A short introduction.  My name is Tewi Niha, but you might have heard of my traveling moniker, "The Teacup Knight"- or if we've been friends, you might know me as Teacup, or Tee.  If you frequent seedy taverns and gambling dens, you might know me as Shivshiv, or my personal favorite, "that conniving little bitch." Either way, I have wandered as much of this world as my tired feet and long years have allowed. I have grown to both adore and despise it in my time.  I am its jaded, jilted, hopeless lover.  I have seen things... things so beautiful and haunting, terrible and scarring, you may well not believe me.  But I don't care what you believe.  I was the one there.
I did say I would keep this short, and I will.  I won't be delving into detail here.  Going through my notes, I see that my impressions of the places I visited range from mere snippets to pages upon pages of meandering musings about history, architecture, culture, and faith.  Mostly culture and faith.  They are the two most defining aspects of any place I've wandered into.
I'll keep it simple and give you only a thimbleful at a time. Enough to wet your lips, and maybe make you want to leave your cozy little shelter someday and go visit.  If you want to know the entire story; the who's who and where's what of each and every place... well then you can go there your damned self.  I'll be writing these as they come to me, when I feel like it.  I've never been very organized.

Eastern Obsal

First, a little history lesson.  Hundreds of years ago, the once mighty Empire of Bergal was broken into four separate territories during what historians call The Sundering War. Those lands are Vinergale, Tepley, Padive, and Bergal Valley.  The war was fought between Emperor Matrinon Hervine and his wife, Empress Aviedeen, over the religious and spiritual fate of the empire.  Matrinon wanted to convert the empire to the Calusian faith, which he had adopted as his own.  His wife Avideen, and her beloved sister Nevine (both Solarin faithfuls), not only refused to convert, but led a massive revolt against the Emperor due to this decree.  This conflict officially ended the Age of The Rai, and ushered in the Age of Reformation.  Now you know.

Once the northern most expanse of the Old Empire, it was chosen by Emperor Hervine to be his new seat of power during the Sundering War.  With rolling hills to the east, vast forestland to the north and west, and of course, the plentiful vineyards of the arid southern mountain-ranges, Vinergale is as beautiful as it is plentiful.

Emperor Matrinon established the lands of House Haravil as his capital estate.  It is now the center of power for the Kingdom of Vinergale, and the wealthiest city in the nation.
While the King holds ultimate power in all of Vinergale, the city’s affairs are handled by Chancellor Gustane.  For those of you unfamiliar with Vinergalian politics, Chancellor is the title given to city governors with military authority.  In essence, they are the equivalent of Teplian Sarandies. They are both governors and military commanders.  They’re also mostly a bunch of uptight wank-stains.
Rife with corruption, the city of Hara is infamous for its crime syndicates and their open war with the Chancellor and the infamous Cotes Fraternity (A coven of rich wine barons that have the ear of the Chancellor).  Although the city is incredibly wealthy, Chancellor Gustane spends all of Hara's taxed coin on increasing his military power and providing his wealthy wine barons and their extended families with every possible luxury.
The walled district of Haleron is a city within a city - a shining beacon of privilege and opulence.  Here the wealthy live in sprawling villas, hidden behind high stone fences and protected by well paid private muscle who do not look kindly on the likes of people like me, dirtying up their vistas.
King Velen Hervine might as well be a pissing statue adorning his own chambers, for all the good he does.  Neither he nor his family ever leave the spanning grounds of Haravil Palace, dead in the heart of Haleron.  Gustane runs the city, and everyone there knows it.
The Commons, which makes up the great majority of the city's vast sprawl, live in comparative squalor and violence. They are subject to the will of the expanding crime families that, in certain districts, are as powerful and influential as the Chancellor himself.  Hara is as beautiful as it is dangerous, and as inspiring in places as it is depressing in others. Everyone from the richest noble to the lowliest laborer drinks Haran Black Tea. I mean I like black tea, but not every day.
Stick to the commercial thoroughfares and you’ll enjoy the beauty of the city without running into its darker element. The crime families like to run a tight ship, so they keep their bloody wars to the deeper barrows, away from their profit centers. Still, don’t go anywhere that doesn’t have lamplight, never walk alone if you can help it, especially at night, and never, ever get caught cheating at dice, bones, or cards. They'll feed you to the pigs.  Literally.

