The Four Lands
Encyclopedia
The Four Lands is the fictional world
where Terry Brooks
' Shannara
series is set. The Genesis of Shannara trilogy reveals the Four Lands to be located in the modern Pacific Northwest
region of the United States and Canada. Much of the landscape has been changed from a future holocaust
, but some landmarks remain. For example, the Columbia River
is still flowing, though it no longer flows directly to the Pacific Ocean
and has been renamed the Silver River.
Each land, named after the compass point it faces, is home to a certain race of people.
. After his defeat at the hands of Shea Ohmsford
, the Skull Kingdom fell into ruin and decay.
, the Westland by the Streleheim Plains and the Eastland by the Charnal Mountains and Jannison Pass.
until the Federation
took over the Southland after the passing of the Druids
. The largest city of Callahorn is the Border City of Tyrsis. Other cities include Varfleet, Leah and Kern. But these cities pale in comparison to the cities of the deep Southland, that formed the core of the Federation, cities such as Arishaig (the Federation capital) Wayford, Sterne, Dechtera, Pia, and Zolomach, all of which are sprawling industrialized cities. It also contains the village of Shady Vale, where Shea
and Flick
Ohmsford were raised. The Southland is separated from the Northland by the Dragon's Teeth mountains. It reaches as far as Lower Anar and Wolfsktaag Mountains in the east and Irrybis Mountains in the West. The southern border is unknown.
race. The Elves are mostly concentrated in the northern regions of the Westland, where their capital of Arborlon
is situated. The town of Grimpen Ward, a haven for those who wish to flee their old lives with no questions asked, lies in the south of the Westland, in the Wilderun region that was also home to the elder witch sisters of the Morgawr
.
In the southern region of the Westland lies Wing Hove, the home of the Sky Elves, a group which has remained separate from the rest of the Elven Nation for generations.
, the Druid Keep, and the forest surrounding it.
is a series of chambers that are said to be built several centuries before. The chambers are filled with dangerous traps and creatures which trespassers must face. The first chamber is filled with stone sphinxes that turn anyone who looks at them to stone. The sphinxes also use telepathic powers to force people to look at them. The second chamber is full of shrieking banshees that will gradually drive you insane. The third chamber is the burial chamber of the kings, being filled with treasure chests, jewels, gold and such. However, the treasures are coated with a venom that kills with just a touch. The fourth, and last, chamber is guarded by the Valg and then later the Asphinx. There are only a few people who are known to prevail over these obstacles, and that is the band of fighters in The Sword of Shannara
, and Walker Boh
.
series it was being turned to stone by The King of the Silver River's brother, Uhl Belk
.
.
Parkasia is surrounded by cliffs where shrike
s nest. The safest route is by a peninsula which is guarded by the Squirm. The Craken Rainforest farther inland is surrounded by the Aleuthra Ark Mountains.
Parkasia's native inhabitants are the Rindge. The Rindge often offer sacrifices up to Antrax believing him a God. The Ringe have a brown-red skin and pale red hair, and speak a dialect similar to ancient dwarven.
Fantasy world
A fantasy world is a fictional universe used in fantasy novels and games. Typical worlds involve magic or magical abilities and often, but not always, either a medieval or futuristic theme...
where Terry Brooks
Terry Brooks
Terence Dean "Terry" Brooks is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and has also written two movie novelizations. He has written 23 New York Times bestsellers during his writing career, and has over 21 million copies of his books in print...
' Shannara
Shannara
Shannara is an epic fantasy series of novels written by Terry Brooks, beginning with The Sword of Shannara in 1977 and continuing through Bearers of the Black Staff which was released on August 24, 2010, as well as a prequel, First King of Shannara...
series is set. The Genesis of Shannara trilogy reveals the Four Lands to be located in the modern Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
region of the United States and Canada. Much of the landscape has been changed from a future holocaust
The Great Wars
The Great Wars are a fictional conflict from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks.According to legend, the Great Wars were a result of several things. These things were common to most societies: territorial dispute, political disagreement, and so on...
