The Empire of Great Kesh is a fictional nation on Midkemia

Midkemia

Midkemia is a fictional world created by a fantasy role-playing group and popularized by Raymond E. Feist where most of the Riftwar books take place...

, a world created by a fantasy role-playing group and popularized by Raymond E. Feist

Raymond E. Feist

Raymond Elias Feist is an American author who primarily writes fantasy fiction. He is best known for The Riftwar Cycle series of novels and short stories. His books have been translated into multiple languages and have sold over 15 million copies.- Biography :Raymond E...

. It lies south of the Kingdom of the Isles

The Kingdom of the Isles

The Kingdom of the Isles is a fictional nation on Midkemia, a world created by a fantasy role-playing group and popularized by Raymond E. Feist. The Kingdom of the Isles, or simply The Kingdom lies to the north of The Empire of Great Kesh on the continent of Triagia...

 and north of the Keshian Confederacy on the continent of Triagia. It is featured in Prince of the Blood

Prince of the Blood (novel)

Prince of the Blood is a fantasy novel by Raymond E. Feist. It is the first book of the Krondor's Sons series and was published in 1989. It was later followed by The King's Buccaneer in 1992. A 15th anniversary "author's preferred" edition with portions of the book significantly rewritten was...

and Flight of the Nighthawks

Flight of the Nighthawks

Flight of the Nighthawks is a fantasy novel by Raymond E. Feist. It is the first book in the Darkwar Saga and was published in 2005. It was followed by Into a Dark Realm which was published in 2006.-Plot introduction:...

.

It is the largest nation of the continent of Triagia, stretching across a third of the continent. It is also the most cosmopolitan nation on Midkemia

Midkemia

Midkemia is a fictional world created by a fantasy role-playing group and popularized by Raymond E. Feist where most of the Riftwar books take place...

 and, on the surface, the most stable. The Empire is ruled by an Emperor

Emperor

An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...

 or Empress and their relatives are called Truebloods. The Emperor or Empress is aided in their rule by Izmalis or Shadow Warriors. Previously, a large portion of the empire rebelled, forming the Keshian Confederacy, also known as Lesser Kesh, but it was ultimately defeated after a long war.

Government

The Emperor or Empress is the supreme ruler of Kesh.

Important positions include:

• Master of Horses
• Master of the Keep
• Leader of the Royal Charioteers
• Commander of the Inner Legion

Geography of the Empire of Great Kesh

• Mountain ranges
  • The Peaks of Tranquility - mountain range of northeastern Great Kesh.
  • The Pillars of the Stars - mountain range in Great Kesh.
  • Trollhome Mountains
  • Eagles Eyrie Mountains - mountains in the north, stretching down to the Jal-Pur Desert.
  • The Guardians - mountain range that forms the border of Inner Kesh.
  • Girdle of Kesh - mountain range in southern Great Kesh that serves as a physical border with Lesser Kesh.
    • The Belt - mountains that make up the Girdle of Kesh.
    • The Clasp
  • Grimstone Mountains - mountain range in eastern Great Kesh, near the Great Sea.
  • Spires of Light - mountain range near the Imperial City of Kesh.
  • Peaks of Quor
  • Rainshadow Mountains
  • Mother of Waters - small mountain group in Kesh and source of the water for Overn Deep.
• Forests
  • Dark Haven - a forest
    Forest
    A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
    
     in Great Kesh.
  • The Green Reaches
• Inland sea - Overn Deep - a great lake at the heart of the empire.
• Desert - Jal-Pur Desert - a notorious desert of Great Kesh.

Cities and towns of the Empire of Great Kesh

• Ahar - a city
  City
  A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
  
   in Kesh, near Overn Deep.
• Ashunta - City near the Girdle of Kesh. A favoured route for slaver
  History of slavery
  The history of slavery covers slave systems in historical perspective in which one human being is legally the property of another, can be bought or sold, is not allowed to escape and must work for the owner without any choice involved...
  
  s and renegade
  Turncoat
  A turncoat is a person who shifts allegiance from one loyalty or ideal to another, betraying or deserting an original cause by switching to the opposing side or party...
  
  s.
• Balinor - An Elvish fort amidst the peaks of Quor, home to the Anoredhel, the sun-elves.
• Caralien - northern-most port on Overn Deep.
• Durbin - home of the Imperial Governor of Great Kesh, on the coast of the Bitter Sea. Durbin boasts arable
  Arable land
  In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
  
   farmland and a safe harbour, which for years made it a haven for pirates. It still has this reputation among many Midkemians.
• Elarial - westernmost city of Great Kesh, located on the shore of the Endless Sea.
• Farafra - port on the Dragon Sea.
• Hansule - port on the Great Sea.
• Hattaresh - city near the Spires of Light on the bank of the River Same.
• Ishlana - city near the forest of Dark Haven.
• Jalome - a southern port on Overn Deep.
• Jonril - a city south of the Green Reaches, and original of the name for the modern city of Jonril, near the Green Heart.
• Kampari - city located between the Spires of Light and Peaks of Tranquility.
• Kesh (also called the Imperial City of Kesh) - capital city of Great Kesh and one of the most ancient cities in Midkemia.
• Khattars - city in central Kesh.
• Kimri - port on the eastern side of Overn Deep at the mouth of the river that leads to the Great Sea.
• LiMeth - city near the Straits of Darkness.
• Nar Ayab - northernmost city in central Kesh.
• Queral - town located on the Great Sea.
• Ranom - port on the Bitter Sea.
• Shing Lai - trading city on the coast of the Dragon Sea at the western end of the Girdle of Kesh.
• Sunnom - port on the northeastern shore of Overn Deep.
• Tupa - city on the southern shore of Overn Deep.
• Wasra - eastern city of Great Kesh, near the Grimstone Mountains.
• Zacara - major city in Great Kesh, near the forest of Dark Haven.

Ethnic Groups in Kesh

• Keshian Truebloods, the original people of Kesh, dark-skinned and very proud.
• Ashuntai also known as the Brotherhood of the Horse, plainsmen who treat all women as property.
• Benedrifi hillpeople tribe of the Rainshadow mountains. Fair-skinned and reclusive.
• Brijaners raiders and traders along the Great Sea to the East of Triagia.
• Cosodi
• Desertmen of the Jal-pur
• Dingazi --cattle-herders
• Isalani oriental people of Shing Lai and nearby territories.
• Izmalis
• Jajormir
• Oshoni --lion hunters

External links

• Midkemian gazetteer