Thalevir is the setting of Herte and Mushinek, Hile and Phine—a world of quiet beauty and violent upheaval, of half-buried memories and half-remembered truths. In Thalevir, there are no gods or devils, no magic or monsters. Even the idea of fate is a vague notion, accepted by only a few. Instead, we are taught that two forces govern every life: choice and opportunity.
It is a world divided by geography, with four continents—only two of which are inhabitable: Cendomvita and Orudara. Neither knows the other exists.
About Cendomvita: The Continent of the Seven Kingdoms
Thousands of years before the stories I share, a great scourge is said to have arisen in Orudara—not a scourge of nature, but of man’s selfishness and innate evil. In desperation, countless people fled—by boat, by ship, by raft—seeking survival across the sea. Many eventually landed along the southern coast of Cendomvita. The rest—presumed lost to the sea.
The known survivors spread across the continent, establishing small settlements along the coasts. Over centuries, the settlements grew into villages, and the villages into towns. As civilization rebuilt itself, the Seven Kingdoms and Four Free Trade Zones were born.
This new society centered itself on peaceful trade, both among and between its peoples. Every trade—legal or illicit—eventually formed guilds to regulate their practices and help unify the Seven Kingdoms. Among these, the Information Guild became the most powerful, entrusted with gathering and disseminating knowledge. In time, they shaped and controlled the narrative.
Most inhabitants of Cendomvita, whether by neglect or by design, forgot the truth of their ancestors’ migration. Eventually, only a single account remained—etched into a massive stone tablet, a record of their flight and arrival. In its infancy, the Information Guild took possession of the tablet. Its leaders, fearing what might happen if the people sought to return to what once was, broke the tablet into pieces. They hid each fragment across Cendomvita—not where they might be found by chance, but where they might be discovered by those who knew to look.
Clues were left behind—just enough for the initiated to rediscover what had been buried, should the need ever return.
Cendomvita is the central setting of The Mushinek Uprising, The Weight of Small Betrayals, The Shadow of Silent Losses, Broken Path, Unbroken Will, and the broader chronicles of Hile and Phine. For much of their recorded narrative, Cendomvita is believed to be the entirety of the known world—a belief that is ultimately proven false.
Geopolitical Structure
Cendomvita is often referred to as “The Seven Kingdoms,” a name drawn from its seven major sovereign realms. Though each follows a different form of monarchy, they have long shared a common goal: maintaining peace among their neighbors. As a result, borders have traditionally remained open, and trade flows freely between them. While occasional minor disputes have arisen, they are typically resolved quickly. Large-scale warfare among the Seven Kingdoms is rare, occurring only once every two or three centuries—and most often ignited by non-governmental forces emerging from the shadows of Cendomvita’s vast wildernesses.
- East Coast (entirely dominated by one kingdom):
- Vidora — the vast eastern kingdom, occupying the full breadth of the continent’s east coast.
- Northern Coast (three kingdoms):
- Maghrabi
- Yisea
- Rusmaria
- Southern Coast (three kingdoms):
- Hireotha
- Ognenstrof
- Elowen
Each of these kingdoms is bordered inland by one or more autonomous Free Trade Zones, positioned roughly at the four cardinal directions. Unlike the kingdoms, where the Information Guild holds the greatest influence, the Transportation Guild dominates in these trade zones.
- Weslading (west)
- Nolading (north)
- Eslading (east)
- Solading (south)
The Free Trade Zones house the central headquarters of most Guilds, serving as hubs for their training, governance, and strategic operations. This concentration of Guild power grants the zones tremendous political influence among the kingdoms. In their thousands of years of existence, no one has ever dared to assault a Guild house anywhere in Cendomvita.
As a result, these zones exercise both economic and political autonomy while shaping the regions they intersect. Each sustains a strong military presence and a robust law enforcement industry, making them the safest places to live and work in Cendomvita.