, but some landmarks remain. For example, the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
is still flowing, though it no longer flows directly to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and has been renamed the Silver River.
Each land, named after the compass point it faces, is home to a certain race of people.
Inhabitants
The Northland is the home of the Trolls and many Gnome tribes.Geography
The Northland features much rocky terrain and mountains, along with swamplands and deserts. At one time, the most important area in the Northland was the Skull Kingdom--at the heart of which was Skull Mountain; the base of operations for the Warlock LordWarlock Lord
The Warlock Lord is the principal villain of Terry Brooks' novel The Sword of Shannara....
. After his defeat at the hands of Shea Ohmsford
Shea Ohmsford
Shea Ohmsford is a fictional character and the protagonist of Terry Brooks' epic fantasy novel The Sword of Shannara. In the universe, he is the last known person with the blood of Jerle Shannara, making him the only one who can wield the powerful Sword of Shannara to vanquish the Warlock Lord.-...
, the Skull Kingdom fell into ruin and decay.
Location
The Northland is bordered by the SouthlandSouthland (Shannara)
The Southland is a region in the Four Lands, the fictional world where Terry Brooks' Shannara series is set.-Overview:The Southland is inhabited mostly by men. It was largely divided with the largest country being the Borderland of Callahorn until the Federation took over the Southland after the...
, the Westland by the Streleheim Plains and the Eastland by the Charnal Mountains and Jannison Pass.
The Southland
The Southland is inhabited mostly by men. It was largely divided with the largest country being the Borderland of CallahornCallahorn
Callahorn is a fictitious autonomous country in most of the Shannara series of books by Terry Brooks. It first appeared in the opening novel, The Sword of Shannara.- Location :...
until the Federation
The Federation (Shannara)
The Federation is a fictional organization from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks.-Original Shannara Trilogy:In the aftermath of the Third War of the Races and Shea Ohmsford's defeat of the Warlock Lord, the cities of the deep Southland realized how close they had come to annihilation...
took over the Southland after the passing of the Druids
Shannara Druids
The Druids are an order of historians, philosophers, magic-users, teachers and researchers in the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks.-Druid magic:-Paranor:...
. The largest city of Callahorn is the Border City of Tyrsis. Other cities include Varfleet, Leah and Kern. But these cities pale in comparison to the cities of the deep Southland, that formed the core of the Federation, cities such as Arishaig (the Federation capital) Wayford, Sterne, Dechtera, Pia, and Zolomach, all of which are sprawling industrialized cities. It also contains the village of Shady Vale, where Shea
Shea Ohmsford
Shea Ohmsford is a fictional character and the protagonist of Terry Brooks' epic fantasy novel The Sword of Shannara. In the universe, he is the last known person with the blood of Jerle Shannara, making him the only one who can wield the powerful Sword of Shannara to vanquish the Warlock Lord.-...
and Flick
Flick Ohmsford
Flick Ohmsford is a character in The Sword of Shannara, a novel by Terry Brooks....
Ohmsford were raised. The Southland is separated from the Northland by the Dragon's Teeth mountains. It reaches as far as Lower Anar and Wolfsktaag Mountains in the east and Irrybis Mountains in the West. The southern border is unknown.
The Eastland
The Eastland is the home of the Dwarven and the rest of the Gnome tribes. Dwarves and Gnomes are bitter enemies, constantly fighting over territory. The Eastland also contained the fortress of Graymark, home to Heaven's Well, the source of the Silver River. Below the tower is a forbidding forest where the Ildatch was contained.The Westland
The Westland is home to the ElvenElves (Shannara)
Elves are one of the races in the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. They are the only race of the faerie creatures still in the World, though they now have become mortal. Though Elves usually refers to the Westland Elves, Elves can be split into two: the "Land Elves" and the...
