The galaxy has five regions. These are names people use, not hard borders. Three worlds belong to no power.
The dense centre of the galaxy. It is rich, lawful and crowded. The Gilded Dominion rules here.
Aurica. The capital. A gold and white city world with noble spires, a crowded lower city and an inner sea with floating estates. The Regent's palace, the Sky Academy and the Helm Licence Office are here.
Belvair. A garden world of noble estates, vineyards and orchards. Crystal refineries are hidden under the hills, worked by labourers in debt.
Ormond. The navy's fortress world. A war academy, warship docks, grey cliffs and training fields.
Lucrece. The banking world. Island cities, vaults, auction houses and the Dominion treasury.
Ivoire. An ice world of mage observatories and aether research, with blue ice fields and frozen lakes.
Crown Spire. A tall gold station. It holds the Regent's orbital court, the customs hall, the licence vaults and the noble docks.
The north-east spiral arm. Factories, mines and smog. The Iron Union rules here.
Brakka. The capital. A smog-covered factory world with the Union Hall, rune engine works, smelters, worker blocks and a slag waste. The revolt started here.
Tarrow. A mining world of deep pits and crystal mines. The Dominion claims the mines too. The war will most likely start here.
Hesk. The farm world. Dry plains, dust storms, huge hydroponic towers and grain silos.
Coldwell. A frozen tundra of rune reactors, power plants and prison labour camps.
Dunmarch. A stormy frontier world that faces the Compact. Militia forts, radio masts and raider coves.
Foundry Wheel. A giant ring shipyard with dry docks, rune engine test bays and worker halls.
The south-west arm. Crime, poison fog and black markets. The Vesper Syndicate rules here.
Vesk. The capital. One huge vertical undercity under toxic green fog. Chem marshes, a fog harbour, stacked slums and fight clubs. The Nine Bosses meet here.
Gallow. A prison world run for profit. Fight pits, labour auctions and cell towers.
Sump. The junk world. Wrecked ships and waste from every world, scavenger clans and Rush labs.
Marrow. A hot jungle world. Crystal-fungus fields that make raw Rush, smuggler airstrips and river towns.
Night Bazaar. A black market station made of old hulls welded together. Everything is for sale.
The north-west edge. Oceans, storms, pirates and free ports. The Free Drift Compact holds these worlds.
Tallis. The capital. An ocean world of floating raft cities, fishing fleets and the Compact's open-air council.
Skerry. A cracked world of floating rock islands, with pirate hideouts in the caves.
Kettle. A volcanic world of hot springs, pirate gun forges, lava rivers and black sand coasts.
Wend. A wind world of endless storms. Sky rafts, kite towns and cliff nests.
The Tangle. A ring of pirate and trader ships chained together. The Compact's free port.
The south-east edge, near Rim Gate Seven. Ships vanish here. The Order of the Last Light holds these worlds.
Candor. The capital. A white stone world of cathedrals, monastery towns and knight training halls.
Vigil. The watch world nearest Rim Gate Seven. Grey dust plains, forts and signal towers.
Ashfall. A world the Vhal burned 170 years ago. Ash deserts, glass craters, Order hospitals and refugee towns.
Lantern Keep. A cross-shaped fortress station. Its great lamp watches Rim Gate Seven.
Oldmark. A world covered in Old Maker ruins, with crystal in the rock. Every faction digs here. The ruins hold helm secrets. It is the second place the war could start.
Quill. A wild frontier world of giant forests and rivers. Native beast riders live here among failed colonies.
Hush. A dead black world. The Vhal ate its sun in year 870. It is under quarantine. Something still moves there.