Kir
Ships, fortunes, and information pass through Yar’s great coastal trading hub. The Crown, noble families, and merchant houses share its wealth—and compete for its influence. Here begins The Executioner’s Robes.
AN INTRODUCTION, WITHOUT SPOILERS
A world called Yar.
Coastal fortunes. Guarded knowledge. A forest that refuses to yield its secrets.
THE WORLD BEHIND THE STORIES
Every certainty has an origin.
A perfect circle of rainforest rises between desert and ocean cliffs. A white castle stands above waters that tear ships apart. Across Yar, people trade, farm, study, and build lives in the shadow of powers much older than themselves.
Natural magic is rare across much of Yar. Those who possess it may spend their lives moving grain or pumping water; the Men of Wise claim authority over advanced magical study. From Stony Isle, the fraternity’s influence reaches courts and households far beyond its shores.
Some histories are carefully preserved. Others survive only as rumor. The stories begin with the people living among them.
GLIMPSES OF AN UNFINISHED ATLAS01 / THE MERCHANT COAST 02 / THE WHITE TOWERS 03 / THE AGRICULTURAL HEART 04 / THE IMPOSSIBLE FOREST 05 / CITIES OF LEARNING 06 / THE WARM ARCHIPELAGO
Places with stories.
Stony Isle
White towers rise through unbroken sea fog. Below them, treacherous currents carry ships toward blade-sharp stone. This is the home of the Men of Wise. Reaching its gates is the admission test for anyone who would join them.
Zen Tol
Granite hills and ancient ruins break the sweep of fertile farmland. Here, magic turns mills and moves harvests. Useful work earns respect; a restless curiosity may earn suspicion.
Wiley Woods
In Yar’s far south, an impenetrable rainforest forms a perfect circle. Desert stops at its edge; beyond the trees, high cliffs meet the sea. Its people know paths through the canopy that outsiders cannot follow.
Bol Tan
Caravans connect oasis and river cities whose libraries preserve generations of learning. Knowledge is held sacred here, though wealth still shapes who has the time and freedom to pursue it.
Ludive
White-sand islands, turquoise lagoons, and flowering forests draw ships across warm seas. The beauty of these shores conceals storms, scarce fresh water, and the work of keeping paradise afloat.
BEYOND THE SETTLED WORLD
Far to the north, the land gives way to ice, snow, and stone. The North Tundra has no towns to welcome a traveler, and almost no life to break its silence.
THE HEART OF THE WORLD
What we choose to do with power matters long after the choice is made.THEMES OF YAR