661
52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 662
The Empire of Great Kesh
THE SOUTHERN CONTINENT, home to the Empire of Great Kesh, is a harsher land. The Grey Range and the Peaks of Tranquillity push up against the shores of the Kingdom Sea in the northeast. These mountains range far to the southeast. To the west are the Green Reaches, a large forest blanketing the land from the Mother of Waters in the south to the Grey Range in the north, right up against the border of the Kingdom of the Isles. Further west stretches the Jal-Pur Desert, a sere, unforgiving landscape broken only by the Bitter Sea to the north and by the Trollhome Mountains at its western border. The continent extends far to the south through the Spires of Light and Overn Deep—an inland sea—to the Girdle of Kesh and Lesser Kesh to the south.
The Empire of Great Kesh is one of the few major challenges to the security of the Kingdom of the Isles. Its vast lands are emblematic of the power it 662
52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 663
THE WORLD OF MIDKEMIA
663
wields, the greatest across all Midkemia, reaching from Durbin on the coast of the Bitter Sea, south past the coastal city of Farafra, as far as men have traveled, beyond the distant Belt and Clasp mountain ranges to exotic southern cities such as Tao Zi and west to Taroom at the far end of the Keshian penin-sula. In generations past, the northern continent was part of the Empire, but as Rillanon grew, expanding to its surrounding islands and eventually to the mainland, times changed. The Empire still occupies the entire southern continent, with Kesh, its ancient Imperial City, at its heart on the shores of Overn Deep. Kesh reflects the Empire’s age and history, a magnificent place filled with stark contrasts: tight, dark streets packed with people versus the sprawling imperial palace, occupying the entire plateau at the center of the city.
The Empire is ruled by an elite society of true-blooded Keshians, presided over by an Emperor or Empress. They live in the Imperial City, separated from those not of pure lineage, dressing differently and living by different social codes and mores. The Imperial Court is a place of intrigue and factionalism, concealed by time-honored protocol and great displays of wealth.
The land and the city both reflect the character of its people. Much of the country consists of conquered populations, dark-skinned people well accli-mated to the harsh heat of the desert that comprises their land. Natives of Durbin, for example, live uneasily under imperial rule. Independent and cynical, traders and sailors by heritage, they are used to their own way of doing things. In a city with a Slavers’ Guild, rule by true-blooded Keshians in the 52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 664
664
THE WORLD OF MIDKEMIA
far-off Imperial City is incongruous, an alien influence that is a rankling hindrance.
The Empire’s military might is unsurpassed on Midkemia. They share a cautious, cordial relationship with the Kingdom of the Isles and Queg. Their relationship with the Free Cities of Yabon is tense and distant.
52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 665
Novindus
FAR TO THE southeast of Midkemia’s two great continents is a third, Novindus. Broader in the north, the land comes to a point in the south. The Sothu Mountains and the Somanu Mountains anchor the north. The Hotlands edge the northeastern shores, a great desert ending in cliffs by the sea. The Forest of Trabek and the Plain of Djams lie in the heart of the continent. A spine of mountains reaches down to the Great South Forest and the Ratn’gary Gulf.
Natives of the Kindgom of the Isles first encountered Novindus twenty years after the Riftwar in the wake of a destructive raid on Crydee. A land of independent city-states, Novindus’s political structure revolves around the regions each city dominates.
Each city has a militia, but none large enough to defend it against a major threat. A system of mercenary armies work governed by established protocols that all respect. The land is home to dwarves, elves, and a dark and sinister race called the Pantathians.
665
52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 666
666
THE WORLD OF MIDKEMIA
It is the Pantathians—the serpent men—who have posed one of the greatest threats the people of Midkemia have ever known. Legend tells that they were created by one of the Dragon Lords to be servants: creatures brought out of the swamps and magically made intelligent, bred to serve their new masters. When the Dragon Lords disappeared, the serpent men survived, believing they could summon their creator, a woman named Alma-Lodaka whom they saw as a goddess, back into their midst. With her return, they believe, they will rule the world.
