There are twelve provinces that make up the Ratrilpot mainland: The Majesty (the central portion of the island containing the Castle and the surrounding grounds, Dilbenshire, Whitestone, Eastcliffe, Oldport, Leeksenborough, Garbell Glen, Misty Vale, Seascape, Farnell, Bethel, and Hoodlam's Hollow.

Additionally, there are several small islands off the mainland that are part of the kingdom of Ratrilpot. This includes the Three Baers (Little Baer, Baer Proper, and Big Baer) and the Magical Animal Reserve & Sanctuary.

Non-human provinces include the caverns under the west most portion of the island (home to the Dwarven Nation) and a mountain range in the south (claimed by The Dragons).
 

Geographical Location: The province known as The Majesty is located in the center of the island. It is comprised of two main areas: Ratrilpot's castle which sits on a giant spire, and the valley below where much of Ratrilpot's most bountiful farmland is located.

Ruling Family: The Royal family rules over all of Ratrilpot from the castle in the heart of The Majesty. At the time of the published fiction, this includes Princess Eilloena and The "Speak my name; volunteer for my games" Queen.

Points of Interest: The crown-shaped castle is a wonder in itself, with architectural spendors, and expansive grounds that include the royal orchards. Visitors are sure to see the Queen, even if not in person, as her likeness appears in every corridor, from the topiaries in the courtyard, to the tapestries in her throne room, to the inlay in the floor of the Great Hall.

The spire upon which the castle sits is covered on all sides by enchanted waterfalls, thus giving the illusion that the castle is floating on misty clouds. The Regal Way Road system connects to it via a bridge that appears to hover over the valley below, where the settlements of Downtown (the mining town) and Underwhere (the farming village) are located.

Protections: Due to the magical nature of the Regal Way, it is very difficult to attack the castle as it is almost impossible to reach it otherwise. The cliff faces on all sides of the valley isolate The Majesty. Additionally, there are divine magics that protect the castle itself, should anyone with the power of flight or other magics attempt to launch an attack.

Trivia: The spire upon which the castle sits acts as a sundial, with its shadow marking the time of day on the opposing cliff faces and across the valley below. This is further emphasized with carvings in the cliff walls and the way the fields are laid out.

Geographical Location: The town of Dilbenshire is the closest settlement to the castle on the Northeastern side. It is bordered by Fawnwick Forest and Lake Birdsong. The province includes the town, Fawnwick Forest (which borders the Majesty and Oldport provinces), and a portion of the Northeastern coastline bordering Belian Bay (which also borders the Whitestone province).

Noble Ruling Family: The Elroy Family is one of the oldest ruling families in the region, having been bestowed the lands after the Great Belian war. Lord Pierce Elroy and his wife, Lady Oralie, currently head the clan of eight children, of which Byron Elroy (a guard at the castle) is the youngest.

Points of Interest: The renowned Talt Ale Tavern, run by Tabitha Talt and her brother; Maria T's Courtyard Inn and Sweets; and Madame Lola's Lounge of Loving.

Notable Residents: The mischievous Lavender Pie lives with her family on a farm in the province. Goodich Glen, deep within Fawnwick Forest, is home to Grandma Goodwitch.
 

Geographical Location: Lake Birdsong is located east of the Majesty. The town of Dilbenshire borders the lake to the West and the town of Whitestone borders the lake to the East. The CrackRock river is fed by the lake, and Survival Island is located within the lake.

Noble Ruling Family: Because of its location between two provinces and settlements, and because it is a source of water for the Majesty itself, the Royal Family has not granted domain of Lake Birdsong or Survival Island to either the Elroy or White families. Rather it is considered an extension of the Majesty. Survival Island is not settled and is used only for events orchestrated by Ratrilpot's Queen.

 

Geographical Location: Whitestone is a small community that borders the Northeast shore of Lake Birdsong. Its sister community, Whiteport is located at the south most point of Belian Bay, just west of the peninsula leading to Eastcliffe. The Whitestone province includes the two settlements, a stretch of forest south of the settlements (which borders the Eastcliffe and Bethel provinces), and portion of the coastline bordering Belian Bay (which also borders the Dilbenshire province).

Noble Ruling Family: The White Family is the successful merchant family that protects the province. Lord Heron White is the patriarch. His first wife Lady Natalie passed away before the wedding of their daughter Lucy White to Mason Elroy (of Dilbenshire). Lucy and Mason's first son Rankin has been named to inherit the estate.

Notable Exports: Whitestone is named for marble quarry that provides significant amounts of stone for the insides of Ratrilpot's castle, and for various noble/royal households across the Sugonian Seas. Whiteport is mainly a seaport used to transport the marble of whitestone to the Sugonian Seas; however, a fair amount of ship building takes place there as well, as it is protected from more volatile weather than the rest of the Ratrilpot coast. A single ferry does make a trip to all the ports along Belian Bay, from Oldport at the northern most point of the island, to the Three Baers, Eastport and back to Whiteport.

Trivia: The short story, The Fourth Kiss features Lucy White and Mason Elroy.

