Please keep in mind that these descriptions are only a general overview of Kellashar's countries, regions, lakes, rivers, and cities. You will find places in Gryphon Song and other stories that are not present here, and similarily you will find places on the map that are never mentioned in the story. If I were to do a detailed map of every single city, lake, river, and landmark there really is on Kellashar, this page would be a book in itself!
Click on the small images for larger, more detailed versions.
Gellner
Major Regions: Anslem, Kant
Major Cities: Buridan (Anslem), Plato (Kant)
Major Rivers/Lakes: Stratos Lake, Viskenni Lake, Pequee Lake, Bennafoal Lake, Crook Jaw River
Major Landscapes: Turantian Hills, Faragon Valley, Millocke Woods, Mines of Murdmoon
Land Description: The western region of Gellner, the region of Anslem, is rocky and lined with a small mountain range called the Turantian Hills, surrounded by forests. Nestled near the giant Lake Stratos is the capital city of Buridan. Its northern area starts to become a bit dusty, but its also home to Viskenni Lake, the largest lake on Gellner and rich in fish and the splitting point of the Crook Jaw River. Going eastward, the forest becomes the Faragon Valley, filled with many small farms and farming communities, and a host of gentle wildlife that provide support for the surrounding human establishments.
The western half of Gellner is the region of Kant, and for the most part is a barren wasteland home only to hardy plants and animals. The people that live there are usually coal and ore miners, but survival there is only gracious to the fittest of man and animal. The southern and western areas of Kant are a bit more pleasant. Millocke Woods, the forest that borders the commercial and port city of Plato, is said to be haunted, as many of the trees, though fed by both sun and rain, never grow leaves. Kant has the two smaller lakes on Gellner, the very small Pequee Lake and Bennafoal Lake, which is nestled in the back of Millock Woods.
Nietzsche
Major Regions: Nameless Barren, Nyssa
Major Cities: Avicenna (Nyssa)
Major Rivers/Lakes: Lake Tjeradi, Yaffine River
Major Landscapes: Southern Swamp, Nameless Barren
and Description: The entire western hemisphere of Nietzsche is mostly dead, lost to the hands of the Iron Hammer Guild (though rumors say there was a much more malicious force at work killing the land as well). It is doubtful that the land will ever recover. (Though there is presence of Attinite in the ground, the soil is not suitable for most plants and many druids wouldn’t bother wasting the effort of attempting to grow flora there.) It perhaps had a name at one point in history, but now it is simply known as a “Nameless Barren”, which is its formal name.
The northern and eastern part of Nietzche, the region of Nyssa, is where the people and wildlife make their refuge with the exception of the southern swamp, considered too dangerous for human settlement. There is one large lake, Lake Tjeradi, which provides a good amount of fish and fresh water. The Yaffine River spans down to the ocean, and there are many small settlements along it. Avicenna, the wealthy capital of Nietzsche, is supported by these settlements and serves as the textile capital of Kellashar, mainly due to the flat plains that provide good soil for cotton and other fibrous plants.
West Mettri
Major Regions: Court of Autre, Ayn, Rand
Major Cities: Aristotle (Court of Autre), City of Autre (Court of Autre)
Major Rivers/Lakes: Ayn River, Rand River, Mage’s River, Lake of Autre, Kotratore Lake, Gelski Lake, Mannile Lake, Vanega Lake, Eberdo Lake, Lake Unara, White Face Spring, Tayna Spring, Queen’s Lake, Reshnar's Lake, Zerconia Lake, Lake Detramorle, Lake Werwatianix, Lake Carlio, Julip Lake, Lake Oba-Dei, Lake of George
Major Landscapes: Snowdrift Peaks, Nightstar Mountain, Valleys of Autre,
Land Description: Just northwest of the dangerous mountain range in West Mettri, however, is the region known as the Court of Autre. Named after a famed emperor of the area long ago, the Court of Autre is a paradise on Kellashar, even more beautiful than Ryle. With eight clear blue lakes (Lake of Autre being the largest, but also Katratore Lake, Tayna Spring, Queen Lake, Vanega Lake, Reshnar’s Lake, Lake Carlio, and Lake Unara) and both the Ayn and Rand Rivers coursing through it, the Court of Autre was made for hosting life. Its land is rich in nutrients, ideal for many crops, and its spurts of small forests provide enough wood and shelter for the people and animals but aren’t large enough for someone to get lost in. The Court of Autre also houses Aristotle, a small town but home to Kellashar’s largest library. At the northern part of the Court is the start of the Snowdrift Peaks, but this glossy white mountain range extends into the neighboring country of Ayn.