Geography and Natural Features
Cendomvita, beginning near the Fountain of the Roaring River in the west and stretching eastward, growing in both elevation and breadth until reaching the Vidoran Divide near the eastern edge of the continent. This mountain range is defined by tall, jagged peaks and deep valleys.
Two prominent freshwater lakes are located within these mountains:
- Lake Kosak — Notable for its rare bifurcated drainage across the continental divide, Lake Kosak feeds rivers both to the North Sea and the southern plains, despite its high elevation and the surrounding tall peaks.
- Lake Mahyim — The largest and deepest lake in Cendomvita. It sits just north of the continental divide and touches the borders of four kingdoms, serving as a vital water and trade resource.
The borders of Cendomvita’s kingdoms are largely shaped by the continent’s major river systems. The unusual bifurcated drainage of Lake Kosak creates a nominal island kingdom—Vidora—separated from the rest of the continent by two major rivers. Yisea is another such nominal island: Lake Mahyim forms its southern border, while the lake’s two outlets define its eastern and western boundaries.
Another defining feature is the Ashen Peninsula, located within the kingdom of Ognenstrof. This region is marked by a chain of volcanoes, many now dormant or only mildly active. The volcanic chain extends into the southern Central Mountains, contributing to both seismic instability and mineral wealth throughout the region.
Each of the Seven Kingdoms occupies a distinct geographic region shape by the natural features of the continent and rivers that mark their borders.
Elowen
Elowen lies between Vidora to the east and Ognenstrof to the west. The Central Mountains form its northern border. The Kosak Falls, located near the edge of the range, feed a deep canyon river that empties into Lake Irreamptum. From there, waters flow into the Elowen River, which forms the kingdom’s eastern border and continues south to the Southern Ocean, opening into a wide delta. The delta’s scattered islands have long been known to shelter smugglers and pirates. The southern two-thirds of Elowen consists of low plains prone to spring flooding between the Encalm and Elowen Rivers. Between the Emerald and Encalm Rivers, the land rises into gentle hills where much of Elowen’s agriculture, consisting of raising livestock, is concentrated.
Hireotha
Hireotha sits in the southwestern corner of Cendomvita. Its capital, Maadigan, is located high on the Mulcour River, which remains ocean-navigable even far inland. Hireotha’s position makes it the only kingdom with direct access to two Free Trade Zones: Weslading and Solading. Although much of its coastline is lined with rocky cliffs, Hireotha boasts rich farmland and favorable growing conditions, earning it the title of Cendomvita’s breadbasket. The kingdom shares borders with Maghrabi to the north and Ognenstrof to the east. The Thundering River, which empties into the Roaring Outlet, forms part of its northern boundary with Maghrabi, while the Central Mountains and their high foothills define the eastern border. Maadigan has long served as the continent’s center of learning, home to its most prestigious archives and scholars. Paradoxically, both the Pirate Guild and the Thieves’ Guild maintain a strong presence in the city’s underworld, thriving beneath its scholarly surface.
Ognenstrof
Ognenstrof sits between Elowen on the east and Hireotha on the west, and is the only kingdom that borders five of the other six realms. Although Ognenstrof controls the Ashen Peninsula, this volcanic region remains largely uninhabited. The Emerald River flows through the capital city of Draventh, continuing westward before turning south into the Ashen Gulf. The Avenreach River runs along Ognenstrof’s eastern border with Elowen, marking a vital trade and military corridor. Ancient settlements on both sides of the peninsula suggest that Ognenstrof may be home to some of the oldest continuous habitation in Cendomvita. The region’s wealth is driven by gem mining, a legacy of its ancient volcanic terrain.
Maghrabi
Maghrabi lies in northwestern Cendomvita. Its coastal foothills and the Maghrabi Sound to the north are blanketed in lush forests, but inland Maghrabi is dominated by Cendomvita’s largest desert, which covers much of its central and northern reaches. The desert gives way to fertile plains as one approaches the Yisean border. The Maghrabi Sound—with its four main islands and two outlets to the Northern Ocean—defines the kingdom’s northern border. Maghrabi’s capital, Thalyra, sits at the edge of the coastal foothills, where they meet the sands of the interior.