Built on Vinergale's eastern shores by the northern foothills of Enelysion, Palidor is a city of white splendor.  Named after the Order of Paladius which first landed here in the Age of The Rai, the city was first erected as a monument to Calusian faith, just like Aztan in Tepley. The noticeable difference is that the city’s temples, statues, forums, building facades, and markets were all designed to give tribute to the military might of the once revered Order of Paladius.
The streets are remarkably clean, the public spaces carefully adorned and tended to, and most homes are wonderfully decorated with flowers, small statues, and climbing vines.
Six hills and three rivers connected by whitestone bridges, cobblestone streets, and a veritable maze of shadowy alleyways make up the wondrous paradox of light and darkness that is Palidor.  If you climb Silver Serpent Hill or go to the top of the watchtower on The Valatar at night, you can be privy to a sea of candle and lamp light that rolls over the hills and towards the black horizon.  There is no gambling allowed. None. The street urchins won’t even throw bones in alleys for fear of getting caught by the Aegis. The tea made up for that little hiccup. Varieties of mint, ginger, and herbal teas are served with honeyed pastries and almond biscuits.
I enjoyed my stay, but there was a deep sense of disconnection from the world outside its walls, and at every corner I turned, someone gently tried to convert me to the Path of Amounting (there is a church in nearly every corner!). The more I resisted their advances, the darker the eyes that looked at me became.  At first it made me uncomfortable, but soon I began to genuinely fear for my safety.  As clean, and safe, and beautiful as it was, I do not intend to return to Palidor. Ever.

The fabled Neterian city of Tyoh is said to be hidden, buried somewhere deep in the Tysteri Mountain Range on the northeastern borders of the kingdom.  The only evidence of its existence is Tyoh Keep.  As the story goes, Tyoh Keep served as a trading hub for the once mighty city, and was the last line of defense in case of an attack.  The massive stone keep sits snugly back against the high mountain wall, with the prospering town rolling down the steep rocky incline, and ending at the banks of the Milfair River.  Commercial barges, coasters, and pleasure cruisers from Lilith dock and conduct business here before continuing their languid journey to Palidor and beyond.
One of the first great battles of the Neterian Purge took place at the foot of Tyoh Keep, now known as The Raven’s Feasting. Tens of thousands died in the Tysteri foothills during the first years of that war.  The first thing you see when approaching Tyoh Keep are the faded grave markers, memorials, and moss-choked statues of honored heroes that fought and died during the Purge.  Plaques and stones with names and dates begin as far back as the mangroves outlining Milfair’s southern bank, which give you a real sense of the massive loss of life this decisive battle incurred. The town itself is a pleasure. Did you know Tyoh Keep is the birthplace of perfumed oils? Now you do. How about colored candle-flame? Correct again. Last one, and my favorite, scented wax. Now imagine visiting a town where everywhere you turn are stalls and shops filled with perfume ampules, lit by colored flames which melt wax with scents like jasmine, lilac, and honey? I cannot choose between jasmine and lilac as my favorite teas from Tyoh — both were sublime, but one thing I have no difficulty in touting is the spider-crab delight at the Grey Crow Tavern. I absolutely insist you drown it in butter and prepare to be enraptured.

A farming community southeast of Anran. It is best known for producing Vinergale's finest wines — and they are not simply boasting here. I visited a dozen different Cotes while in Camnoc and they were all kind enough to allow me to sample their magnificent wines. I sat on terraces and balconies overlooking the mountainside vineyards of the Camnoc countryside, feeling giddy as a child.  My time in Camnoc was a perpetual wine haze of bliss. I felt like I had fallen into the Cheneron River from the old stories. Colors were brighter, bird song was sharper, and I was warm, tingly, and peaceful inside. Gods, I love wine. Don’t you?

 The land part I won't even bother with here.  The part over water however...
Mile-long piers serve as thoroughfares in Liliguf (I'm certain the locals mean Lilith Gulf but... colloquialisms), wide enough for three wagons to ride side-by-side.  They are connected in a way that is difficult to explain. It would not be fair to call Liliguf a shanty town made from shanty boats, but at least in this way you can start painting a proper picture. There are barges, flatboats, galleys, clippers, and all manner of naval vessels tied, glued, nailed, and otherwise fused together over the gulf of Lilith. These vessels serve as shops, homes, inns, taverns, gambling halls, brothels, warehouses, and trade-posts. One of the largest galleys on the gulf, The Zazazi, was hollowed out to form a floating theater.  Some vessels are just that, hollow tunnels through which whole wagons can be carted through.  There are additional structures built upon the vessels themselves, creating an odd, dangerously uneven canopy of homes, tied together by rope bridges, pulley operated platforms, and in some cases, single planks of wood.  People's clothes hang on lines everywhere, adorning the place like festival banners.
I felt like a child again exploring the endless ingenuity of Liliguf. Everywhere I went I smelled cooked meats, foreign oils, imported spices, the fragrance of a hundred different flowers, and of course, damra.
Damra is a strange, alchemical oil used to stain the wood in Liliguf.  Generous coats of the stuff is applied to every surface the people of Liliguf can find.  It smells like smoked oranges, and to my understanding, not only keeps the wood safe from rain and insects, but also kills the dead fish, salt, and bilge smell you would normally expect in potent measure in such a place.  I love the sea, I do... but the smell of dead fish and bilge-water? Ech! I was very grateful for the damra oil. I even bought some to stain my home with. Yes, you can stain the wooden parts of your home to preserve them. Yes, my home smells like smoked oranges, and I love it.

