The Rift begins in the far south at the Golden Sea (-30 lat). The width of the rift, from mountaintop to mountaintop, varies from several dozen to several hundred miles. Along its length, there is ocean at sea level, until it reaches The Great Cascade.

The Great Cascade (c. 10 lat) is a series of massive waterfalls, in which the Long River flows into the sea. Beyond, to the north, the water is fresh, fed by the Blue Water via the Sailleen Cataract. The Long River is over 1500 miles long, and stretches through a fertile valley known as the Blee Valley.

The Sailleen Cataract (c. 33 lat) is a stupendous, manmade cliff, over which the Blue Water flows, tipping over the shallow lip across its hundred-mile span. The cataract's average depth is less than ten feet at high tide, but seasonal tides allow for some crossing to the city (Saillonne) on foot. Near the center of the cliff, there is a raised portion of land that is always above the water, on which is built the city of Saillonne.

The Blue Water (33-42 lat) is a vast, freshwater lake, fed by rivers sourced in the Whitewalls, the Thundercaps, the Auld Peaks, and even the Immortals. It is the largest lake in the known world (and is substantially larger than any lake on Earth), and as such behaves much as a sea in terms of currents, waves, and tides. Its tides are far milder than those of the Great Sea (i.e. about as intense as Earth's), making the water much more agreeable to maritime travel. Much of humanity dwells upon the edge of the Blue Water.

At its northernmost extent, the Blue Water terminates at The Gates (42 lat), where the Amandine and the Sorodine flow into the lake, plummetting over cliffs nearly a thousand feet tall. The city of Menendara sits between the rivers, gaurding the bridges for which the region is justly known.

The River Sorodine runs from the Auld Peaks to the Blue Water (42-59 lat), and is often labelled the "Edge of the World", as it is something of a boundary between the civilized lands of the Eastern Kingdoms and the barabary beyond to the west (namely Kurland).

In the lands of the former Kingdom of the Sword, there are several major realms:

Other ideas:

• The Salt Lords: a collection of city-states on the south coast of the Tritan Reach. Very Portuguese. Lots of old money.
• Orange: up on a plateau overlooking Tirnor. Proud and fiercely independent. Kind of swiss.
  • Dennoth?
• Brinn should be on the old (east) side of the Crowns. Thus, it's a lot older than John Calabeth's march, even if it did grow across the mountains later.
• The Petty Kingdoms: innumerable fiefs between the Crowns and Obrith, those who haven't been gobbled up by Brinn already.
  • Note: the name "Brinn" began as a casual name for this region, referring to the preponderance of keeps and holdfasts all sprung up during the March of the Dawn. Later, in the Dark Times, a lord managed to carve a proper realm out of it, naming it Brinmark. This realm would later conquer the "original Brinn", aka Galland. Though relocated to the old castle on the far side of the Crowns, the realm is still known as Brinn in Uldennic (and Gaille in Brinnish (Gaillais), pronounced "zha-leh")
• The T'chulga Basin: landing of the waters beneath the Sailleen Cataract. Jungly. Lizard-men.
• The Rift: fertile, rich, and maritime. Lots of trade.

More big cities along the River Atal, and on the coast of the Blue Water (maybe on a peninsula or that island). The Grand Caliph conquered them all...and then lost them, then got them again, etc. A wide array of middle eastern culture groups.

So why not make a Holy Roman Empire analogy?

The Church has declared itself to be the spiritual successor to the Kingdom of the Sword, and its vessel for continuation when the One deigns to return the sword to earth. Until such time, it is decreed that the Kingdom should remain united, with the Church serving as de facto head in the king's name. Of course, the lords of men will not follow a monk into battle, so the Church appoints a Viceroy, meant to wield the military power of the king, while the Church provides the rest.

In theory, it's a great idea. In practice, it never really took off. Obrith was all-in, of course, as were the many petty kingdoms and city-states of Burinn. Galland was the first roadblock, and Uldenor later pulled out. Most of Burinn these days is part of modern Brinn.

But is it?

Imagine Obrith as Austria. To the east is a patchwork of petty kingdoms, some of which have been gobbled up by Brinn (Dacia prominent among them) and a few conquered by horselords. The remainder are still independent, though with some degree of fealty to the Viceroy and the Church.

Meanwhile, after centuries of raids and warfare, the Kurns on the western front became somewhat civilized, founding their own realm, after the fashion of Hungary. These days, they are a proper modern kingdom, if only a couple of centuries old. They've given Obrith a much-needed buffer state, and have become part of the the One True Church.