The Nine Kingdoms of
Etched in Bone
All artwork has been created using DALL-E.
Imesha
This is the northernmost kingdom of the Nine. The southern portion of the kingdom is covered by snowy mountains with the land north of this dominated by tundra. The Imeshan people tend to live along the coastlines where the weather is less severe. The most populated locations are along the southern coast with its capital city on the southwestern tip of the island.
Imesha is known for its harsh environments but also the beauty of its landscapes. The ice spikes on the western coast draw people from across the Nine. This is a holy land among the Imeshan people, so none build permanent residence there. At certain points in the year, bright green, blue, and red lights dance in the sky, and this is when many Imeshan people journey to the ice spikes to pay tribute to the gods.
Drëoceston
Southeast of Imesha, the people of Drëoceston typically speak both Drëo and Imeshan due to their longstanding trade relations which are older than the Nine itself. This kingdom is largely covered in coniferous and boreal forests with long mountain ranges that occupy the middle of the land. The forests that surround these mountains are made up of rockwood trees which are renowned for their special properties. Rockwood is named due to the toughness of the wood and for the fact that it does not burn. The wood is easy to identify due to its amethyst coloring. There is a window of time when the wood is still able to be cut rather than chiseled, and craftsmen take full advantage of this.
Avaryn
While there are coniferous and boreal forests to the northeast, the majority of this kingdom is covered by deciduous forests and vast plains broken up by small mountain ranges. There are cliffs along the north and western coasts that eventually slope down to meet the sea in the southern region of the kingdom. It is here where the capital city, Srila, is set, built into a less severe cliff side with five rungs that eventually lead up to the castle perched on the top. Historically prominent as a trading hub, and as the current seat of the high king, this city attracts people from across the Nine. Two of the most well-known warding institutions are also based in Srila with students from all kingdoms coming to study under some of the best wardens since the Conqueror.
Lithos
Lithos is environmentally very similar to Avaryn, with its mountain ranges and deciduous forests, however, it has fewer vast stretches of plains. This kingdom, as the origin of the Conqueror, was where the tradition of the high seat trials began. The first ruler who won these trials had a statue erected of her in the city, Teyah, where the start of the trials took place. Her statue was built in stone imported from her home kingdom, Imesha. Every high ruler since has had a statue built in their likeness made of stone from their own kingdom. These statues of high rulers can be found throughout the city of Teyah, but the first ruler’s statue is recognized easily since it is at the highest point of the city, and her sword is thrust up to the sky.
Cosia
Cosia is predominately chaparral which lends itself to the production of wine grapes and olives which are in high demand across the Nine. The coasts are known for their white sand beaches but also the extensive underwater sea caves which are home to white sea turtles and glow eels.
While the capital city is on the main island of Cirth, the Cosian queen prefers her residence on the steppes of Cosia to the northeast. These steppes are home to the Cosian wild horses whose speed and endurance are only rivaled by those bred in Qahan. However, it is the annual wine run which is also held on the steppes that is most widely known and draws contestants from all kingdoms. Whoever wins the race gets to take home their weight in wine.
Cirth
Cirth is made up of temperate plains with a few large plateaus jutting up in the western parts of the kingdom. Those living here tend to lead nomadic lives, following their herds of cows and sheep, settling down only during the winter months in the shelter of the plateaus.
This kingdom is the only one without a castle. While it has a capital city, the king of Cirth is nomadic and travels in caravans with his people. This is a tradition that has been upheld since before the time of the Conqueror.
Vroria
This kingdom is covered in seasonal rainforest that is less dense around the coastlines where people have set up their cities, ports, and villages. Vroria has what is considered the best warding university in the Nine. Many rulers, ward collectors, and warding institutions seek to hire wardens from here. They have the largest library of books dedicated to the study of warding which is a central part of the university and one of its biggest draws.
Vroria is also known for its architecture. When this kingdom was initially founded, it was ruled under a self-declared king who conquered the islands of current-day Vroria as well as the two small southern Cosian islands. This king was obsessed with image and wanted his castle to look completely different from the dark red rock that was largely used for building at the time. The king decided to use quarries on the two small Cosian islands to build the Vrorian palace. So pleased with how the milky white stone looked against the lush green palm trees, he decided his kingdom should be entirely built of this stone. He named it swan stone after the white birds he kept. This is still the widely accepted term both in Vroria and Cosia with the latter still profiting from the swan stone it exports.
Qahan
Qahan is the largest kingdom in the Nine, but since most of it is covered in desert, its people stay along the coasts, rivers, or in some of the large oases. Its population is comparable to Cirth despite Qahan being four times its size. In the south of Qahan are the salt flats which generate the signature pink, red, and black salts that are major exports of this kingdom. The eastern section of Qahan has many volcanos with most being inactive. The volcanic rock, obsidian, and diamonds that come from here are also valuable trades.
This kingdom’s largest river runs from northeast to southwest, feeding into a large body of water near the salt flats. Many cities run along this waterway, and because of this unifying river, boats are heavily utilized to carry goods from one city to the next.
Helyra
Helyra is made up of thick tropical rainforest and because it’s so dense, the people live on the rivers, traveling mostly by boat. While they could chop down trees to make room for settlements, they recognize that to preserve the biodiversity of the area, the trees must stay intact. Otherwise, the ecological systems in place would be irreversibly damaged. Helyrans cut trees judiciously and never clear-cut any areas of forest to protect the natural environment.
The wildlife of Helyra is considered the most dangerous despite the snow bears in Imesha being some of the most feared creatures due to their size and aggression. In Helyra, the rivers house crocodiles, snakes, and what is called the Death Bed, all of which make life on the water perilous. The Death Bed is a type of river grass that is a complex organism consisting of hundreds of individual strands. Many people have drowned from being pulled down by Death Beds.