Rusmaria
Rusmaria lies between Yisea and Vidora. More than half of Lake Kosak rests along its southeastern border. The Central Mountains and their high, forested foothills extend deep into Rusmaria’s interior, making forestry and mining its primary industries. Rusmaria’s capital, Tazurind, is its only major city; most of the population lives in remote villages scattered among its forests, hills, and mountains. Along the northern coast are several fishing communities, though much of Rusmaria’s shoreline is low-lying swamp, subject to the whims of the tides.
Vidora
Vidora dominates Cendomvita’s east coast and is the most densely populated of the Seven Kingdoms. With its extensive access to the sea, Vidora has established itself as the continent’s preeminent naval power. In the west, the Central Mountains taper into forested foothills, while the eastern shores of Lake Kosak mark part of Vidora’s interior. A low mountain range known as the Vidoran Divide extends eastward from the Central Mountains toward Vidora’s coastal plains. To the south, the plains are thick with forest nearly to the sea, but the plains north of Ostengate, Vidora’s capital, are treeless and open, stretching unbroken to the foothills.
Yisea
Yisea, also known as the Yisean Empire, lies between Maghrabi to the west and Rusmaria to the east. The Central Mountains stretch across Yisea’s southern third, rising from the shores of Lake Mahyim, which defines Yisea’s southern border. The western plains give way to forested foothills and dense woods as one travels east. To the north lies Seagull Bay, a crescent inlet of the Northern Ocean surrounded by sheer white cliffs—an often-visited destination for those with enough wealth and courage to brave the northern coasts by ship. Yisea’s capital, Caerwyn, sits at the mouth of the Valenrun River, which originates in the southern highlands and flows slowly northward into the sea.
Books Set in Cendomvita
- Prequel: The Mushinek Uprising
- Book 1: The Weight of Small Betrayals
- Book 2: The Shadow of Silent Losses
- Book 3: Broken Path, Unbroken Will
Once these four books are completed, the story in Cendomvita will continue, as the fight for freedom must go on to its inevitable conclusion.
About Orudara: The Forgotten Homeland
Long before the rise of the Seven Kingdoms, before the founding of Maadigan or the forging of the Free Trade Zones, there was Orudara—the first land, the cradle of humanity, and the place of departure.
Though little is known of its original form, Orudara is believed to lie far to the south of Cendomvita, across the same ocean that carried the earliest refugees northward thousands of years ago. So thoroughly has it been forgotten that, for much of history, its very existence was regarded as less than myth—until scattered records and fractured stone tablets revealed a truth older than any crown or council.
A Land of Echoes
Today, the geography of Orudara remains uncertain. No ships have returned from its southern waters, and no travelers from that land have appeared in living memory. Still, the legends suggest a continent of similar size and climate to Cendomvita, a place of forests and mountains, lakes and rivers, shaped not unlike a puzzle piece that might fit neatly against Cendomvita’s southern coast—just as the lands of the Western Hemisphere of Earth echo the contours of Eurasia and Africa.
It is said that Orudara once flourished with its own kingdoms, guilds, and scholars—its people prosperous and proud. But in the era known only as the Time of Flight, a great scourge—unnamed, undefined, and unspeakable—swept across the land. Whether it was war, plague, rebellion, or something more sinister has been lost to time. What is known is this:
Thousands fled by sea.
They sailed north.
They reached a new shore.
And then… they forgot.
Legacy of Orudara
Upon its establishment, the Information Guild guarded the last thread connecting Cendomvita to its true past. They fractured the stone tablet that held the account of the migration and hid the pieces throughout the continent. Each fragment carries not just history, but the possibility of return.
Books Set in Orudara
Orudara is the planned setting for an epic spanning two centuries of civilization. For now, however, the existence of Orudara remains a mystery to all but the select few who read this page.