Chimeron Proper
More complete documentation of geographical locations of note, especially to travelers, can be found in the View from Valehaven.
The maps of the Realms have been recently updated, and show newer locations in Chimeron.
Chimeron City
If the heart of the Kingdom is Chimeron proper, the heart of Chimeron proper is Chimeron City. (It is Chimeron all the way down.) A bit southward from the end of the Whitestone Mountain range, and near the western bank of the Rowan, "Chim City'' is home to Chimeron Castle, the notorious Bar & Wench and the Scarlet Torch establishments, the main Militia Barracks, and many of Chimeron's active adventurers. Court is held daily in the throne room, unless it is not. It really depends on what else is going on. While Chimeron City has many fine inns, it is recommended that travelers make advance arrangements for their stay given the large volume of visitors and traders in the city throughout the year. The various marketplaces each have something special to offer, though the finest goods are typically found in the shops along High Street. Hardly a week goes by without a new play, concert, artisan exhibition, or some such thing taking the city by storm, so there should be plenty to enjoy if you have some time during a visit.
The Bar and Wench
Founded and run by Lady Dee, the tavern has been a favorite place to relax and drink since its inception in 991. The heroes to the Realms are no strangers to its hospitality and music, and many a bowl of dragon chili has been consumed in front of the hearth there. On the second floor of the Bar and Wench is the Keep of the Scarlet Torch, a house devoted to pleasure in all its forms. The Keep was started by Lady Cassia, Chatelaine of Castle Chimeron under Queen Meg. Many are the heroes who have found their way here as well. During the long cold nights of winter, many tales are told over mugs of Lady Dee's finest brew. Some tell tales of mighty deeds done by brave heroes. Some tell of ghosts and monsters to make you shiver and gulp your ale. Some tell stories to make their companions laugh. And as the night wears on, and the level of beer left in the keg drops, the stories grow wilder and more doubtful. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of these tales. We merely record them as they were told, on long nights as the rain and the beer poured down.
You can find many of these tales in our Library, and some of the tavern’s recipes in the Kitchen.
The Crown's Road
A marvel of modern magical masonry, The Crown's Road is forty feet wide and runs east-to-west all the way from Stoneroot, through Chimeron City and Gryphon Hall, to the northern bridge into Eagle's Rook. Created during the post-Bedlam reconstruction, the entire length is seamless stone with a smooth surface curved just enough to ensure rainwater runs off to either side of the road.
Gryphon Hall
Following the Faerill River south from Brighton, Gryphon Hall is the home of - you guessed it - Gryphon Hall! Their walls are 4 miles to a side, each perfectly facing in one of the cardinal directions. While it has historically been the target of much destruction, Gryphon Hall is second only to Chimeron City in strength and size in all of Chimeron proper. (This pairs nicely with Gryphon Hall's tenets to defend the innocent, provide for those who have no lord of their own, and to defend Chimeron and the Realms.) With a lake, river access within the Fort, and east-west trade flowing with Eagle's Rook, business is booming for those who call Gryphon Hall home. If you have not yet experienced it, visitors are advised to walk along the river bank near the north wall early in the morning. That stretch of river is less developed and incredibly peaceful, and watching the sun rise over the far eastern wall is a treat.
Mirror Lake
It does not make sense, but this large lake between Chimeron City and Gryphon Hall is almost always perfectly still. Even the surfaces of the fairly large, flowing rivers fail to show any visible trace of a current until you get about twenty feet away from the lake. Many around Chimeron call it "the Looking Glass of the Gods". For those of you who can fly, gliding over on a clear, starry night is a wondrous experience.
The Royal Academy for Military Sciences
The eastern bank of the Rowan hosts a diligently built new town, created to house and support the Royal Academy for Military Sciences. “Blue Town”, as locals have named it, for the uniform blue slate roofs, holds everything an academy might need. Along with the educational buildings and fields themselves, there are town and guest houses, a market, a port and stables which travelers may access, and the Cerulean Company Headquarters. This metaphorical crown jewel of the town is outshone only by the Sapphire Beacon, mined from the same quarries the stone of the buildings originated from. As a military facility, the majority of this town is secured with outer walls, and entry is permitted only through the gates or port.
Waystones
Toward the end of major reconstruction efforts following Bedlam, then-Captain Orion led a project to have tall stone pylons placed roughly every half-mile along the major roads throughout Chimeron proper. Each pylon, or "waystone" as they have come to be called, is engraved with a unique number and shows the direction and distance to the nearest settlements from its position. At night or in inclement weather, the engravings are magically illuminated for legibility (and to serve as beacons if conditions are sufficiently poor).