Lyn Tirian is located at the junction of the Whitewater River and the River of Fires, where they come together to form the An-Kiu River. Its comparative latitude is that of the upper Midwest of the United States--say a little south of Chicago--and the climate is similar.

Most of the city is on the hill between the two rivers. The slopes of the hill are broadly terraced, and the houses rise tier behind tier to the temple complex on the crest. The streets either go around the hill, staying level, or climb it and become difficult to negotiate in the winter.

The arena is outside the city to the west, on the far bank of the Whitewater River. A small town has grown up between the arena and the city wall, with inns and taverns, smithies and armories, training gyms (called tevas in Lirith Kai), guildhouses, healers' hospices, and other businesses not usually discussed by tourist bureaus.

As the city is good-sized--about fifteen thousand people--there is no vacant land near to it: all belongs to someone, farmers mostly (although near the arena speculators have bought up quite a bit). The forest beyond--it is said to stretch north for hundreds of miles--lies across the northern boundary of the Empire of Lirith Kai; most of the Red Forest is considered to be elven property, although elves are seldom seen in the city itself: Lirith Kai is a nation of humans. In any case, few elves would care to live in a country where the practice of magic was regarded with repugnance at the best of times; and magic is illegal in Lirith Kai.

Lord Governor Nendiskan tel Haralasa bids all newcomers welcome to the city and province of Lyn Tirian.