Nera is the high fantasy world in which my novel OF BLOOD AND ROSES takes place. It’s born completely from my imagination, and you can find out more about the diferent land masses within it here.
THE WINTERLANDS
The Winterlands is the Northernmost continent of the magical realm of Nera, and like every other continent in Nera, is broken into cities that are named after major and minor gods.
The capital of the Winterlands is the city of Amoura, which is named after the primordial goddess of love. The Temple of the Gods, the single most inclusive religious shrine that acts as a traditional site for marriage and other important ceremonies, can be found in Amoura. Amoura acts as not only the queen of the gods, but as a second patron to the Blessed Guild, alongside her daughter Lillyia, the godess of beauty.
The Winter Court, where Princess Imogen of the Deadlands has been sent by her older brother and king, Dagon, is also found in Amoura.
Interestingly enough, unlike the other two continents, the Winterlands is ruled by one King and many princes, who are the overlords of the various city-states. The princes all have varying claims to the throne, because they are bastard brothers or cousins or have some such relation to King Xerxes of House Steele. He is the only pure-blood royal, and his line is the one that is meant to rule over the continent.
True to it’s name, the Winterlands is snowcapped and litttered with mountains and icy caves with a harsh, dry climate. The frozen sea is often covered in a layer of ice, with water that reaches less than -400 degrees celsius at it’s coldest.
THE DEADLANDS
The Deadlands is the middle continent of Nera, which sits between the Winterlands and the Summerlands. While the Winterlands possess regions named after major gods of light and darkness, the Deadlands is dominated by the major gods of darkness such as Vasco, the god of time, Veria, the goddess of hell, and Akhran, the god of magic and sorcery, while also feautring the major goddess of light, Lurithra’s, city.
Lurithra is the birth city of both Azalea and Draxler within OF BLOOD AND ROSES, which explains their differing shades of golden eyes, and is where Aza’s familial home, the Crimson Manor, lies.
The capital of the Deadlands is Vesper, named after the major god of war, who is the patron to the Guardians Guild, the warrior guild of the realm. The Vesperian Pits, the underground series of catacombs that acts as the Guardians’ Guild’s base, can be found in this city, as well as the Palace of Vesper itself.
The Deadlands has the most moderate of climates of all the three regions, with hot summers and cold winters, and distinct rainy and cool seasons. It is also mountainous towards its edges like the Winterlands, with a distinct landmass called the Endless Plains separating it from the Summerlands.
The Endless Plains is the site of 9 year long, bloody war that is occurring between the Summerlands and the Deadlands and is further described within OF BLOOD AND ROSES. The Deadlands’ ruler is Dagon of House Vesperian, who has been king since he was seventeen years old.
THE SUMMERLANDS
The Summerlands is Nera’s southernmost continent, and thus possesses the hottest climate, which can sometimes reach a high of 50 degrees celsius in the regions closest to the equator. It is comprised of desert regions and citadels formed around natural water reservoirs, and is home to most of the cities named after the major gods of light, such as Bezra, god of prophecy and healing, Dae, goddess of plant life, Kieran, god of celestial bodies, and Kyros, the primordial god of life.
The Summerlands is a continent which is often considered to have two capitals — one in the free city states, being Kyros, and the other being Bezra.
Bezra is where the Iron Tower can be found, which is where monks and oracles practice their knowledge, and is also home to the Summer Court in the Palace of Gold. The ruler of the Summerlands is King Manden of House Bezrian, and he is father to twins : Princess Thea and Prince Titus.
Princess Thea defected and married King Dagon against her father’s wishes, causing the second of King Dagon’s wars, which still ravages the Endless Plains to this day. It is said that if the fighting ever leaves the Endless Plains and pushes farther into either of continents, this bloody war might bright about the end of Nera as we know it.
Kyros is the capital of the free city states, which is ruled by the fourth King of Nera, King Calasin Serkovia. The free city states are unique in that they are an isolationist series of islands and they do not permit anyone who is not of Kyrosi blood to enter or leave.
Kyros is also unique because it is known as the city of angels, or winged Nerans who can more closely like their heritage back to the gods. Sin Serkovia is godborn, a true demigod, though no one seems to know his godly parentage. He is immortal and youthful, and in many cases, seems to be all-knowing.
Angelique Addo 