Their every effort has resulted in bloodshed and defeat, from their attempts at Sethanon after the Riftwar, to the campaign begun in Novindus and ended in Midkemia. In the former battle, they enlisted the help of the Brotherhood of the Dark Path; in the latter, the Saaur, refugee creatures from a devastated world searching for a new frontier to conquer.
The warm-blooded Saaur stand nearly ten feet tall, their scaled bodies massive in the chest and shoulders, strong in the legs, but delicate in the neck.
Given the physical resemblance and their shared imperialist desires, it was inevitable that the two races would form an alliance. The dark magics they both practiced only sealed that bond. Their ambitions predetermined their downfall.
52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 667
Bibliography
You can learn more about all the lands, races, and adventures in the world of Midkemia by reading the following titles by Raymond E. Feist: The Riftwar Saga
Magician: Apprentice
Magician: Master
Silverthorn
A Darkness at Sethanon
*
Prince of the Blood
*
The King’s Buccaneer
*
667
52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 668
668
THE WORLD OF MIDKEMIA
The Empire Trilogy
(written with Janny Wurts)
Daughter of the Empire
Servant of the Empire
Mistress of the Empire
*
The Serpentwar Saga
Shadow of a Dark Queen
Rise of a Merchant Prince
Rage of a Demon King
Shards of a Broken Crown
52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 669
About the Author
Raymond E. Feist's novels include Magician; Silverthorn; Faerie Tale; Prince of the Blood; and The King's Buccaneer; as well as his New York Times-bestselling Serpentwar Saga: Shadow of a Dark Queen; Rise of a Merchant Prince; Rage of a Demon King; and Shards of a Broken Crown; and The Riftwar Legacy: Krondor: The Betrayal; Krondor: The Assassins; Krondor: Tear of the Gods. He is the creator of the immensely popular computer games "Betrayal at Krondor" and "Return to Krondor." Mr. Feist lives in Southern California.
52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 670
Books by Raymond E. Feist
Magician
Silverthorn
A Darkness at Sethanon
Faerie Tale
Prince of the Blood
The King's Buccaneer
Shadow of a Dark Queen
Rise of a Merchant Prince
Rage of a Demon King
Shards of a Broken Crown
Krondor: The Betrayal
Krondor: The Assassins
Krondor: Tear of the Gods
With Janny Wurts:
Daughter of Empire
Servant of Empire
Mistress of Empire
52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 671
Praise for The Serpentwar Saga
The San Diego Union-Tribune: "An epic reading experience."
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel: "A massive, entertaining tale."
Chicago Tribune: "Classic ... Feist has a command of language and a natural talent for keeping the reader turning pages."
Portland Or
egonian: "Action and intrigue and evocative writing.... Feist brings a new world alive."
San Francisco Chronicle: "Adept storytelling ...
true readability."
Locus: "A place to start for those yet to discover Feist's fantasy worlds."
Booklist: "Vivid and well-choreographed battles ... real emotional impact.... The action is nonstop.... Feist remains in the forefront of fan-tasists."
52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 672
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.
SHARDS OF A BROKEN CROWN. Copyright © 1998 by Raymond E. Feist. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of PerfectBound™.
PerfectBound ™ and the PerfectBound™ logo are trade-marks of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader edition v 1. September 2002 ISBN 0-06-053836-8
First Avon Books Printing: May 1995
First Avon Books special printing: December 1994
20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
52893_~1.QXD 8/30/2002 10:02 AM Page 673
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)
Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia
http://www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
55 Avenue Road, Suite 2900
Toronto, ON, M5R, 3L2, Canada
http://www.harpercanada.com
New Zealand
HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.fireandwater.com
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.perfectbound.com
Please visit www.perfectbound.com for free e-book samplers of PerfectBound titles.
Shards of a Broken Crown Page 59