The name at the top of each gazetteer entry is the common name most often used by people of the Flanaess for that political region.
Proper Name: A political region's own official name for itself, which might differ considerably from what others call it.
Ruler: The current head of state, appropriately titled and addressed. (Additional titles are omitted for reasons of brevity.)
Government: This is a brief description of how the realm's government is structured and functions, with notes on royal and noble families and their powers, where applicable.
For a realm to call itself a "kingdom" is no small matter, as it challenges the authority of all surrounding states, particularly any larger state that once claimed that realm for its own. Isolated realms have less of a problem. Keoland, in the Sheldomar Valley, eliminated all rivals long ago and had no serious challengers afterward. The Suel barbarians of the Thillonrian Peninsula can have all the kingdoms they wish, since no one else cares for that distant, frigid region.
Furyondy and Nyrond, however, challenged every aspect of the Great Kingdom's rule over them and wished to end all show of fealty, freely establishing their own regional influence. Thus, they called themselves kingdoms with the consequence of endless hostility with the old empire. Sunndi essentially did the same, cutting all ties with the Great Kingdom and its successor states. Some rebellious realms hope to eventually rejoin their rejected kingdoms, given a satisfactory change of monarchs, or hope to avoid continuous conflict with their large neighbors; thus, they usually keep their old titles (duchy, principality, county, march, etc.), even if completely independent.
In a theocracy, the clerics of a particular faith are in charge. Deities are described either in the Player's Handbook or in this volume.
Capital: The nation's central government resides in the city or town named here.
Major Towns: Important cities and towns are given here alphabetically. Other towns may exist in large states, but they are not as important or populous as those given here.
Provinces: The major political subdivisions of each realm are given here; they might be further detailed elsewhere.
Resources: Native materials produced in quantities great enough to allow for exportation are named here. Every realm is assumed to produce sufficient resources to maintain itself, unless noted otherwise. As a general rule, a country cannot import more than it exports, so the degree of exports also determines a country's ability to buy foreign goods and services. In a few cases, the resources named are not exported, being used entirely for internal consumption, but are produced in qualities worthy of note.
Foodstuffs consist of livestock, game animals, fish, grains and breads, cheeses, fruits and vegetables, and alcoholic drinks; certain food items are specifically named if they figure prominently in trade. Gems are given in four categories: I (base value 10 gp), II (base value 50 gp), III (base value 100-500 gp), and IV (base value 1,000 gp: "fine gems").
Coinage: The monetary-exchange system (l pp = 10 gp = 20 ep = 100 sp = 1,000 cp) was established many centuries ago by the Great Kingdom at its founding, based on a similar system of coinage developed by the kingdom of Aerdy. As the Great Kingdom spread across the Flanaess, similar currencies were adopted by other peoples to better trade with this vast empire, particularly after magic was used to assess coin purity and weight. After much debate, Keoland changed its own coinage system to match the Great Kingdom's in 331 CY, and even realms like the Frost, Ice, and Snow Barbarians have roughly similar systems. If a realm mints its own coinage, the names of each official coin are given, with the denomination type: pp (platinum piece), gp (gold piece), sp (silver piece), ep (electrum piece), cp (copper piece). Other forms of currency are given if important.
Population: This shows the distribution of various races as a percentage of the overall population. The classification "Other" at the end of the entry indicates that miscellaneous beings round out the population. Census figures were reported in mid-590 CY; all figures are estimates. Previously published population figures for the Flanaess were often very low given poor census-taking methods and outright falsification.
Parenthetical notes give the general ethnic composition of some groups, where statistics are available. The ethnic mix for humans includes the following code letters: B = Baklunish, F = Flan, O = Oeridian, R = Rhennee, S = Suloise, Z = Olman. A lower-case letter indicates an ethnic group is in the minority in a realm; an upper-case letter indicates that the group is widespread. All figures for gnomes are for rock gnomes. Unless noted otherwise, assume elves are high or sylvan, dwarves are hill, and halflings are lightfoots. Orcs, goblins, gnolls, giants, and the like are rarely counted into population statistics, even if they are very common.
Languages: Languages are given in descending order of usage in each population. All languages named here are understood and spoken (if not read or written) by 5% or more of the population of that country, or by at least ten thousand persons. Other languages can be surmised if an appropriate population is present (for example, a dwarf minority likely speaks Dwarven). Humans often use many nonhuman tongues as well.
Alignments: The most common alignments among the population of each nation appear here. The alignment marked with an asterisk also happens to be that of most local government and law-enforcement officials. "L" indicates a predictable, firm adherence to the written laws of the land. "C" shows unpredictability in law enforcement, perhaps because laws are not written down, are confusing, or can be interpreted in many ways. "G" indicates that the laws benefit a majority of people in the realm and aid the common welfare; torture is restricted, and justice is fairly applied to all. "E" shows that the laws benefit only a chosen few within the realm (certain rulers, religions, races, or ethnic groups), with few rights for other citizens. "N" indicates a balance between extremes.
Religions: The major gods worshiped in each state are given. An asterisk points out that a deity is state favored. Most people worship or pay tribute to more than one deity every day, often up to a dozen or more during the year, though a person might hold one particular god as a personal favorite.
"Oeridian agricultural gods" stands for five particular deities usually worshiped as a group: Atroa (spring), Sotillion (summer), Wenta (autumn), Telchur (winter), and Velnius (weather). Berei and Beory ate the main Flan agricultural gods (often with Obad-Hai Phyton is the Suloise agricultural god.
"Dwarf pantheon" refers to the pantheon of dwarf gods led by Moradin.
"Elf pantheon" stands for the Seldarine, the pantheon of elf gods led by Corellon Larethian.
"Gnome pantheon" refers to the pantheon of gnome gods led by Garl Glittergold.
"Halfling pantheon" stands for that group of halfling gods led by Yondalla.
"Orc pantheon" refers to those orc gods led by Gruumsh.
True pantheonic worship (worshiping all the gods of a given ethnic group or race) is rare among humans. Most people are pragmatic and worship only those gods they deem important to their daily lives, regardless of the origins of those gods. Even nonhumans, who tend more toward pantheonic worship than humans, might give offerings to gods of human origin, if the latter offered benefits the nonhumans want or need. Ehlonna, Ulaa, Fortubo, Jascar, and Bleredd are important examples of human gods with significant followings of elves or dwarves. Hextor, Erythnul, Nerull, Syrul, and Beltar are often worshiped by orcs or goblinoids who also worship their own racial gods.
Allies: States and organizations that most often offer support to a realm are named here. Some alliances are shaky or complicated (subject to changes in politics or national mood or forced into alliance by enemy).
Enemies: States that actively attempt to bring down the current government of a realm, by means overt (raiding or warfare) or covert (assassination, sabotage), are given here. Some states are greatly distrusted and have sanctions applied against them.
Overview: A geographic overview of each state is given with details on climate, unusual flora and fauna, major transportation and communication routes, and a brief look at the country's military situation.
History: The origins and major past events of each state are covered briefly, with a focus on the recent past, particularly since 570 CY.
Conflicts and Intrigues: Current troubles, open and secret, are noted here for use as adventure starters and campaign background by Dungeon Masters.