While beautiful in some aspects, most of this northern country is too cold and dry for most people. During the winter, it is typical for about 20 feet of snow to fall in one storm, and for the season itself to extend several weeks longer than the rest of Kellashar. This makes life only suitable for the hardiest of plants and animals. The summer months only get into spring-like weather, never really being subject to humidity or intense heat, but few would want to commute between the months, but those that do reap profit off of harvesting what the land provides. It has four lakes, many noticeable but none very large: Gelski Lake, Mannile Lake, Lake of George, and Julip Lake. East of this area, beyond the narrow Snowdrift Peaks, is the region of Rand.
Rand is even less inhabited than Ayn, mainly because it is surrounded by mountains and, like Ayn, too cold and snowy in the winter months. Its land is rumored to be magical as well; the land highly rich in Attinite, but being so makes its forests and valleys healthier and more resilient to human destruction. It has five major lakes: White Face Spring (named so because of the white face engraved on a rock) Zerconia Lake, Lake Werwatianix, Lake Oba-Dei, and Lake Detramorle. Nightstar Mountain is settled (somewhere…) within the Snowdrift Peaks, and legend tells of an ancient gateway to another world settled at its crest. Streaming through the land of Rand is one river named Mage’s River, named under the impression that drinking it would enhance a mage’s power. Though several have attempted to take hold and claim the area of Rand, it is mostly uninhabited even by animals.
East Mettri
Major Regions: Magnus, Merleau, Ryle, Korsgaard,
Major Cities: Ryle City (Ryle), D’Alembert (Merleau), Hatetemo (Korsgaard), Xanadu Ruins (Merleau)
Major Rivers/Lakes: The Hidden River, Eberdo Lake, Serachoir Lake, Red Fang Lake, Haven Lake,
Major Landscapes: Korsgaard Sands, Magnus Crag, Cliffs of Nurboa, Forest of Merleau
Land Description: The southern part of West Mettri, Korsgaard, is covered in a healthy sandscape. Though very hot and dry, there are many grassy fields to provide food and shelter, as well as a lush coastline filled with tropical trees and springs. Many other areas of Kellashar import the unique host of fruits, vegetables, fibers, animals, and animal skins that find a home only in the Korsgaard Sands. Heading north slightly enters the region of Ryle.
Ryle is one of a few gorgeous landscapes on Mettri, covered mostly in slightly rocky grassland with spurts of forests and two lakes: Eberdo Lake and the larger Serachoir Lake. There are many small towns and communities throughout its area, living off the rich land.
In eastern Mettri, the region of Merleau is bloomed with forests with only a few settlements. Supposedly the ruins of an ancient city named Xanadu thrives within the Forests of Merleau, the woodsy area sandwiched between the mountains, but fear of awaking spirits of the past (and getting eaten by its enormous monster population) has deterred many from entering the woods. Also in this part are the Cliffs of Nurboa, a high and rocky mountain range that protects the land from invasion. The southern region of Merleau is where Haven Lake is settled, and where the Hidden River collects and then feeds into the ocean.
While parts of the forests and cliffs extend northward, the circle of mountains that hover in the middle of Mettri, Magnus, is the Magnus Crag and home only to the Wyverns, a fierce dragon-like civilization of beasts, and an intense hazard to any human that enter their territory to mine the mountains rich in crystal and other minerals. It has two lakes, one appropriately named Red Fang Lake and Tanthoon Lake further south. Some braver souls have spotted the mighty beasts taking swims and drinks in Red Fang Lake, but few have come back from spotting them.
