Ymris, Land of Ancient Power

YMRIS
Ymris is ruled by Heureu Ymris with his brother Astrin Ymris as his land-heir. This nation is the site of the ruined Earth-Masters' cities. Ships from Ymris have scarlet and gold sails. There are five provinces in Ymris each ruled over by a High Lord. The five provinces are Lor and Meremont, both small coastal provinces, and Ruhn, Umber, and Marcher.

Historical Conflicts
During the Years of Settlement, an army from north Ymris attacked Herun with an eye to its mines.

Caerweddin
Caerweddin is the capital city of Ymris. Galil Yrmis made a house out of the stones of the Earth-Masters' cities. This ancient house stands on a hill near the sea on the mouth of the Thul River, the river itself runs eastward across Ymris from one of the seven Lungold Lakes. The house of Yrmis' kings is surrounded by two walls. Through the gates of the first wall a gentle incline leads to the thick oak doors of a second wall. Beyond this wall is a courtyard. Immediately upon entering the house is the King's Hall. It is built of smooth, dark glittering stones. Along half the length of the inner wall is a fire. Near Caerweddin are orchards.

King's Mouth Plain
During the rule of Galil Ymris, a seige of Caerweddin occured. The king refused to listen to his wizard Aloil's advice; and as a result, Aloil's tower was burned. Aloil exacted his revenge by making a stone in the plain above Caerweddin speak for eight days and nights in such a loud voice that men as far as Umber and Meremont heard it. The stone recited all Galil's secret, very bad attempts at writing poetry. This is the origin of the name King's Mouth Plain.

Wind Plain
A great, windblown plain in southeastern Ymris. It is bounded at its northern edge by a river. The great stone-works of ruined Earth-Masters' cities lie here.

Here is a description of one such ancient, ruined city, the site of the Wind Tower. "It was a maze of broken columns, fallen walls, rooms without roofs, steps leading nowhere, arches shaken to the ground, all built of smooth, massive squares of red, green, gold, blue, grey, black, streaked and glittering with other colors melting through them. A wide street of gold-white stone, grass thrusting up between its sections, began at the eastern edge of the city, parted it, and stopped at the foot on the one whole building in the city: a tower whose levels spiraled upward from a sprawling black base to a small, round deep-blue chamber high at the top."

Until the High One and Morgon no man had ever climbed to the top of the Wind Tower. Aloil is said to have spent seven days and nights attempting to climb to the top. Astrin Ymris also had made several attempts to reach the top.

Marcher
At least a small section of Marcher is composed of rocky fields and low border hills where villages and farms were rare on the rough land. The rough, undulating land flows towards the old, worn hills mentioned above.

Umber
Umber is land of rough hills and green woods. It is ruled by Rork Umber. North of the Wind Plain there is a road that leads to Rork's house. This great house is made of red and brown stones from the hills. It has a vast hall. A long road leads from Umber to Caerweddin.

The Land-Rulers of Ymris

PAST LAND-RULERS

• Belu & Bilo - They were twin brothers whose deaths were foretold to occur at the same moment.  They grew to hate each other.
• Galil Ymris - He was a king of Ymris during a time when the wizard Aloil still served said kings. He made a great house out of the stones of the Earth-Masters' cities. During a seige of Caerweddin, Galil refused to follow Aloil's advice. As a result Aloil's tower was burned. So Aloil made a stone in the plain above Caerweddin speak for eight days and nights in such a loud voice that men as far as Umber and Mermont heard it, and the stone recited all Galil's secret, very bad attempts at writing poetry.

CURRENT LAND-RULERS

• Astrin Ymris - He is the brother and land-heir of Heureu. He is described as a young man with lank white hair and white eyes. When Morgon first meets him he is described as having skin stretched taut, hollow across his strange proud face. At this meeting he is wearing a voluminous, richly embroidered robe whose threads are picked and frayed. He enjoys exploring the ancient ruined city of the Earth-Masters on the Wind Plain. After showing Danan Isig a cut jewel, through which flowed all the colors of the sea, he found at the base of Wind Tower, Isig gave him Xel, a wild-white cat, out of friendship. Astrin spent a year at the College of Caithnard. He went to exile after Heureu's fiancee was murdered and her shape was taken by an Earth-Master. Heureu refused to listen to his brother and so his brother left. After returning from his exile with Morgon of Hed, Astrin was blinded in one eye by the Eriel in the form of a bird.
• Eriel - She was the fiancee of Heureu Ymris. She had dark, shy eyes and long black hair. Eriel and Astrin were childhood friends. She was killed by the Earth Master who took her form five years before the start of the series. Her death was on the day of her wedding. Eriel, being tired of preparations for her wedding, asked Astrin to go with her to King's Mouth Plain. They traveled to the ruined Earth Masters' city there. She was killed and given the form of a white bird which Astrin buried among the ancient stones above the sea.
• Heureu Ymris - He is the king of Ymris and brother of Astrin Ymris. He is described as lean, big boned, with dark hair.

Minor Characters of Ymris

• Anoth - Lady Anoth is the King's physician. She is an elderly, comforting, dry-voiced woman.
• Lein - He is a kinsman of the High Lords of Marcher (in Ymris).
• Meroc Tor - He is the high lord and ruler of Tor. He is a subject of Heureu Ymris.
• Rork Umber - High Lord of Umber. He is described as a tall, richly dressed, bright red-haired man.
• Teril - He is the son of Rork Umber.
• Xel - a wild-white cat with ice blue eyes given to Astrin Ymris by Danan Isig.