Geography

Torrigan is the northmost of the human nations, beginning in the foothills of the Roof of the World, bordered to the west by the Forest of Kéthiel, to the south by the country of Melanos, and to the east by the Sea of Hope. Torrigan's coastline features the Bay of Winds, at the mouth of which rests the Ring of Tears.
Torrigan is hilly, stony country, watered by the Leviathan River and one of its tributaries, the High Tor. Most of Torrigan is heavily forested, and lumber is one of its primary trades, along with herding--cattle, sheep, goats, and horses mostly.

Torrigan is governed by its Knighthood--a circle of warriors devoted to honor and justice, following a diad of gods. The Knights of Torrigan are fair leaders, if a little too dependant on their Code at times, and Torrigan is, in general, a pleasant place to live.
The Knights are divided into two Orders, each Order balancing the other. The Orders meet in Council to discuss laws, reactions to current events, and other business regarding their circle and their country.
The first Order is the Order of the Shield. The Knights of the Shield follow Cian the Protector--a quiet, humble, stoic god, hesitant to attack but quick and steadfast in defense. Cian is also the god of the forge, the armorer's god, and is close to the earth. The Knights of the Shield stress obedience, humility, service, and the protection of the weak. The Order of the Shield is led by the Lord Justice, and three High Justices under him.
The second Order is the Order of the Flame, the followers of Arden. Arden is the god of courage and righteous anger, the god of swift attack and slow retreat. Arden is the God of wind and flame, the more impetuous of the Twins, and the more involved in the doings of his followers, and so it is that Knights of the Flame have certain priestly powers and can invoke the power of their god. Knights of the Flame are the most spiritual of the Knighthood, and are taught courage--in battle, Knights of the Flame lead the attack and are the last to retreat, holding the enemy so that the other fighters can get away. The Order of the Flame is led by the Lord Clerist, and three High Clerists under him.
The Knighthood was formed, so legend holds, when Cian and Arden descended to the earth, revealing themselves to two warrior brothers at a place called the Circle of Stone--a ring of standing stones located a few miles east of Tyr, the city where the Councils of the Knighthood are held, which rests at the place where the High Tor meets the Leviathan. The Circle of Stone is held in great reverence by a great many people, even by those who do not have any particular love of the Knighthood, for there is something undeniably special about it--a strange energy which seems, at times, to shiver in the air, and a sense of awe touching those who come to see it. Most agree that, whether or not the Twins inspired the Knighthood there, it was the site of some great magery or the touch of some god.
In general, the Knighthood is held in great respect both by the citizens of Torrigan and other nations around it. However, their devotion to honor can be taken to extremes, and that is one of the greatest criticisms against them. The Knighthood is wary of magic and, though allowing it in Torrigan, they gently discourage its use within the country's borders. This distrust of magic causes conflict between Torrigan and Melanos, though there has never been war between the two nations.
Although women have a great deal of freedom in Torrigan and are allowed to enter the Knighthood, there are few women within either of the Orders, possibly due to resistance met from within. Nonhumans cannot truly enter the Knighthood; they can only be named honorary Knights.

Copyright © 1999 Abigail Laughlin and the members of the Circle of Stone.