The westernmost state of Rimihuica, Mueras occupies a stretch of brutally fragmented coastline where the land seems to have shattered against the sea. Cliff-walled islands, treacherous channels, and hidden harbors define this region—geography that created the merchant-king oligarchy as surely as any political theory. Those who know the waters control the trade. Those who control the trade rule Mueras.
The coast runs roughly 400 miles north to south, from the Mueras Highlands and Hammer Coast in the north to the Beak of Mueras peninsula in the south. Inland, the arid Dustwind Plateau separates the wealthy coastal cities from the darker eastern reaches—the Taflex Forest, Grimreach, and the shadow-haunted Darkened Coast. The Agreben Sea lies to the south and west; North Agreben island marks the southern extent of Mueran influence.
What outsiders remember about Mueras: the cities carved into living cliff-face, the notorious difficulty of navigation, the wealth that flows through despite everything, and the persistent wrongness that clings to certain stretches of coast. King Kasper's death-curse, when the old tyrant fell, didn't merely haunt Kaspion—it cracked something in the region's relationship with death itself.
Walker Depths
The deep waters west of Labyrinth Sound, between Mueras and the Starfish Isles. Named for the "walkers"—drowned dead that sometimes walk the seabed rather than floating. On clear days, sailors in shallow-drafted vessels occasionally glimpse them through the water: humanoid figures trudging slowly across the sandy bottom, going somewhere.
No one knows where they're going. No one wants to find out. Ships avoid anchoring in Walker Depths; the walkers have been known to climb anchor chains.
The Hammer Coast
The northern shore of Mueras, running from Cursius in the northwest to the Tarns in the northeast. Named for the twin fortress-ports of North Hammer Point and South Hammer Point, which control the sea approaches from the north. This is the most defensible and least cursed section of Mueras—the Hammer family has maintained it for six generations.
Cursius
The northwestern corner of Mueras, where the coast turns south toward Labyrinth Sound. A small port town, less important than it once was. Cursius was a significant trading post before Kasper centralized power at Kaspion; now it serves mainly as a waypoint for ships avoiding the Sound entirely by sailing around the north.
Mueras Highlands
The elevated northwestern interior, separating the Hammer Coast from the approaches to Labyrinth Sound. Rocky, wind-scoured hills with thin soil and sparse vegetation. Yngli herding communities maintain small flocks of the hardy goats that can survive here, and a few mining operations extract iron and copper from shallow deposits.
The Highlands are sometimes called "the commons"—the one part of Mueras no merchant-king has bothered to claim. The herders and miners who live here owe allegiance to no house, pay no harbor fees, and are correspondingly poor. When the merchant-kings need expendable soldiers or raiders to harass rivals' overland caravans, they recruit from the Highlands.
Dustwind Plateau
The arid interior of Mueras, a high tableland swept by constant winds that carry fine dust from the plateau's surface. The plateau separates the wealthy coast from the eastern reaches, serving as a buffer zone where few settlements survive. Caravans cross it to avoid the sea route around the Beak, but the journey is harsh—water sources are scarce, and the dust storms can strip flesh from bone.
The plateau's name comes from the wind, which rarely ceases. Locals claim the dust carries whispers from the dead of Kaspion, though scholars attribute the sounds to wind through rock formations. The two explanations are not mutually exclusive.
The Haunted Zone
The stretch of coast from Kaspion south to Port Perith, where King Kasper's death-curse fell heaviest. This region is not abandoned—commerce demands too much—but it is approached with caution, and no one lingers longer than necessary.
The Beak of Mueras
The southern peninsula, curving southwest toward North Agreben island. The Beak is the poorest region of Mueras—fishing villages, small-scale farming on the rare patches of arable soil, and ferry services to the southern islands. No merchant-king family has claimed the Beak; the margins are too thin to support their lifestyle.
Taflex Forest
The great forest of eastern Mueras, running from the Dustwind Plateau down to the approaches of Grimreach. The Taflex provides the timber that builds Mueran ships—a crucial resource in a nation that lives by maritime trade. Logging operations, mostly controlled by House Vethros of Kelwin, maintain camps throughout the accessible portions of the forest.
The deeper Taflex is Yngli territory. Silent communities of the one-eyed folk live here, descended from those who fled exploitation in the coastal cities. They maintain their own governance, communicate through an elaborate sign language, and trade forest products for goods they cannot make themselves. The logging companies have learned not to push too deep; the Yngli don't need to speak to make their displeasure clear.
Eddiwood
A lumber town at the forest's western edge, where the Taflex meets the plateau. Logs are processed here, then either floated down seasonal streams toward Port Echo or hauled overland to Bazz. The town is rough, practical, and absolutely uninterested in merchant-king politics—they sell to whoever pays.