The kingdom of Ardevora lies in the southern reaches of the empire of Sogel. It borders on Priltova to the west, Carregor to the north, Thydencia to the south, and both Oludhor and Redowas to the east.
The kingdom is split by the XXX mountains, which run from the northeastern part of the kingdom into its center, and southward into Thydencia. The mountains are high, and frigid near the top, despite the tropical latitude. East of the mountains, the land is arid, and gives way to the desert which extends into Thydencia and Redowas.
The westernmost region is a thick jungle. This jungle extends over the northern section of the kingdom as well, and borders the XXX lake. The new independent duchy of Ditaria is located within this jungle, along the kingdom's northern border.
The nobles of Ardevora are imitators of other cultures. These nobles are frequently sent to exotic lands, learning about other cultures. They return with romanticized ideas of the foreign cultures, and try to imitate them as best they can. The dukes take pride in their imitations, and thus each succeeding generation tries to enhance their fake culture with more lore from the original land.
The duchy of Gorubin has been fashioned to imitate the land of Tah-Nokhet, on Fe'ansia. Pyramids, great stone carvings, and obelisks dominate the architecture.
Originally, this duchy was ruled by the Nobarr family. About 60 years ago, Sanis Nobarr, the son of the duke, returned from Tah-Nokhet with a large amount of goods, as most of his family had done previously. Unfortunately, Sanis had joined in a tomb-raiding expedition, and one of the things he brought back was a mummy, which he assumed to be dead. The mummy wasn't dead at all, and used Sanis as a puppet to learn the secret of Cainam. Once he had the information, the mummy Matsekhem killed most of the Nobarr family, and seized power.
The land is now a dark reflection of Tah-Nokhet.
Long ago, the duke of the land brought an order of monks into his duchy. When the ducal line died out, the head of the monastery inherited the mantle of ruler of the duchy. The duchy is home of eight monasteries, and the Master of the monasteries is the ruler of the land. The monasteries are located in various places throughout the duchy; at least three are high on the Thontoth plateau.
The duchess has ruled over this duchy for 400 years. Although a human, the duchess seems to age very slowly.
The duchy of Toptelia is located in the northern reaches of the jungle, northeast of Achupal. It occupies part of the Komar river valley, which it shares with the independent duchy of Ditaria on the other side of the river. Toptelia includes several islands in the XXX Lake.
The Komar River valley is home to a variety of dinosaurs.
Unlike Ditaria, the people of DDD are attempting to domesticate the dinosaurs for uses other than combat, such as draft beasts. They have met with some success, but most of the dinosaurs are still wild.
This duchy takes its name from its inhabitants. The Achupals are a rival tribe to the Kahukas (see Priltova). The Achupals are slightly less savage than the mainland Kahukas, but they are still fierce and deadly jungle warriors. Achupal and Kahuka are separated by the broad Komar river, which flows from the XXX lake to the ocean.
The Achupals are led by their high priest, who is actually a druid of considerable power. The tribe mixes druidic magic and witch-doctors, and these spellcasters form the upper class of the Achupal tribe. The witch doctors in particular dress in gaudy garments, festooned with feathers, to enhance their image.
The Achupals protect ancient ruins within their land, which they consider sacred. They have set numerous traps and snares around the ruins, but this has not stopped some intrepid adventurers from venturing into the heart of XXX