The World, it's structure, Lands, Areas, Cities

Ka
With tremendously varied landscapes, Ka is fierce and cold, subdued and beautiful, dangerous and sublime all at once. In the southern woods are Indera and Astan, the latter being a huge woodland community with hunting, racing and exports galore; Kelen and Reb on the west coast are both subdued and set against the huge trees and the choppy cold waters of the Gulf of Storms; in the gigantic peaks of Emer there are chill rivers and eternally snow-capped mountains that few dare to fly over, Imet is set onto a lower, more southerly peak and is warmer, and Elan is gently nestled between deepest woods and sharp stone cliffs. North of the mountains are waterlands and cold barren scapes, Buta being set between a cleft in the mountains below, Ter, nemu and Bu'al all small power-generating and Steeding areas. There are four major (named) islands off the north-west coast of Ka, Oorta, Kyree, Hast and Domor, any of them being used for mining, foresting, and homesteading for the brave.

Unincorporated Population: slightly more than 500000 folks live among the trees and hills, usually lower toward sea level, but there are camps of miners and such up in the area west of Stetil's border. Many tiny islands support homesteads and plantations or fisheries, with their own pockets of civilization. The huge marshlands are good for those exciting hunts, but rarely for homesteading. However the valley south of Buta is well known for a Squatters paradise, which to this day eludes people who are hunting bounty on the Renegades living there.
Astan: For a town which is as large as Astan, you'd think you could see it. There is a downtown area, rising gently above the surrounding trees, but for all its worth, Astan is invisible from the air as well as from the ground. There are complex roads between the huge trees, linking the smaller communities which make up the place's huge suburban area. Most of the Steeding going on is in the northern area, nearest the hilly parts which open a little -- not much -- from the dense trees. Hunting and other activities are popular from here. Most of the steeds feed must be imported, as there is little in the way of real farming in Astan.
Earthly Equivalent: pop-up book fairy tale city
Founded in 7200 Pronounced "ass-tahn"
Population: 1.85 Million SM: .2 VM:x4

Indera: a coastal town, less than half the size of Astan. There is a tremendous urban zone nestled among the strong trees and feed farms, this part of the continent is very hilly so there can be a farmstead on the west face and a gigantic HighMaster's mansion on the other and neither neighbor will ever see each other. Air travel is very important here, there is a major hoverport supplying the coastal cities found here, actually just off the coast on a small island.
Earthly Equivalent: Icelandic community with more trees
Founded in 6000
Population: 730000 SM: .2 VM: x3

Emer: Cold and windy all year round, among the snow-covered peaks. The roads are wide and cleverly designed so that if you're asleep or blind you can still maneuver on them. The city itself is mostly the hoverport and transportation areas built into an urban zone, with the estates, hunting and racing facilities, and homesteads spreading out away from the flat-carved hoverport almost immediately swallowed by the hills. Jagged and hard to build on, unless you find the right spots, it's possible to be back to back with your neighbor and never see them.
Earthly Equivalent: we don't build in places like Mt Everest, do we?
Founded in 3423 Pronounced "ee-mare"
Population: 490000 SM: .5 VM: x2

Reb: The townsfolk continue to be friendly and yet have the most impressive low-flying courses available, and the best shipping lane right next to their mills, headed right out to Tana
Earthly Equivalent: a German river port Founded in 4601
Population: 225000 SM: .7 VM: x2

Buta: Though the land is marshy most times, the climate of Buta is chill and often frozen over. The waterfalls and steppe-farming always make really great picture post cards in winter, but it's extremely difficult to eat frozen peas.
Earthly Equivalent: Korean mountain community with snow
Founded in 5600 Pronounced "boot-ah"
Population: 78000 SM: 1x VM:x1

Ter: This is a very good Steed land, even though it's been around for almost five thousand years, it's still "up and coming" so far as anyone around is concerned. It has a major port to the Islands, as well as trips over the coast to the other towns this far north. It is apt to flood in the late spring, and to freeze gently over in the winter, but all in all for such a northerly town it is very mild most times of the year. Windy, it has many electric farms.
Earthly Equivalent: big shrug there
Founded in 5540 Population: 64000 SM: 1x VM: x1

