Prythian is the continent where the main storyline takes place.
History
According to the Fae, the entire world, including Prythian, the Kingdom of Hybern, and the Mortal Lands, was birthed from a magical object of extreme and unimaginable power called The Cauldron.
Five hundred years prior to the beginning of A Court of Thorns and Roses, the lands of the mortal humans and the immortal Fae had no separation between them. Many Fae from Prythian and also the Kingdom of Hybern abused and mistreated humans, often holding them as slaves. This, along with other factors, is what drove the humans begin the War, a conflict which forced the immortal Fae of Prythian to choose to fight alongside the humans to help them gain their freedom or to join the King of Hybern and his ruthless commander Amarantha to defeat the humans and continue their enslavement. At the end of the war, a Treaty was established between the Fae and the humans abolishing human enslavement by the Fae and order the separation of Prythian from the Mortal Lands by the enormous, invisible structure called The Wall. It also stated that the Fae must remain in Prythian. If a Fae were to cross over into the Mortal Lands, the humans have a right to dispose of that Fae however they choose.
Geography
Prythian is composed of seven separately ruled lands called "courts" consisting of 4 seasonal courts: the Summer Court, the Autumn Court, the Winter Court, and the Spring Court, and 3 solar courts: the Night Court, the Day Court, and the Dawn Court. It also borders the Mortal Lands to the south, with the only separation between them being the Wall, and lies east of the Kingdom of Hybern.
Seasonal Courts
Prythian consists of 4 seasonal courts: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The geography of the seasonal courts begins with the Spring Court, the southernmost court and the only court to border the wall that separates the Mortal Lands from Prythian. North of the Spring Court lies the Summer Court and Autumn Court, Summer to the east and Autumn to the west. The fourth and final seasonal court is the Winter Court, which lies north of the Summer Court and Autumn Court.
Despite following the natural cycle of night and day, each of the seasonal courts only remain only in the season specified by their court name. The Summer Court only ever experiences summer, the Winter Court only ever experiences winter, the Autumn Court only ever experiences autumn, and the Spring Court only ever experiences spring.
High Lords
- The Summer Court: Tarquin
- The Spring Court: Tamlin
- The Autumn Court: Beron Vanserra
- The Winter Court: Kallias
Solar Courts
North of the seasonal courts resides the 3 solar courts: the Night Court, the Day Court, and the Dawn Court. The Dawn Court resides north of the Winter Court and is known for its mountain palace in clouds. Continuing North of the Dawn Court resides the Day Court, the court said to contain much of Prythian's history within it's abundance of libraries. Occupying the land to the far north is the Night Court, the largest and most feared of all of the courts.
Unlike the seasonal courts, the solar courts do not remain in eternal states of dawn, day, or night. Each of them follow the daily cycle of day and night, although it has been stated that those of the Night Court experience more stunning and breathtaking night scenes than that of the other courts.
High Lords
Other Locations
- Under the Mountain
- The Weaver's Cottage
- Cretea
Quotes
| “ | Our benevolent masters would never harm us. Prythian is a land of peace and plenty. Should they bless you with their attention, you would be glad to live amongst them. | ” |
–Children of the Blessed on Prythian | ||