Cardano
Major Regions: Reid, Nagel
Major Cities: Pyrrho (Reid)
Major Rivers/Lakes: Singuard River, Kelther Lake
Major Landscapes: Dunes of Despair, Dragon’s Mouth Mountains
Land Description: There are three major environments in Cardano. The southwest of Reid is the only part of the country suitable for supporting life. The land’s only river and lake, Singuard River and Kelther Lake, are present in this part. Next to the lake are dense forests, and within the forests is the only notable town, Pyrrho. North of this area are the Dunes of Despair, a hot, sandy desert home to only animals and hardy flora. Along the northern coastline of Reid are the Cradle Mines, and many willing to brave the harsh journey through the Dunes will find riches in the mine…and if they can make it back to Pyrrho, live off those riches.
Going east from Pyrrho are the Dragon's Mouth Mountain, a no-man’s land. The only creatures that live in Nagel are Southern Wyverns, a cousin to the Northern Wyverns that inhabit Magnus Crag. Southern Wyverns are more vicious and territorial than their northern relatives, and won’t hesitate to slaughter and devour any who unfortunately roam into their territory, whether it be the mountains itself or the rocky sea that surrounds it. It is written that the Gryphonese and the Wyverns in this area, being so close, were continuously at war with one another, both for survival and for territory.
Jung Islands
Major Regions: None
Major Cities: None
Major Rivers/Lakes: None
Major Landscapes: Jags of Gassendi
Land Description: The tropical islands of Jung (pronounced "Young") are inhabited mostly by exotic animals unique to the area and blooming greenery. The only people who live there are a dark-skinned tribe who don’t take kindly to strangers who manage to sail their way through the dangerous Jags of Gassendi. None of the individual islands have names, nor are there any major cities on any of them (though the central island has the largest population). People there frequently travel between the islands for food and shelter. The Jags of Gassendi manage to deter many boats from entering the area, so not much else is known about these mysterious islands.
Fodor
Major Regions: Vico, Sacred Marsh
Major Cities: Foucault (Vico), Eudaimonia (Sacred Marsh)
Major Rivers/Lakes: Crystal Lake, Gryphon Net River
Major Landscapes: Lao Tzu Grasslands, Sacred Marsh
Land Description: The northern region of Fodor, Vico, is mostly a flat green field named the Lao Tzu Grasslands. Many small farms and villages are dotted along the grasslands, providing food and textiles for Foucault, Kellashar's largest and most populated city. Also in Vico is the large lake, Crystal Lake, from which stream the Gryphon River (west) and the Net River (east).
Below the grasslands is the Sacred Marsh. The Sacred Marsh was once part of the Lao Tzu Grasslands and home to the legendary city of Eudaimonia, but after The Rising, the landscape changed dramatically and was flooded with water from the surrounding sea. Now known as the Sacred Marsh, many who try to enter are either haunted by ghosts or hunted by Dragimals, who guard the revered land religiously. Further south, the swamp becomes less water and more green, and although it is beautiful in this area there are understandably no human inhabitants.
Bale
Major Regions: None
Major Cities: None
Major Rivers/Lakes: Helmsward Lake
Major Landscapes: None
Land Description: There is nothing visually aesthetic about this small country off the eastern coast of Leibniz. It’s mostly shrouded in forests, with the sole Helmsward Lake spanning nearly the diameter of Bale. Its inhabitants are sparse, and often self-sufficient, feeding off the life given by the forest.
