One of my favorite panels of our comic IN MAPS & LEGENDS, over at the Zuda Comics site, is the one of Kait, checking out her work as that odd music pulses in her ears. And she’s thinking of the names to these places from her map:

So, let’s just say that we happened to find a handy-dandy tour guide to this place she’s etching into the walls of her spare room. Not sure where it came from, and it’s in pretty bad shape, but I can make out a couple entries.

Here’s what I can tell you about this world…

Blassinger Valley: Rolling hills of green, year-round, bless the western half of the continent of Ezled. Rich black earth watered by melting lake ice and underground rivers keep this valley populated by men and women of sturdy stock who help feed the rest of the continents. These same folk keep a sharp eye out for the growing packs of feral, rodent-fed cats the size of small children as well as the ubiquitous rat-squirrels that overflow from the southern mountains. Many a farmer in the Valley sports a coat made of orange cat and streaked brown squirrel fur. Shake this brave farmer’s hand when you meet him. Or her.

Hollouman’s Ridge: A series of white-rock peaks fused together by some of the most violent upheavals in this world’s history, the Ridge is the meeting place for brave fliers searching for a place to land, refuel, and survey both where one has come from as well as where one is going. The mystics come on biannual retreats to the Ridge, as do the grifters, who venture there year-round. The hundreds of vendor stalls and hotels and watering holes anchored to the Ridge keep commerce flowing over the ocean and to lands far and wide. Just don’t get too close to the steep, sharp dropoffs. The ocean below the Ridge does not provide a forgiving landing.

The Gediphal River: Draining from the marshes of middle and southern Forivin, the Gediphal is host to the bright red Liverfish, which have been known to eat the skin off any creature foolish enough to try to cross it. The river is narrow and fast, but deep. The caves under the banks of the Gediphal are rumored to be filled with minerals, a handful of which are worth twice a man’s life. The floor of this frigid, harsh river is littered with bones of man, creature, and other beings nobody has the courage to identify. Cross the River with a bridge, only.

Balasander’s Crest: In the northernmost mountain ranges of this world, all signs on this unnamed continent point away from this mountain. The tallest peak on the planet, the Crest is a magnet for toxic energy. The waters of the ocean surrounding this anonymous island hosting the the Crest have long turned from turquoise to the dullest brown. Legend has it that the Crest is actually a dormant volcano, with magma fueling the engines carved into its rock. Those responsible for building these engines remain, like the island, unnamed and unknown. No images exist of the Crest; the place is lifeless. It is death. Turn away, now.

I also found some entries about airship travel, something about a giant whirlpool, and giant bridges connecting one land mass to another.

… But surely they must be just making all that up.

And finally, way in the back of this book, I found this very sketchy-looking, hand-drawn map. The quality is so bad that at first I didn’t want to share it, but it does seem to answer a few questions I had about what was located where in this place. I hope it makes some sense for you, too (click to view a bigger version):

Happy touring! When I learn more, I’ll let you know — hopefully soon. ‘Til then, thanks for reading!