The lands of Karadria: Illustrated

Long ago, Karadria was a great empire that ruled over an entire continent. Then, a great war broke out between varying factions. At one point, a spell was cast. A power was unleashed unlike anything seen before or after. Not only did all the soldiers in that battle die, the surrounding lands had become permanently cursed.

That place is now called No Man’s Land.

In The Isolated Vizier, now available for pre-order, much of the story takes place in these lands. Seen in the map above, today the former empire has split into five separate nations each ruled by their own sultan.

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Karadria sits to the east of Terranor, on the other side of the Brown Mountains. The mountain range and desert makes travel by foot harsh, so most go by sea and arrive in South Haven to trade rare goods like silks and coffee.

To initiate readers into this new land, I am using the AI tool MidJourney to generate images based on the capital cities of each nation. As part of each prompt, I am asking to fit the style of oil paintings. You can imagine local artists in each city creating these depictions of their homes.

Sharji in Abbasud

Nestled between mountains and water, this city is the embodiment of the vast resources of the nation. Abbasud has forests to the west, sea to the north, and ores to the east. However, these riches are not shared equally. The sultan, Al-Mu'tazz Almohadi, grants exclusive control to favored oligarchs and emirs, creating an underclass of overtaxed workers.

Sali in New Karad

When the schism first occurred, the empire split into four. A generation after, Greater Karad split into New Karad and Old Karad. Many people left during this time, heading west for new opportunities in Ernos. Those who couldn’t finish the journey settled in New Karad and built a new life. New Karad is ruled by a strongman, Sultan Ma'mee al-Jy, who fights with the local emirs over distribution of taxes.

Gorgar in Mahjarak

Gorgar is an atypical city in Mahjarak, as most are situated at the base of mountains with small populations of farmers and fishers. Many peasants are dwarves, who have found themselves stifled at growing political oversight of their mines. Sultan Shervan Jafai is an intelligent and charismatic leader who has used his position to deftly manage relationships between all parties up until this point.

Ahlayr in Old Karad

Ahlayr is the home of the Karadrian navy, a proud group who still fly under the banner of the empire. Old Karad maintains many traditions of their ancestors and are well connected by sea to other nations. Sultan Mehmet Azardan is young and inexperienced, but has many ambitions to grow his power.

Dikare and Ajgar in Zamek

These twin cities are connected by The Tradeway, a heavily guarded route for trade. Known together as the Free City of Zamek, the people here are proud of their freedoms including free trade. The island nation has been focused more on the west, in places like South Haven and Sothoros, and shifted trade away from Old Karad. Sultan Karana Avav is boisterous and a collector of magic items.

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As you may have noticed in those descriptions, there are tensions between the ruling class and the peasants. It seems like chaos might break out at any moment. To learn what happens next, pre-order The Isolated Vizier.