The world of Dun-I, a realm crafted from the void by refugees and criminals of another world, is the home to humans in By Gods and Kings. Though many small landmasses existed in the original incarnation, over time, all but two were removed. The remaining humans reside on two continents: Cuor and Oorinay. Cities and kingdoms have been constructed since the dawn of time with borders and boundaries protecting the citizens and creating various human domains.

The Continent of Cuor

Shorrek, one of the two seats of power on the continent of Cuor, is the home to a very powerful army. Its influence stretches far, controlling the bulk of the Confederation of Small Kingdoms. Its only real rival is Teardret to the far west and Merdool, on the continent of Oorinay. The King of Shorrek boasts a tremendous amount of power over the continent, wielding influence over all of the other small kingdoms in neighbors. Shorrek is located in the center of the eastern half of Cuor, near the source of the Sariak River. This gives it access to Fierrak in the south by water, which leads all the way to Werz and the coast.

Teardret, one of the two seats of power on the continent of Cuor, is the home to the mage armies that are feared throughout Dun-I. Regarded as the seat of knowledge in Dun-I, the Archmage and his followers possess a tremendous amount of power and wield it without prejudice. Their army rivals the size of Shorrek, and though a large chain of mountains split the continent of Cuor, the forces of Teardret are not shy to cross the mountains to spy on their rivals.

Fierrak, a kingdom located near the mountains that split the continent of Cuor and straddling the fork of Sariak River. With the mountain chain so close to Fierrak, mining is the primary source of income for the city, with several mines and quarries built up around them. The government is very loose, almost considered to be a puppet state of Shorrek. The local magistrate consists primarily of the family of Lords of Shorrek, giving much greater influence to the head of the Confederation of Small Kingdoms than any of the other members. Fierrak’s proximity to the mountains also makes it the closest city to the pass, the only way through the mountains to reach the other end of the continent. Because of this, Fierrak is referred to as the gateway of Cuor.

Sunshire is a very peculiar kingdom on the continent of Cuor. Positioned on the Sariak River, Sunshire is the first stop on the trip between Fierrak and Werz and is located halfway between both. Because of its proximity, Sunshire is the primary port for many of the inland cities and towns that are unaffiliated with any of the kingdoms. Fields surround the city, with agriculture being the primary source of revenue for the area. Though odd occurrences happen near Sunshire frequently, her allies in the Confederation of Small Kingdoms don’t tend to think much of it.

Kastelles, a kingdom located on the northern coast and on the top of a large mountain, is the home to an ancient order of monks. These monks, a very peaceful group of people, keep several ancient tomes and records of the history of Dun-I. Though they belong to the Confederation of Small Kingdoms, they are not a very active participant, only staying involved for reasons of trade and commerce. Though they have a port to the north of the city, it is not very active. The climate is incredibly cold throughout the bulk of the year and the water is typically frozen over and impossible for ships to make it through.

Morenest, a kingdom located to the northwest on a crescent shaped island, is home to five rival clans. Possessing lush, green grass and rolling hills, the four clans live in small villages with stone structures that are all located on the coast with roads that lead into the central city. Though an uneasy peace exists between the clans, constant bickering exists. The central city of Morenest is run by a single representative of each clan, creating an uneasy democracy. Their policies and government, however, are heavily influenced by the Confederation of Small Kingdoms, with the magistrate in Shorrek pulling the strings of the majority of clans.

Werz, a kingdom on the eastern coast of Cuor, is the seat of commerce for the continent and the second most powerful member of the Confederation of Small Kingdoms. All trade from Oorinay comes through Werz, with the customs agents controlling goods that comes in and goes out. Though some ships go to the other side of the continent and ports controlled by Teardret, the tense relationship with the large seat of power makes Werz a much more ideal place of business. The small army of Werz is primarily a maritime force, with several large vessels used to wrest control of the waters around the area.

Dorries, a large city located in the southern part of Cuor, straddles the Yelenk River with Durn across from it. Dorries is a city where textile and artisans hone their crafts. The markets of Dorries are famed across all of Dun-I for having the most glamorous and extravagant goods. The population of the city is made up mostly of lords from the various kingdoms of Dun-I, all moving to Dorries for a much better quality of life. Dorries does not have a standing army, as Shorrek provides the protection it requires. With a great number of lords living in Dorries, it is in Shorrek’s best interest to keep the small city protected, as they pay a fair amount in tribute.

Durn, a small city located in the southern part of Cuor, straddles the Yelenk River with Dorries across from it. The people in Durn work across the river in Dorries in the stores, stalls, and workshops. While the artisan and crafters that own the shops reside in Dorries, their employees reside in Durn. Durn is riddled with poverty, with the bulk of the money made from the artisans staying across the river in Dorries. Though Durn shares many things with Dorries, it does possess its own government, one that belongs to the Confederation of Small Kingdoms, but is highly resistant to the influence of Shorrek. While those across the river in Dorries try to influence Durn, she is highly resistant and reluctant to accept aide.

Brex, is the southernmost kingdom on the Cuor continent. Filled with poverty and rundown buildings, Brex is a city that was at one time a seat of power, but overtime, fell victim to droughts that ravaged the once fertile fields and war that crippled its power. The skies are constantly grey and a fog is perpetually over the city, with the winds from the south blowing the fog over the area. Brex has a small militia and the few fields that aren’t fallow produce barely enough crops to feed half of the city. Brex relies on help from the rest of the Confederation of Small Kingdoms in order for her citizens to survive, but in exchange, the citizens must serve the Confederation. Many of the young men move to Shorrek when they are of age to join the army of Shorrek in exchange for all aid their families receive.

Chelosk, a city to the northeast of Teardret, is a small, private city that is walled off from the rest of Cuor. Though loosely allied with Teardret, Chelosk is fiercely independent and provides for its own survival. Several large farms provide the city with all of its food and its small militia is well trained. However, it is rumored that Chelosk is a hub for the knowledge of the continent and that Chelosk has spies in every city in Dun-I, relaying information back to the city so that they can stay abreast of the world.

Forensia, a city to the south of Teardret, is located on Lake Foren near the southern end of the continent. Heavily reliant on Teardret for protection, the lush fields around the city provide the bulk of the food for the seat of power. Forensia does not have an army and the city is very quaint, containing small cottages for its citizens and no walls or fortifications. Forensia is the only city on the lake, which is the start of a small river that leads straight to the coast.

Melor, a city to the east of Teardret, is located on the mountain range that splits the continent of Cuor in half. Like Fierrak on the other side, Melor is located near the pass and is the first city that travelers must pass through in order to enter the second half of the continent. Melor is heavily fortified by the forces of Teardret, with several garrisons of mage knights keeping the western side of the continent protected from any invasion from the east. Several mines that house crystal are housed in Melor with the bulk of the population mining for them to use to acquire other goods. Unlike the rest of the western half of the continent, Melor actively trades with Fierrak and gets goods and supplies from the east.

The Continent of Oorinay

Merdool, the seat of power of Oorinay, is the ruling city for the entire continent. Seven families all vie for power, with only one consistently ruling over the Duchy at a time in an autocracy. Five rivers all flow into the area around Merdool, making it a central hub for all commerce for the continent. However, while trade is prevalent, the basis of the economy is built on the arena and the slaves that do battle there. The travelers who venture to Merdool don’t go for the shops, but go to watch men rip the flesh off of one another. The currency of slaves is prominent on Oorinay, with the cost of human life negligible so long as they perish in the arena.