 

Geographical Location: Eastcliffe is a small community that is situated at the top of the peninsula in North Eastern Ratrilpot, and can be reached via a fairly treacherous mountain pass, or via the sea through its sister community, Eastport, which sits at the base of the cliffs (and on Belian Bay). The Eastcliffe province includes the two settlements and the mountainous peninsula; and it borders the Whitestone province to the west and the Seascape province to the south.

Noble Ruling Family: The very young and very eccentric Lady Wishing Starr rules over the province, with help from her father's ghost, whom she called back into service following his unexpected and tragic death. She gave birth to triplets (Eastern, Shining, and Evening), and has raised them with love despite the circumstances that led to their conception.

Points of Interest: Eastcliffe houses one of the largest libraries in the Sugonian Seas, with even more books than can be found within the library at Ratrilpot's castle. Scholars and students of all types of lore come to study and teach here, along with alchemists, witches, and magi.

A series of winches and baskets help to bring food and supplies up from Eastport on the bay, as does a long winding stairway built into the mountain. Gambling dens, brothels, pubs and the like are found along this stairway, as the adult amusements themselves are frowned upon in Eastcliffe proper.

Geographical Location: Nestled in the Southern valley, along the Great Lake in Western Ratrilpot, lies the prosperous vacation settlement known as Misty Vale. Ferries depart to the vale from the clearing on the Eastern side of the lake on a fairly regular basis. Travel can also be arranged through a mountain pass in the South.

Noble Ruling Family: The Spriteson family are the protectors of the Glen, with Lord Mattais and Lady Rianna also watching over a family of eight children (seven of which are girls).

Points of Interest: The Hanging Gardens run up and down the mountains that surround the glen, providing beautiful sights and bountiful food supplies. The Willmont Springs, a collection of three hot springs with rejuvenating properties attracts several visitors each year. The Havit House Inn and Fantastic Feasts restaurant are situated nearby and provide some of the most sought after accommodations and feasts in all of the Sugonian Seas; though only the very wealthy can afford to frequent the places.

Travelers with smaller purses tend to stay at the Last Chance Lodge, a comfortable establishment located just outside the mountain pass leading into the valley. The sisters at the Arms of Annūté, a giant temple and monastery situated on the other side of the pass, cares for those who are less fortunate.

Local Cuisine:Truffles and other fungus collected from this region are some of the most sought after delicacies in all of the Sugonian seas. Wine is also a staple crop of the area and a major source of trade revenue. Goat dishes are a specialty of the area, in that the goats are fairly plentiful in the mountain passes.

 

Geographical Location: Located in the Northern valley, along the Great Lake in Western Ratrilpot, lies the small and treacherous settlement known as Garbel Glen. A thick and barely penetrable forest blocks passage by land to the Leeksenborough lands, making travel on the lake the easiest option, though no one in their right minds would dare travel there by themselves due to the beasts that protect the glen.

Noble Ruling Family: The Howler Family oversees the area, with Lady Melwick Howler being the last surviving member of the family.

Notable Tidbits: Little is known about the state of the small settlement of Garbel Glen, other than the general consensus that it has probably fallen into disrepair. What little contact occurs between Lady Melwick and the crown is done through an enchanted stuffed beast; and because the Queen of Ratrilpot has no patience for the eccentric woman, she only makes contact long enough to find out if the woman has died yet--something she hopes will happen sooner, rather than later.

History: The Howler Family have historically been mercenaries and the keepers of the harehounds, a race of unpredictable and violent beasts that were bred for warfare and other atrocities. Although the hounds were sought after for many a conflict, they could only be controlled by someone of the Howler bloodline, which meant that a Howler had to be present at the site of the conflict. During one nasty war that was spread out across several battle sites, where the opposing armies were suffering uncountable casualties, a decision was made to kill the Howlers rather than to fight the hounds. Due to a rare disease that makes the Howlers susceptible to intense bleeding, it took only minor injuries from a few well placed arrows to take down the pack leaders. The death of the Howlers led to the harehounds turning on anyone and everyone in sight, and resulted in them killing most of both armies and then themselves. When word spread of what had happened, the Howler family members that had not yet returned to Ratrilpot were hunted down and slaughtered, so that the beasts could never be used in battle again. Members of the Howler family have not left Garbel Glen since.

 

The castle is the central point for the road system in Ratrilpot, a stone paved road which runs from the mountain pass en route to Misty Vale all the way to Dilbenshire. An offshoot of the road runs down to Farnell, with a grandiose bridge crossing the CrackRock River. To the north, a magically crafted path through Fawnwick Forest leads all the way from Dilbenshire to Oldport. (One of the reasons that the Elroy family enjoys such power is due to their location as a midpoint between Oldport and the castle; and as a point of contact from Whiteport across Lake Birdsong.)

The Regal Way was purposely built to be impressive, as the dignitaries to Ratrilpot usually arrive at Oldport to the north or via Farnell to the South. Since Misty Vale is a favored vacation spot by the wealthy, and Ratrilpot wants to tout it as such, the road is well maintained.

The remaining road system in Ratrilpot is less developed, with the various provinces responsible for maintaining their own roads. Leeksenborough is connected to the main road, but it is quite obvious to those who travel on this portion of road that it was not created to the same level of quality. Additional roads run between Farnell and the other eastern provinces, but those are completely functional in nature.