Kelen: Set into the forest, Kelen is modern and brightly lit, if a little small by Zekiran standards for such things. Eeking out a farming living is popular, profitable too because the feed that is grown here is very rich in minerals brought down from the mountainsides in the runoff water. The whole place is greatly rated as both a Breeder's town and a resort.
Earthly Equivalent: small Northern California Ski Lift Town Founded in 8000
Population: 52000 SM: 1x VM:x1

Elan: Powerful businesses are often run from Elan, the town itself is tight and based mostly on imported Bond work and very tough Free Land Holders. Most of the rural homesteads are of the local woods, those and the businesses found in the city center (around the only hover port) are of stone and brick, mainly. The place is rugged but clean.
Earthly Equivalent: a tough Washington State town
Founded in 6750 Pronounced "ee-lon"
Population: 43000 SM: 2x VM:x1

Bu'al: Situated on flood plains, Bu'al is one of the few cities which also features a river boat port. It leads to the Buta area, and is often visited in the summer when the waters are deep enough to support boats, and not too deep to drown people. There are sharp drops in certain areas of the zone, making runoff into dramatic waterfalls occasionally.
Earthly Equivalent: Vietnam stilt town with a little more money
Founded in 5700 Pronounced "boo-all"
Population: 34000 SM: 2x VM:x1

Imet: Major hardwood exporter of Ka. Down the sharp hillsides, there are many homesteads and businesses, with complex roads that support all sorts of transportation: air, Steed and ground.
Earthly Equivalent: none
Founded in 3662 Pronounced "ee-met" Population: 25000 SM: 2x VM: x1

Nemu: Supporting a large fishery and sea-plant harvesting population Nemu is a rarity on Zekira in that it relies heavily on the sea, rather than the rich marshland nearby for its sustenance. The best shrimp is caught here, as well as larger arthropods and sea-roaches. The place is small and smells kind of funny, but it is often visited for the food.
Earthly Equivalent: somewhere -- anywhere -- along the Maine coast
Founded in 5510 Pronounced "nee-moo"
Population: 17000 SM: 3x VM: x1

Oorta: A wide mountain range makes travel over the top of Oorta difficult: so people built through it. There are more underground and through-the-mountain roads than there are roads atop it! There are a lot of homesteaders here but none in one single place that they want to assemble a City or even Zone for it. Virtually all kinds of animals are found on this and the other Kan Islands, however they are mostly isolated genetically now because their land bridge is long since flooded.
Earthly Equivalent: those wacky Survivalists in the north...
Founded in 1880 Pronounced "oor-tah"
Population: est. 33000 SM: 1x VM:x1

Kyree Island: Mostly forest and some small amount of the hills that the Islands are known for, Kyree is a bright green place all year round. There are three settlements on Kyree, one on the southern edge, one smaller one serving purely as a mining community, and the third near the north-west edge. Most High Holders want this land, there is just something about the place.
Earthly Equivalent: a New England off-shore isle
Founded in 2328 Population: est. 28000 SM: 1x VM: x1

Hast Island: Mostly mining, Hast is a cold and dreary place, however there are a number of people trying to Breed, Steed or otherwise change the face of Hast. They're not doing too well.
Earthly Equivalent: Canadian Tundra Quarry land
Founded in 2502 Population: est. 16000 SM: 1x VM: x1

Domor Island: Dominated only by the black upturned ground, Domor is never going to have the possibility of true homesteading that Hast does. It is a quick way to pay off a Bond, working in these mines, mostly Alabaster-related people Hold here, and some day perhaps it shall all be theirs.
Earthly Equivalent: an exposed strip mine of a place
Founded in 4143 Population: est. 7000 SM: 1x VM: x1

Private Islands: None of these support a larger population than perhaps 100 or so at a time. Each of them are uniquely forrested/mountainous or swampy, though they are not necessary for complete descriptions. They all are going to be similar in appearance to the rocky heavily vegitated British Isles types.
Lonely Island -- special Land, just off Kyree. It's very small but pretty, and has a hoverport.
Aav Island - Off the east of Domor, also privately Held.
Chase Island - Just south of Aav Island, privately Held.
Spiral Island - Off the southern tip of Oorta, privately Held.
Isle of the Falls - Just past the valley delta off the west coast of Ka's mainland. Privately Held.
Rain Isle - West of the Ka coast, north of Cliff's End, privately Held.
Cliff's End - Directly west of the Elan river delta, off the coast of Ka, privately Held.