Southern Saxonia
Major Regions: Lombard (1), Kition (2), Maimondes (3), Kripke (4), Anaximenes (5), Boethius (6)
Major Cities: Masham (1), Nagel (2), Ventre (3), Elea (4), Rawls (5), Voltaire (6)
Northern Saxonia
Major Regions: , Honderich (7), Feyerabend (8), Kuhn (9), and Lakatos (10)
Major Cities: Zeno (7), Welby (8), Alfara (9), Berlin (10)
Saxonia
Major Rivers/Lakes: Kaskanoon Lake, Lake Arka, Lake Sadoru, Ice Lake, Frostpine Lake, Nowe Lake, Blue River, White River, Raztek River, South River, River of Dyna, Belta River
Major Landscapes: None
Land Description: While the snowy land of Saxonia is beautiful, it is divided into ten warring regions, continuously forming and breaking treaties and fighting for more territory and setting a poor mood over the entire country. Saxonia culture is cut off from the rest of Kellashar, its structure old-fashioned compared to the rest of the world. Its people are rumored to be descendants of a thin strain of magical human heritage and ride a host of magical beasts instead of horses. They are also very unfriendly to outsiders, not just from their neighboring enemies but also elsewhere in the world.
The very southern part of Saxonia (Lombard, Kition, Maimondes, and Kripke) is the only part not covered in snow nearly year-round, but it retains the cold, humid environment the rest of the country has. (Anaximenes is considered part of South Saxonia, though it is covered in snow year round.)
Snow and ice are nearly everywhere in Saxonia, and though its warmer during the summer the snow never completely melts as it does in northern Ayn and Rand. It is not completely uninhabited though. Many villagers rely on the forest for food and fur, and the rivers for fish. The snow around the area is usually layered in ice, making for easy travel…and battle.
Frostpine Lake is located in Kuhn, and Kaskakoon Lake separates Boethius from Kuhn. Ice Lake separates Beothius from Kition. Lake Arka belongs specifically in Anaximenes, Lake Sadoru in Kition and Nowe Lake in Kripke. Rivers in Saxonia often are used as borderlines. Blue River is located in Lakatos. White River Runs along the borderline in northern Saxonia, while Belta River dictates borderlines in southern Saxonia. River of Dyna separates Lombard from Kition, South River separates Kition from Maimondes, and Razteck River separates Maimondes from Kripke.
Leibniz
Major Regions: Camus, Berkely, Gassendi, Bakunin, Al-Farabi, Sankara, Diangi, Machia
Major Cities: Derrida (Camus), Kierkegaard (Berkely), Weil (Gassendi), Cusa (Bakunin), Phytha (Al-Farabi), Pascal (Sankara), Aquinas (Diangi), Vepali (Machia)
Major Rivers/Lakes: Hales Lake, Yydrisil Lake, Gambler's Lake, Lake Jay, Clover Lake, Mercruit Lake, Lake Belvadere, Banquo Lake, Welker Lake, Lake Dirk, Lake Khenton, Reshnar Lake, Opal Lake, Hales River, Naya River, Bella Nova River, River of Embers, Purebank Lake, Cloak River, Masper River, Weaver River, Telila's River, Estebeaux River
Major Landscapes: Camus Forest, Camus Valley, Heidegger Jungle, Heidegger Swamp, Royal Rock Range, Forests of Rembrandt, Swayward Sands
Land Description: As the largest country on Kellashar, Leibniz is home to hundreds of thousands of people and thousands more animals who inhabit its multiple environments. For the most part, the many rivers serve as borderlines between the regions. Camus, the northernmost part of Leibniz, is filled with mostly forests (specifically the Camus Forest) and two rivers, Hales River and Naya River, and Hales Lake. Its capital is Derrida, a rich city home to famous politicians, wealthy aristocrats, and other famous persons. It is also the start of the Camus Valley, but the majority of this valley stretches down into Berkely.
While the northern part of the valley has several homes dotted along it, the majority of farms are scattered throughout Berkley. As a result, there is a long trade route and many trading towns and posts throughout Berkely, and its largest city is Kierkegaard, the marketing and economic capital of Kellashar north of Gambler’s Lake. The Bella Nova River and the Yydrisil Lake forms the border between Camus and Berkely, while small segments of Purebank River and Cloak River flow in Berkely’s southern region.
