Felix said: > To sum up: the Fenarians consider themselves to be independent, but have a 1,000 year old peace treaty with Faerie, enabling them to live in comparative peace and prosperity. The Empire consider the Pepperfields to be their own territory, albeit used by a group of Easterners who haven't sworn alliegence to a noble -- but if they were, they'd be under the dominion of that realm's Baron (or whatever). Fenario IS the Pepperfields, believed by both sides to be owned by themselves, but 'under treaty' with the others. No muss, no fuss, no invasion. No problem. > I reply: Why is it either desirable or necessary that the Pepperfields are synonymous with Fenario? All we know is that they are desired by Easterners for their pepper-growing properties--we never even know *which* Easterners. Is it *likely* that the Marquis of Pepperfields would permit a *castle* to be built by the Easterners farming the Pepperfields? I don't think so. We have no evidence that Verra is unable to manifest in the Pepperfields. We have no evidence that she *is*, either, I'll admit, but still . . . The Pepperfields are still under the overcast. Fenario has a real sky. In short: I think that the Pepperfields is a broad valley set within the Eastern Mountains: fairly difficult for access from *both* sides, with the mountains (remember about food and worldbuilding) providing shelter from rough weather and a way to hold the heat in the summer, thereby permitting heat-loving pepper plants to thrive and flourish in a way that they don't *anywhere else*. Still doesn't sound like Fenario. Mia