Duchy of Barban
Barban lies in north-eastern Kalderesh. It shares borders with Toreen (to the south) and Daern (to the north). The duchy spans from the central Barobur Mountains eastward to the coast. It is bound to the north by the Deer Water, Black, and Kadessa Rivers, the Dim Forest, and Dolphin Bay. The southern limit is traced by the lower hills of the Barobur eastward to the Baro Hills, and then along the Ogre River to the coast.
A large part of the duchy is highland or mountainous terrain, with almost no human settlements in these regions. Wide grassy plains make up the eastern extent of Barban.
The Camnevy River effectively slices through the centre of the duchy. It starts high in the Barobur Mountains, cuts through the Kova and Baro Hills, forms the fertile Camnevy Valley, flows through the Forest of Kova, and empties into Camnevy Sound.
The Swamp of Azaar lies in the extreme north. To the west, the mighty Michaelwood spreads its roots across the northern foothills and into the mountains.
“Barban the Royal” is so called because it is the ancestral home of the monarch and the royal family, residing in Castle Kalder in Camfor. Barban has relatively few settlements and these are found mainly around Camfor. Much of the region is undeveloped, with trollocks, gorn, groks and skrags running wild.
Politically, Barban contains one district and two provinces. The Royal District of Kova is a large region (roughly half of the area of the barony) containing the important cities of Camfor, Cerosfor, Harden, Staven and Azerel. Also within its limits are a large part of Michaelwood, the Swamp of Azaar, and low-lying portions of the Barobur Mountains. The district is administered by the powerful Marquis Rober Galter from his stronghold in Castle Galter outside Azerel.
Within the District are two provinces. The Greater Province of D'Aad includes Camfor and Harden. It is administered by Countess Lilia Stone from Harden. Adjacent to the north is the First Province of Razim, with its capital at Staven. It is administered by Aedyn Slaughter, Earl of Staven.
Freybourne is the only free city in Barban.
Settlements
| settlement name | duchy | district/province | type | population | founding year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azerel, The Tall City ‡ | Barban | Royal District of Kova | city | 150,000 | 4222 |
| Belmead | Barban | Royal District of Kova | village | 1,000 | 4549 |
| Camfor, City of the Sun ∞† | Barban | Greater Province of D'Aad | city | 300,000 | 4212 |
| Caring Cove | Barban | — | hamlet | 400 | 4662 |
| Cerosfor, City of the Ancients | Barban | Royal District of Kova | town | 65,000 | 4309 |
| Clearford | Barban | Royal District of Kova | village | 2,500 | 4519 |
| Dorbeach | Barban | Royal District of Kova | village | 2,000 | 4516 |
| Edgecliff | Barban | — | village | 3,000 | 4568 |
| Esterkeep | Barban | Royal District of Kova | village | 3,000 | 4614 |
| Faymeadow | Barban | Royal District of Kova | village | 2,000 | 4594 |
| Fire Cove | Barban | Royal District of Kova | abandoned | 0 | 4301 |
| Freybourne ¶ | Barban | — | free city | 10,000 | 4478 |
| Greybarrow | Barban | Greater Province of D'Aad | village | 1,500 | 4559 |
| Harden § | Barban | Greater Province of D'Aad | town | 45,000 | 4428 |
| Linmill | Barban | Royal District of Kova | village | 4,000 | 4468 |
| Monastery of Arawn (Dorbeach) | Barban | Royal District of Kova | monastery | 300? | 4412 |
| Monastery of D’Aad (Harden) | Barban | Greater Province of D'Aad | monastery | 200? | 4306 |
| Monastery of Razim (Staven) | Barban | First Province of Razim | monastery | 300? | 4384 |
| Monastery of Saar (Edgecliff) | Barban | — | monastery | 100? | 4282 |
| Northriver | Barban | Royal District of Kova | village | 1,500 | 4532 |
| Port Azros | Barban | Royal District of Kova | abandoned | 0 | 4418 |
| Rocklands | Barban | Royal District of Kova | hamlet | 75 | 4655 |
| Seeton Rest | Barban | Royal District of Kova | abandoned | 0 | 4200 |
| Staven § | Barban | First Province of Razim | town | 110,000 | 4253 |
Key: ∞ royal city. † Duchal city. ‡ Capital of a Crown district. § Capital of an ecclesiastical province. ¶ Free city.