Viraven, Central Region of Peredur
Viraven is the central and largest of the regions of the Province of Peredur. Before the time of Empire, Viraven was an independent country. Viraven is heavily forested like Sianna, but unlike Sianna is not as swampy. The northern portion of Viraven contains great hills, and upon several of these watch towers are maintained. Offically the towers are there to help control bandits, but the pretense fools few. All know that Olvain has little trust in Kallos Fairmantle of Erbain.
The major highway from Erbain into Peredur passes over these hills and down to the city of Paroviir. Paroviir was one of the cities wrecked in the Dwarven Wars, and though it was been rebuilt, despite being the "Gateway to Peredur" it still lacks a fortified wall capable to withstanding a serious attack. Paroviir is one of the cities founded in the days of the Scions of Kael, and as such is populated more by Men than by the other races of the Empire. Northeast of Paroviir, a road leads off into The Shan, to the city of Ilios. A rude path through woods and over hills from Paroviir can take one to the town of Khol, another sorry story from the time of the Dwarven Wars.
For Khol was a Dwarven town, but it was not one part of the Great Dwarven Realms that lie deep within the earth. Rather it stood like a city of Men or Elves, as freestanding buildings above ground, and it was never a part of the vast underground network that the Dwarves maintain. Thus it was vulnerable during the early days of the Dwarven Wars, and was destroyed by the Imperial Legions not long after the Wars started. It is said by some that the destruction of Khol is what led, ultimately to the siege and destruction of Baravirion itself. To that, though, the Dwarves will not answer. Khol still stands as a town today, but is mostly populated by Men and Gnomes. The Dwarves are all fled to Zakhadnost, or slain.
In the center of Viraken lies the Great Dwarven Kingdom of Zakhadnost. This is the southernmost Kingdom of the Dwarves, and originally did not appear to want to take part in the battles that were occuring north in Erbain, Campolea, or Nevrast. But once Khol fell, the Dwarves of Zakhadnost made up for lost time. Abanoir was heavily damaged in the wars, and Paroviir, Shanvir and Alviir were all badly damaged as well. But it is Baravirion that paid the heaviest price.
For the road south of Paroviir leads to that once mighty city Baravirion. It was once the capitol of Viraven, and before even the Empire came down into Peredur it was already the largest and most beautiful of all the cities of Peredur. The Elves founded this city, but it was the rock Gnomes who truly adopted it and dwelt there in large numbers. And the Gnomes had much traffic with the Dwarven realm of Zakhadnost in those days, and hired many to come to aid in the raising and expansions of the city. It is said that the combined arts of Dwarf, Gnome, and Elf came together there like in no other place in the world. Even Kenningdown, capital of the Empire at its height could not compare with the pure beauty and grandeur of Baravirion. Magic, music and beauty, arts and architecture all had their highest expressions there. Poets and bards would travel from the furthest corners of the Empire and beyond simply to gaze upon its wonders.
Baravirion is no longer the city it once was. During the Dwarven Wars the city was destroyed, her walls torn asunder, her gardens burned, her great towers thrown down. The city is only about a quarter of the size it once was, and her people live surrounded by the broken foundations and strewn pillars of her history. Even the Dwarves in their great halls sing lamentations to the destruction of Baravirion they caused.
Today, there are no roads that lead to the Zakhadnost. The old highways lie disused and overgrown. The Dwarves of Zakhadnost do not come out their mighty doors to the world above, or if they do they do so most secretly and they do not stay in the surface world too long. And they find few friends in the lands above. In Sianna, or in The Shan, Dwarves may be tolerated. One can do business with them there. But memory and pain run too deep in Viraven, where Baravirion The Great is remembered.
From Baraviron roads lead east to Shanvir, south to Kolviir, west to Abanoir, and south-west to Alviir. Shanvir is the smallest of the main cities of Perdur, existing mostly as a waypoint between Baravirion and the cities of The Shan to the East. Founded as a small town by forest Gnomes long ago it no longer really resembles a native city at all. Imperial Men and Elves moved in during the days of the Scions, and most of the forest Gnomes who dwelt there moved away to smaller hidden places along the Avensea, or in the forests that lie south.
Kolviir is now the capitol of all Peredur. It is a mighty fortress and main center of trade, for the Imperial Navy is housed there. Olvain Foamfollower is the Vizier in the great Castle of Amber and Jade. Kolvir proper lies atop a tall hill of the same name. Indeed, it is more a mountain than a hill, and strange tales are told of Mount Kolviir. For one thing, the mountain stands alone, no other mountains or even large hills nearby. Some legends of the Gnomes say it fell from the sky long ago, and struck near to where the great river meets the sea. And they say further that it wasn't truly a mountain, but a large vessel that could traverse the sky bearing great treasures and strange powers, and it crashed. None know if the legends are true,nor who could have contstructed such a thing. But beneath the mansions and streets of the city of Kolviir there is known to be a vast network of caves known only as the Labyrinth. Some say there are strange monsters who fear the light dwelling deep within the Labyrinth. Others have reported odd noises when passing by the openings within the city that lead into those caves. Still others say it's all nonsense. But though some of the surface caves of the Labyrinth are used for storage, the deeper caves are all sealed off behind great doors of Iron. And those who pass through those doors to venture too far into the Labyrinth seldom return to the world of light above.
Below the city proper lie the Docks. At one end of the Docks lies the area known offically as Imperial Shipyards, but to the locals as "gangersland". Beware walking too close to that area, unless you don't mind the sea, and would enjoy a tour aboard one of the Navy's finest ships as a press-ganged sailor. At the other end of the Docks is Merchant Town, where the civilian ships come bringing wares from elsewhere in the Empire. Ships can pass up the Great River past Baravirion all the way to Avensea, and thus to Paroviir. From there, goods are shipped in and out of Erbain over land.
Alviir is another fortified city on the coast of Peredur, west of Kolviir. It and Paraviir to the east of Kolviir are large enough that they are not often raided by the Corsair fleets. The cities are no longer enough to hold back the raiders from other smaller villages and towns along the coast, however.
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