The land of Dorannia lies to the north of Avation, to the east of Syoshamral (the elven forest) and to the south of Carrancoch.
The coastal and northern reaches of Dorannia are to dominated by fields and pastures, broken by occasional stretches of forest and hilly country.
The inner and eastern part of Dorannia is a forested realm, merging invisibly with Syoshamral's great wood. What farmland there is has been cleared over centuries - the forest here possesses great vitality, and overruns abandoned areas quickly. To the north and south, there are foothills. The lifevein of the land is the river Shar and its tributaries.
The people of Dorannia, the Dorish(men), are of mixed descent, Frankish, Morath and Fraeging blood has mingled in this nation. The people have hair ranging from dark blond to dark brown, their complexions are mostly pale, and they have brown or blue eyes. Their language, Dorish, is an amalgam of all the tongues of their ancestors, and pretty much incomprehensible to all their neighbouring peoples. The same goes for the mustaches favoured by many Dorish males.
The Dorish are considered affiliated with the Frankish culture, unlike the barbarous men of Carrancoch, Morda and the Naamlands. However, they are regarded as rubes, hirsute and crude. Dorish language, cooking and coiffure suffers much mockery from Franks.
The Dorish view the pure-strain Franks with a mixture of admiration, envy and contempt. Almost all Dorish noblemen study Franish, and being fluent is a mark of refinement to the Dorishmen, and they prize Frankish cookery, clothing and wine. However, the Franks are regarded as soft, decadent and blustering. Like all people along the Shattered coast (except for the Haramesh), they regard all lands north of them as ridiculously primitive, and all lands south of them as decadent
Dorannia's farmers harvest crops that are adequate at best, and the country must sometimes depend on imported grain to get through the winter. While the grain harvest may be less than satisfactory, the Dorishmen are renowned for their skill at brewing ale from what grain they have. Some of the finer brew, particularily that from Ramswood, have become the sole ale in the known world that is traded internationally.
The inner reaches of Dorannia abound with fine-timbered oak trees, which is easily floated down the Shar, and supplies cheap lumber for domestic houses and ships. The Dorsish export trade in lumber, however, is hampered by the competing Avatines' greater proximity to all markets of note. Some Dorishmen hope that a civil war in Avation, combined with peace in their own land, will help them gain an advantage in the lumber market.