Just east of here is Gassendi, and the landscape changes dramatically. Gone are the fertile grasslands, and present are the sand-colored mountains, the Royal Rock Range. Within these mountains are barren lands that were created by both man and nature. There are no Wyverns present in these mountains, unlike the other mountain regions of Kellashar. Instead, there are many mines and underground research facilities there, studying earth and rock. There are also creatures resilient to the harsh, heated and humid weather that is frequent there. While there are no major lakes in Gassendi, four of Leibniz’s rivers do peak through the Royal Rock Range at time (River of Embers, Purebank River, Cloak River, and Masper River along which lies its mountain-guarded capital of Weil).
South of these mountains is the country of Bakunin. There are two major areas of Bakunin: The Forests of Rembrandt and the Swayward Sands. The forests are thick and bushy, and well guarded by its inhabitants. While there are a couple familiar cities and several houses within the Forests, these are exclusive to the eastern part. Going further northwest and past Lake Jay, the forest becomes more dangerous and harder to navigate. The Swayward Sands are, like the Sands of Koorsgaard, quite healthy and easy to trek through. Most of the human inhabitants are set up next to the rivers (Cloak River, River of Embers, Masper River) and the few oases, as well as along its coastline. Next to one of these oases is the capital city of Cusa, a paradise haven in the desert.
Reaching all the way back up to the northern part of Leibniz lays the country of Al-Farabi. The north part of Al-Farabi is mostly woodsy grassland, dotted with many small towns. Its capital city, Phytha, is next to Belvadere Lake, through which the Weaver River (Kellashar’s longest river) flows. The southern end of Al-Farabi is the start of the Heidegger Jungle, a hot, humid area filled with thick foliage, making it difficult to navigate, but there are plenty of necessities that the jungle offers, including of course food and shelter material. Going east beyond Mercruit Lake and Weaver River leads to the country of Sankara.
Most of Sankara is woods, and like Al-Farabi is home to many small communities that live off the land, with its capital city Pascal sitting on Banquo Lake. The Heidegger Swamp (more watery and dangerous than its jungle counterpart across the rivers) is just along the very southern edge of Sankara, and the only place in the jungle where it is rocky. Sankara is Leibniz’s smallest region, but across Telila’s River is the largest region: Diangi.
A strip of the Heidegger Swamp is sandwiched between patches of Diangi's grassland. There isn’t much in the northern grassland, as it is surrounded by Weaver River and Telila’s River on the east and west, respectively, and Hiedegger Swamp at the south. Below the swamp is well-traveled grassland, worn with paths from horses and travelers and littered with many small trading towns. It is also home to Aquinas, the capital city of Diangi and one of the largest cities on Kellashar.
West of Diangi and the Estebeaux River is Machia, Diangi’s sister country. Machia is similar in layout and environment to Diangi. Most civilization in Machia lies southeast of Reshnar Lake, where the land is more open and suitable for human life. Opal Lake is clear and beautiful, and perfectly accents its capital city, Vepali.
Seas of Kellashar
Description: Kellashar has four major seas: Sea of Velli, Cicero Sea, Melchior Sea, and Habermas Sea. The Sea of Velli shares trade between Gelner, north Liebniz, and the northern coast of Mettri. It is a fairly safe sea, free of many hazardous rocks. To the left is Cicero Sea, but trade and travel through here is not common due to the many jetting rocks and the fact that the coast of west Mettri is bordered by the Cliffs of Nurboa. Any trade that goes on here is usually limited to the coasts of northwest Liebniz. Those that try to pass through the Jung Islands to get to Korsgaard often meet with disaster, as can be observed by the shipwrecks off the coast of the island country. The Melchior Sea is less dangerous, at least in certain parts. The vast majority of it is safe, providing good travel and trade between south Liebniz, Cardano, west Fodor, and parts of Nietzsche. The far east part of Melchior Sea, between south Fodor and east Cardano, is trecherous and deadly. This is due not only to the jetting rocks, but the fierce southern Wyverns that vehemently guard their mountains. The Habermas Sea is Kellashar's best known sea, and relatively free of dangers. It provides the most trading routes between east Liebniz, north Fodor, Bale, and east Mettri. Bale itself is a common rest stop for many ships that travel through Habermas Sea.