Morain sits three days’ travel east of Chrysalis City along the river road. The river Rhine connects both settlements, and flat-bottomed boats carry agricultural goods west on a regular schedule. The journey can be done by road in similar time, following the river’s course through the lowland forests.
To the east and above, the highland plateau is a half-day’s climb from the northern edge of town, weather permitting. The goliath tribes occupy the plateau in extended clan territories, and Morain’s guides know which paths lead where and which clans are currently welcoming of visitors.
Malachite is further away — five days overland via Chrysalis, or slightly less by river if the conditions are right. Morain has less direct connection to the port town, though goods do occasionally make the full journey, and news from Malachite arrives reliably enough through travellers and couriers like Yrelia Morain.
The town has no direct involvement in the Oligarchy’s factional politics, though it is not immune to their effects. Grothor Morain’s candidacy for the Chrysalis mayoral election has put the town’s name in more mouths than usual lately, and the oripathy crisis — still distant from Morain’s daily life — is watched with the careful attention of people who understand that what happens in the cities eventually reaches everywhere.