The Imperial Palace is roughly at the center of the great field known as the Fallows.
To the north, it is bordered by the Forest and its huge trees. There are guardposts near the Forest to keep an eye out for monsters coming out of it, but they've grown lax over the years.
The east, it's bordered by the Great Lake. This and the area around the palace proper are the most prosperous parts of the kingdom.
To the west lie the Wildlands. Rough, hilly terrain, almost completely untamed and still beset by giant predators. There used to be a fair number of settlements in the Wildlands, but they've been abandoned over the years and now are either rotting and empty or are controlled by barbarian tribes. The western parts of the empire are controlled by numerous minor nobles and their holdings, although they all technically still serve the Emperor. Their private soldiers mount regular patrols, but it's mostly to guard against barbarian invasions and to collect taxes.
To the south lie the Forbidden Lands. Here the land is still flat, but overgrown with tall weeds and bushes. Military patrols occasionally move along the edge, maintaining the markers and keeping an eye out for trouble. Far above and beyond the overgrowth, a keen-eyed mouse can just barely make out the walls of a tremendous structure, something like a house but unbelievably large. According to ancient legend, the Titans live or lived there and the original White Lords came from it. Now the path between the Fallows and the Titans is guarded by three great serpents, ensorcelled by the White Lords to allow no one to approach the building save royalty.
Posted by Kiz at May 31, 2005 12:39 PMCommentsPost a comment