After her separation from her husband, Empress Aviedeen fled back to the forested hills and fertile riverbed valleys of her homeland, and prepared her people for the coming Sundering War.  Knowing the might and cruelty of the Emperor, and not wishing to place her soon to be war-torn throne in Bramen, her ancestral birthplace, the Empress raised the Fabhcun Castle at the heart of the Gorgon Chasms. Here she gave birth to the Queendom of Tepley.

The Fabhcun Castle was built at the center of a valley of bottomless fissures known as the Gorgons, to serve as her bastion during the Sundering War.  Soon after the war, the city of Nevine (named in her sister's honor) grew around the mighty fortress, serving as a hub of trade and commerce.  It became home to the Royal Dynasty, the Parliament of Testament, and such noble families as House Magalia, House Virgis, and House Turis.
The complex system of wood and rope bridges that interlace the numerous craggy land-islands, accentuated with homes and shops of varying shapes and colors, grant every island in Nevine a unique look.  It’s a great place to buy goods and oddities from all around the Queendom and the lands it trades with.
Nevine sits at the heart of the Tepley and all roads lead back to her. The renown poet Wyllt once wrote of this city: "Perched within the prickles of a falcon's nest, dazzled by prismatic spiders and sun-baked silks."  Wyllt needed to lay off the bottle, if you ask me. What I loved most about Nevine is that every island in the chasm has its own personality. Some are colorful, smell floral and clean, and you can find cute little shops where you can find oddities, like a copper tea-set. You have not lived, until you boil water in copper and infuse it with crushed mint and ginger. If you don’t love tea, then why are you reading my journals?!

The cultural hub of Tepley and home to the renown House Dainte, Aztan is famous for its Calusian artistry and fanaticism for beauty in all its forms.  Boasting wide, manicured parks, religiously inspired architecture, well-shaded and inviting public forums, and of course, the famous spice market, this city has earned its title, "The Jewel of Tepley".  A shining testament to Calusian faith, its every Temple is a meticulous work of art, inside and out.
I suppose I should add here that while Empress Aviedeen’s refusal to convert to Calusianism in ancient times divided the old empire and ignited the Sundering War, eventually, over the course of a few hundred years, Calusianism became the national religion of Tepley.  (Goes to show you that fighting over religion is just stupid and insane.)
Aztan’s streets, while narrow and somewhat cluttered, are invariably charming.  Wineries, qaweh houses, prestigious(expensive) brothels, and smoky cuksar bars dot this city of pleasures.  Painted contortionists, wandering bard troupes, dancing gypsies, and fire-eaters can be found near every square and fountain, plying their trade for chints and applause. Pleasure barges and spice traders float up and down the Vellum River, which sways lazily through the heart of the city.  This is also the home of such illustrious reiarisitas as Milo Golgi, Saimagon, and Enisia Warchilde.  Their finest works are scattered throughout the various districts, enhancing  Aztan's ethereal wonder.  If you see only one other place in your short, miserable life, have it be Aztan.

The anchorage to a third of Tepley’s armada, this island floats only a mile from Aztan's eastern shore.  Once just a peaceful fishing community, the recent Greenfire War against Padive changed it forever.  The Queen built Fort Stormshield on its balded hills and commissioned a massive shipyard and naval block erected on its southern shores.
It serves now as the training grounds and barracks for the Storm-Talon legions and the Armitage Fleets.  While the average citizenry is not allowed access to Sawstone, its stalwart fortifications and the forest of masts that surround it are inspiring reminders of Tepley's force of arms.  The island is run by the legendary Imperium Legate, Akata “The Firestorm ” Junitari , who I had the privilege of meeting, quite by accident mind you.  He’s a fierce, intimidating man who is beloved by his soldiers.  A bit of a bell-end honestly, but very formal and generous with his coin, if you get on his good side.

