Below is the written entry from the recently published “Mand RacNally’s Second Edition Hero’s Atlas: An Authoritative Guide to the Countries of Gloriana, and the Heroic Possibilities Within Them,” for those interested in the geographic and topographical anomalies contained in the third entry in the Quest for Glory series, Wages of War.

Ahhhh, Fricana. What is there to say about humid, flat, oddly two dimensional East Fricana, and its jewel of a kingdom, Tarna? When visiting from afar, expect to come face to face with some unusual social norms that your standard hero might not be familiar with. The iron fist of rule of the Liontaur people keep many accepted norms of Gloriana on the fringes of society, with the forbidding of the use of magic on the streets, and even the obvious absence of any organized thieves guild being side effects of the strict law set in place around its capital city.

Built on three tiers with the famous temple of Sekhmet on the top, Tarna has one of the most impressive bazaars in all of Gloriana on the bottom level of the city, where your standard adventurer can find anything their gory and frightening quest demands. From banishing an evil demon lord through the use of magic talismans (warning: not all talismans work as advertised. Be sure to purchase a talisman with a lifetime guarantee. Testing talismans out thoroughly before using them is also recommended. We’ve all heard the tale of Fred “The Puddle” Dorson and that spell of liquidation he thought he was protected against) to the slightly lesser quest of obtaining fresh fruit for a morning smoothie, the Tarna bazaar has everything you could possibly need.

Incidentally, the Tarna calendar ends in the year 2012. When asked why, timekeepers responded "I won't live that long, why should I care?"

The second tier of the town serves as a slightly more upscale urban area, with its access to the local Inn (as about the curried lamb’s brains), magic shop (completely 100% accredited and licensed by the Liontaur council), and apothecary. Here you’ll meet Kreesha, the local mystic and Salim, the pharmacist. Bear in mind that travelers are allowed to use magic ONLY within the confines of Kreesha’s magic shop, so be sure not to accidentally start a levitate spell in the bazaar to grab that hard to reach kumquat, lest you want to spend the night in a jail cell. For a real interesting time, visit Salim in the apothecary, light the hookah with a tinderbox and inhale deeply.

The top tier of Tarna won’t be of much use to your standard tourist, with most of the level being occupied by the halls of justice and the king’s abode. But adventurers, and those of a higher calling and/or destiny may find it interesting to visit the temple of Sekhmet. As long as you don’t mind shouts of heresy and being castigated for possibly accidentally wandering into an open door, you might find something of use. Don’t be alarmed when a giant stone statue of a dog god starts to move its mouth and talk to you. Take a cue from the priests and let it ride. Who knows how often these things happen? It could be every week, and most adventuring heroes report it happening to them at least once per visit to Tarna.

"INTERLOPER – BRING SEKHMET CHIPS. SALT 'N VINEGAR PREFERABLY, THOUGH THE DREAD GOD WILL ACCEPT ALL DRESSED!"

With the city explored, only the vast plains of the savannah and the dark recesses of the jungle need further looking. The savannah lacks a certain variety to it, but is populated by more than its fair share of hostile creatures. From the seemingly obligatory X-saur(us) (where x represents a prefix designated by a geographical/species difference; think terror-saurus, toothysaurus, blood-o-saur, deathosaurus, or the often feared and elusive saurosaurus) to the wiry and plentiful croc, the annoyingly audible giant ant, or even the terrifying and horrible, Awful Waffle Walker.