where horse breeders raise all manner of horses from war mounts to swift thoroughbreds to palfreys for court ladies. Its cavalry is unmatched. Renowned for their training skills, Barony’s horsemen are as much in demand as their incomparable horseflesh. Barony is also well-known for its brandy distilleries located in the capital city of Cierra. Cierran brandy commands an exorbitantly high price. Barony is bordered on the east and north by the dense, wild forest of Shallin Wood, and on the west by the much tamer timberland of Devrin Wood.

Southeast of Barony lies Faragellyn. Half farmland, half forest (the primordial Shallin Wood), Faragellyn grows crops and beef for trade. Faragellyn’s capital, Crystalir, was once the seat of the kingdoms’ High King, chosen to unite the kingdoms centuries ago in the aftermath of the war between the West and the Eastern Frontier. After the High King’s line died out, the kingdoms squabbled and dissolved their alliances, and an ancestor of the current king of Faragellyn, Jacques du Mraine, rose to power. The House of du Mraine has ruled Faragellyn since that time.

West of Faragellyn and south of Barony sits Dhanarra. Rich farmland covers the upper two-thirds of this powerful kingdom — powerful because it controls a large section of the Amberin River, a vital trade route that flows from north to south the entire length of the kingdom. The southern third of the kingdom encompasses the foothills of the Scarlet Mountains, an area of rough terrain inhabited by sheep and goat herders. Carilon, the Dhanarran capital, is highly regarded for its academics, both in traditional education and, for those with aptitude, training in the use of magic.

West of Dhanarra and southwest of Barony lies Sulledor. This rocky, forested kingdom contained mostly within the expanse of Devrin Wood, relies mainly on timber and the fur trade for its sustenance. Sulledor is ruled by a brutal dictator with a restive army. Neighboring kingdoms keep a wary eye on their activities.

This is just a brief overview, an introduction into my fictional world. The other four kingdoms I’ll save for another post. 🙂

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2014