Welcome to my A to Z Challenge 2019 posts. This year I’ll be writing about the world of Kinyal which is the setting of my epic fantasy novels and short stories. These posts offer insights into the world’s history, locations, and factions, but do not spoil any of the events or secrets from the novel.

You don’t need to read them in order, and as the challenge progresses, I’ll do my best to add links to related topics for each post.

The Jewel of the North

Tivarashan is considered one of the most stable and powerful kingdoms in Kinyal. Their history is centuries-long, and even though the foundation of that nation had seen enough of conflict, once the people settled in their ways, Tivarashan started to flourish.

The land is mostly covered with hills and forests, and the mild but rainy weather limits the amount of farming, so Tivarashan relies on herds, fruits of the woods and seafood to keep its population fed. With their rich mines, offering both ore and precious stones, they also import a lot of more exotic fruit and vegetables which led to research focused on preserving and transporting food.

It has several ports, but due to seasonal storms in the northern part of the sea between Tyorane and Juamha, they become unavailable for a part of the year, thus some of the trade goes through the Free City of Kaighal to the south. As mentioned before, Tivarashan sought several times to take that flourishing port under its protection, but with the adamant kaighalan resistance, the kingdom ceased the direct and violent approach to the matter. Its diplomats and merchants still do their best to ensure favorable trading agreements and focus their efforts on building the image of a benevolent kingdom that has Kaighal’s best interest in mind.

Politics, politics, politics

The kingdom is customarily ruled by a queen who then on passes the crown to one of her daughters, or—on rare occasion—to one of the highborn women married to her son or a nephew with a clear link to the royal lineage. This both ensures that the same family remains ruling Tivarashan, and that the most capable woman sits on the throne. Of course, she still needs to be of noble blood, properly educated, and married into the royal family, but at least the queen always has a choice if she has no daughters or they aren’t a ruler material.

Tivarashan nobility controls most of the land, and their customs follow the royal family: men marry into families and manage the financial side of the family’s wealth while women engage in politics and take roles administration.

Both also seek careers within the Temple of Four which always accepts priests, inventors, and arcanists. The worship of the four yalari is the only religion in Tivarashan, with all others banned, but participation in it is voluntary—a part of the deal made with demons that ensures that the kingdom’s people are generally happy with the Temple’s presence. And even though the Temple holds no political power, they do draw ambitious and intelligent people in and provide thorough education to their ranks, so priests and priestesses of the Four often take advisory position in the court and in the most powerful noble houses.

And though it might be exaggeration, it’s commonly said that Tivarashan people are ambitious and cunning, and they thrive in all sorts of intrigues. A trait which, perhaps, one day will bring Kaighal under their rule.

If you’d like a taste of the world, my free collection contains two of the stories from my free short story collection are set in Kinyal. The Arcanist and the Mage Killer and Scourges, Spells, and Serenades tell of the early adventures of Kamira and Veelk, the main protagonists of the upcoming novel.

You can get the collection by signing up to my newsletter.

All posts in this year’s challenge (links updated with new posts):

Arcane Magic || Barriers and Circles || The Cataclysm || Devanshari  || Essence || Free City of Kaighal || Gildya Magna || High Magic || Imbued Stones || Juamha || Kamira Altrainne || Languages || Mage Killers || Nightflies & Other Creatures || Origins of the Idea || Politics || Qinyalarethe || Religion || Suzhaul || Tivarashan ||