THE WESTERN SUBVOSK NORTHERN PLAINS

By Hersius

Introduction

The term, "northern plains" refers to that area south of the Northern Forests, north of the rainforests, west of the Thentis Mountains, the Voltai Mountains and the Tahari, and east of Thassa. TGV Oct 2003, Nov 2003. The Vosk River divides the northern plains into northern and southern sections. Book 23 Page 20. These articles will treat the coastal areas separately. A number of geographical features and cities/towns are mentioned in the eastern areas along or near the western edge of the suprataharian Voltai, while few places and features are described within the central and western portions of the northern plains. Recall that much of the land south of the Vosk and west of the Voltai has not even been formally explored, let alone colonized. Book 13 Page 16.

The Western Subvosk Northern Plains

Two rivers and one lake are identified in the region. The Thassa Cartius leaves the rainforests and flows to join the Vosk at the eastern apex of the Vosk Delta. TGV Sep 2003, Oct 2003, Jan 2005. The Issus River has its origin at an unidentified location and enters the Vosk at an undisclosed point. Lake Ias is named but is not described as to size or definite relationship to any other feature although it is clustered with other places and seems to be near Argentum and Corcyrus.

There is no agreement as to whether the Sardar Mountains are located south or north of the Vosk. One common interpretation locates the Sardar near the Vosk between the Thassa Cartius and the Issus. More recent interpretations place the Sardar north of the Vosk close to the Thentis Mountains. This department will save discussion of the placement of the Sardar for a future article.

Other than the Sardar question, the outstanding topographical feature seems to be the Flats of Serpeto, with the area being otherwise characterized by low plains and the occasional outcropping of hill country.

The cities mentioned are Samnium, Torcadino, Corcyrus, and Argentum. The smaller places mentioned include Market of Semris and Keibel Hill. The area is criss-crossed by trade routes.

Background

The Issus is the site of one of the two aquaducts that supply Torcadino with fresh water. The site of the aquaduct is a little over 100 pasangs from Torcadino. Book 19 Pages 158, 159; Book 21 Pages 101, 102. “Issus” refers to both a city and a river on Earth. TGV Oct 2003. The river is called both the Pinarus and the Issus. The river and the small city of Issus were located on a major trade route and have therefore been famous battle sites over time. The most famous battle there took place in 333 B.C. when Alexander defeated Darius. Subsequently, Septimius Severus defeated Pescennius Niger there in 194 A.D., Heraclius defeated Chosroes in 622, and Bibars Sultan of Egypt defeated King Hetoum I (aka Hetum I) of Armenia in 1266. In a different vein, since Norman has been hailed by some as the successor to the pulp sci-fi-fantasy writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, it is interesting to also note in passing that “Issus” occurs in ERB’s Mars series (Gods of Mars). There, “Issus” refers to the supreme deity of Mars, known variously as the “Goddess of Life Eternal, Goddess of Death, Mother of the Nearer Moon, and fifty other equally impossible titles,” and the river “Iss” refers to a river that winds from the Golden Cliffs to the Lost Sea of Korus.

Lake Ias is mentioned with regard to battles fought at Argentum mines, the Fields of Hesius, East of Issus, and the Plains of Eteocles. Book 19 Pages 158, 159. One can therefore conclude that it is located within that general vicinity.

The Flats of Serpeto are given as the location of Torcadino. It may be that the area is relatively small. There are savannahs and plains to the north of the rainforests, however, and the Thassa Cartius has to wind over descending plains, and the area in question is home to the Alar Wagon People, which is a bosk-herding northern plains counterpart to the Wagon Peoples of the southern plains. These combine to suggest that there is a large broad high plains area that spreads northward from the higher elevations of the northern border of the rainforests. These articles treat that higher elevation as part of the Ven Highlands and treat the broad plains that descend from it as the Flats of Serpeto. TGV Dec 2004.

The Plains of Eteocles are within 100 pasangs of Corcyrus, and the Hills of Eteocles, which contain the spring water for the other of the two aquaducts that supply Torcadino with fresh water, are only 100 pasangs from Torcadino. The Hills of Eteocles are southwest of Corcyrus. Once the hills end, the pitch of the aquaducts is minimal, showing that the Flats of Serpeto are truly flat in that part. Book 19 Page 159; Book 21 Pages 101, 102. In Greek mythology, Eteocles was the son of King Oedipus. After Oedipus stepped down as King of Thebes, Eteocles alternated rulership with his brother Polynices until, when Eteocles refused to step down, civil war was ignited.

The Fields of Hesius are mentioned in connection with the battles fought at Lake Ias, Argentum mines, East of Issus, and the Plains of Eteocles. Book 19 Pages 158, 159. One can therefore conclude that it is located within that general vicinity. Hesius is the alternative rendering of the name Hersius.

