Continents

On Shem there are nine continents, six of which form a ring:

• Cassaru: a small continent around the north pole, from which grows the World Tree, a massive tree that reaches into the cosmos.
• Gyrah: a floating continent high in the sky that orbits the World Tree, floating around a parallel of 60 degrees or so.
• Ansulym: a large continent in the northeast, home to vast empires that dominate most of the world.
• Wymmera: a large continent south of Ansulym, mountainous on one side and open and flat on the other.
• Mahad: a smaller continent at the center of the ring of continents, mostly desert and tropical forests.
• Dabusen: the southeastern continent, huge and varied in landscape.
• Taggarus: the southern-central continent, close to Mahad and Dabusen, with great variation of landscape.
• Palhur: the largest continent, dominating the west. Its southern reaches touch the south pole; its northern reaches are tropical.
• Fasune: in the northwest and north-central, the land of Faerie.

All of the continents in the ring are connected via an Island Bridge that spans thousands of miles.

The empires of Ansulym dominate the world and exploit most of it ruthlessly. These empires are part of a group called the White Crown Concordance.

Oceans

There are six oceans that form amidst the continents:

• Borean Ocean: around Cassaru and the north.
• Aurul Ocean: between Ansulym and Fasune.
• Wyren Ocean: the central ocean within the ring.
• Palhuric Ocean: the ocean outside the ring to the west and east.
• Great Southern Ocean: the ocean south of the ring.
• Red Ocean: between Wymmera and Dabusen and Taggarus.

Each ocean is populated by merfolk, fish people, and other aquatic beings.

Subterra

There are also beings who live below ground in the Subterranean Realm, which has ten layers:

• The Lithosphere: caves near the surface.
• The Grottos: isolated caves further down.
• The Hollow: a vast, open cavernous area held up by massive pillars.
• The Hypogaeum: a series of huge tunnels and caverns below the Hollow.
• The Low Mines: metal- and mineral-rich region being mined by the empires above.
• Shadowdeep: an area where no light reaches.
• Voidbarrens: an area where magic is negated.
• Barathrum: a sea of magma where only the most dangerous subterran beings dwell.
• Stagnum Ignis: a lake of fire around the core.
• The Inner Core: a place of peace.