Cignoria was a planet orbiting around a yellow-orange main sequence star. Until 350 years ago Cignoria had two satellites: Evet and Kedi. Evet orbited approximately once every 20 days, and the further out Kedi orbiting once approximately every 30 days.
Evet was the name of the innermost moon orbiting Cignoria. Up until 350 years ago it had an orbital period of 20 days and was part of the two moon system orbiting Cignoria. In 7411ER, for reasons yet unknown the Essence explosion that caused the Upheaval in Provence Brilend caused Evet to disintegrate in a violent explosion, scattering lunar fragments in all directions. Given a few million years this rocky debris will eventually settle into rings, shepherded into place by the combined gravity of Evet and Cignoria, but being only 350 years since the disaster the space around Cignoria was lively: meteor showers and shooting stars were a common occurrence at all hours of the day.
Kedi was the name of the outer moon orbiting Cignaria and was part of the twin moon system orbiting that planet. After 7411ER it was the solitary moon surrounded by the rocky remnants of Evet. It’s passage overhead was notable due to its effects on the debris field, alternately flinging rocks into deep space or sending them into the atmosphere of Cignoria in a blaze of shooting stars.
The region that was called Provence Brilend or, locally North Brilend, was sparsely populated with a population density of a dozen humans per square mile. Until the Upheaval it was mostly uninhabited wilderness with four tribes of nomadic herdsmen calling the region home. Post-Upheaval found the Empire discovering and exploiting rich deposits of minerals and ore that were turned up in the tumult and populations of humans and non-humans moved into the area at the expense of the remnants of the indigenous tribes.
The Upheaval was a series of mountain ranges radiating like ripples in a pond from the central site of the Essence explosion that occurred for unknown reasons in 7411ER. The main crater was inaccessible, ringed by mountains over twenty thousand feet high, and was approximately 250 miles in diameter. Erosion had very little time to work, and the mountains themselves were jagged and unstable. Earthquakes and volcanic activity were common in North Brilend and avalanches thundered down the sides of jagged peaks frequently.
The Jewell Cities – At 70 degrees latitude the Jewell Cities were four degrees (or 276 miles) north of the polar circle. They were mining towns established to exploit minerals ordinarily found deep in the crust but brought to the surface.
Garnet was founded in 7681ER and was the oldest of the Jewell Cities. It was situated in a valley southeast of the Upheaval near the flanks of one of the myriad volcanoes active since the Essence explosion. It was the most developed and comfortable of the Jewels as it was situated in the lee of the mountains of the Upheaval and sheltered from the storm winds blowing down from the northern wastes. Access to Garnet was from a lengthy mining road 7-10 days by horse to the crossroads at Edmond’s Crossing.
Opal was founded in 7711ER and was the second of the Jewel Cities, founded after the success of the mining operation in Garnet. Located in a glacial valley to the east of the Upheaval, conditions at Opal were severe as it faced the brunt of storms blowing in from the northern wastes. It’s success was based upon two factors: 1. an extensive plumbing system utilizing hydrostatic pressure to drive mining and refining operations and 2. a program of indentured servitude in which citizens of the Empire could volunteer to work the mines in return for a share of the proceeds generated from the mine. This program was later expanded to include individuals convicted of a capital crime. Convicts could elect to reimburse the Empire for damages by working in the mines for a sentenced payment payable over time.
Beryl was founded a mere 15 years ago in 7746ER as the third of the Jewell Cities. With the amount of metals and minerals being extracted by Opal and Garnet, the Empire decided to build a third city to the north of the Upheaval. Being directly windward, conditions in Beryl were harsh and therefore mining operations were performed almost entirely by criminals and slaves.
The Aphend Forest was a forest to the southwest of North Brilend. It was comprised of coniferous and deciduous trees and encompassed the west fork of the Uedama River.
The Thelan Forest was an evergreen coniferous forest flanking the Thelan Mountains and occupying both banks of the Upper Inaro River.
The Uedama River was a waterway serving the watershed defined by the Thelan Mountains and Akin’s Ridge and flowed into the Kehah Ria. Before the Upheaval both forks of the Uedama were used by logging companies to send trees from the Thelan and Aphend forests down to the Sea of Konor during the summer months when the Sea was not ice-locked. However, the Upheaval flooded the Uedama river basin and created the Kehah Ria and logging along the Uedama ceased.
The Inaro River was the major river system of the Provence Brilend flowing northwards from the central highlands to the northern wastes and the Sea of Konor. It was roughly delineated into the Upper Inaro and Lower Inaro, using Edmond’s Crossing as the delineation. The northern oxbow was often used by summertime loggers to receive timber from the Thelan forest to ship to the Jewel Cities, but that practice had become perilous in the last few years due to the predations of Sudaar and Arokaar Orcs that have emerged in the area.
Edmond’s Crossing was a frontier trading village and the northernmost permanent settlement of the Empire. It marked the spot where the roads from Beryl and Opal met the road from Garnet to connect with the terminus of the Great Road that snaked several thousands of miles southward to the Silver Hall of the Khizdushaz Empire.
The Black Hills was a formation of mountains to the southeast of Provence Brilend. Being entirely unremarkable and far from the Great Road or any settlement, the Black Hills remained unexplored.
Shala was a village on the Kehah Ria and was the westernmost settlement of the Jarizza Commonwealth. It lay on the southernmost tip of the subduction zone that caused the flooding of the Uedama river valley and creation of Tothkubad during the Upheaval. It’s primary source of revenue was harvesting wood from the blackened forest and fishing/hunting along the border waters.
Akin’s Ridge was one of the myriad glacial mountain ranges formed by tectonic activity caused by the Upheaval. It is home to a rumor-shrouded encampment called the Wanderer’s Rest located high in the mountains.
Manola Mountains / Malpara Mountains / Sosala Mountains
Tothkubad was a peninsula bordered by the Sea of Konora to the west and the Kehah Ria to the east. Its predominant feature was the mountain range formed by subduction of an eastern tectonic plate under the western. It was rugged country of ill temperament, full of volcanic activity and rumors of foul demons and malevolent spirits.
The Northern Waste was a broken tundra of ice and glaciers. It was the southernmost point of a region marked by being the coldest, driest, and windiest on Cignoria.
The Sea of Konora was an arm of a larger ocean framed by coasts of jagged rock and deposited glacial sediment. Restless currents kept the tides strong, carrying icebergs from the northern wastes clockwise along its shores. It’s high strong currents and surface storms kept it from freezing over, but travel by ship was still dangerous during all but the peak summer months.
Kehah Ria was originally a subduction valley carved by the Uedama River and plate tectonics until it was flooded by water from the Sea of Konora during the Upheaval. Subsequent earthquakes triggered enormous movement that formed the mountains to the west and widened its access to the Sea of Konora.
Mod Bay was a tiny inlet at the northernmost tip of the Provence Brilend. Though covered with glaciers throughout the year, it’s steep shores and deep trench immediately off shore made it an ideal access to the Sea of Konora and its whale and seal feeding grounds.