Samnium is some 200 pasangs east and slightly southeast of Brundisium. Book 21 Page 9. “Samnium” as a name is the Gorean counterpart to a region in the southern Appenines in Italy that was destroyed by Sulla in 82 B.C. Torcadino, which is also spelled “Torcodino,” is a crossroads city on the Flats of Serpeto and is the place where all the trade routes listed below except the Argentum Road meet up. It is west of the aquaducts. It is southwest of Ar’s Station and southeast of Samnium. Book 21 Page 101; Book 23 Pages 34, 37, 190. Corcyrus is southwest of Ar and east and a bit north of Argentum. Book 19 Pages 40, 331. Its name derives from the name for the Ionian island Korfu, which lies between Greece and Italy. TGV Oct 2003. Argentum is a center of silver mining south of Corcyrus and far southwest of Tharna. Its name means “silver.” There has been some controversy as to how Argentum can be southwest of Ar while the road between it and Ar intersects the Viktel Aria to the northwest of Ar and travelers must turn southeast to arrive at Ar. Book 19 Pages 89, 263; Book 21 Page 213. One explanation is that, since the Argentum Road does not intersect with the Treasure Road (see below), its purpose being to facilitate trade and travel in the northern portion of the subvosk northern plains, the road runs northeast and then parallels the Vosk until it intersects with the Viktel Aria. How the road goes has no bearing on where it starts. Market of Semris is a small town south and somewhat east of Samnium. Book 22 Page 106. Keibel Hill is a city or town west of the Issus. Dietrich crossed the Issus and managed to evacuate the town during the night. Book 21 Page 31.

A number of major trade routes are identified for this area. The Genesian Road connects Brundisium and other unnamed subdeltan coastal cities with Torcadino. I suspect that the name derives from “Genesis” and that the idea is that the world’s goods gathered along the subdelta coast “start” to make their way inland along it. It is the “starting road.” It does not go through Samnium but passes close by to the southeast. It approaches Torcadino from the north. Torcadino may be its eastern terminus. Book 21 Pages 29, 101, 169. The Northern Salt Line may refer to the salt trade from Kasra north of the equator, with a probable companion line between Kasra and Turia since Kasra is the marketplace for Tahari salt and since Turia is itself the hub of a network of trade routes. It approaches Torcadino from the east. Torcadino may or may not be its western terminus. Book 21 Page 101. The Northern Silk Road approaches Torcadino from the south from an undisclosed origin point which, given the nature of the product, must be a tropical locale. A coastal collection point would not be difficult to postulate over a location more central to the northern part of the rainforests, given the emphasis in the Books on the importance of the rainforests coasts to global trade. Book 21 Page 101. The Pilgrim’s Road runs from Torcadino to the Sardar. This is an example where Torcadino is specifically mentioned as being the endpoint of a major road. Book 21 Page 101. The Eastern Way aka the Treasure Road links the western cities with Ar. It is the shortest civilized route between Torcadino and Ar. This is because the Argentum Road, which also leads from the western section of the subvosk northern plains to Ar, parallels the Vosk and then when it intersects with the Viktel Aria, one must go southeast to Ar. Therefore, in order to travel to Ar via the Argentum Road from Torcadino, one would have to head north, then east, and then southwest. The Treasure Road appears to be more of a straight line in comparison, as it intersects the Viktel Aria only some 5 pasangs outside of the gates of Ar, also approaching from the north. Torcadino may be its western terminus. Book 21 Pages 101, 213, 214, 227, 229, 255, 256. The Argentum Road begins at Argentum and runs eastward until it reaches the Viktel Aria. Book 19 Page 263; Book 21 Page 213.

One interesting question concerning the geography of the region becomes, of course, what happens to the rivers. Either the Thassa Cartius lies inside the 200 pasangs between Brundisium and Samnium, or Cabot had to cross it on his journey from Samnium to Ar. Given that the Thassa Cartius is one of the major continental rivers, one would suspect that its crossing point at either the Genesian Road or the Treasure Road would have to be either a spectacular bridge or a ferry system. The record is silent on this point. Similarly, the Books make no mention of the Treasure Road having to contend with the Issus. Since the Issus is only mentioned locally to the Torcadino area, one solution would be to have the origin point of the Issus located somewhere north of the Treasure Road.

Another interesting question becomes what happens to Corcyrus and the coastline. Corcyrus is around 1000 pasangs from the coast. This has received some discussion since there appears to be a typographical error and, instead of being west of Thassa, as appeared in print, it must be east of Thassa. If it is indeed west of Thassa, then the coastline must be made to accomodate that fact.