race. The Elves are mostly concentrated in the northern regions of the Westland, where their capital of Arborlon
Arborlon
Arborlon is the capital city of the Elves in the fictional Shannara series of novels by Terry Brooks. In the Original Shannara Trilogy, the first 3 books, Arborlon is located in the Westland of The Four Lands. In The Elfstones of Shannara, the defense of Arborlon is one of the central plot lines...
is situated. The town of Grimpen Ward, a haven for those who wish to flee their old lives with no questions asked, lies in the south of the Westland, in the Wilderun region that was also home to the elder witch sisters of the Morgawr
Morgawr
* For the fictional character see Morgawr * For the Cornish sea monster, see Morgawr Morgawr is the third book in the The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara fantasy trilogy by Terry Brooks. It was first published in 2002....
.
In the southern region of the Westland lies Wing Hove, the home of the Sky Elves, a group which has remained separate from the rest of the Elven Nation for generations.
Other Regions
In the center of the Four Lands, under no particular ownership of any race, lies the Dragon's Teeth mountains, where the Valley of Shale and dread lake of the Hadeshorn are situated. North of the Dragon's Teeth is ParanorParanor
Paranor is a fictional location in Terry Brooks' epic fantasy Shannara series. It is the home of the Druids, but it has fallen to enemies of the Druids several times since its initial construction...
, the Druid Keep, and the forest surrounding it.
Hall of Kings
The Hall of KingsHall of Kings
The Hall of Kings is a fictional place in the Shannara series, written by Terry Brooks.-The Hall:The Hall of Kings is a series of chambers that are said to be built several centuries before. The chambers are filled with dangerous traps and creatures which trespassers must face. The first chamber is...
is a series of chambers that are said to be built several centuries before. The chambers are filled with dangerous traps and creatures which trespassers must face. The first chamber is filled with stone sphinxes that turn anyone who looks at them to stone. The sphinxes also use telepathic powers to force people to look at them. The second chamber is full of shrieking banshees that will gradually drive you insane. The third chamber is the burial chamber of the kings, being filled with treasure chests, jewels, gold and such. However, the treasures are coated with a venom that kills with just a touch. The fourth, and last, chamber is guarded by the Valg and then later the Asphinx. There are only a few people who are known to prevail over these obstacles, and that is the band of fighters in The Sword of Shannara
The Sword of Shannara
The Sword of Shannara is a 1977 epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. The first book of the Original Shannara Trilogy, it was followed by The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara. Inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and historical adventure fiction, Brooks began writing...
, and Walker Boh
Walker Boh
Walker Boh is a fictional character from Terry Brooks' Heritage of Shannara and The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series....
.
Eldwist
Eldwist is a peninsula to the north of the Four Lands. During the Heritage of ShannaraHeritage of Shannara
The Heritage of Shannara is a series of four fantasy novels by Terry Brooks, set hundreds of years after the original Shannara trilogy. Unlike the original trilogy, however, this series is all one, cohesive story, in contrast to the three isolated stories of the originals...
series it was being turned to stone by The King of the Silver River's brother, Uhl Belk
Uhl Belk
Uhl Belk is a fictional character in Terry Brooks' novel The Druid of Shannara....
.
Morrowindl
To the west of the four lands lies the island of Morrowindl. Some 200 miles across it is dominated by the unstable volcano Killeshan. It is hinted by sources (not in the books) that Morrowindl could be the Old World area known as HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Parkasia
Parkasia is located across the Blue Divide from the Four Lands. During The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, Parkasia is under the control of Antrax, a sentinent computer type being created by the men of the Old World. The climate of Parkasia was controlled by Antrax, who kept the climate as that of summer. In actuality, Parkasia would be of a more frigid climate.Parkasia is surrounded by cliffs where shrike
Shrike
Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty-one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits...
s nest. The safest route is by a peninsula which is guarded by the Squirm. The Craken Rainforest farther inland is surrounded by the Aleuthra Ark Mountains.
Parkasia's native inhabitants are the Rindge. The Rindge often offer sacrifices up to Antrax believing him a God. The Ringe have a brown-red skin and pale red hair, and speak a dialect similar to ancient dwarven.