The Free States of Pyre stretch across the western mainland of Mernia, extending from the Shield and Fist Channels to the waters of the Qoraszh Strait. Along the southern edge of the strait stands Pyre itself—the capital of the Pyreez Free States and one of the most influential cities in western Mernia. Though the city cannot rival the ancient lineage of venerable Karth, few places in the world can.

Only the sacred lands of Krin Kab are said to rival Karth in age, for legend claims they were once the battleground where gods and their mortal followers clashed in wars beyond comprehension. The region now lies in the hands of the Paolemern Empire. Pilgrims, zealots, and scholars alike continue to journey there in search of relics, revelation, or proof of the ancient tales.

To the east of Pyre lie the lingering scars of the Paolemern Crusades—vast stretches of ruined settlements, broken fortresses, and battlefields where death and devastation still stain the earth. Yet even amid such destruction, the western mainland possesses extraordinary beauty. Endless canyonlands glow with colours reminiscent of spilled divine blood, while the desert winds are said to whisper fragments of forgotten wisdom to those willing to listen.

Beyond the towering Aularkin Mountains lies the ominous region known as the Blood Woods. According to rumour and surviving records, the feared Mezeret Witch Coven once performed sacrificial rites there in honour of the ancient Aularkin faith, long condemned by modern powers. The forest remains deeply feared throughout Mernia, its crimson-tinted groves steeped in tales of curses, disappearances, and lingering spirits.

South of the Blood Woods begin the equally unsettling Spirit Woods, where travellers claim the voices of the dead can still be heard drifting through the trees. Murmured fragments of forgotten conversations, prayers, and dying words are said to echo through the forest at dusk, making the region one of the most haunted places in the Known World.

Far to the west, the climate grows increasingly harsh and arid, and the distant territories play little role in the politics of the Free States. Indeed, such regions were once considered so remote and troublesome that the Pyreez authorities granted a coastal fief there to the infamous Mersyffian Pirates, preferring uneasy alliance to endless conflict.