Nestled in east-central Talislanta, the Seven Kingdoms is the spiritual heart, if not the geographical center, of civilized Talislanta. A loose union of semi-autonomous states, this nation is a prosperous, enlightened society where knowledge and advanced crafts flourish. The Seven Kingdoms is a crossroads for travel from eastern and western Talislanta, since roads are surer and safer than the sea. Merchants wishing to cross the continent by land must either use the Seven Roads (and pay the tolls and tariffs), or risk a dangerous journey across Drag or the cold northlands. The land ranges from the rocky, desert wastes of Sindar and Kasmir to the dense forests of Astar and Vardune; from the tropical jungles and swamps of Taz to the lightly wooded open country of Cymril and Durne. The Axis River forms the western border, keeping Aaman at bay. The waterless Dead River canyon performs the same function in the east, keeping the bandits and raiders of the Wilderlands of Zaran at bay. The mountains of southern Urag, and the dense swamps and mountains along the borders with Mog and Jhangara, likewise provide protection on the northern and southern frontiers