The fortress city of Sharn was once a titan of southern commerce.  Before the Neterian Purge, shinn was the greatest exploitable resource in the land, with core-shinn (or bone-shinn as it's known in cruder circles) being the most vital.  During the Greenfire War, Sharn earned the moniker "Ship-Breaker-Sharn".  Every Padivian fleet that tried to enter the now infamous strait leading to the fortress’ ports was decimated by Sharn's defense battery and accompanying fire-archers.  The death-toll became so great over the years that Padive was forced to abandon its attempt to conquer the bottlenecked mining city and its fabled treasures.
After the war, Queen Alinia granted Sharn an its surrounding lands to the Magalian Miner's Guild, who now sell individual claims to prospectors and manage the surrounding towns' economy by employing bailiffs and the universally hated coin-counters.
I went to Sharn to honor my father who died in that murderous strait during the war.  The Wren’s Song, a Padivian warship where he worked as a carpenter’s mate, was burned and broken alongside countless others.  I love you, papa.

Wyllt once wrote, "In the south of Tepley, praise must be showered on the diverse and supple dact palm and its gifts of lumber, food, and wine, but in the north, the erawa tree is Queen."
Broad and gnarled, the erawa tree produces its tender, life-giving fruit.  Praised for their exquisitely tart and salty texture, erawas are sold in the small town markets of Ticondria by the jar or barrel.  Their oils, used in everything from cooking to bathing, can also be purchased by the bottle or cask.
The hills of Ticondria are dotted by a sprawl of tucked-away farmsteads, in a veritable forest of erawa trees. Here, strong-backed Teplian families ply their trades from sunup to sundown. Famed for its rural beauty, the northern hills of Ticondria are also host to a number of luxurious villas, owned by Nevine's nobility. Beyond that is a broad expanse of lush oak, pine, and cedar as far as the eye can see.  I will take a moment to say that the goat cheese-stuffed erawas sold at Villa Aragoth are to die for.  I spent something like a month in this town, walking the goat paths and stuffing my face with every kind of erawa I could find.  There was also this young stag-hunter called Vessir there who was just…mmm…well that’s really none of your business.

I’d had enough sailing for a time and took the Counter's Road out of Sharn.  This winding, mountainous dirt road unites a number of dusty mining towns and ends in the town of Kaira.  I admit I was a bit in my own head during this journey, gazing out at the sea-foam and rock pillars jutting out of the southern waters without really absorbing my surroundings. The sight of the shattered ship carcasses in Ship-Breaker-Pass and all along the southern coast weighed heavily on my spirit.  War is such an ugly, ravenous thing.
I remember only two towns, one where the people had pretty much built their entire town out of ship-salvage, which even in my saddened state I found curious and enticing. (It had an odd name, I never wrote it down, and I've since forgotten it), and the final town of Kaira.

Once the western gateway into Sharn, it was protected by Fort Kai.  Although Padive's Raptors decimated the fort and sacked the town during the Greenfire War, they were unable to overpower Sharn, even by land.
Kaira is a small, forgotten township, filled with weary, dirt-caked men and women, looking for a bit of coin in a country still suffering from a recent war with its neighbors.  The long, thin dact palms that are farmed there bring in more coin than the mines.  Even so, the rare pockets of core-shinn still found in this arid place have enticed the poor and desperate from every corner of Tepley to try their luck against the stone.
That place was sadder than I was, which is why I remember it. Just being there made my melancholy seem like a dreadful waste of time. Stick to the Gritmug tavern if you ever do visit, and tell Slen that Shivshiv sent you. Visit Nico’s Bakery and order a “dunan”. (You’ll want to hear the story about their name as you eat one.) If you win big at the cock-fights you must take a drink of Bullhorn — it’s tradition.  Also, stay away from the Pick-Rock . It is no place for decent, civilized folk.

The fabled, desolate landscape left over by the Sundering War. This bowl-shaped wasteland is the origin of a hundred tales told in every corner of Obsal.  A sand-blasted hellhole that none may escape, Bergal Valley is also known as Tarrak's Maw.  The Earth God calls this place home and no man should ever trespass.
Tales of giant scorpions, flesh eating chameleon lizards, and ants the size of dogs numbering in the thousands are among a few of the valley’s legends. It is said the Sundering War left the entire region haunted by restless spirits. There are towns so tainted by the evils done within them that daemons haunt their streets.
I got as close as The Watch of the north.  Here I was informed by the Queen's Talons, in no uncertain terms, that if they caught me trying to enter Bergal Valley they would cut out my tongue and throw me in a crammed cell with the unwashed lunatics and rapists.  I believed them.  The tales of this place, whether true or not, will have to suffice.