Places in Ile-Rien

This is list of geographical places presented in five of Martha Wells' fantasy novels, revolving around the fictional country of Ile-Rien.

Ile-Rien

Vienne

Ornate and spectacular capital of the Fontainon kings, it is the cultural heart of Ile-Rien. Among its many splendors are the Royal Palace, the St. Anne's Gate and the Boulevard of Flowers, lined with exquisite shops and costly restaurants. The city is also home to many cathedrals, mansions of the wealthy as well as theaters and an opera house.

From the viewpoint of Anton Baraselli, an Aderassi actor:

"Vienne was a jewel of a city in a rich setting, standing on temperate plains roughly in the center of the country, with rolling hills and olive groves on the warmer coast to the southwest, rich forested midlands, and black-soiled farmland in the terraced valleys of the high country to the north."

and

"A huddle of taverns and old houses on the side of a low hill commanding a good view of the River Quarter. River Quarter. Lying before them were the narrow overhung streets of the older and poorer area, which eventually led into the vast plazas and pillared promenades surrounded by the garden courts of the wealthy. Farther to the west and standing high above the slate and wooden roofs were the domes of churches, the fantastic and fanciful statues ornamenting the gables of the fortified Great Houses, the spires of the stone-filigree palaces on the artificial islands on the river's upper reaches." [1]

Philosopher's Cross

A district in Vienne frequented by scholars and other learned types.

Bel Garde

A sizable fortress very near the city of Vienne, it is in a strategic location to jeopardize the security of the capital should it fall into the wrong hands. The ownership of Bel Garde is a plot point in The Element of Fire. In the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, a wealthy suburban town has sprung up around Bel Garde, one of the priciest and most exclusive.

Lodun

The provincial seat of the University of Lodun, and a sizable town in its own right. The town is described as being very picturesque, with neat homes with tiled roofs and overflowing flower boxes, often oddly situated among more commercial edifices as the town has encroached around the once widely spaced farmhouses. The town is ringed by orchards and farms. Due to its proximity to the University, many of the homes have runes carved into shutters and door or on freestanding wooden posts, or painted on walls and gables.

Duncanny

A region in Ile-Rien. As a youth, King Roland had hoped to enroll in its small, respectable college. In The Element of Fire, its feudal lord is titled a 'Count.'

In The Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, it appears to have been raised to a duchy; the Duchess of Duncanny is the leader of the Aid Society, organizing rescue efforts as well as drives for material contributions.

Alsene

The Duchy of Alsene is a region of Ile-Rien, and the home of Denzil, Duke of Alsene, an ambitious kinsman of King Roland, as well as a number of vassal lords loyal to the Duke.

Chaire

A large port city on the west coast of Ile-Rien, it is a major maritime center, the hub of the trading vessels between Ile-Rien, Parscia, and Capidara across the ocean. Chaire is also a coastal resort town, known for its beaches. Chaire is also known for its canals.

Port Rel

A port-city in on the west coast of Ile-Rien; in The Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, it is the clandestine port of the Queen Ravenna during the war. It is also the covert headquarters of the Villier Institute during the war in the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy.

Port Efarin

A small port-city on the west coast of Ile-Rien.

Bisra

Ancient enemy of Ile-Rien, it is a very socially conservative country, influenced by its powerful church who police its populace for even the slightest 'heresy.' Unlike the people of Ile-Rien, Bisrans consider sorcery to be the work of the devil, and persecute all magical practitioners, and even go so far as to persecute the overtly superstitious. Ile-Rien and Bisra have fought numerous wars, the most recent during the reign of King Fulstan and Queen Ravenna. Bisra lies to the south of Ile-Rien. It superficially resembles Spain, in its arch-conservative religiosity.

Adera

A small, neighboring state to the south of Ile-Rien, Adera is famed for its lively culture, including its roving troupes of masked actors who perform the Comedia as well as for its cuisine. Aderassi-trained cooks are highly sought in the homes of the wealthy and the restaurants and hotels that cater to them. Its people are typically olive-skinned and dark-haired. It appears to be an analogue for Italy.

During the The Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, Adera has been overrun by the Gardier, who are using it as a staging area for deep assaults into Ile-Rien.

Parscia

A neighboring nation of Ile-Rien, Parscia is also a coastal nation along the Western Ocean. The nation is known for its graceful architecture and body of scholarly works, as well as its intricately patterned textiles and carpets. Parts of Parscia are desert. It is alternately referred to as the 'Parscian Empire.'

An ally of Ile-Rien during The Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, Parscia is the intended location of the Rienish government-in-exile.

The Low Countries

A collection of neighboring states to the north of Ile-Rien, its people share a common, flat-sounding accent. They have founded colonies in the South Seas, principally around Maiuta and its environs. They are also referred to as the 'Lowlands.'

Umberwald

A neighboring state to Ile-Rien, it is the homeland of Queen Falaise. It appears be one of the Lowlands.

Aberdon

A state of the Lowlands, it has founded colonies in the islands of the South Seas, especially on Maiuta.

Capidara

A nation-state on a continent that bears the same name, it lies across the Western Ocean from Ile-Rien. Its principal city is called Capistown. Capidara is governed, at least partially, by a Senate. The most common language is Rienish, suggesting that Capidara may be a daughter-colony of Ile-Rien.

The landmass of Capidara was inhabited by indigenous peoples called the Massians. They are aboriginal people with shamanistic religions. They appear to be a cross of the Native Americans, Polynesians and Australian Aborigines. They have been pushed to the margins of society and support themselves by selling native-made trinkets and outright begging. Most Capidarans regard them as uncivilized and while look upon them with disdain.

Capistown

The capital city of Capidara, it is a port city. It is tightly congested, having been built on a hilly peninsula, and with the advance of industry, it has become rather smoky and polluted, and its narrow roads have not been widened to accommodate automobile traffic.

During the The Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, Capidara is connected to Ile-Rien and the other nations by regular sea travel, including ocean liners. Capidara is an ally in the war, and would send regular aid but for the dangers over the open ocean crossings presented by the Gardier airships. Capidara receives both Rienish and Parscian ambassadors.

Maiuta

A large, jungle-riddled island in the South Seas, it is populated by warring tribes who are often exploited by the more advanced nations. It has few ports or towns. Aberdon has founded a colony there. There are numerous islands surround Maiuta, hence the whole archipelago is referred to as the 'Maiutan Islands.'

The island is occupied by the Gardier in The Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, who use it as a naval and airbase to mount their operations. The colonists and missionaries of the Benevolent Order of Dane from Aberdon have been seized and used as forced labor.